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Proper Brewing Techniques

I. Iced Tea

A. Automatic Iced Tea Brewing Equipment (3-5 gallon brewing system)
  1. Place tea bag into brewing basket. For loose tea, place new filter and tea into brewing basket.
  2. Place a clean, sanitized urn with cover in position.
  3. Following the manufacturer's instructions, start brewing cycle. Brew water should be at least 195°F with a brew basket retention time of not less than one minute. For optimal quality, a total brew cycle of between 3-5 minutes is recommended. Brewing equipment must be checked periodically to assure that this temperature is being achieved.
  4. When brewing is finished, stir contents of dispensing urn with a sanitized stirrer if brewing equipment is not equipped with an auto-blend feature and put cover in position.
B. Automatic Coffee Machine Method/Pourover System (for each gallon of iced tea)

  1. Place one 1oz. tea bag into filter basket.*
  2. Slide filter basket under brewing head.
  3. Place sanitized pot under brew basket and start brew cycle. Brew water should be at least 195°F with a brew basket retention time of not less than one minute. For optimal quality, a total brew cycle of between 3-5 minutes is recommended. Brewing equipment must be checked periodically to assure that this temperature is being achieved. Pour concentrate into a clean, sanitized urn, add fresh, cold tap water to equal one gallon.

*NOTE: For the highest quality iced tea, use a dedicated brew basket and tea decanter for tea use only.

C. Traditional Steeping Method (each one ounce bag makes one gallon of iced tea)
  1. Place tea into a clean, sanitized container for each gallon of iced tea desired.
  2. Preferably, pour one quart of boiling water for each tea bag used and steep for 3-5 minutes. Minimally, tea leaves should be exposed to water at a temperature of 195° F for approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Carefully remove tea bag and add fresh, cold tap water to yield final quantity of iced tea.
D. For commercial purposes, "sun" tea is not an acceptable practice for steeping tea.

II. Tea Tips

  1. Store tea bags in a dark, cool and dry place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not refrigerate.
  2. Never hold finished brewed tea for more than twelve hours at room temperature. Discard any unused tea after twelve hours.
  3. Brew only enough tea that you reasonably expect to sell within a few hours.
  4. To protect tea flavor and to avoid bacterial contamination and growth, clean and sanitize tea brewing, storage and dispensing equipment at least once a day.
  5. For any method described, use a calibrated thermometer each week to make sure that brewing water in your equipment meets the recommended temperature.

III. Sanitation Practices for Fresh-Brewed Iced Tea Equipment

Brewed leaf tea is 99% local water. Its flavor is such that the quality of the water and condition of the brewing equipment is crucial to a quality fresh-brewed iced tea product. To guarantee your brewing equipment is clean and your customers receive only the best fresh-brewed iced tea, follow these simple steps:
  1. Brew only enough tea that you reasonably expect to sell within 12 hours. Discard any unused tea after 12 hours.
  2. For automatic iced tea and automatic coffee machine equipment, tea should be brewed using water which is at least 195°F. Tea leaves should remain in contact with the water for a minimum of 1 minute. For optimal quality, a total brew cycle of between 3-5 minutes is recommended.
  3. To protect tea flavor and to avoid bacterial contamination and growth, CLEAN and SANITIZE tea brewing and storage equipment at least ONCE A DAY as follows:
    1. Dismantle dispensing spigots, hoses, storage reservoirs (removing gaskets, "O" rings, etc) and rinse in warm water along with other brewing and storage utensils (e.g., pitchers, spoons, etc.)
    2. Wash using a good dish detergent, in hot water. Be sure to remove any encrusted soil deposits with a brush or cleaning pad, if needed.
    3. Rinse thoroughly with clean hot water.
    4. Sanitize by immersing non-stainless steel parts for at least 1 minute in hot water at 180°F OR by rinsing in a solution of warm water mixed with chlorine (minimum 50 ppm- one capful of chlorine bleach to one gallon of water). Do NOT use chlorine bleach on stainless steel urns or dispensers as it will promote small leaks (See Manufacturers' Dispenser Cleaning Section).
    5. Disassemble dispenser spigot and clean and sanitize according to manufacturers directions (for example, see Sanitation of Spigots by company as described in Equipment Section)
    6. Replace any worn gaskets, "O" rings, or any other badly scratched or damaged parts before reassembling. (See diagram in Equipment Section for each company's equipment)