[hoser]

I am thinking of making a Green Tea Pale Ale with Jasmine.  I have had plenty of Green Tea in my day, but have limited experience with adding green tea or jasmine to beer.  I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations as a starting point with both ingredients.  I will probably add them both loose leaf as a flame out/WP addition, quite possibly dry hop with one or both of them as well.  Likely a very simple pale ale recipe base with some low additions of NW hops late in the boil.  Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hoser

[denny]

I've used jasmine rice to make a pale ale, but that's as close as I've gotten.

[ryang]

try looking up information on Elysian brewing co. Jasmine IPA.  It's quite good with a noticeable jasmine contribution, but I don't know how much they add or when.  

Can't help you much on the green tea... unless you're making ice cream!  Mmmm

[Steve]

Check the ph of hot green tea and if it's in the realm for a mash. If it's okay try it as your brewing liquor. Adjust the ph if slightly off.  Some green teas can have a delicate flavor. Others stronger.  I call it "seaweedy."  Might as well eat a sheet of Nori.

Another idea would be to make a couple of pots of green tea, reduce it all down to a pint to concentrate the flavor. If it tastes good use that with your priming sugar, or with out if you force carbonate.

Plausable?

[euge]

Secondary or at racking time would be my choice.

Primarily the hops are my concern. I'm presuming you'll want citrus types such as Amarillo or maybe even Sorachi Ace?

[hoser]

Secondary or at racking time would be my choice.

Primarily the hops are my concern. I'm presuming you'll want citrus types such as Amarillo or maybe even Sorachi Ace?

I was thinking of using either citra/amarillo and sorachi ace,14g/5gal at 10min and knockout.
I probably will layer the jasmine and green tea by late WP additions and dry hopping.  Just not sure on the amounts and when.

Check the ph of hot green tea and if it's in the realm for a mash. If it's okay try it as your brewing liquor. Adjust the ph if slightly off.  Some green teas can have a delicate flavor. Others stronger.  I call it "seaweedy."  Might as well eat a sheet of Nori.

Another idea would be to make a couple of pots of green tea, reduce it all down to a pint to concentrate the flavor. If it tastes good use that with your priming sugar, or with out if you force carbonate.

Plausable?

I like your ideas Steve, my one concern is that boiling tea, like coffee, is not recommended because it extracts too many tannins.  That being said, mash hopping and first wort hopping, are a similar concept and the opposite of expected result happens would great success.  Boiling it down and reducing it I think may be a bad idea as it would concentrate these tannins.  Could one make an extract with vodka and still retain the aromatics of the green tea and jasmine?  Thanks for all the help guys!

Hoser

[tygo]

Would the cold press method that can be used for coffee extraction work with tea?  You could try cold steeping the tea leaves for 24 hours or so and add to the secondary.  No idea if that would work, just a thought.

[Steve]

my one concern is that boiling tea, like coffee, is not recommended because it extracts too many tannins. 
Hoser

Cold steeping for a long time to avoiding tanins is good, then concentration.  Steeping in a neutral spirit is also a good bet.  You'd get a better and more sanitary extraction with the latter.

[tschmidlin]

I would throw them in at knockout, because that's how you make tea.  And I'd aim for about a 1/2 gallon's worth of tea for my first try.

There is an advantage to doing a cold steep and dosing later though, since you can control the amount you add and dial it in.  In that case I would essentially make a really strong sun tea, at least 2x strength.  Dose it into samples of the beer from there.

[ryang]

I would throw them in at knockout, because that's how you make tea.  And I'd aim for about a 1/2 gallon's worth of tea for my first try.

If you do it that way, I would only keep it in for a few minutes.

Make a cup of tea and leave the bag in for 20 min and see what happens... your tongue will be gasping for air.

I would agree with spirit extraction, and like Tom said, sample with measured doses.

[tschmidlin]

I would throw them in at knockout, because that's how you make tea.  And I'd aim for about a 1/2 gallon's worth of tea for my first try.

If you do it that way, I would only keep it in for a few minutes.

Make a cup of tea and leave the bag in for 20 min and see what happens... your tongue will be gasping for air.

Yeah, I was assuming you start chilling immediately.

Although when I make my tea I leave the bag in the whole time I'm drinking it, I like it that way.  It's not what I'd want in my beer though.

[phillamb168]

Off topic a bit, but has anybody tried the Golden Star White Jasmine tea? Basically it's jasmine tea with bottling sugar and champagne yeasts added at bottling. http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-golden-star-white-jasmine-sparkling-tea-non-alcoholic

How easy would this be to make? Just pitch yeast + priming sugar and rack to bottles?

[tschmidlin]

Off topic a bit, but has anybody tried the Golden Star White Jasmine tea? Basically it's jasmine tea with bottling sugar and champagne yeasts added at bottling. http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-golden-star-white-jasmine-sparkling-tea-non-alcoholic

How easy would this be to make? Just pitch yeast + priming sugar and rack to bottles?

It sure looks like that's all they do.  Make some tea, cool it down, add some sugar and yeast, then charge $12 per bottle.  If it's popular, they'll make a killing.

[phillamb168]

If it's popular, they'll make a killing.

Oh it is, and they have, but I thank them for giving me the idea so I can replicate it at home for 1/1,000th the cost. Homebrewers Always Win!

[euge]

Their site says "12g sugar in each 6oz pour..." So 2g/fl.oz. How sweet is this stuff? Certainly the sugar is 100% fermentable, so it must be a very subtle sweetness.