Yerbe: any tips for brewing yerba mate in a teapot ?

[insanitylater]

Yerbe: any tips for brewing yerba mate in a teapot ?

by insanitylater » Feb 24th, '08, 02:31

mine holds 12oz and has an infuser in it but i also have an infuser ball if i wanted to just use my cup

how much should i use ? and how much cool water do i need to put on it before i pour the hot water

[omegapd]

by omegapd » Feb 24th, '08, 04:16

Mate has been my drink of choice the last 2 weeks and I went through some trial and error also because I didn't want to fool around with the gourd or bombilla.

I settled on a tablespoon of Mate for a 16oz. pot/cup and a steep of about 8 minutes.

Mate is pretty large pieces, so I didn't have a problem with it plugging up the teapot when straining. I also use T-sacs when I want to carry it with me to work...

What brand are you trying out? My favorite so far is the Rosamonte Special Selection. Very strong and a smoky flavor...

EW

[insanitylater]

by insanitylater » Feb 24th, '08, 11:09

i got mine from wegmans which may get their loose tea from ito: en. so do you use a bit of cool water first ? how many uses do you get out of that one tablespoon ? supposedly you can brew it more than once and it tastes better each time

[insanitylater]

by insanitylater » Feb 24th, '08, 12:50

i used 1 teaspoon for an 8 oz cup and reused the leaves for a second time. maybe after my shower i'll see if i could get a third cup out of it

[Sydney]

by Sydney » Feb 24th, '08, 13:26

I've found a rounded teaspoon of Taragui to 6-10 oz of water mild and satisfying.

Water temp under boiling (maybe 170° to 180° F) for a few minutes.

[omegapd]

by omegapd » Feb 24th, '08, 15:55

i got mine from wegmans which may get their loose tea from ito: en. so do you use a bit of cool water first ?

Sorry, missed that the first time. While I'm waiting for the water to boil, I run hot water through the teapot to warm it. I just don't empty it all the way when it's done, leaving a tiny bit in the bottom. I put the Mate in that and then add near boiling water to it.

I'm not one to use multiple steepings so can't answer that. Usually I drink it at work and the 16oz. lasts awhile so don't want any more after it's gone.

I think with Mate, more is better. Considering that the original "recipe" is a couple of tablespoons into the gourd is where I base my tablespoon theory from. I just found teaspoons to be too weak for me, but enjoy it whatever way you want to.

[henley]

by henley » Feb 29th, '08, 10:26

I tried some Mate Tiramisu from SpecialTeas last night. Okay, it was a flavored one but it was still a stretch for me. I used 1.5 tsp for a 10 oz mug & let it steep 7 min since I read in one of the posts not to over steep. It was pretty good. Don't know if I would invest in anything other than sample size but at least I can say I've tried it.

[SirRocko711]

by SirRocko711 » Mar 29th, '08, 20:52

Lemme toss in another vote for Rosamonte here. The way I brewed it before getting a gourd was by microwaving a mug of water just-below-boiling, wrapping a tablespoon of leaves in coffee filter, and letting the bag seep for about 6 minutes. It usually turned out good, though I'm sure there are much better ways to go about it.

[rodstnmn]

tips for brewing mate

by rodstnmn » Apr 23rd, '08, 21:58

Hi Insanitylater

If I had your 12 oz teapot, I would use about 2 slightly rounded teaspoons of yerba mate in your tea ball and put it in the teapot with 4 oz of room temperature water. Let rest for about 5 min (I think longer is better) then add 8 oz of boiling water and let steep about 8 min. This 3 to 1 ratio gives you the 150F to 155F water temperature you want. I usually only do 1 infusion, however, I've noticed that the second 12 oz infusion is lighter and greener in color , milder tasting and also very good.

Rod