Hard water
can also make your iced tea cloudy. Also the minerals in
your water could be causing the cloudiness. Try using
bottled or filtered water and let the tea stand at room
temperature for an hour after steeping.
Do not use
cold water (use room temperature water).
Do not add
ice to hot tea, only add the ice cubes to your drinking
glass and then pour the tea over the ice cubes.
Do not put
it straight into the refrigerator after it's made. Let it
cool at room temperature first. THEN put it in the fridge.
Cooling too fast makes the tannin settle out, causing cloudy
tea.
If the tea
turns murky in the refrigerator, add a cup of boiling water
to one quart of tea - it should clear up the cloudiness.
Remember, it will also dilute the tea, so add less ice.
When tea steeps, tannins (the natural compounds that color tea
leaves) are released into the boiling water. The heat helps
dissolve them, and the brew is clear enough to see
through. Refrigeration can cause tannins to separate out again,
turning the tea murky. Generally, higher-quality tea contains
more tannins (because it is richer in solids) and is more likely
to become cloudy.