How to cold brew tea?
Hi all,
I keep finding bits and pieces about how to cold brew but I would like more details such as how long do you leave the leaves in(brewing)? How much tea do you use that sort of thing… I would like to try this but just haven’t been brave enough to try it out. Any suggestions much appreciated! Thanks!
I simply threw some tea leaves in a water bottle and take it with me. But it takes some testing which teas are more suitable brewing this way. Some of my worst teas brew very well in cold water. Some of my best teas can be tasteless when cold brewed.
I use such a bottle most of the time:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Tjz7-dt8PhM/S-h6d1bpq5I/AAAAAAAABDQ/v46k1RUDFTQ/s1600/%E4%BA%91%E5%8D%97%E7%BA%A2%E7%BB%BF%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E7%93%B6.JPG
It has a built in filter screen near the top. But sometimes I just use my nalgene water bottle and the tea leaves eventually all sink to the bottom. The leaf proportion here usually can last 2-3 infusions and cover me for pretty much half a day.
At home for parties, I use a big glass jar to brew the tea, and then either pour the tea into another jar or let people pour the tea to their glasses through a filter.
Cold brewing tea is a great way to enjoy teas that you find overly strong or bitter when hot brewed, but I’ve also used some of my favorite teas with great results. I’ve also found that you can get an entirely different taste profile when cold brewing.
As for the steps, I place 1 tsp of tea for every cup of water in a large container, fill with the appropriate amount of water and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours. I’ve kept the leaves in the fridge for longer than that also, honestly I’ve yet to notice a cold-brewed tea that became oversteeped and bitter. You can also sometimes rebrew the leaves after cold brewing or you could use pre-steeped leaves for your cold brewing experiment. There really isn’t a wrong way to do it.
If you like your tea slightly sweetened, you can always make a simple syrup with equal amounts water and sugar – bring to a boil and stir until dissolved. Take off the heat and let cool. You can either sweeten the entire pitcher of tea or refrigerate the simple syrup and add a teaspoon or so to each glass.
Hope this helps!
I did it like this as well. I used a filter bag so that I could remove the leaves from the pitcher (I normally use free floating leaves) and then I just left the bag in. When the pitcher was nearly empty I re-filled it with water and the result was just as nice as the first time. I did that three times.
I tried adding a little sugar to one glass to see how that turned out, but I found that it didn’t really dissolve. Obviously like Mrawlins2 says, it should have been a syrup.
But it was no hassle at all other than the fact that it took up a lot of space in our not too big fridge. I used a green tea with fruit this first time. Haven’t quite decided what to try next, as I’ve uncharacteristically found myself rather encouraged by this good result, but the weather has turned rainy so I’m not in a hurry at the moment.
I basically use these instructions (ashmanra helpfully sent me the instructions I do use), except that I use one tablespoon of leaves for every cup of water, and I usually leave it in for about 20 hrs or so (I also brew one 16oz cup at a time instead of a whole pitcher). I also often leave a cup cold brewing for more than 2 days, and I’ve yet to have a tea that came out “oversteeped”. I usually use a fruity black, but I’ve had success with greens and even high quality oolongs that I’ve already steeped multiple times. It’s really very easy, and I’ve really been enjoying it so far!
Thanks, all, for this thread and its info. I’d been seeing folks talking about cold-brewing tea in their reviews and had no clue the exacts of how this is done, never heard it before!
What perfect timing for this topic. I was recently asked about this very thing as I have been a bit of a cold brewing nut as of late. Maybe a bit of a “Mad Scientist of Loose Leaf.” As a result, I have written a blog post on my Tea Trade blog about my experiences and how you can replicate them. Of course this information based on my personal preference but I have had consistent delicious results. Your personal tastes may be different but what I have provided may be a wonderful start. At least I hope it is… Here you go…
http://iheartteas.teatra.de/2011/07/my-cold-brew-method/
Thank you and Enjoy!
We have all the info here on our blog post on how to cold brew tea!
http://www.shopsanctuaryt.com/blog/how-to-cold-brew-iced-tea/
Good luck. You’ll most definitely enjoy this one!
http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOicedTea_coldwaterMethod.asp
What I have noticed is how much it varies from tea to tea as to how long I can brew. Some I can stick in the frig and if I don’t get to it the next morning, or even the next day, no matter. Not so with green tea, it likes a short process.
Here is a link offering some suggestions from the Japanese tea company Hibiki-an:
http://www.hibiki-an.com/readings/iced-tea-recipes.html
Best wishes,
sherubtse
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