hi, i recently started using room-temperature water for teas.
maybe the ones i buy are not expensive or good to fully enjoy at
boiling temperature, but i found that i savor tea better when steeped
in room temps, also i didnt like to wait for the water to get colder
and frequently scorched my tongue :P

i setup a blog with tea reviews i will be updating periodically, if
you'd like to give feedback, recommendations, feel free
http://silverneedle.blogspot.com/
thanks.
SN

>i setup a blog with tea reviews i will be updating periodically, if
>you'd like to give feedback, recommendations, feel free
>http://silverneedle.blogspot.c om/thanks.
>SN

Thanks, I took a look at it. Not to be a tea snob here, but have you
done much drinking of good loose tea? While I'm sure there are some
exceptions, I have found loose teas to be far superior to bag teas, as
well as cheaper, although admittedly not quite as convenient.

For example, if Jasmine is your thing, I'd definitely recommend what is
usually called pearl jasmine (or some variation thereof containing
dragon, phoenix, etc). When I first had this tea, I was almost weeping
with pleasure. It usually costs around $25/ 4oz, which might seem
really expensive, but consider that that will get you at least 50 cups
of tea.

I find the best way to brew this tea, as well as other whole leaf green
or white teas to be with a gaiwan (chinese steeping cup, which is a
pretty darn cool device). Lacking that, a small ceramic pitcher or some
other smalling container that can hold hot water and poor well will do
just fine, provided you use a strainer. Bring your water to a boil, and
let it cool to around 180 F. Preheat your steeping vessel with some hot
water (you can do this when it comes to a boil). Next, put about 1/4
ounce of tea into the vessel, and and your water. Let it steep for
about 30 seconds, and then pour that into your cup or into another
pitcher-type vessel. You can steep it at least 4 times. For white tea,
especially silver needles, you're looking for about 160 F water temp.
With each infusion, you want to raise the water temp and steeping time
a bit.

Now, when I first heard about this method of tea preparation, which is,
more or less, the traditional Chinese method (I'm no expert here), a
couple of years ago, it seemed like the most outrageously complicated
proceedure imaginable. But once I had my gaiwan and used it for a bit,
I actually found to be easy and very enjoyable. Not to mention that it
produces the best quality tea IMHO. Just experiment with it a bit with
water temp, steeping time and quantity of tea.

As to your room temp water method, I've heard of this, though I've
never tried it. As far as I know, the temp of water is mainly to
expedite the infusion process with green and white teas, so that, given
enough time, any green/white can sufficiently infuse even into cold
water. If you've been using boiling temp, however, then your problem is
simply that the water is too hot by any standard. Always let the water
cool to at least 185 F for green tea.

I hope this was helpful. There are people in this forum who know a ton
more about this stuff then I do.

Regards,
Nico

One style is called Sun Tea. This is where you throw teabags into a
large container and serve at picnics with ice. All my green and whites
I drink when warm because hot disguises the taste. There is something
to be said when drinking hot tea. You need to aerate and cool with
sipping. I would recommend frequent stirring at room temperature.
Also more cleaning of pot at room temperature just to make sure of
airborn bacteria. I'd expect smaller grades especially fines and CTC
to be the desired tea type for brewing at room temperature. I find the
sound of the kettle like a baby crying. It is time to brew tea. Even
when we were in the 100's for a week the presence of steam is itself
cooling because of the condensation in the pot.

Jim

SN wrote:
> hi, i recently started using room-temperature water for teas.
> maybe the ones i buy are not expensive or good to fully enjoy at
> boiling temperature, but i found that i savor tea better when steeped
> in room temps, also i didnt like to wait for the water to get colder
> and frequently scorched my tongue :P

When oolong tea cools to room temp it turns into a veryu different and
lovely tasting drink. So do whites, maybe their nuances are more
profound but when I find a cup that I havent finished yet, (I have to
wash sometimes 10 different cups aday because of the varieties I may
have in one day) and drink it, I have found a taste treat! I tried
oolongs in room temp water place in the fridge for 24 hrs, but this has
never been too good. Hot water , for me is a must to extract the best
of the leaf!
Have tea!!!!
Jenn

When oolong tea cools to room temp it turns into a very different and
lovely tasting drink. So do whites, maybe their nuances are more
profound, like when wine opens up in a glass, but when I find a cup
that I havent finished yet, (I have to wash sometimes 10 different cups
aday because of the varieties I may have in one day hee hee) and drink
it, I have found a taste treat! I tried oolongs in room temp water
place in the fridge for 24 hrs, but this has never been too good. Hot
water , for me is a must to extract the best of the leaf!
Have tea!!!!
Jenn

Temps for tea I don't like the idea of room temp brewing for the fact
of health factors, I do sometimes refrigerate brew over night, example
green tea or bai hao oolong, I also think it is important not to over
heat the brew...

Water temps just a rough guide,
Teas
*White 75'
*Green teas; 70'
*Yellow 75'
*Oolongs; 85'
*Black teas; try below boiling you might be surprised with the sweet
taste, around 85' .
*Pu-erhs: 95 boiling which including evaporation and time off the
burner to the pot, is about 95-96' not 100'!
Preheat tea ware.
we had a tea demonstration
Here;;; http://teaarts.blogspot.com/
If anyone has the conversions please write the C'/F'.
sherdwen


Reply

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 23:47:55 -0700, SN wrote:

> hi, i recently started using room-temperature water for teas. maybe the
> ones i buy are not expensive or good to fully enjoy at boiling
> temperature, but i found that i savor tea better when steeped in room
> temps, also i didnt like to wait for the water to get colder and
> frequently scorched my tongue :P
>
> i setup a blog with tea reviews i will be updating periodically, if you'd
> like to give feedback, recommendations, feel free
> http://silverneedle.blogspot.com/
> thanks.
> SN

I just savour a lovely Darjeeling brewed cold. It is not lovely at all
when brewed hot (and boiling water would ruin it immediately). As
Darjeeling are really quite green I am tempted to lump them together with
normal greens and most of them I find come out well when brewed cold.

JB

sherdwen wrote:
> Temps for tea I don't like the idea of room temp brewing for the fact
> of health factors,

there's less risk than with hot tea which can also burn your tongue,
esophagus, stomach if you drink it hot. repeated injury might lead to
atrophy, dysplasia and maybe cancer.

as far as boiling, if you dont boil the tea itself for 20 minutes it
will NOT kill all the bacteria in the tea. If you just boil the water
then it doesnt matter since you add tea later which might contain
dangerous microorganisms.

danube wrote
>Darjeeling are really quite green I am tempted >to lump them together with
>normal greens and most of them I find come >out well when brewed cold.
dont you dare started rewriting the book on teas... hahahha
but for the record darjeeling will stay a black tea because it is
fermented, greens are not..
icetea.
SN wrote;
>if you dont boil the tea itself for 20 minutes it
>will NOT kill all the bacteria in the tea.
darn nasty bugs.....

"sherdwen" > writes:

> danube wrote
> >Darjeeling are really quite green I am tempted >to lump them together with
> >normal greens and most of them I find come >out well when brewed cold.
> dont you dare started rewriting the book on teas... hahahha
> but for the record darjeeling will stay a black tea because it is
> fermented, greens are not..
> icetea.

While Darjeelings aren't manufactured exactly the same way as oolongs,
their degree of oxidation fits within the range of oolongs. To call
Darjeelings "black", while traditional, is misleading.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

i will say that white tip oolong does taste similar
(flower/honey/sweet) to a darjeeling, due to the fact it is fermented
(about 60%), but as far as i know the blacks are always 100%. oolongs
cant be 100% ferm. or they would be blacks.
icetea

9/3/05


> hi, i recently started using room-temperature water for teas.
> maybe the ones i buy are not expensive or good to fully enjoy at
> boiling temperature, but i found that i savor tea better when steeped
> in room temps, also i didnt like to wait for the water to get colder
> and frequently scorched my tongue :P
>
> i setup a blog with tea reviews i will be updating periodically, if
> you'd like to give feedback, recommendations, feel free
> http://silverneedle.blogspot.com/
> thanks.
> SN
>

Hey SN,

I've enjoyed true green teas brewed at room temperature, but with
many if not most, and with Oolongs in general, I find something is lost: a
level of complexity, nuances. To state the obvious and repeat what others
undoubtedly said before me, there is a long distance between room
temperature and the full boil, so you have a lot of wiggle room in which to
experiment.

On another subject that came up in this thread, I'd say the Darjeelings I've
been drinking these last several years (in the States, bought from US and
Canadian distributers, and others given by friends) have been quite green
ini color and style, albeit not entirely green, and thus "oolongized." A
thing in themselves, I vote for them a category of their own. Let's just
call it "Darjeeling."

I have it on good authority that once upon a time, Darjeelings were truly
black (fully oxidized), but that the current market demands otherwise.

Michael

> I have it on good authority that once upon a time, Darjeelings were truly
> black (fully oxidized), but that the current market demands otherwise.
>
> Michael

As a student I have worked in a tea shop in the early 80's. The full range
of Darjeelings was waiting for me to experiment. I have not seen them as
green as they are now, in fact they were all black. They could be brewed
with close to boiling water. In particular I remember Castleton and
Risheehat, both resulted in splendid brews with plenty of muscatel. If I
boil them now I ruin them. Maybe my taste-buds have changed? But I still
find Keemuns and Assams much the same as then, great.

JB