How long do you keep tea in your teapot?

[Jaymo]

When you have a good tea that keeps brewing and brewing without giving up, how long are you ok with leaving it in your teapot? I'm finding that some of my better aged sheng cakes/samples seem to last several days if I keep them around.

Beyond that, if you do keep the leaves around, does it matter to you what type of pot they're in? Like, I never feel bad about leaving leaves overnight in some of my small glazed pots if the leaves seem like they have a lot more to offer, but I feel weird about doing it in some unglazed pots like yixing that may leech things.

Anyway, I haven't seen much discussion of this, so just wondering what other here do, or if you do it at all.

[thirst]

I guess it also depends on the climate you live in?

[BW85]

I would say it's OK to leave tea leaves in any vessel, glazed or unglazed, as long as you don't go more than a day without hitting them with hot water

[glenbo]

I will often continue using generous leaves over multiple days. Gaiwan or Yixing doesn't matter. If it's been more than 12 hours or so I will do another 'wash'. Just a few seconds of boiling water that gets discarded. Then I will continue steeping as normal. I've kept some brews going for a few days like this. My tea drinking room is usually 40-50%RH and around 63°F. It may be different in hotter and more humid environments.

[BioHorn]

In the winters with an old puerh I will go 1-2 weeks while brewing it at least once a day. (63F and 24-40% RH)
The same may apply for other aged oolongs.

Fresher TGY I might brew over 1-4 days.

The first brew of Phoenix Dan Congs on day two can be the best brew of all. Some high quality DC's will go for a week.
Gyokuro, one day, but sometimes the kyusu will go in the fridge and brew again the next day.
Sencha, same day only.

There are also overnight sencha/gyokuro ice brews. Those can be quite nice and have been written up here before.

In the summers all bets are off. Unless it goes in the fridge, I will only brew for a few days at most.

[Yannick]

If they're in yixing or other unglazed vessels I like to transfer them to a gaiwan or so if I intend to keep them going for more then a day.
I'm not sure if I need to, but it's a better safe than sorry sort of thing.

Sometimes a tea can taste a bit off to me if I leave it for a while and get back to it later. This doesn't happen with all teas, nor does it consistently happen with any particular tea, so I'm not sure yet what's the cause of it.

I just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best if I return to a tea that has been resting.

[Greenteaguru]

Hey,
I regularly resteep the next day. I've had some going into 4 days. I live in U.K so not too humid! Just a brief rinse in your vessel with the leafs the next day and your good to go.

[TomVerlain]

sometimes 3 days or more in yixing, in gaiwan, unless you are continuously using it, it can mold in that time.

[mcrdotcom]

I've never gone past 1 day... If I'm leaving it overnight I put the vessel in the fridge and then allow it to reach RT before using it again. I don't like the idea of leaving the tea out to oxidise more...

[Mterpstra]

Do it all the time for puerh, red or roasted/oxidized oolong . Puerh I'e had going for 3 days.

Sencha, other greens or green oolong don't fare well when I do it. Some do well on cold brew(well RT brew) for a night though.

[mr mopu]

I have done puerh sheng and shou up to three days. Sometimes sheng longer but shou can start to not be of my liking after three days.

[Emmett]

A few days should be fine. Just dont leave it too many days or you will find a moldy mess!

[Jaymo]

I've never had it get moldy, but I use my leaves every day at least a session or 2 if I am keeping them.

[mistypeakteas]

Hey

Yeah I agree with the others. Not too long as it begins to get bitter.

[AT333]

I've never kept it more than one day. But keeping them for a few hours makes the tea nicer. Wonder what caused it to be nicer.