Earl’s Old Lady

2/24/23

Earl’s old lady:

3 lbs honey (from Glenns)
15 Twinings Lady Grey black tea
1 gallon purified water
Lalvin D47 (half packet)

SG = 1.090

I started by steeping the 15 bags of tea in 4 quarts of the purified water.  I added the honey to the carboy and added the warm tea.  Pitched yeast and put on the airlock.  She’s pretty!
3/21/23
Gravity = 1.040.  She’s still working though.  This is going to need a couple of more weeks.  Still very cloudy.  First taste was good honey taste.  Can taste the tea and the orange.  The D47 is still going.  I swirled it after I did the reading and moved inside to ferment at a little warmer temp.

4/7/23
This wasn’t clearing at all.  I added 2 tsp to 1/2 cup warm water of Bentonite clay.  I racked it into a clean gallon and added the Bentonite.  It’s clearing now.
SG = 1.014.  Still a little sweet which is what I like.  It’s gonna mellow with time.

4/21/23

Racked off the Bentonite clay.  Added 1/2 tsp tannin.  SG = 1.006.  Will need back sweetened.  Good flavor, bad mouthfeel. It’s been 57 days since pitching yeast.

5/12/23
Bottling day!  I used the peel off an orange (a small peel in each bottle) and of course sanitized everything.  Got 5 full bottles.
I will create and print the labels today and get labels on them.  Then to sit for a while….. It’s been 77 days since started.

6/26/23 ~ 1 month tasting
This did not turn out well at all.  It needed back sweetened like I said.  It was bitter and dry.  I think the orange peel didn’t work like I thought it would.  I will try and add some honey to the next cup that I have to sweeten it a little and see if that changes the flavor.