Chai Concentrate Brewing
SINGLE CUP
Making a chai latte one cup at a time.
If you are making a single cup of chai latte you will want to brew a stronger cup of steeped tea (concentrate). Try doubling the amount of tea (5-6g) and using half as much water (approx. 4oz). Pour boiling water over leaves (the hotter temp will extract more spice flavor) and steep for 5-7min. Stir in desired sweetener and add steamed milk of choice.
DRIP COFFEE BREWER
The easiest way to make house-brewed Chai Concentrate.
We designed our “OG” Masala Chai- Ground Spice specifically to make concentrate in the drip coffee brewer, just like the most basic coffee served at shops. It’s as simple as adding chai to the brew basket and hitting “brew”. We recommend using a different brew basket then the one you use for coffee as the oils of spice or coffee can linger. Use 125g chai to make a half gallon of concentrate. Brew into a pitcher and stir in sweetener while its still hot. Approximately 200g of brown sugar or honey would be our suggestion. Let the concentrate cool to room temp before using 1 to 1 with milk for a chai latte. The concentrate will get cloudy as it cools (a process called creaming), that thickens the brew and brings flavors together. Concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
STOVE TOP
The most traditional way to make Indian chai is by simmering on the stovetop.
Masala Chai comes from the Indian tea tradition, so why not learn from their brew process? You can use the stove top chai recipe for brewing a single cup our up to a large batch. Use a saucepan or pot on the stovetop over medium heat and bring water and chai to a low boil. Use 3-4g chai per serving and 6oz water. Simmer at a low boil for 7min. At this point you can strain and cool the concentrate, or add milk and bring to desired heat before straining into cups. Depending on what part of India you are from, there is debate on the proper ratio of water to milk, or not using water at all. Some communities in northern India aerate the tea by scooping ladle fulls and pouring from a distance above the pot to shock the chai with cool mountain air. Whatever tradition you follow, this method will draw out the richest spice flavor.
LONG STEEP
The long steep method we have used to brew our chai concentrate for the past 10 years.
For more than 10 years we have perfected this one method to brew our Whole Spice Original Chai. We bring 2.25 quarts of water to a boil (it must be boiling, cooler temps change the flavor). And pour the boiling water over 225g Original Chai- Whole Spice and we stir in 200g brown sugar until it dissolves. Then we cover with a tight lid and let it steep for 35min. Next we strain the leaves being extra careful not to agitate the over extracted leaves too much and release extra tannins (bitterness). We let it cool to room temperature on the counter and refrigerate until mixing 1 to 1 with milk.
What about brewing concentrate from other blends of Chai?
We have experimented with making chai concentrate from several other blends. If you don’t see one that you are looking for, we are always happy to work on a recipe. Here’s our recipes so far-
Golden Chai- 2.25quarts boiling water, 125g Golden Chai, 215g Honey, Steep 17min
Apple Hill Chai- 2.25quarts boiling water, 200g Apple Hill Chai, 175g Honey, Steep 24min
Thai Chai- 2.25quarts boiling water, 140g Thai Chai, 200g Cane Sugar, Steep 12min
London Fog- 2.25quarts boiling water, 100g Minister Grey Tea, 250g Cane Sugar, Steep 7min
Christmas Mint- 2.25quarts boiling water, 100g White Christmas Tea, 155g Cane Sugar, Steep 17min