3 Tea White Beer

[boicutt]

Hey guys,

Locally brewery here up in Quebec inspired me to try and make my own. It's a white beer with 3 different teas. Black, Rooibos and green.

This is the backbone I came up with.

5.25gallon batch

8.2 oz Rice Hulls (
5 lbs 3.2 oz White Wheat Malt
3 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1 lbs 3.2 oz Wheat, Flaked
8.0 oz Vienna Malt
4.8 oz Acid Malt
0.50 oz Citra - Boil 20.0 min
1.00 oz Citra - Boil 1.0 min
2.0 pkg Safbrew WB-06 (fermented around 68-70F, still not sure)

Mashed at 149F for 60, batch sparged.

First off I don't want much bitterness, and the bitterness I do get I'm hoping to get from the tea. They will be fruity/herbal/floral teas. I'm still hesitating on which ones to go for but it will be a mix of them, leaning on the fruity side.

I'm still not sure when I'd add the teas. I don't know if I add them to end of boil (fear for tannins), brew a batch on the side and add just before cooling, or dry "hop" the tea. I was even thinking... what would happen if I added it to the mash?

Any feedback would be appreciated. I want an easy drinking beer, not too bitter, more on the sweet fruity/citrus side with herbal/floral notes.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Okay, so I have never even HEARD of this, so I'm only offering thoughts, not experience.

I'd think, since you want the floral/fruity notes from the tea, you might consider getting a low bittering level with a 60 minute hop addition of something neutral, like magnum, at a level consistent with a pale ale or even a witbier. Then, especially since the rooibos is so sweet, dry hopping at a warm temp after fermentation has subsided, maybe at 70F for 7 days. If I were doing it, I'd add the teas loose in my fermentor, and then taste it after 3 days, and every couple of days, like making a low temperature sun tea.

 

[boicutt]

At first that's what I wanted, but I'm pretty sure they don't put coriander in there (at least I don't taste it) and the tangy/citrus is mild but present so I'm thinking it could either be orange peel, the hops, or one of the teas that contains dry fruit.

My first hop pick was el dorado, but it's nearly impossible to find here. So I was thinking last minute citra and at 20 (maybe 15) would give me those aromas mild fruity taste.

Any risk of infection if I just toss loose tea in there?

 

[Black Island Brewer]

You'll definitely get citrus, and even tropical (mango, pineapple) with the citra, BUT it will drop out fast. You won't get much bitterness without a longer addition, and it might be too sweet. The bitterness from the tea will mostly be tannic, so it will come across as tongue-puckering dry rather than bitter. Maybe start the way you have planned, and add a bittering hop in the next batch if you find it ut of balance.
Once the fermentation is done, you should be fine for adding dry teas, as the alcohol and acidity will both help protect the beer.

 

[boicutt]

That's most likely what I will do.

Anyone want to chime in on what would happen if I added tea to the mash. Would most of the flavor be gone after boil/Fermentation?

 

[boicutt]

Just thought about it and it would probably affect pH as well, so lets forget that idea!

 

[Beernik]

This was supposed to be a Thai Tea Beer. It ended up more of a Spiced Tea Beer.

I brewed 4.75 gallons of beer and brewed 0.25 gallons of tea and mixed them at bottling.