Steeping questions

[ajvilar]

Hi all, im a bit of a noob when it comes to tea. Just wondering how many steeps can you do for loose leaf teas? Sometimes I feel like I am wasting it just making one cup for myself. I understand it differs for every type just would like to know how. Thanks!

[olivierco]

There aren't any rules. Just try additional steeps and stop when you feel the taste is too watery.

[skilfautdire]

I have a bit of the same dilemna: I don't like to waste tea. Since, contrary to supermarket tea bags, there are at least 3 steeps per batch of leaves, I feel compelled to have many cups (each cup about 100 ml that is, not mugs !). And sometimes, like in the morning right after breakfast, I really want to have only but one cup.

So now I'm experimenting with brewing less leaves but raising steeping time. I'm doing this currently against established beliefs, eg. I'm using a 150ml yixing teapot to brew a small batch of this year's Yunnan Mao Feng (current breakfast tea). And so far I'm pleased with the results. Tea leaves are not much and taste is there. I steep it for about 2 minutes. Next step will be reducing the leaves further.

[Chip]

A lot depends on what you find to be pleasing. I want to extract as much flavor from the leaf as possible, so for Japanese greens, I shoot for 5 and often get more. I find the TeaWater of the later steeps to be pleasing, though I understand many would consider this to be too watery.

Oolong can go well beyond 5, depends on your brewing style.

I often smell the leaves in the pot, that is often a guide as to whether there is still flavor in the leaves.

[chittychat]

If I can get more infusions than my stomach can handle usually from fine greener oolongs I place the teapot in the ref and continue the next day. Taking pot out from the ref early enough that the tea has ambient temperature before next infusion. Puerh teas, some pressed oolongs, Da Hong Pao and the likes I just leave for next day at room temperature to continue.

[Cael]

I really usually only do approximately three infusions per batch of tea, however I like to make large cups of tea, use very little leaves and have longer infusion times. When I plan on drinking for a long amount of time I will do two infusions, add a little extra make more and continue adding to taste.