Sweet Tea

sherwood

I like sweet tea. I have at least 1 glass per day at lunch. I stopped buying it by the gallon and started making my own to save money. After I make it I put it in a cleaned plastic gallon jug that a store brand of tea came in. Now the problem. It seems that the tea will taste OK for about a week and then it starts to taste funny. As in real funny. What would cause this to happen? I didn't have this problem before. And yes, I clean out the jug every time it's emptied. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teach

A gallon lasts a week? I've never had that problem!

Most likely, the sugar in the tea is beginning to ferment a little. Commercially-brewed tea will have some preservatives in it to slow down the process. Either brew smaller quantities, or consume it a little faster.
Jerry

tennmike

Unless the jug is sterilized before reuse bacteria start to grow. The sugar speeds it up. If you leave it long enough a fine fibrous growth will appear in the bottom of the jug.

About all I got is to rinse out the jug with laundry bleach, and then thoroughly flush the jug with fresh water before refilling with tea to keep the bacteria knocked down.

Jayhawker

During the summer, the wife and I go through a gallon of iced tea a day...I use a quart Mason jar for a tea glass...

Teach

You could also use a glass jug, and sterilize it with boiling water between uses. I've seen some glass tea jugs at the local Wally world with a petcock built into the jug near the bottom for filling a glass without having to handle the whole jug every time.
Jerry

Buffco

sherwood wrote: »

I like sweet tea. I have at least 1 glass per day at lunch. I stopped buying it by the gallon and started making my own to save money. After I make it I put it in a cleaned plastic gallon jug that a store brand of tea came in. Now the problem. It seems that the tea will taste OK for about a week and then it starts to taste funny. As in real funny. What would cause this to happen? I didn't have this problem before. And yes, I clean out the jug every time it's emptied. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teach is right, it's too old. I am the sweet tea maker in my house. I make a new gallon every other day.

I prefer it aged a few days rather than fresh made, but a week is too old.

NN

Make it in half gallons.

I get mine from Smithfield Chicken and BBQ---- the jugs have screw on caps and make
good jugs to fill with water and shoot.

wddodge

Teach wrote: »

You could also use a glass jug, and sterilize it with boiling water between uses. I've seen some glass tea jugs at the local Wally world with a petcock built into the jug near the bottom for filling a glass without having to handle the whole jug every time.
Jerry

That is exactly what my wife uses. A gallon sitting on the top shelf of the fridge still tastes good after 3 days, if it makes it that long.

Denny

sherwood

The Boss has decided that we will go to BBB or Wally-World on Friday and buy a new glass container. Thanks guys!

bml

Sanitize the container and it's lid with bleach and keep on trucking. I cant imagine a gallon of tea lasting more than a day when I'm around anyway.

woodsrunner

Sweet "Ice-Tea" is meant to be made and consumed in one of the original Confederate States only, and no where else otherwise it ain't true "Sweet Tea".That's probably your problem! :tooth:

bruchi

Store in the refrigerator in a glass receptacle instead of plastic, it will also taste better, and if you add lemon to it DO NOT drop it in there, still a week is a bit too long, if it lasts you that long make half a gallon at a time or whatever works best for you. Making your own tea is the only way to go, drinking instant tea or already made is a SIN.

Bullgator

tennmike wrote: »

Unless the jug is sterilized before reuse bacteria start to grow. The sugar speeds it up. If you leave it long enough a fine fibrous growth will appear in the bottom of the jug.

Sounds like you're making kombucha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha



Look at the funk in that picture!

bhl2506

I vote for drink more. Not only ice tea errr well that discussion is fer another thread. :tooth:

SirGeorgeKillian

This is my kinda sweet tea. I toured the distillery a year ago. Good stuff!

http://fireflyvodka.com/index.cfm

tennmike

Bullgator wrote: »

Sounds like you're making kombucha.

Look at the funk in that picture!

Nope. The stuff I'm talking about is more like a dust bunny in the bottom of the container. Or like a 'mother' in the bottom of a wine bottle because the wine was not properly filtered before bottling.

Yeast spores are EVERYWHERE. So are bacteria. All they need is moisture and a food source to get down to the reproductive business. Reason sourdough bread tastes different in different regions across the country is because of some of the unique yeast spores that get mixed in with the sourdough 'starter' dough over time. While that starter is mixed in with some more dough and working, there's stray yeast settling on it from the air. And that stray yeast alters the taste of the finished bread.

Jay

Teach wrote: »

Most likely, the sugar in the tea is beginning to ferment a little.

There's your problem. Stop putting sugar in your darn tea...................:tooth:

Somebody had to do it.............

Oh, I agree with the glass tea jug thing, too. I've always used one of the glass tea jugs from Wally World. Since my dishwasher moved out, I put it in the electric dishwasher between new batches.

snake284-1

If it's sweetened and you used sugar, there's yeast in the air that will cause it to ferment. That's usually the cause of the off flavor. You need to drink it up or not make so much in a batch. Keeping it cold will slow this, but it will eventually happen anyway.

What i really love to do is put some good spring water in a gallon or larger jug. Then put some Lipton or Lousian Tea bags in it and set it out in the sun. Sun tea is just so smooth. However, if you store it with sugar you'll still get off flavors within a week. Even without sugar the flavor will deteriate over time. Just make enough where you can drink it within a week or less. Also sweeten it as you drink it. Don't sweeten more than you can drink in a day or two.

snake284-1

tennmike wrote: »

Nope. The stuff I'm talking about is more like a dust bunny in the bottom of the container. Or like a 'mother' in the bottom of a wine bottle because the wine was not properly filtered before bottling.

Yeast spores are EVERYWHERE. So are bacteria. All they need is moisture and a food source to get down to the reproductive business. Reason sourdough bread tastes different in different regions across the country is because of some of the unique yeast spores that get mixed in with the sourdough 'starter' dough over time. While that starter is mixed in with some more dough and working, there's stray yeast settling on it from the air. And that stray yeast alters the taste of the finished bread.

And that's why my mother would throw out the starter culture after a few months and start over, because as it built up the stray yeast would create off flavors.