Squeezing Tea

[beforewisdom]

I just made some Uji sencha I got through o-cha.com. These are high quality tea bags. I just had my first steeping. I discovered by squeezing the tea bag during removal I got a rich green tea liquor out of th bag which made the whole cup much more green ( warning, a stronger taste too ).

Does anyone else this?

Is there a technique for doing this with loose leafs in a post, aside from pressing down on the leaves in the pot?

[Poseidon]

Personally I dont touch the leaves until they are spent and ready for inspection. To each their own.

[daidokorocha]

Yeah, I really don't like the squeezing tea thing. I know some people who drink tea bags do that but it can release some nasty stuff... I knew a brand once that marked in big letters on their boxes "DO NOT SQUEEZE THE BAG!"

[Chip]

In the case of this teabag, it does work ... though I usually do it for steepings 2-3, not the first.

[beforewisdom]

Yeah, I really don't like the squeezing tea thing. I know some people who drink tea bags do that but it can release some nasty stuff... I knew a brand once that marked in big letters on their boxes "DO NOT SQUEEZE THE BAG!"

It is probably a taste issue, you get a lot of concentrated flavor, possibly too much for it taste good.

[beforewisdom]

In the case of this teabag, it does work ... though I usually do it for steepings 2-3, not the first.

That makes sense, it gets more flavor out, perhaps too much.

[daidokorocha]

In the case of this teabag, it does work ... though I usually do it for steepings 2-3, not the first.

That makes sense, it gets more flavor out, perhaps too much.

Pretty much, but personally I don't want to drink water that has been soaking up inside those fannings for however long it took me to drink two cups and then brew the third. I've only ever squeezed the bag after the first steeping of a tea bag and blah... Then again I don't like steeping tea bags for longer than a minute and a half at most if it consists of fannings. When I brew a tea like Konacha it is basically a pour over and immediately remove infuser or strain if I'm not using an infuser. But yes, as for the warning label from that company, it definitely has to do with what they find to be the most appetizing finished product.

[ethan]

Weeks back, someone posted a link to Mandarin Tearoom on youtube. I was surprised by 2 acts: so much good water was being poured over the teaware before each infusion that I think preparing tea this way breaks California's conservation laws in place now during the drought; and, loose leaves were dumped from the teapot & squeezed between infusions.

Was this to rid the leaves of ....?

[blairswhitaker]

In the case of this teabag, it does work ... though I usually do it for steepings 2-3, not the first.

That makes sense, it gets more flavor out, perhaps too much.

Pretty much, but personally I don't want to drink water that has been soaking up inside those fannings for however long it took me to drink two cups and then brew the third. I've only ever squeezed the bag after the first steeping of a tea bag and blah... Then again I don't like steeping tea bags for longer than a minute and a half at most if it consists of fannings. When I brew a tea like Konacha it is basically a pour over and immediately remove infuser or strain if I'm not using an infuser. But yes, as for the warning label from that company, it definitely has to do with what they find to be the most appetizing finished product.

Those O-cha tea bags are nothing like a typical bag of fannings you would get from a grocery store.

[rdl]

beforewisdom,
not referring to cheap or black tea teabags, these green tea bags are high quality and follow similar pot steeping methods, at least in my use of the samples I have received.
The last of the infused water is the richest and should get into your cup, and as you cannot shake like you can a tea pot, a squeeze is necessary. Also if you want to re-steep then you don't want any water left in the bag with the the tea. However, if you mean by squeeze you pinch the bag tightly, I would feel that to be excessive, possibly bringing out unwanted flavors.

[daidokorocha]

In the case of this teabag, it does work ... though I usually do it for steepings 2-3, not the first.

That makes sense, it gets more flavor out, perhaps too much.

Pretty much, but personally I don't want to drink water that has been soaking up inside those fannings for however long it took me to drink two cups and then brew the third. I've only ever squeezed the bag after the first steeping of a tea bag and blah... Then again I don't like steeping tea bags for longer than a minute and a half at most if it consists of fannings. When I brew a tea like Konacha it is basically a pour over and immediately remove infuser or strain if I'm not using an infuser. But yes, as for the warning label from that company, it definitely has to do with what they find to be the most appetizing finished product.

Those O-cha tea bags are nothing like a typical bag of fannings you would get from a grocery store.

Yes, I realise this. That is why I specified tea bags with fannings in my post. I was just chatting on squeezing tea in general, since the only people I know who squeeze tea are tea bag fanning drinkers. Though I will add that it may have been Hankook Tea who sent me some bags that said "DO NOT SQUEEZE BAG", which in that case would have been loose leaf in a bag.