Making Tea Wine Vinegar.

Vinegar is made by fermenting beer or wine with jelly-like substance made of acetic acid bacteria and cellulose, known as the ‘mother of vinegar’ or acetobacter.

To start making your tea vinegar, you need to obtain the mother of vinegar, much like growing a starter for sour dough bread. You can cultivate this from existing vinegar with the mother such as Bragg’s apple cider vinegar. Leaving the vinegar with mother in a clean, glass jar in a dark room temperature place , covered with cheesecloth or a coffee filter until you see a slightly opaque, jelly-like substance forming then strain it out.

Alternatively, you can cultivate it from scratch by harvesting it off of the feet of flies (see the clip below). Take a large plastic bottle, like a fizzy drink bottle and put a banana skin in it to attract flies. Put in an equal amount of sugar and water into the bottle and a dash of vinegar. Suspend the bottle somewhere that is warm, but shady, like under a tree. If it rains, you will need to bring it inside or move it to somewhere covered temporarily. After 2 to 3 weeks, your mother will have grown and you will need to cut open the bottle and strain it out.Whichever method you use, you need to ensure that there is room in your container for oxygen.

Once you have harvested your mother, you will need to place it in a sterilized earthenware or glass jar and partially fill with tea wine (see the previous article), leaving a couple of inches for oxygen and cover the top with cheesecloth or a coffee filter held in place with an elastic band to keep out any other particles or insects. Place it in a dark, room temperature place. The bacteria in the mother will convert the alcohol in the wine into acetic acid, which is vinegar. As it also needs oxygen to help the mother stay alive and ‘eat’ the alcohol, you want to use a fairly wide, broad jar so it has as much surface exposure to air as possible.

After a few months, a pale, jelly-like film will start to develop on the top of the liquid. It will be slightly rubbery to the touch and once it has grown to about a centimetre thick, your vinegar should be ready. The smell of the liquid will also tell you when it’s ready; it should be a very powerful sweet and sour vinegar smell. Once your vinegar is ready, remove the film from the top and keep it to make another batch or discard, then strain the vinegar with a coffee filter or cheese cloth to remove any sediment. As the vinegar is made from natural bacteria, it can be slightly unpredictable and if it starts to grow any other mould cultures (they’ll be black, blue or as opposed to the grey-white shades of the mother), you will need to discard it and start again. Most of the time, this method is fool-proof and you will have your own wonderful, nourishing tea vinegar.

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We are pleased to announce that our yearly Spring Sale will promptly begin March 1st and continue through March 31 th. Each year we offer special discounts on our premium teas as a way to make room for the new teas arriving for the new season.

It is our goal to provide premium teas to our clientele, and one way we ensure this is to never allow our stock to grow stale. Our Spring Sale allows clients to save on their favorite teas and, when visiting the site, find out about the exciting new teas coming in the New Year.

Our Spring Sale items are located on our “Special Offers” page on the website. Each item listed on the specials page will have 15% discount, making it very tempting to indulge in several products. We encourage you to visit the site often during the sale as new items will be added to this category often.

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Testimony and tea review In an effort to spread the news about our fabulous teas, and reward our loyal customers, we have started a rewards program. This program is absolutely free to join and reward points can be redeemed for gift certificates.

How The Program Works

Testimony: We encourage you to share your experience with our products by posting a personal testimony. When clients post their testimony they will earn 500 points.

Product Reviews:When you purchase one of our fine teas, we hope that you will be willing to share your opinion of the tea itself.  Clients may review each type of tea once per year, and we request that you use at least 150 words to explain your unbiased opinion of that batch of tea. Since our teas are continually replenished, we believe that if you wait a year between reviews it will ensure that you are reviewing the latest crops, keeping your reviews fresh for other consumers.

You will be rewarded 500 points for every text review that you post.  Each order you placed on grandtea.com, you are eligible to submit two tea reviews, and you can repeat the process again along with each new order.  There is no total limits to the amount of products that you can review but the reviews must be about products that you’ve purchased from us in the last six months.

Video reviews are accepted and encouraged. If you would like to post a video review about the tea you’ve purchased from us, we will reward you with 1000 points. Your videos can show how you brew that type of tea, what types of food you like to eat with that tea, or even what your personal experience has been when you consume the tea. The length of your video reviews should be from 5 to 10 minutes.

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Plain text please send to our contact us form. Review that contains picture or video please use facebook and post it to my page.

How to convert Bonus to Gift Certificate

Log in to your account and click on “my account” then “Bonus” tab.  If you’ve got 5000 or more points press “Convert to a gift certificate” button to convert your bonus to gift certificate. Minimum convertible amount is 5000 points.

Terms And Conditions Of The Program

There is no obligation to join the points program when you make a purchase from this store. Products that are reviewed for this site must be about products purchased directly from this site. Site owner has the authority to confirm that reviews have been submitted about products that were purchased directly from the site.

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Tea Wine

Introduction

This is the third experiment using tea leaves with natural yeast. In this experiment, we are attempting to make a beverage somewhat like red wine, but with slightly lower alcohol content. The expected alcohol content is 10%. If you need more information on any of these steps of making tea wine, look for directions online concerning red wine making.

The ingredients necessary for tea wine experiment are:

60 grams of loose tea leaves, Vinegar, 800 milliliters of water
Starter yeast (for directions to make your own, see tea leaf experiment #1)
200g White sugar
Coffee filter, Cheesecloth, Container for fermenting (at least 1 liter in size)
Airlock (or plastic foil and plastic band)

Preparation

To begin, simmer your tea leaves with the water and sugar for 20 minutes. I used Organic Sencha tea, but you may make your own choice. Remove from heat source after 20 minutes, and allow the tea to cool to room temperature. If you add the yeast while the tea is too hot, it will kill the yeast and prevent you from making wine. Once the tea is room temperature, add the starter yeast. Wine making yeast is easily available, or you may use the one you created. Directions are found at http://www.grandtea.com/tea-reviews/archives/583#comments.

First fermentation

Sencha + Sugar + first fermentation

Add a splash of vinegar to the concoction, that will alter the PH and keep away the mold growing. Leave the tea leaves and starter in the pan or a container, and start the first fermentation; four days at room temperature. At this stage the yeast need oxygen to reproduce,  cover the container with a lid or a cloth. Bubbles of CO2 should be visible after 24 hours. Stir the contents once daily with a clean stir stick to release the carbon dioxide and supply the yeast with oxygen.

Second fermentation

second fermentation

After four days, pour the liquid through a coffee filter to remove the leaves, and place in a container for the second fermentation. It is very important that you place an airlock on the container. This is a special piece of equipment. It can be purchased on eBay, or in a wine supplies store. Allowing the carbon dioxide to escape from the container is very important- if this does not happen, the buildup of the gas can cause the container to explode. Alternately, placing plastic foil over the opening of the container and securing it with a rubber band will perform the same function. It allows the carbon dioxide to escape, and prevents harmful bacteria from entering.

Place the container in a cool dark place where it will not be disturbed for three to four weeks. A closet may work well, or a cupboard. After the time has passed, taste it. It may be bitter and harsh and the tea wine will be cloudy, but Not to worry- the next step will remove the sediments and clear the wine up. The second fermentation is completed when you  not longer see any bubbles, that means the yeast have ate most of the sugar and turned it to alcohol.

Cold stabilization

Tea Wine After_Cold_Stabilization

European wine makers use cold stabilization to remove sediments and make the wine clear. This is just fancy language – all that has to be done is to place the wine in your refrigerator. Five degrees Celsius is needed to work the magic. After just a week, the wine will be clear and will taste smoother. This was accomplished by having all the sediments settle to the bottom of the bottle.

Racking

The next step is referred to as racking. Pour the clear layer of tea wine into another clean container, being careful not to disturb the sediments at the bottom of the bottle. If this is difficult for you, try using a pipe to suck the contents out. The liquid can also be passed through cheesecloth to ensure no debris remains.

The tea wine is now ready for consumption. If you are patient, it can be aged to improve the taste. If you made a large amount of wine, it can be aged in bulk before bottling. If you are an amateur like me, it can be bottled right away.

Pasteurization & Bottling

Before you can safely age the wine it must be pasteurized. Make a warm water bath for the wine. The temperature should be at least 55 degrees Celsius. Clean the wine bottle with hot water, and then pour your tea wine into it. Insert a thermometer into the wine to monitor the temperature inside the bottle. Place the bottle in the warm water bath, and keep it there for 30 minutes. Be sure the temperature is maintained at 55 degrees or higher the entire time. Pasteurizing kills any yeast and bacteria that might remain in the wine. If those remained they would spoil the wine while it aged. When complete seal the bottle for aging.

Aging

Now you are ready to age the tea wine. If the tea wine was very harsh and bitter after the cold stabilization, age it at least one year. If it was already a very nice wine, three to six months will be sufficient. Aging simply makes the wine taste smoother and gentler.

Summary

In summary, By using materials I already have at home, paying attention to details in the process, It is possible to make my own wine at home. The ingredients are widely available at the grocers or specialty shops. I really enjoy the pleasure of drinking my own homemade tea wine. I used organic Sencha for this experiment and some reason the seed weed taste of Sencha seem to diminish after the cold stabilization, and  surprisingly replaced with a banana like aroma.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the ingredients. I think once the process is mastered, it can be used on a wide variety of tea wines. Please, share with us if you have done a tea wine.

Dong Ding Oolong

Dong Ding Oolong is a tea named after Dong Ding mountain in Nantou County of Taiwan. According to the legend, Lin Feng chi, a villager from Lugu Township of Nantou County, went to Fujian (main China) to take the imperial examination in 1855 (Qing Dynasty) to become official. He not only succeeded in the examination, but also brought back with him 36 seedlings of Wuyi oolong tea trees and planted in Dong Ding Mountain. These 36 seedlings gradually developed into present-day Dong Ding tea gardens.

Though Dong Ding literally mean Freezing Summit, Dong Ding mountain is green all the year round and has an annual average temperature of 20 °C . Always covered with cloud and mist, it receives relatively short sunshine, which is an ideal place for growing tea trees.
The Dong Ding Tea can be picked all the year round. However, its picking and making should meet strict requirements. The fresh leaves are improved buds and　leaves such as that of Qingxin (Green Heart) Oolong. The spring tea is the most precious one and is known as “Leaves of Gold”. The finished tea has a semi-sphere shape and is tight and even. It has a dark green and oily moist appearance, with slightly golden color on the edge. The tea soup is golden, bright, and transparent, sending forth a strong flower scent and mature fruit scent. It tastes strong, mellow, brisk, with a sweet aftertaste.

Buy Dong Ding Oolong

An online tea business can be lucrative, but as with all businesses, you can maximize your chances of success by following time-tested guidelines. Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and its popularity appears to be growing.

In the same way, the business of selling tea is also blossoming. Online tea businesses take advantage of the rapidly rising trend in Internet shopping to offer tea products to anyone with an Internet connection. While once mainly popular in Asia and in a few European countries like the United Kingdom, tea has spread to all corners of the globe with aficionados coming from all social strata.

Unlike a tea café or teahouse, an online tea business is relatively easy to manage with low startup and overhead costs.

Getting started
The first step in setting up your tea business is to obtain a business license and/or registration. You must have the proper business credentials for the tea supplier to take you seriously.

Once you have your license, you must set up arrangements with at least a few reliable suppliers. If you plan to sell Chinese tea wholesale, for example, you should do some research on suppliers to ensure that you will not run into future problems. Choose an English-speaking wholesaler and build up good relations with your contacts.

Look for suppliers that can provide good prices on all the items you will need to get the best return on your investment. You will benefit by carefully choosing suppliers that will deliver the product on time without any problems. Hong Kong suppliers are generally the best because they have the advantage of having better mastery of English along with better shipping rate then main China.

You must also be careful to choose suppliers that provide high quality products. When you offer tea retail, it pays to stick to high-grade tea. Most low-grade tea consumers will purchase the product at supermarkets rather than buying it online.

To learn more about tea, visit the suppliers that you eventually choose. They will be more than happy to provide you with all the information you need to know about the products.

Check on your country’s import regulations
Each country has different rules and duties on foreign imports, so you should research this information in order to formulate an accurate business plan. The United States, for example, has no import duties on tea, but European Union countries are strict on pesticide use.

In Australia, any tea found infested with insects is destroyed immediately without any recourse for the importer. India imposes a 100 percent duty on all imported tea to help protect their domestic tea market.

Offer specialty products
Rather than attempting to offer a wide range of tea products, it is better to sharpen your focus. Become a specialty tea business that caters to a particular niche in the online tea market.

Passionate tea lovers are looking for online stores that really know their stuff and that will offer tea that is a grade or two above other stores. Show the customer that you know your tea and your business will benefit.

Set up the website
Once you have decided on the types of products you will offer, then you must create your online tea store. This will require obtaining a web host or web server, a domain name and necessary software including an online shopping cart application.

Many web-hosting providers offer special e-commerce packages that include everything you will need from page encryption to shopping carts and analytical software. Amazon and EBay are examples of large sites that offer users the ability to set up online stores. However, there are many other options available including using third party applications with smaller Internet service providers or even with your own servers.

Promote, promote, promote
As with any business, online or offline, marketing is essential for success. Marketing does not just happen at the startup phase, but it is a continuous process even for the most successful businesses.

Search engine optimization involves creating web pages that appeal to major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. These pages should have quality content rich in targeted keywords. The content should be fresh with regular news updates.

In today’s high tech world, businesses must engage on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube. Networking on social media is much like business networking in the real world at mixers and other events. The idea is to create relationships with your online community.

Regularly update your social media feeds with interesting content and your online community members will come to depend on you for news and information. In this way, you can entice them to visit your online tea store.

Commitment over the long term
Selling tea wholesale is not different from other businesses in that it requires commitment over the long haul. The owners must also manage their time wisely because they are competing with other stores selling the same product.

Think about committing from three to five years to the business before expecting tangible results. Use your time and money wisely and remember to be adaptable to an online environment that changes rapidly. The businesses that get ahead are those that show determination along with the ability to find their own niche.

Introduction

This is my recipe for a perfect summer drink! The idea behind this beverage, for those of you that enjoy something to drink with a slight “kick” to it, lies in the successfully combining the follow ingredients.

Our goal is to make carbon dioxide, aka CO2, through a simple process. This is done by combining sugar with active yeast and water. Since the yeast is wild and totally natural, we could say the CO2 is natural and wild too. To understand how we get our started you need to refer to my first tea experiment to see how we make our own active natural yeast to act as a starter. That can be found at this link. (URL location. http://www.grandtea.com/tea-reviews/archives/583 )

Things You need:

100 ml Yeast Starter

Tea Leafs 10 gram White Down Silver Needle

Splash of lemon juice or vinegar

900 ml Water

125 gram white sugar

Plastic Soft Drink Bottle

Instruction

Once all the ingredients and equipment are on hand, we proceed as follows. Clean the plastic bottle and utensil carefully, hygiene is very important here, contamination of harmful microbes will make you sick. So if your final product smell strange and moldy, throw it away. Don’t take any chances.

We first cook the tea leaves in a solution of the water and sugar. Cooking being a rather nebulous word, let us say we simmer the leaves of tea for approximately 20 minutes.

Ingredient

The next step is where many people make a mistake. We must let the now sweet tea solution to cool down to room’s temperature, before adding the starter. If we add the yeast starter too soon the yeast will die.

Once the sweet tea solution is near room temperature, we add the active yeast starter. You may purchase wine making yeast or literally catch your own yeast from White tea, as done in our first experiment.

Next, filter out the tea leafs and fill a plastic bottle with the sweet tea plus starter combination (never use a bottle made of glass, due to risk of explosion). Don’t forget to add a splash of lemon juice or vinegar, it keep away the unwanted mold and bad bacterial.

First fill the bottle to 2/3  and  Shake the sweet tea very actively and firmly. This aerates the solution and helps provide the yeast to get the oxygen it needs to be very active. After you have aerated the tea, fill the bottle to the top and close the lid tightly.

Then we allow the entire concoction to sit and ferment at a constant room temperature. After 24 hours, there should already be bubbles of CO2 visible in the solution.

After the 4-5 days of fermentation at room temperature, place the beverage in the refrigerator for two more days.

After those two days, the fermented tea beverage is ready to serve, over ice. Be careful when you open the plastic bottle because it should be under pressure. You should be able to enjoy the tea for several days, but keep it in the refrigerator. If the bottle feel hard and expanded, then it is time to open the bottle to release CO2 pressure build up.  If you forget, you might find bubbly tea exploded all over the inside of your refrigerator.

Result

In summary, my sparkling white tea tastes somewhat like champagne or a cider. Serve it with ice cubes, very refreshing and just perfect for summer! 100% natural and healthy. Younger people love it but for adults it may be too sweet. This can be taken care of by using less sugar. To make it more dry in taste, let it ferment longer. The longer you ferment the tea, the more sugar convert to gas and alcohol by the yeast. How long depends on how dry and alcoholic you prefer.

I would like to experiment with sparkling Green tea, Black tea, Oolong tea and why not try some unusual like sparkling black pu-erh! If you have a sparkling idea, please send it to me, I would like to try it! .

Next time you start a new batch, you don’t need to make a starter again, keep some of your sparkling white tea and it contains the yeast you need to start a new batch.

Reference:

http://sites.google.com/site/yankeeharp/fizzydrink

White Down Silver Needle – Zhenghe,

Organic White Down Silver Needle – Fuding,

Shi Feng Supreme Dragon Well,

Premium Xi Hu Dragon Well,

Premium Bi Luo Chun

Organic Sencha,

Organic Genmaicha,