Experiments

Tea

1. - Prepare four cups of tea, A, B, C, D, in the following manner (use black tea):

A. 1 level tsp. tea, 1 c. boiling water (note the temperature at which the water boils). Pour the boiling water through the tea leaves, but do not allow the leaves to remain in the cup.

B. 1 level tsp. tea, 1 c. boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the tea leaves and allow it to stand over the leaves 5 minutes. Decant off the infusion.

C. Repeat B, but do not decant the infusion. Allow it to cool and then reheat it.

D. 1 level tsp. tea, 1 c. boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the leaves and continue the boiling for 5 minutes.

Note the color, odor, and taste of each cup of tea.

2. - a. Test 2 tbsp. of each cup of tea with 5 drops of lead acetate solution.1 b. What change occurs?

c. To what is this change due?

d. Which method of making tea brings the most tannin into the infusion?

1 Lead acetate solution. Dissolve 18 gm. of lead acetate in 70 ccm. of hot distilled water; to this add 11 gm. of lead oxide. Boil the mixture for 30 minutes with occasional stirring, allow it to settle for a few minutes, and decant the clear liquid. Add enough distilled water to make the volume up to 81 ccm. For ordinary use take 1 part of this solution to 4 parts distilled water. This solution is used as a precipitant in testing infusions and fruit juices.

3. - Compare characteristics of black and green tea by preparing by the best method a cup of tea made from black tea and one made from green tea. Use for each cup -

1 tsp. tea 1 c. boiling water

4. - Compare various kinds of black tea by preparing a cup of tea from each of the following:

"English Breakfast " Orange Pekoe

Flowery Pekoe Oolong

Coffee Have ready the following:

A. Coffee pot.

B. Coffee pot and aluminum cup with perforated sides.

C. Coffee pot and cloth bag.

D. Percolator.

5.1 - a. Use: coffee pots A, B, C, and percolator D.

Use first the finely ground coffee, add 1 cup of cold water, place in the coffee pots and in the percolator, heat until the boiling point is reached. Boil 2 minutes, allow the beverage to stand without cooking 5 minutes.

b. Note the color, clearness, odor, flavor.

6. - a. Repeat 5 a, using pulverized and powdered coffee in turn.

b. Compare the results as to efficiency.

c. Compare the results as to color, clearness, odor, flavor, oiliness.

1 For convenience of reference experiments are numbered consecutively throughout the book.

7. - Repeat the above experiments, boiling the coffee in each instance 4 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes in turn.

8. - a. Prepare coffee by the methods used in 7 (boiling 4, 6, 10 minutes), but before putting the coffee into the utensil add 1 tbsp. egg white. Note: Part of the class use 1/2 egg shell.

b. Note the color, clearness, odor, flavor, oiliness.

c. Does the egg white or shell produce any improvement? Explain.

d. By what other method may coffee be cleared?

9. - a. Prepare coffee in the utensils used in the previous experiments. Try each of the coffees in succession. Use 2 tbsp. coffee and pour upon it 1 cup of vigorously boiling water. Do not allow beverage to boil, but simmer for 1 minute.

b. Compare the results in each case as before.

10. - Prepare coffee as in 5 a using 1 c. boiling water instead of cold water. Allow the coffee to boil 4, 6, 10 minutes and compare with that made by other methods.

Which method and which utensils produce the most acceptable beverage ?

Is it possible to produce good results by more than one method?

For each utensil which method is best and to what stage should the coffee be ground?

11. - a. Test 2 tbsp. of coffee infusion made by each method with 5 drops of lead acetate. See page 3.

b. Is the presence of tannic acid shown?

c. By which method of making coffee is the most produced?

Cocoa and Chocolate

Prepare a paste of 2 tsp. cocoa and 2 tbsp. hot water. Use this to correspond with 1/4 sq. chocolate.

Perform each experiment first with cocoa, then with chocolate.

12. - a. Prepare cocoa and chocolate using:

2 tsp. cocoa paste 1/4 sq. chocolate

b. Pour the cold liquid on to the paste or chocolate. Cook in the double boiler 5 minutes after the liquid is hot.

c. Compare each as to flavor, sweetness, color.

d. What is the result when cold liquid is added to the paste or chocolate ?

e. Is this a desirable method of preparing cocoa or chocolate ?

13. - Prepare cocoa and chocolate using the paste and 1/4 sq. chocolate by heating the liquid first. Cook in the double boiler 5, 10, 15 minutes, testing flavor and consistency at each stage.

14. - Prepare a paste of the chocolate by melting it over hot water and adding 2 tsp. hot water to 1/4 sq. chocolate.

a. Use the cocoa and chocolate paste and prepare beverages using 1 c. hot milk for each. Pour the hot liquid slowly on to the paste, mixing it in thoroughly each time until a smooth, brown mixture results. Cook this in a double boiler 15 to 20 minutes. Note the flavor and consistency as compared with previous methods.

b. To this last beverage add 2 drops vanilla and a grain or two of salt. Is the flavor improved? Why?

c. Beat the beverage with a Dover egg beater. Result? How do you explain the frothy consistency which results? What differences are noted between cocoa and chocolate as beverages? How are these accounted for?