Next brew = chai

[citingzero]

So my next brew will incorporate chai tea. That stuff smells/tastes delicious and I want a hint of it in my beer. So how many tea bags should I steep with the grains? Dry hop instead? Boil with hops? Dark, amber, or light malt? I'm really just going for aroma, which points towards late hop addition or dry hopping. The again I don't know how those spices will work. I don't want to over power the beer. Anyone have actually experience with chai tea in beer???

 

[BallisticGourd]

I've done a chai milk stout several times...if you're doing something with some roasted grains, I'd just skip the tea bit and add some spices as the ferment is slowing down (straight or as a tincture).

Just remember, a little goes a long way!

 

[ChshreCat]

I think it'd go well with something like a milk stout. As for the spices, I'd try boiling the spices with the wort but keep it to a minimum. You can always adjust after fermentation by boiling more spices in a small quantity of water.

 

[citingzero]

Just remember, a little goes a long way!

That's what I was thinking. I don't want too much... just a hint. I have no idea what ingredients ill use just looking for advice such as the quote above. So the milk stout was tasty?

 

[BallisticGourd]

I did two batches based on a left hand milk stout clone recipe. The first was phenomenal, but I overdosed with anise in the second batch and it wasn't ever worth drinking.

My recipe for the spice base came from my wife's aunt, who's from India:

5-6 whole green cardamom pods
1/4 whole nutmeg, crushed
6-7 whole allspice
10 coriander seeds
2" cinnamon stick
2-3 1" slices of fresh ginger
5-6 whole cloves
1-2 SEGMENTS of star anise (I misread my notes and tossed 2 whole star anise into the second batch)
6-7 whole white peppercorns

I soaked the whole spices in vodka and tossed the lot into secondary, then racked & bottled once it had the flavor I was looking for. I did tone down the hops a bit, especially the late additions.