TeaChat

No matter what kind of tea you like.
You need water.
No matter what kind of drinks you like.
You need water.


I'm not a blessed Aussie with tap water.
Or fine European Spring water.

I'm actually cursed drinking Nevada Tap Water. It tastes like lead and actually makes you more thirsty. I guess it won't kill you to drink it but, its nasty.

I've taken a liking to drinking bottled spring water.

Do you have a favorite brand of bottled water or do you have a favorite brand? Is that brand good for making tea?

Water has been discussed many, many times on this forum.

There are extensive threads detailing things like total dissolved solids, pH levels, flavor, etc. of various kinds of bottled water and the effectiveness of different kinds of filtration and purification systems.

Here is one such thread.

Personally, I find that, for everyday drinking, nothing beats the cost-effectiveness, ease, and taste of filtered tap water using something like a Brita pitcher. For special occasions and teas a nicer bottled water like Iceland Spring can be nice.

Green teas and high roast oolongs are often better with different water though, so there's no one magical water for everything.

Well I hope my thread is useful as an update for newer members and a fresh start with new topics.

Good We could always use an active water thread.

Water threads seem to pop up periodically, maybe a few times a year. Sometimes they deal with specific topics. For instance, when I first joined the forums, it was trendy to purify water with bamboo charcoal. More recently, I have seen threads about using tetsubin to improve the mouthfeel and flavor of teawater.

I think we could use a water sticky since the topic comes up so frequently.

Poohblah wrote:Good We could always use an active water thread.
I think we could use a water sticky since the topic comes up so frequently.

I second that motion!

Has anyone ever used Voss water to make tea?

Voss is just Norwegian tap water.

I am using jugs of spring water, because I moved from well to municipal tap and the spigot water gives a sour quality to tea.

What's the bamboo charcoal supposed to do, exactly, anyways?

M.

I also recommend a simple Brita filter and find that letting the water rest overnight in a glass or stainless kettle makes tea taste better.

What's the bamboo charcoal supposed to do, exactly, anyways?

Regarding its effect on water, I think it is supposed to slightly purify water and absorb unwanted smells/tastes. I've started using it and would say there's a slight difference in the way my water tastes—in a good way.

Here's an interesting article if you're up for a read: http://www.bambubrasileiro.com/arquivos ... ersity.pdf

As a Norwegian I can attest to that, Voss is a well marketed expensive tap water. A few weeks ago they did a blind test of different waters in a newspaper here, and normal tap water from Oslo actually beat Voss in taste.

Right now I normally just use tap water which is pretty soft, and normally without any chemical taste or smell. When I lived in the UK with very heavy chlorination I normally bought different spring waters for my teas. Some of them worked better than others. I tried to avoid spring water with a very high mineral content. IMHO they don't do your tea any good.
I also tried using a brita filter for a while, but I could still taste the chlorine in some teas, especially finer oolongs. If it was a very strong red/black tea it was less noticeable though.

but I could still taste the chlorine in some teas

This is specifically where bamboo charcoal has helped me. I generally filter my water and then let it sit with some bamboo charcoal for a while.

This is specifically where bamboo charcoal has helped me. I generally filter my water and then let it sit with some bamboo charcoal for a while.

I'll have to try this sometime. Thanks.

what is a good source for the bamboo charcoal every thing i find are decorative or some faucet attachment. i would rather brita or zerowater filter then drop one in the bottles i use to store.

When I looked for bamboo charcoal over a year ago, I could only find it sold in very small amounts (and very expensive). Then Yunnan Sourcing started carrying it (in bulk, too), so if you ever order from them (you can get it here), check it out.

looks like i might have to check another vendor out when i have the green.

Yes, Yunnan Sourcing has some pretty cheap and effective bamboo charcoal. I feel like a couple of other good tea establishments sell it too, but I'll have to look.