How To Brew: Iced Greens

[TaiPing Hou Kui]

Hello everyone! Today and in the last few days I have really been enjoying cold green tea even though it has been utterly frigid here in Williamsburg, VA. Anyway, I figured I would do a small outline with photos of one of the processes I use. The method here is called "Ice Brewing" for exactly that reason, the tea is essentially brewed by the ice. For ice brewing I typically use 1gram of tea per 30ml of water (30ml = 1 US Oz). This evening I brewed a Sencha Karigane (Kukicha).

Step 1: Get your materials: Tea, Kyusu or other brewing vessel, and Ice. Then place about 25% of the tea in the bottom of the Kyusu or other vessel
*Note--if you are going to ice brew you should not sacrifice water quality--I have a sepearate tray I use with high quality filtered water for my ice cubes:


Step 2: Add several ice cubes filling the Kyusu about 1/3 of the way and add the same amount of tea you have on the bottom of the Kyusu on top of the ice; add more ice filling up to about the half way point of the Kyusu:


Step 3: Repeat step 2 adding more tea on top of ice on top of tea twice more until the kyusu cannot contain any more ice:


*Filled to top:


Step 4: Add about 1 oz (depending on size of your Kyusu....I fill mine up to about a 6oz mark)....adding the water gets the ice started in the melting process.

Step:5 Leave it alone! Just let it sit until all the ice melts:


Step:6 After all the ice has melted the tea will be incredibly cold and ready to enjoy:


*The result is an incredibly sweet and incredibly refreshing cup that brings out new flavor dimensions in the tea and it is a fun change to the typical hot water brewing method:


-Nick

[Wesli]

I like ice brewing all right, but cold-brewing makes much better tea.

Cold brewing is when you brew in cold water, by keeping the stuff w/ leaf in the fridge, or just a bottle full of ice water. Shake and drink in a couple hours.

[Chip]

Thanks for sharing Nick ... in your nice Hagi kyusu.

I cold brew mostly Japanese greens (in fact have not hot brewed a Japanese green for cold tea in quite some time). But I never ice brewed, I will have to give it a go.

[Pentox]

I've never tried layering my ice before, but I could see some merit to it.

During the winter I don't do much ice brewing, but I do a fair share of fridge and hot brewing. Ice brewing gyokuro though makes a kick you in your teeth amazing cup. One person I know refers to it as Shinobi-cha and actually has videos of it on youtube. I've also seen people just put the leaf on top of the ice instead of below and inbetween.

[hop_goblin]

Thats funky!

[Thé Vert]

I'm going to have to try this

[andy825]

I have been meaning to give this a try. Its 80 degrees here this week, so perfect for iced tea!

[Shelob]

Thats funky!

I agree, and that's why I will try it I do like cold brewing, however got some tips in the other topic

[Oni]

This is the best method of making ice tea, I have tried every method, but this is the best way.

[TaiPing Hou Kui]

I do have to agree that ice brewing produces a much better cup than cold water brewing in the fridge....there are advantages and disadvantages to both but the main difference I notice between ice brewing and cold water/fridge brewing is the thickness of the cup.....when I ice brew the tea has an almost syrup like feel on the tongue and it feels like you are really getting all of the plant matter extracted.

-Nick

[Pentox]

Ice brewing I find does produce a more potent cup as TaiPing pointed out. It's concentrated, rich, strong, bold. But sometimes you just don't want something that intense. And that's what I use fridge/cold water brewing for.

[Chip]

Ice brewing I find does produce a more potent cup as TaiPing pointed out. It's concentrated, rich, strong, bold. But sometimes you just don't want something that intense. And that's what I use fridge/cold water brewing for.

Ahhh, that is very interesting. My logical mind was telling me the opposite. All the more reason I need to try this method. Thanks, Nick and Pentox.