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Mike Petro
 
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>Common, Mike - 1.7 vs. 3.4% is statistically not a difference - although it
>appear to be "twice", but it is only with a 1.7 total percent!.


50% more is indeed a difference in my book. Twice as much of a little
bit is still twice as much, just ask anyone who is susceptible to
caffeine jitters.


>2. The extraction from green teas is slower and the obly way to really
>measure teh caffeine content is to do multiple steeps until there is no
>caffeine left in teas and calculate the sum.


I agree that since the extraction method is not listed here, beyond
the fact they used powdered leaf, that there is room for question. My
assumption is that anyone with access to this type of equipment would
know how to do a proper sampling, but that is only an assumption.



>3. Caffeine is highly soluble, you are absolutely right. But you also have
>to take into consideration that to enter solution it has first be extracted
>from the dead cells of the tealeaf, and that takes time. And mechanical
>properties of the tea play critical role in that delay. I very much doubt
>that any significant portion of caffeine is extracted during short washing
>period, because the leaves must first be saturated with water to expand and
>this take time. I actually think that with puerhs and green teas the second
>and the third steeps (especially the second) is the most caffeinated.


Possibly, I would love to see a proper study on it though. I cant help
but feel that hot water will dissolve a significant portion of the
caffeine immediately, but yes the second steep may indeed still
contain a considerable amount. However if you do 2 rinses, as is
popular with black puer, then where do we stand?

It is an old trick with black (aka red) tea that if you want to
decaffeinate it substantially all you need to do is steep it for 30
seconds and throw away the first infusion. The "washing tea" may not
be long enough to saturate the leaf totally but it is bound to have an
effect.

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
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