TeaChat

Whenever I brew tea ANY variety. I get a very thin layer of film on top of the tea. I can actually take it off with a spoon or fork. Is this oil from the leaves? Dishwashing liquid? Something else?

Any advice anyone has would be great. Thanks!

I've never seen that before. I'm really not sure, but I don't think it's the leaves. Anyone know?

Jim...that is too gross...and definately not normal. But a little more info might help.
And maybe others have experienced this.
Is the film present when the tea is still very hot, are they flavored teas, how do you prepare your tea, and do you experience this any other time, do you add anything to the tea other than water? Have you tried alternative water sources for your tea such as bottled water?

If I were you, I too would want to get to the bottom of this.

I make Irish Breakfast, mango, and Ginseing Green. I am going to try to make some tea with bottled water. I'll report my results in a few minutes.

could rising the tea first help prevent this or could it just be a bad batch?

I brewed up some Irish breakfast with bottled water and got no film. Now my next experiment will be to use tap water without the PUR filter I put my tap water through. I would hate to think that I have to buy bottled water to make tea.

However the tea does SMELL a lot better and LOOK a lot clearer.

...hmmm, maybe your Pur water filter needs maintenance...a poorly maintained water purifyer is worse than none at all.
And if your tea is showing film because of your water, where else are you digesting this mysterious film and not even knowing it.

But buying bottled water is a small price to pay for great tea. However, water run through a properly operating filter should not produce tea with a film...

...just my 2 cents worth.

Maybe it is time that you replace the filter on your pur water filter? Also, I would recommend buying a pitcher filter too and that way you can filter the water twice.

This oily looking film sounds like soap residue.

I don't ever wash my teaware in the dishwasher and rarely if ever with soap. This is also a common practice with champagne glasses. Once they have been washed with detergents the surface quality changes.

Have you tried steeping a cup in a brand new glass which you have never washed with soap?

It sounds like soap. It happened to me when an elderly and somewhat blind relative visited and insisted on doing the dishes.

I see you're in Illinois. I'm also in Illinois. If I use tap water I get a film on my tea. If we make iced tea it gets cloudy.
I use filtered water from the store for my tea.
Filters do not help.

Well, I've had that happen at times as well, I'm not so sure it's soap residue, I believe I read in the connoisseurs guide to tea that that can be caused from excess of minerals in your water (I THINK it was minerals), are you using tap water? If you are you should definitely switch to bottled water.

[edit] if it IS soap, you could just stick the cup in boiling water for a bit and I think that'd get most off.

I have that oily gunk build up in my kettle. When i notice it in my tea, i know its time to rinse out the inside of the kettle while wiping it with paper towell. I assume it's just minerals that build up in the water.

On the off chance that it is minerals, it might be worth making sure that the bottled water you buy doesn't contain any, since minerals are often put in.

Darth Jeeling wrote:On the off chance that it is minerals, it might be worth making sure that the bottled water you buy doesn't contain any, since minerals are often put in.

Well I think you need some because they add flavour, just not ALOT, I use poland spring water for my tea and it tastes good to me.