The Importance of TDS in Water for Tea
“All tea, both hot and iced, is affected by water quality. Because of tea’s light flavor, the quality of input water is crucial to the beverage.
The clarity of tea is particularly affected by mineral content in water. Water hardness, caused by calcium and magnesium content in excess of 200 ppm, can cause clouding in iced tea. Water with 50 – 150 ppm total dissolved solids or 1 to 3 grains hardness provides the best results, according to the Tea Association of the USA."
“Water hardness is caused by a high mineral content. Tests show any hardness in excess of 200 ppm can cause clouding in iced tea. Chemical taste and/or odor caused by chlorination of municipal water and the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the water can also detract from tea flavor. In addition, the presence of particulate matter in water can cause scale and lime accumulation, detracting from the operational efficiency of automatic tea steeping equipment.”
http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0609/tea.htm
http://www.teausa.com/
Choose the best water.
“Ninety nine percent of tea is water, so it’s important to give some thought to the water you use for brewing. Tap water should be avoided since its chemical treatment imparts undesirable flavors and odors which interfere with the delicate aromatics of tea. Home filters and other water purification systems can minimize and, in some cases, eliminate these problems. The best water for tea brewing is spring water with a natural mineral content that’s neither too hard nor too soft. Since T.D.S. “total dissolved solids”, or mineral content measured in parts per million varies greatly from water to water, you may want to do your own taste-test of waters available in your area to determine which one has the best flavor, body and compatibility with the tea you drink.”
http://jiangtea.blog.com/2011/11/26/how-to-brew-tea-using-gaiwan/
Yup, water quality is extremely important when steeping tea! I usually use spring water in my sessions. However, when not available, I will use filtered tap water.
TDS variation in water for used for tea brewing could certainly account for different tasting results among Steepster members.
Ok since you both know fauna well .. you have to guess my avatar! Sorry just having some fum with you.
i use bottled water.
Despite to the fact we have probably the best tap water in the world, it’s also one of the hardest waters.
Fascinating article about the bottled water industry. I didn’t know San Francisco municipal water came from Yosemite Valley and is so clean the EPA doesn’t require any filtering. Can you guess how much of that you could buy for $1.35?!
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