Wrong water for tea

For general/other topics related to tea.


Feb 28th, '17, 02:07
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Wrong water for tea

by ethan » Feb 28th, '17, 02:07

Water purified by reverse osmosis in Pattaya, Thailand has not resulted in tea as good as tea prepared w/ r.o. water in Taiwan. In Pattaya, the 1st infusion seems to strip leaves of most of its flavor-giving power. Leaves that usually give 2 very good infusions & a good 3rd infusion, have been giving me one very good infusion & a 2nd that is only fair. Not many chatters will be here ever, but noticing this has led to me to ponder how not only a type of water effects tea, but a very specific water. It is not unlikely that what is called reverse osmosis processing here is not as thorough or whatever.

I'm leaving today & not worrying about it. I bring the topic up to encourage reports of specific water observations when chatters have them. Writing has been about favorite bottled water brands & matching them w/ certain teas. I am not looking for that. I'm looking for stories of water that ruins the tea experience, especially when it that experience is a bit of a surprise. Cheers

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Feb 28th, '17, 13:25
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Re: Wrong water for tea

by chingwa » Feb 28th, '17, 13:25

Best water for tea usually involves having some sort of mineral content (different mineral content best for different tea types). So this is pretty much the opposite of Reverse Osmosis water, and it makes sense that you aren't getting a good result.

Well-water, aquifer-water, running spring water often are best for Greens... "brands" can be debated forever :D Also heating in an activated iron pot noticeably helps (again, leaching of minerals/iron into water).

Mar 2nd, '17, 03:15
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Re: Wrong water for tea

by ethan » Mar 2nd, '17, 03:15

chingwa wrote: Best water for tea usually involves having some sort of mineral content... "brands" can be debated forever.
Chingwa, Nice to get a reply. I got reminded that I am too verbose. My main points get lost.

So, I will keep it simple. WANTED: Anecdotes about water that does not work. (E.g., " ____water is awful w/ any tea. _____ water made my green tea taste like rotten tomatoes.")

Hoping its fun to read & a guide to avoiding mistakes. (Not looking for recommendations for brands of water in general or for use w/ specific teas. Brands are too expensive or hard too difficult to obtain etc. )

Other point I tried to make, is generalization does not work. For example, r.o. is certainly not the best water for tea. However, r.o. water in Taiwan did not ruin tea sessions, while r.o. water in Thailand did ruin tea sessions. Cheers

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