A traditional Ethiopian honey wine made with wildflower honey and gesho (buckthorn) twigs. Gesho adds a distinctive bitter, hoppy character that is the defining feature of tej. Targets 10% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
10%
Fermentation
3–5 weeks
Conditioning
2–4 months
Responsible use: These recipes produce alcoholic beverages. Ferment and consume responsibly. Verify all quantities, equipment, and safety procedures before beginning. Consult local regulations regarding home fermentation.
Available from Ethiopian grocery stores. Add in secondary. Taste weekly — gesho bitterness extracts slowly.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin EC-1118 — 1 packets
Traditional tej uses wild yeast; EC-1118 provides consistent results.
| Timing | Nutrient | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 24 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 48 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 1/3 sugar break | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-K | 5 g |
Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.
Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.075.
Pitch EC-1118. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–72°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Fermentation typically completes in 3–5 weeks.
Rack. Add dried gesho twigs in a sanitized muslin bag. Taste weekly — gesho bitterness extracts slowly over 1–3 weeks.
Gesho is available from Ethiopian grocery stores. It is the defining ingredient of tej.
Remove gesho when desired bitterness is reached. Condition for 2–4 months.
Bottle or keg.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.
Honey and water scale linearly. Gesho addition does NOT scale linearly — adjust to taste. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly.
Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.
Target ABV
10%
Original gravity
1.075
Final gravity
1.004
Sweetness
semi sweet
Finished volume
5 gallons
Gross starting volume
5.5 gallons
Expected loss
0.5 gallons(9%)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildflower honey | 10 | lbs | |
| Filtered water | 4.5 | gallons | |
| Dried gesho (buckthorn) twigs | 2 | oz | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 10.
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