Ice tea wine experiment, taste test and final alcohol readings

This test is to see if ice tea powder will ferment.

Original gravity is 1.03
Final gravity is 0.994 (bottle 2 only)

Final alcohol level for bottle 2 was 4.73%, bottle 1 failed to ferment.

Bottle 1

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp ice tea powder (around 85 ml) in 1 liter of water
1/16 tsp Red Star Premier Cuvee Yeast

Bottle 2

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp ice tea powder (around 85 ml) in 1 liter of water
1/16 tsp Red Star Premier Cuvee Yeast
1/8 tsp DAP
1/8 tsp yeast nutrient (B vitamins)
1/8 tsp bentonite

Starting PH is between 3 and 4
Final PH is around 3

For more details on the method check out my blog. The quick instructions are below.

After the ingredients are added cover the top with breathable paper as the yeast are multiplying, after 2-5 days add an airlock or loose cap with a plastic bag and elastic band. The wine should be fully brewed in 2-3 weeks. Leave in a warm, dark area until all bubbling stops.

Results:

Bottle 1

Failed to ferment after a small bit of yeast activity in the first few days.

Bottle 2

It was a bit slow to get started but after a few days it was bubbling away.

This would have cleared more if I had left it a bit longer although it was fully fermented.

The smell is very strange and unusual, almost like flowers or rose with a hint of lemonish smell. The smell is quite strong and overpowering. The taste is sour similar to lemon water with this flower taste lol. If you like drinking rose water this might be appealing to you but I don't like this.

Final thoughts:

The added nutrients were enough to get this to fully ferment although the sugar, tea and citric acid were not enough for the yeast to survive alone. I was considering using the ice tea powder as a substitute for tea from tea bags but the smell is so overpowering I wouldn't want to add that into any of my other wines when the tea from the tea bags seems to be working well for a bit of added tannin.

Please leave your comments and thoughts below. Cheers!