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I know that rinsing pu-erh is mandatory, what about whites?

I have some high grade white in the fridge which I do not rinse because the vendor told me it was unnecessary.

However, I have a large bag of lower grade Bai Mudan which I rinse quickly.It is a rougher and fuller brew with black, more broken leaves and a fair amount of silvery tips which I drink on a everyday basis. Pour in, pour out hot water immediately before first infusion.

I do think it improves the first infusion but is it a waste?

if its questionable white tea then maybe consider a 160-180 degree flash overflowing rinse.

That's what I did sometimes in the past when I was trying out a few whites that were cheaper. Unlike some people I am not a huge fan of a ton of hairs on a thin tea, seems to bug my throat. However a bunch of hairs on a thicker tea never seemed to cause the irritation...

I usually don't rinse tea...sometimes I do though. The main difference I've noticed is that if you rinse tea, then wait, then infuse it...the first actual infusion tends to happen quicker, because the leaves are already wet. If you don't rinse, it takes a while for the water to soak in and the infusion to actually begin.

If the rinse is brief, you usually don't lose much, but...I think you can lose something...which is why I don't usually do it...

totally agree, you lose something indeed, sometimes when I smell the rinse I consider keeping it and drinking it in the end because it seems so delicious....but I have not yet...though I should prob try someday

Some teas just seem to respond better in later infusions if a rinse is done.
Certain taiwanese hmt comes to mind, esp if you are using a bigger pot and need the added heat retention.

I don't think I ever rinsed any whites. I don't want to wash away the alreadly subtle, sublime flavor profile.

I don't rise my white teas. I feel the flavor is fine without rinsing so I figure why bother.

Drink the rinse! Get all the good stuff

I don't usually rinse my whites or greens. Just usually put 1.5 tea spoons into my 12oz tea thermos, snap in the mesh filter and fill it up with 175 degree filtered water. Then I just refill with water when I get down to the last inch or so of the thermos and continue for 3-4 infusions.

Lately though I have been wondering if it might be a good idea to do a quick rinse, becuase it is possible that there might be pesticides or something on the leaf. The vendor I purchase my tea from informs me that he tries to get pesticide free tea, but I am paranoid enough to think that there still might be some.

With whites I hate the idea of rinsing becuase I want to get all of the flavor and antioxidants out of the leaf as possible. But do you all think it may be wise to do a quick rinse on the chance of pesticides or foreign covering?

I don't

Qilin wrote:I know that rinsing pu-erh is mandatory, what about whites?

I have some high grade white in the fridge which I do not rinse because the vendor told me it was unnecessary.

However, I have a large bag of lower grade Bai Mudan which I rinse quickly.It is a rougher and fuller brew with black, more broken leaves and a fair amount of silvery tips which I drink on a everyday basis. Pour in, pour out hot water immediately before first infusion.

I do think it improves the first infusion but is it a waste?

no i think its an insult to the white tea. isn't that the magic to white tea the purity....

teaisme wrote:if its questionable white tea then maybe consider a 160-180 degree flash overflowing rinse.

That's what I did sometimes in the past when I was trying out a few whites that were cheaper. Unlike some people I am not a huge fan of a ton of hairs on a thin tea, seems to bug my throat. However a bunch of hairs on a thicker tea never seemed to cause the irritation...

you know that the most dangerous stuff doesn't go away wish washing anyway. like metals pesticides and stuff.....

A quick rinse will indeed remove surface contaminants, including much pesticide residue. You definitely want to wash anything consumable coming out of China whenever possible. I rinse white, yellow and green once and pu twice.

Nope. The only teas I rinse are Chinese and Taiwan blacks and oolongs (including baozhongs) and puerhs.

I don't but I buy my tea from a vendor that independently tests the teas for pesticides.

@alex
which vendor independently tests his teas for pesticides?

Alex wrote:I don't but I buy my tea from a vendor that independently tests the teas for pesticides.