Adding Tea to Mead - Questions

[SandorClegane]

I have made four 5-gallon batches of mead over the last year and a half, all at separate times. Used different recipes for each. Two of the batches are still aging in bulk. One of the batches is half aging in bottles and half already drank, and the remaining batch, the first batch I brewed, is almost all drank. Of the two batches I drank (one completely, one in part), they both tasted great.

I've used different recipes but not ever used tea.

I'm about to start another batch, and am curious about adding tea, as I've read this is something people do.

My recipe is this.

9 lbs (3/4 gallon) butter-bean honey (light/soft)
6 lbs (1/2 gallon) buckwheat honey (dark/strong)
Yeast nutrients
Lalvin d47 yeast
4 (roughly) gallons of water (bring total must to 5 gal)

Process:
3 weeks primary fermentation
rack
1 month secondary
rack
1 additional month secondary
rack + halt fermentation
1 month oaked with oak spirals
rack
bulk age for 6 months
bottle
continue to age some, and drink some


My question is this. How much tea to I brew for roughly 5 gallons of must?
Do I brew it and then add it to the must prior to primary fermentation?
Or do I wait and add it to secondary fermentation?
Or do I wait until I've halted fermentation and add it to the mead prior to aging?


Thanks guys

 

[Arpolis]

There are at least 100 different ways of thinking when it comes to tea. I have used it a lot and have come up with what I think is my preferred way of adding tea. The reason I add tea is that it gives balance to a sweeter drink and adds for a better mouthfeel/body.

The way I use tea can add some bitter flavor so your flavors need to compliment that. I basically "Dry hop" the tea leaves strait in the primary. For concentrate wines or sweeter meads I like to use 3tsp of loose leaf tea per gallon strait in the primary. If I want a less bitter taste then I back off going as low as 1tsp per gallon.

 

[Brann_mac_Finnchad]

Whereas I use tea to add tannins in order to smooth the mead out, and choose the tea to add the flavours I want (like vanilla). I steep the tea, and how long depends on how much bitter I want--and I usually use about 1 tablespoon per gallon.

 

[SandorClegane]

Thanks guys.

 

[huesmann]

Whereas I use tea to add tannins in order to smooth the mead out, and choose the tea to add the flavours I want (like vanilla). I steep the tea, and how long depends on how much bitter I want--and I usually use about 1 tablespoon per gallon.

Question though: doesn't the tea have to be real tea to add tannins, but most flavored tea is herbal, not real tea?

 

[saramc]

Question though: doesn't the tea have to be real tea to add tannins, but most flavored tea is herbal, not real tea?

Many flavored teas are built upon a base of black or green tea, you just need to look at the ingredients.

 

[Brann_mac_Finnchad]

Question though: doesn't the tea have to be real tea to add tannins, but most flavored tea is herbal, not real tea

Many flavored teas are built upon a base of black or green tea, you just need to look at the ingredients.

?

Correct--I do not count herbal "teas" that do not contain leaves from the tea tree, as actual tea. I typically use the correct term of tisane. Celestial Seasonings brand is rather bad about that--they have a good number of products labeled as tea, that do not contain any.
I also usually use loose leaf, although if you use bagged teas, the (usually) lower grades in them will provide tannins faster.

 

[fvcws]

Question though: doesn't the tea have to be real tea to add tannins, but most flavored tea is herbal, not real tea?

Most herbal teas don't contain much tannin. One exception is mint. I've never tried it in mead. I generally use lightly brewed green tea.