Getting the most flava out of your tea..
Correct me if I’m wrong but will the following work in terms of getting more flavor in your cup?
-Lower temp, shorter steep time
-Higher temp, longer steep time?
I think this is working for me.. but please, am I right?
Actually when unhappy with my teas i try
-Lower temp, shorter steep time (if bitter)
-Higher temp, shorter steep time (if bitter)
-Lower temp, longer steep time (if weak)
-Higher temp, longer steep time (if weak)
in that order actually
These are good suggestions! Temperature, time, and amount of raw materials (tea leaves) are the keys to any biochemical extraction :D
Sometimes I forget that (water to tea ratio) and have to remind myself. Your right it really can make a huge difference (for example get happy #13 tea)
I usually follow the instructions of that the tea company puts on the package the first time I steep it. However, I do adjust to my tastes through experimentation. If I find a tea to be too weak, I increase the amount of tea I use, not the time it steeps. increasing the time it steeps can make a tea go from weak to bitter with no in between. That’s for black tea.
My experience with loose green tea is limited, but growing. I find that an even slightly too high temperature can destroy the flavor and brewing it longer than about too minutes turns it into a stewed vegetable type mess. So again, if it’s too weak, I just add more tea next time.
The exception to this is white tea. I find that if I brew it at about 100 degrees F and let it sit for a very long time, 7 to 8 minutes, it develops more depth of flavor. However, I’m still learned what white tea is supposed to taste like. I’ve always been a sort of hard core black tea drinker. So maybe this is just my personal taste.
I still prefer very strong, bold black teas over anything else and brewing black tea even half a minute too long yields a bitterness that I want to avoid.
Margaret Studer,
Tea Examiner
Examiner.com
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