Clarke Moyer’s Sweet Tea Recipe
Sized for a 2.5 Gallon Fridge Dispenser
Tools
- ▸3 Gallon Stainless Steel Brew Pot ↗— the entire recipe is made in this single pot
- ▸Arrow Home Products 3 Gallon Drink Dispenser (BPA Free) ↗— we fill it to 2.5 gallons, leaving room to breathe and making it easy to top off without overflow.
- ▸Duckbill Silicone Pot Pour Spout ↗— fits over the pot lip for clean pouring into the dispenser
- ▸Flat Wooden Spatula for Stirring ↗
- ▸Liquid Measuring Cup (1 Gallon marked) ↗
Ingredients
- ▸Lipton Black Tea, 2-Gallon Iced Tea Bags (rectangle family size) ↗ — 2 bags
- ▸Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar ↗ — 3 cups
- ▸2.5 gallons water total: 1 gallon for simple syrup, 1 gallon for tea, ½ gallon cold/iced for cooling
Method
Phase 1 — Make the Simple Syrup
- Pour 1 gallon of water into the 3-gallon stainless steel pot.
- Add 3 cups of granulated sugar.
- Heat over medium-high, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. You’re making a simple syrup — it does not need to boil, just fully dissolve.
- Remove from heat and set aside in the pot.
Phase 2 — Brew the Tea
- Add the second gallon of water directly to the same pot with the syrup.
- Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Add both Lipton 2-Gallon rectangle tea bags. Steep for 15 minutes. Do not squeeze the bags when removing — it makes the tea bitter and cloudy.
- Remove both bags without squeezing and discard.
Phase 3 — Cool Down
- Add ½ gallon of cold or iced water directly to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Allow the tea to cool further until it is no longer steaming. The goal is a temperature safe to pour into the plastic dispenser.
⚠️ Do Not Skip the Cool-Down Step
The 2.5 gallon fridge dispenser is thinner plastic and will warp or melt if you pour boiling or near-boiling liquid into it. Always add the ½ gallon of cold water and wait until the tea has cooled to a safe pouring temperature before transferring. The stainless steel pot can hold hot liquid — the dispenser cannot.
Phase 4 — Transfer & Serve
- Attach the pouring spout/strainer assistant to the lip of the pot. This lets you cleanly pour into the smaller opening of the dispenser without spilling.
- Pour the cooled tea from the pot into the 2.5 gallon dispenser.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve over ice. 🍋
💡 Notes
- This recipe uses 3-gallon sugar ratios but only 2 gallons of tea — intentionally lighter on the tea and heavier on the sweet. Classic Sweet Tea, not watered-down iced tea.
- The simple syrup method ensures the sugar is fully dissolved before the tea is added. You will never get grainy Sweet Tea this way.
- The two Lipton 2-gallon rectangle bags are sized to brew exactly 2 gallons — perfect for this method.
- Add lemon slices to the dispenser for a classic finish.
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