TeaChat

Has anyone else noticed some sudsy/frothy bubbles in their sheng pu?
I was making some sheng at home this weekend, and saw (not for the first time) some soapy-looking bubbles on the tea soup inside my glass teapot before I poured it. It's not soap in the pot -- I haven't washed it recently. Could it be the result of impurities, or is this to be expected, maybe the natural tea oils or something?
After pouring the tea, I rubbed my fingers on the inside of the pot, where the bubbles were, and sure enough, it did feel a little bit viscous/greasy/soapy. I could've been imagining things... but wanted to check with all y'all.
thanks,
dave

wyardley wrote:http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=6817

oh-ho! Thank you wyardley. I searched for froth and suds, but not bubbles nor foam.

Yeah, I get these too.

wyardley... thanks for the reference

Someone I respect a lot taught me the bubbles were oils... thanks for the confirmation


for this reason when I rinse I do a quick rinse just covering the tops of the tealeaves... I want those bubbles

So,.. like much of everything else in Pu-erh land it depends!

I have not noticed any large gathering of suds in my sheng, I will taste them if I come across some tho.. very interesting topic.


Jim

I don't drink a lot of sheng. I get bubbles in my oolongs.

Janine wrote:wyardley... thanks for the reference

Someone I respect a lot taught me the bubbles were oils... thanks for the confirmation

I'm not sure they are oils. I have always heard that they're from tea that's very alkaline (see the post of Imen's I linked to in the other post). Her point is that the bubbles themselves aren't bad, but that other (undesirable) particles cling to the bubbles.

http://tea-obsession.blogspot.com/2008/03/bubbles.html

I think the bubbles are plant oils from the leaves. These IMO would be contributing to aroma (and hence taste)... essential oils.

I think betta's comments on the other thread are very substantial.

That's why a rinse for me is just covering the tops of the leaves... gets rid of the tea dust and other things you want out of there (it's an agricultural product and all that)...

what bubbles? someone take some pics

Next time, try brewing with spring water, instead of beer.

Hi again, wyardley...

As I understand it, oils are alkaline. Natural soaps were made from fats and this creates alkalinity... (it is fairly recently in history that we have developed synthetic soaps; ie detergents). So, again I'd guess the alkalinity itself is from plant oils that eventually wash out over a number of steepings.

edit: Thinking about this some more, I don't know if the bubbles would "wash" dirt like soap does, hmmm... I just throw out my first brief very short rinse (just over the tops of the leaves) but cherish the rest of the bubbles in subsequent rinses.

tony shlongini wrote:Next time, try brewing with spring water, instead of beer.

But then how do I get tea drunk?

Dizzwave wrote:

tony shlongini wrote:Next time, try brewing with spring water, instead of beer.

But then how do I get tea drunk?

*slips him some vodka* yes some nice spring water...

Vulture wrote:*slips him some vodka* yes some nice spring water...

LOL!