Thursday TeaDay 5/27/10 He who hesitates ... ?

[kymidwife]

Not too often anymore. Its funny how I am lazier with some teas, and much more disciplined with others. I would never never walk away from a brew in progress if it was Japanese Green or Oolong. Just not worth the risk of ruining it. If I'm brewing a lesser black tea or a flavored tea blend, I am lazier and will get some bitterness on occasion, but its nothing common anymore.

No tea yet... but I'm ready for something. What to brew, what to brew... I have so many darjeeling FF samples, I think it will be DJ!

Sarah

[JBaymore]

Very infrequently.

What causes it........ all of life's usual potential distractions.

best,

............john

[Skippyandjif]

Almost never, now-- by experimenting, I learned all of my preferred brewing times for my different teas. Also, I'm really attentive to the clock thanks to my science classes. (The labs for my first three physics classes had nothing to do with the actual subject material... But they helped me become a better tea brewer! ) When I do overbrew, it's either because I don't know enough about the tea yet, or because I've been distracted by reading, homework, or someone asking me to do stuff for them.

Starting the morning with some green tea-oolong-jasmine blend. (When I figured out how long to steep this one it made such a difference!)

[leiche2]

Hardly ever, these days. I've gotten to the point that I don't usually even bother with the clock when brewing, and just go by the feel of how long it's been.

When I do overbrew, it's either because I don't know enough about the tea yet, or because I've been distracted by reading, homework, or someone asking me to do stuff for them.

+1.

Starting my day with some Assam Hazelbank. Nice and malty and tastes faintly of apples.

[Chip]

Very rarely.

Brewing Japanese greens around 75% of the time, I do pay attention to brewing ... every aspect. I know I can make the best pot possible if I do x, y, and z. Mess up on one of those too much, and can end up with "bitter brew face."

And I do use all the gadgets for Japanese greens.

Still, even picking the wrong pot can cause oversteeping. I brewed the Houryoku from Den's two days ago and used a sasame screened kyusu with maybe slightly larger holes. It poured fine, but left wayyyy too much particle pass through, which continued to brew. Bitter brew in the cup was the result.

A new tea or a new harvest of a familiar tea is often the tea that I will overbrew.

[entropyembrace]

I often overbrew my tea

I get distracted easily and the taste of most teas can never get beyond my bitter threshold no matter what I do. Really the only reason why I consider it overbrewed is it cuts short the number of infusions I can get without tasting any better.

When you can barely taste bitter there´s not as much incentive to watch the infusion time carefully...

[artmom]

Virtually never. I have to sit while preparing my tea, so, I'm right there. No more wandering off, etc. Also, as I am trying new teas, I'm very watchful of time, etc.

No tea yet today. But that's about to change.

[brad4419]

Almost never.

I used to overbrew all the time but have since made several changes that have lowered that number to nearly zero. When I brewed green, black and white teas for 2-4min I would leave the kitchen all the time because I just couldn't stand around that long

Now I brew mostly gong fu style with oolongs and I use more leaf for less time so I only wait around 1min max. I also put more importance on brewing better and have grown to enjoy that minute of waiting instead of dreading it.

shui jin gui with breakfast this morning.

[TubbyCow]

Ever since I got my obnoxiously loud timer that takes 30 seconds to shut itself off, almost never.

At least when I remember to turn on the timer.

Haven't had any tea yet today because I had... a job interview! I'm the newest member of the Pita Pit family. Considering this economy and the fact that I haven't had a job in 2 1/2 years, I'd say it's none too shabby.

[olivierco]

Virtually never, even if I rarely use my "obnoxiously loud timer" that doesn't shut itself off.

Kuradashi gyokuro this evening.

[Victoria]

Congratulations Tubby Cow!

I'm having more of the Luanze TeaMasters oolong brewed up here at work.
Need to repurchase this by the kilo.

[artmom]

Tubby Cow, congratulations and good luck on your new job! In my opinion, no matter what level of education, intelligence, etc. is involved, ANY work is worthy of admiration. We need people in every kind of work imaginable!

Needed comfort this morning; hence the two large mugs of MF Marco Polo. Yummy, and comforting.

[Sam.]

"Less than half the time", i.e. often enough but not usually. It's always because I go to do something on my computer for *just 30 seconds* and suddenly I remember, 5 minutes later, that I had some tea brewing. I usually just suck down the bitter brew.

[murrius]

I don't overbrew very often. Virtually never with green tea, although I must confess I have to watch shincha like a hawk; blink and it's crossed the line. I overbrew black teas more often - sometimes by chance, sometimes by design when I desire a strong cup. I suppose "overbrew" might be in the mouth of the taster?

Shincha this morning and baozhong this afternoon. I think I feel a darjeeling first flush mood coming over me for this evening.

[Seeker]

Congratulations Tubby Cow!

+1 ! Congratulations!!! May you remember your 'working for and with others' skills with much ease and aplomb, or by sheer will if necessary!

Somewhere between far less than half and virtually never for me.
Thanks in part to the 'obnoxiously loud timer', cause dog (not misspelled, thank you very much) only knows how distractible I can be!

Unmon-no-mukashi matcha followed by ancient moonlight white in my cup now.

Cheers everyone!