I finished 62 days of no tea on the night of June 14th (37 days in hospital & 25 previous to that at home) looking forward to a big thrill. I had put a total of 40 grams of my 3 best oolongs into the refrigerator on May 8th but someone in the apartment had quickly put the tin the packets were in on top of the fridge. The teas got flat, enjoyable but not wonderful as they were before heat effected them.
The misfortune is useful as an example of the harm done by heat alone because the packets inside the tin were perfectly closed.
It challenges us to re-examine times when we had dynamic, excellent tea that had gone flat or one-dimensional "mysteriously". We might have might been at fault. I know that I have been careful about keeping tea sealed well & out of sunlight but often careless about temperature. (I keep small amounts in my bedroom which gets very hot in the summer.)
Summer is here (in the northern hemisphere) with its heat, beware. Cheers
Jun 17th, '17, 04:12
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Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Sorry you lost some good teaethan wrote: I finished 62 days of no tea on the night of June 14th (37 days in hospital & 25 previous to that at home) looking forward to a big thrill. I had put a total of 40 grams of my 3 best oolongs into the refrigerator on May 8th but someone in the apartment had quickly put the tin the packets were in on top of the fridge. The teas got flat, enjoyable but not wonderful as they were before heat effected them.
The misfortune is useful as an example of the harm done by heat alone because the packets inside the tin were perfectly closed.
It challenges us to re-examine times when we had dynamic, excellent tea that had gone flat or one-dimensional "mysteriously". We might have might been at fault. I know that I have been careful about keeping tea sealed well & out of sunlight but often careless about temperature. (I keep small amounts in my bedroom which gets very hot in the summer.)
Summer is here (in the northern hemisphere) with its heat, beware. Cheers
I'm curious were these oxidized and roasted oolongs, or green oolongs?
Jun 17th, '17, 08:13
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Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Thanks for being sympathetic. The teas are not useless but not as good as normally.
All were roasted: Father's Love heavily; Drawer 2 medium roast; and, I don't know how roasted the Oriental Beauty was. The taste of roast is all that remained for the first two teas; the O.B. retained its flavors but weakly.
If I am lucky, some flavors will return for the first two. I am hoping that air helps the leaves that have been without it; so, now those teas are in ceramic caddies.
All were roasted: Father's Love heavily; Drawer 2 medium roast; and, I don't know how roasted the Oriental Beauty was. The taste of roast is all that remained for the first two teas; the O.B. retained its flavors but weakly.
If I am lucky, some flavors will return for the first two. I am hoping that air helps the leaves that have been without it; so, now those teas are in ceramic caddies.
Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Ethan, how were the bags closed up within the tin?ethan wrote: Thanks for being sympathetic. The teas are not useless but not as good as normally.
All were roasted: Father's Love heavily; Drawer 2 medium roast; and, I don't know how roasted the Oriental Beauty was. The taste of roast is all that remained for the first two teas; the O.B. retained its flavors but weakly.
If I am lucky, some flavors will return for the first two. I am hoping that air helps the leaves that have been without it; so, now those teas are in ceramic caddies.
Jun 17th, '17, 11:50
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Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Jay, I used a few paper clips on each foil packet. I had it real tight & they did not get loose. I think it was not air that killed flavor but heat. I cannot know for sure, but I think one perceives the effects of air vs. heat. (Of course, it is often both.) I've had tea in cool, dry storage but in a packing that was a tiny bit open from the beginning or somehow got open and the effect was a bit different.
In a few days after the leaves get some air (& perhaps thus a bit of moisture) they might pick up some life which I assume means that heat dried them. (This happens with cigars sometimes that might seem ruined but are just too dry for the moment, a difference between dry & dried out.)
I usually use those foil closers bought in Taipei but did not this time.
In a few days after the leaves get some air (& perhaps thus a bit of moisture) they might pick up some life which I assume means that heat dried them. (This happens with cigars sometimes that might seem ruined but are just too dry for the moment, a difference between dry & dried out.)
I usually use those foil closers bought in Taipei but did not this time.
Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
I suspect warm air condensed on the cold leaves outside the fridge; that would be made worse by someone opening the bags after removing the tin from the fridge. It could just be heat, but Taiwan's a lot hotter than MA in summer!ethan wrote: Jay, I used a few paper clips on each foil packet. I had it real tight & they did not get loose. I think it was not air that killed flavor but heat. I cannot know for sure, but I think one perceives the effects of air vs. heat. (Of course, it is often both.) I've had tea in cool, dry storage but in a packing that was a tiny bit open from the beginning or somehow got open and the effect was a bit different.
In a few days after the leaves get some air (& perhaps thus a bit of moisture) they might pick up some life which I assume means that heat dried them. (This happens with cigars sometimes that might seem ruined but are just too dry for the moment, a difference between dry & dried out.)
I usually use those foil closers bought in Taipei but did not this time.
Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Welcome back, ethan. 60 days without tea!
I still have 4g of that $3/g Hojo Keemun but reminding me of the perils of heatwaves, I'm not sure I should wait
I should at least be stocked up on quality Assam, I finally found where some of it's been hiding.
I've been thinking about this topic (temperature). Currently I have more tea on hand than I have ever before- 4000-5000g (all black, oolong, green, white), at least >2500g of which I would be disappointed if it went off.
I was keeping the majority in pouches inside air+moisture "resistant" sterilite bins, in basement, which stays pretty cool in NY area, but we moved recently, so it's above ground.
On my to-do list is to dole out 8oz mason jars full of the stuff I drink regularly and put the rest back in storage downstairs. As jay mentioned, I do take some comfort knowing that it gets quite hot in Assam, Darjeeling, Taiwan, Yunnan, Kagoshima, etc- but still good to store properly.
I still have 4g of that $3/g Hojo Keemun but reminding me of the perils of heatwaves, I'm not sure I should wait
I should at least be stocked up on quality Assam, I finally found where some of it's been hiding.I've been thinking about this topic (temperature). Currently I have more tea on hand than I have ever before- 4000-5000g (all black, oolong, green, white), at least >2500g of which I would be disappointed if it went off.
I was keeping the majority in pouches inside air+moisture "resistant" sterilite bins, in basement, which stays pretty cool in NY area, but we moved recently, so it's above ground.
On my to-do list is to dole out 8oz mason jars full of the stuff I drink regularly and put the rest back in storage downstairs. As jay mentioned, I do take some comfort knowing that it gets quite hot in Assam, Darjeeling, Taiwan, Yunnan, Kagoshima, etc- but still good to store properly.
Jun 19th, '17, 01:36
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Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Joel, I store my tea the same way. It's been working. I just brought some upstairs and it is fine. I haven't had problems. When I travel in six weeks, I'll put tea in mason jars; so, TSA and/or customs can have a good look without tearing open packs.joelbct wrote:
I was keeping the majority in pouches inside air+moisture "resistant" sterilite bins, in basement, which stays pretty cool in NY area, but we moved recently, so it's above ground.
On my to-do list is to dole out 8oz mason jars full of the stuff I drink regularly and put the rest back in storage downstairs.
I've had some teas for more than 2 years that have not lost flavor but have lost aroma. (Some people equate the two senses but here I am not. I taste what I always tasted before but do not smell it before drinking.)
Jun 24th, '17, 06:09
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Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Follow-up. Putting the tea that got too much heat (resting on top of refrigerator) into ceramic caddies did not revitalize them. The teas remained flat. Flavors are weak, making excellent tea only fair.
Good news is that all tea (including the damaged ones) tastes better than my first week out of hospital. I, once again, did not realize that my nose was dried out which diminished my ability to enjoy tea. The windowless room was much too dry; it took about a week of me being out in humid weather to bring my tasting back to normal.
Good news is that all tea (including the damaged ones) tastes better than my first week out of hospital. I, once again, did not realize that my nose was dried out which diminished my ability to enjoy tea. The windowless room was much too dry; it took about a week of me being out in humid weather to bring my tasting back to normal.
Jun 24th, '17, 06:25
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Location: Boston, MA
Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
Follow-up. Putting the tea that got too much heat (resting on top of refrigerator) into ceramic caddies did not help. The teas remained flat. Flavors are weak, making excellent tea only fair. Fortunately, the quantity of tea involved is not so great.
Good news is that all tea (including the damaged ones) tastes better than my first week out of hospital. I, once again, did not realize that my nose was dried out which diminished my ability to enjoy tea. The windowless room was much too dry; it took about a week of me being out in humid weather to bring my tasting back to normal.
Good news is that all tea (including the damaged ones) tastes better than my first week out of hospital. I, once again, did not realize that my nose was dried out which diminished my ability to enjoy tea. The windowless room was much too dry; it took about a week of me being out in humid weather to bring my tasting back to normal.
Re: beware summer heat diminishing leaves
I keep all my teas within their Doypacks - nowadays most of the vendors out there use these packs with the airtight zip. Yunnan Sourcing does and so many more and I think those are the best way to keep them stored. I still have some Wuyi from an 2015 order and they still taste great.
I would like to know your opinion about something. What do you prefer: Keep them in their doypacks or store them in tea caddy/canister? Some of those Chinese caddies are really tight closed - some even with double lid. But in my opinion I noticed that stored teas within those caddies get very dry and flat within their bouquet / aroma - if you brew them the actual taste is still there but the aroma really fades out.
I love the look and the style of storing teas within such Chinese cool looking porcelain or clay type airtight caddies also because it is easier to store teas that way as within those doypacks but I don't think they are actually really meant to be for a good quality longer storage. You can't pile up doypacks but you can pile caddies which is an efficient way to use the storage of tea the most clever way but maybe not when it comes to the preservation of the whole tea profile or what do you say?
I would like to know your opinion about something. What do you prefer: Keep them in their doypacks or store them in tea caddy/canister? Some of those Chinese caddies are really tight closed - some even with double lid. But in my opinion I noticed that stored teas within those caddies get very dry and flat within their bouquet / aroma - if you brew them the actual taste is still there but the aroma really fades out.
I love the look and the style of storing teas within such Chinese cool looking porcelain or clay type airtight caddies also because it is easier to store teas that way as within those doypacks but I don't think they are actually really meant to be for a good quality longer storage. You can't pile up doypacks but you can pile caddies which is an efficient way to use the storage of tea the most clever way but maybe not when it comes to the preservation of the whole tea profile or what do you say?