Additional notes: this one might be better with a teaspoon and a half, waiting the water to cool 12 minutes, and then steeping for only two minutes on that first steep. Many more of those unique flavors this way. I liked it before but it’s awesome now. (The second steep at just boiled for three minutes.) I just want to dive into that lingering flavor. I think I should try more of my DF teas this way. Much more of that rummy plum that makes this an essential DF tea for me, whenever I happen to place an order. I think I’m starting to learn that with any flavored tea, the longer you steep it, the base tea takes over and any flavors disappear in that base flavor. Raising the rating from 86 and I’m very happy I’m NOT getting any of that chocolate flavor in this one.
Comments
In waiting for the water to cool, are you just trying to drop the temperature a bit? Like to 205 or so? (Just curious, as I have a temperature adjustable kettle, so I like to learn how different people do things.)
Yep, trying to adjust the temp. I have no way of knowing what the temp of my water is, unless I look at the clock when it stops and then pour my electric kettle at the right time. I usually wait half an hour for green teas, for example. If I know it boiled and stopped, then I know what temp that is. :D
OK, totally gotcha. I had only just begun figuring out that technique when I got the fancy kettle I have now. My default temp is 205, since that seems to often be about right for black tea, and close enough to boiling for herbals. Greens I just go with whatever they recommend, or 180 if it isn’t specified. That encompasses 99% of what I drink, lol, so I can’t say what I do for whites, etc.
Don’t some people pour the tea from up high into a second, open container and get it cooled really fast? I think I saw a Japanese cooling pot, maybe on Zen Tea, a while back.
I don’t know about a cooling pot, but I will sometimes pour slowly and from up high if I want even cooler water.. of course, it’s impossible for me to tell what temp it is. :D
I have a temperature control kettle, but my previous version had presents, and the lowest on it was 160 degrees; to make certain Japanese greens, you need 140 degrees, and yes, that is what you do, Ashmanra. You basically pour the water between two vessels, which cools it approx. 10 degrees as you transfer the water between the vessels, as long as you pour between them from a moderate height. Fancy Japanese tea sets have a container simply called the “water catcher” that is used only for the transfer of the water in this process to get boiling water down to the 140 degrees; I don’t have such schmancy teaware and would just boil at the 160 on my kettle, then pour between a few coffee mugs until I’d dropped the temp several more degrees.
In waiting for the water to cool, are you just trying to drop the temperature a bit? Like to 205 or so? (Just curious, as I have a temperature adjustable kettle, so I like to learn how different people do things.)
Yep, trying to adjust the temp. I have no way of knowing what the temp of my water is, unless I look at the clock when it stops and then pour my electric kettle at the right time. I usually wait half an hour for green teas, for example. If I know it boiled and stopped, then I know what temp that is. :D
OK, totally gotcha. I had only just begun figuring out that technique when I got the fancy kettle I have now. My default temp is 205, since that seems to often be about right for black tea, and close enough to boiling for herbals. Greens I just go with whatever they recommend, or 180 if it isn’t specified. That encompasses 99% of what I drink, lol, so I can’t say what I do for whites, etc.
Yeah, I figure waiting a half hour for green tea brings the water to hopefully 180
Ha, I just throw ice cubes into the boiling water like an animal.
Tea helps me practice my patience. :D
Don’t some people pour the tea from up high into a second, open container and get it cooled really fast? I think I saw a Japanese cooling pot, maybe on Zen Tea, a while back.
I don’t know about a cooling pot, but I will sometimes pour slowly and from up high if I want even cooler water.. of course, it’s impossible for me to tell what temp it is. :D
I have a temperature control kettle, but my previous version had presents, and the lowest on it was 160 degrees; to make certain Japanese greens, you need 140 degrees, and yes, that is what you do, Ashmanra. You basically pour the water between two vessels, which cools it approx. 10 degrees as you transfer the water between the vessels, as long as you pour between them from a moderate height. Fancy Japanese tea sets have a container simply called the “water catcher” that is used only for the transfer of the water in this process to get boiling water down to the 140 degrees; I don’t have such schmancy teaware and would just boil at the 160 on my kettle, then pour between a few coffee mugs until I’d dropped the temp several more degrees.