I brew looseleaf sencha. I brew them no longer than 3 minutes because
it gets bitter after that. When you resteep green tea, do you get
bitter tea?

On 1 Mar 2005 09:09:33 -0800
"teadrinker" > wrote:

> I brew looseleaf sencha. I brew them no longer than 3 minutes because
> it gets bitter after that. When you resteep green tea, do you get
> bitter tea?
>


I typically get grassy-tasting tea when i resteep greens.

Great question! I've wondered about why that doesn't hold true as well.
I have some loose leaf green teas that are very sensitive to steeping
time and in as little as 5 seconds beyond begin to taste bitter. But,
the second infusion tastes fine with no bitterness. I don't know why
that is. Maybe there is a chemist that could explain why that is (not
sure how much I care though) ;-)

Usually, the second infusion is for the same length of time (3
minutes), and a third infusion for an additional 10 - 15 seconds.
Sometimes I do a fourth infusion and let it steep an extra 30 seconds
with no bitterness. I am doing fewer fourth infusions.

....mmm, enjoying my Adagio citron green... ohhhh... smooth.

Also, I am in the habit of first infusions in the afternoon or evening
being 20 - 30 seconds and throw away in order to make decaf on the
second infusion.

"teadrinker" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I brew looseleaf sencha. I brew them no longer than 3 minutes because
> it gets bitter after that. When you resteep green tea, do you get
> bitter tea?

No, but I don't steep long enough or hot enough to get bitter or astringent
tea the first time, either.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

I already (basically) talked about this in some of my other posts but I've
been brewing greens (and oolongs) at much lower temps then I did previously
and, as I think it was Mike Petro said, there is hardly any astringency at
all if I choose low enough temps for long enough times. Lately I have been
brewing greens like Huang Shan Mao Feng and also my senchas at around
160-170 for the first steep if I'm going to do it "conventionally", that is,
if I'm going to steep and then drink it a few minutes later. But if I am not
worried about the time, or if I am making something in the fridge, I put the
tea in room temp or even cold water (for the cool tea) and then let time
determine when it's ready.

This gets the astringency out and gives a pretty sweet cup of tea, but I
think it does leave out some of the taste profile.

Then if I resteep I may go for the same temp as the first one and for a
little longer..I sip from the glass as it's brewing to determine when enough
is enough. Third steep I increase the temp but how much depends on the
tea...a more delicate tea (like the HS Mao Feng) I will not raise the temp
too much. I will raise the temp more "boldly" on something like a gunpowder
or an oolong.

I've been going until I don't really taste anything beyond hot water. That
doesn't take too long with white teas for me, lol...I think their subtlty is
sort of beyond me at the moment. That or they're just not as good as I've
heard. Or maybe I'm expecting a green...dunno.

Hey, by the way I had something really interesting happen to me the other
week. I put some of Silk Road's basic oolong (their Anxi Oolong) into a
glass of water (a tall narrow glass..the highball one I think) and stuck it
in the fridge overnite. My refridgerator has been on the cool side and I put
the tea on the top shelf..anyhow, in the morning the tea was mostly all
floating up towards the top and the top layer of water (down to about an
inch) was frozen. I thawed and, however the chemistry worked for the night,
it was a fine glass of tea. This makes me (though unrelated I suppose) want
to try some of those frost teas I see offered from place to place.

Melinda

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"teadrinker" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I brew looseleaf sencha. I brew them no longer than 3 minutes because
> it gets bitter after that. When you resteep green tea, do you get
> bitter tea?
>

On 1 Mar 2005 09:09:33 -0800
"teadrinker" > wrote:

> I brew looseleaf sencha. I brew them no longer than 3 minutes because
> it gets bitter after that. When you resteep green tea, do you get
> bitter tea?
>


I typically get grassy-tasting tea when i resteep greens.