Rooibos Brewing Question

Healthy herbs, rooibos, honeybush, decaf tea, and yerba mate.


Mar 14th, '10, 14:52
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Joined: Feb 24th, '10, 03:47
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Rooibos Brewing Question

by Kathryn » Mar 14th, '10, 14:52

One of the teas that I recently got from Adagio was a sample tin of rooibos. Now, I've had rooibos before, so I know I like it...but I've been having some difficulty getting a satisfactory cup out of this.

Just now, I brewed a cup using 6 tsp of leaf in approximately 14 oz of water. I let it steep for 12 minutes, and used boiling water. And still, the result was rather bland.

So now I'm wondering...do I need more leaf, or to let it steep longer, or what? I can't help but feel that 6+ tsp is rather a lot for one mug of tea...but my experience is extremely limited, so I could be totally wrong about that. And I remember reading that rooibos needed at least ten minutes to steep...but is the norm to do it longer?

Also, would it be possible that Adagio's blend is just a milder one? Might I have more luck with a different brand? I thought that I remembered reading that all rooibos was mostly the same, as far as quality goes...but I'm not sure where I heard that, so I don't know if it's right.

I like my tea strong, so I really want to figure out how to get a good, strong cup of rooibos. Surely it's possible...I'm sure I've managed it at least a few times, in the distant past.

If anyone has any advice, or tips, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Mar 14th, '10, 16:43
Posts: 9
Joined: Oct 22nd, '09, 12:52

Re: Rooibos Brewing Question

by morningbus » Mar 14th, '10, 16:43

That's pretty odd, actually. I like my tea strong too and usually only have to use 2 good teaspoonfuls to get a decent flavor out of it. I only usually have to steep it for 7 to 8 minutes, too. So I'm not sure what is going on, exactly.

What rooibos have you used before? How much did you have to use of it?

If you really want to try and get the most out of it, you can put it into a pot of boiling water and let is constantly boil for a while.

Mar 14th, '10, 19:12
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Joined: Feb 24th, '10, 03:47
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Re: Rooibos Brewing Question

by Kathryn » Mar 14th, '10, 19:12

And it's just the rooibos, too. I've also made some Earl Grey; 4 tsp of that for a nice strong brew. So I was really confused when I used that much rooibos, with such bland results. It's just odd...the color was nice and dark, and the fragrance was good, but the flavor...

Just some store-brand bagged rooibos, and that was quite some time ago...I don't remember the exact number of teabags I used. Probably 2-4? I have no idea what that would equate to in loose tea.

Hmm...that's an option (and I'll keep it in mind), but I'd prefer to not have to do that. I use an electric kettle and an IngenuiTEA currently...I'd really like to keep it simple like that, if at all possible. But we'll see, I guess.

Thanks for the input. =)

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