Monday TeaDay 8/16/10 In the year 2020 ...

[Chip]

I expect that Tea will always reign supreme. I see no reason to change a good thing.

+1!
Mao Feng Noir at home this morning, Peppermint Twist here at work.

I'm having a weird problem with tea making at home. I am using the same teas, same amount of tea, same amount of water and water source, same pot as usual, but my brews have been coming out bitter. 90% black teas, (greens have been okay with cooled water) water at 208 from Zoji. I thought my scale might be wrong, but the cover (which I use to measure the tea into) is still the same weight before taring.

Does anyone have any idea what might be happening?

Sounds like you might need more GREENS! Seriously, you might just have to shake things up a bit with how you brew. Shorter steep or lower temp a bit. And last resort, less leaf.

[geeber1]

I expect that Tea will always reign supreme. I see no reason to change a good thing.

+1!
Mao Feng Noir at home this morning, Peppermint Twist here at work.

I'm having a weird problem with tea making at home. I am using the same teas, same amount of tea, same amount of water and water source, same pot as usual, but my brews have been coming out bitter. 90% black teas, (greens have been okay with cooled water) water at 208 from Zoji. I thought my scale might be wrong, but the cover (which I use to measure the tea into) is still the same weight before taring.

Does anyone have any idea what might be happening?

Sounds like you might need more GREENS! Seriously, you might just have to shake things up a bit with how you brew. Shorter steep or lower temp a bit. And last resort, less leaf.

I have actually been drinking a bit of GREEN lately! Nothing as fancy as you, just a couple of flavored Senchas. And those are coming out fine.

I was thinking less leaf, but it's just weird that all of a sudden I'm having this bitterness issue where I didn't have it before. Maybe my palate is becoming more refined.

[Chip]

OK, I am approaching 12 years of serious and constant tea drinking. Before that it was an occasional cup.

I do see my approach to tea changing somewhat, but I am pretty certain tea will still reign supreme in another 10 years.

It is interesting watching tea tastes and tastes in general evolve. In the last 4+ years on TC, I have seen die hard drinkers just suddenly say I am done, though this is usually younger drinkers whose lives are in a constant state of flux already.

TD began with a session of Yutaka Midori Supreme from a very dwindling supply. SweeTea was present for the tasting while Wulong and Lili were passerbyes.

[Chip]

I have actually been drinking a bit of GREEN lately! Nothing as fancy as you, just a couple of flavored Senchas. And those are coming out fine.

I was thinking less leaf, but it's just weird that all of a sudden I'm having this bitterness issue where I didn't have it before. Maybe my palate is becoming more refined.

Usually bitterness is a result of too hot and/or too long. Too much leaf usually gives a different effect. It could be your tastes or palate is changing somewhat.

And sometimes the human body has an amazing way of telling you things ...

Warashina Supreme Organic from O-Cha currently ... brewed in a tiny Korean Travel Set and brewed stronng as an experiment ... came out very nicely indeed. I also decreased the temp a bit since last time I sensed a touch too much bitterness.

So, you see Geeber, adding more leaf did not adversely make this more bitter ... but dcreasing the temp took away the bitterness.

So, really just try a few new approaches Geeber, I am always surprised how more leaf can often greatly improve a seemingly bitter tea when coupled with lower temp or shorter steep.

[PamEast]

With so much vareity in flavors and experience, I can not imagine ever tiring of tea. This love affair is going to be long term.

Enjoying an Iced Rooibos at the moment. Just got another batch of samples from Adagio. Looking foward to trying the Yunnan Golden Curls later today.

Pam

[Katy1977]

I'm sure it will still be a part of my life, I'm out of town for a few days and only brought tea bags with me, but many different kinds, am having a Numi chocolate pu-erh now and am going to share some different teas with my friends. I wish I would have brought my Ingenuitea but didn't, oh well, probably next time I go on vacation lol! I really am getting more and more fond of this amazing wonderful thing we call tea.

Katy1977

[geeber1]

And sometimes the human body has an amazing way of telling you things ...

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Seriously, though. I think I'll try setting the Zoji at 185 instead of 208 and see how that goes. Thanks Chip!

[laura99]

I am sure that tea will be up there as my most consumed drink for quite some time. I still have so much more to explore!

Started today with two yunnans, dragon pearls and yunnan noir. In my cup now miyabi sencha.

My husband just informed me that my Yunnan Sourcing order arrived today in a big beat up box . Looking forward to trying some Yunnan teas straight from the source. And a couple of Pu Erh samples as well (first time on that for me). Very excited to get home!

[entropyembrace]

ok sencha is giving me munchies


Chip what is with this stuff?

[brandon]

Waiting at home from our friends at Red Blossom:

Yinzheng Hong (red tea from Fujian made from Silver Needle cultivar)
Competition #18 (assam hong cha from Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake)
High Fire Tie Guan Yin (always a favorite)

[Chip]

And sometimes the human body has an amazing way of telling you things ...

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Seriously, though. I think I'll try setting the Zoji at 185 instead of 208 and see how that goes. Thanks Chip!

And yet, 185* might be toooo low. I would adjust time a bit first. Or if you can adjust temp just a little maybe?

ok sencha is giving me munchies
Chip what is with this stuff?

It makes me want sushi ... or dark chocolate

TD continued with matcha with the Mrs. in a Cory Lum tenmoku/oil spot Chawan.

Hoping for 1 more tea ...

[Chip]

Waiting at home from our friends at Red Blossom:

Yinzheng Hong (red tea from Fujian made from Silver Needle cultivar)
Competition #18 (assam hong cha from Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake)
High Fire Tie Guan Yin (always a favorite)

The Yinzheng Hong sounds really intriguing, Brandon! Never had anything like that, nor the Sun Moon Lake ...

[geeber1]

And sometimes the human body has an amazing way of telling you things ...

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Seriously, though. I think I'll try setting the Zoji at 185 instead of 208 and see how that goes. Thanks Chip!

And yet, 185* might be toooo low. I would adjust time a bit first. Or if you can adjust temp just a little maybe?

Well, I am currently brewing the first steep for only 3 minutes with blacks but can try going for only 2. The second steeps are fine. Maybe I'm just weird.

[Amaikokonut]

ok sencha is giving me munchies

You know, it has the same effect on me; I was never quite sure why. But the effect has been consistent enough that I've used it to my advantage, like drinking sencha if I'm invited out to dinner but am not that hungry. Just weird because until now I've never heard of that happening to anyone else.

I expect I'll still be steadily drinking tea in 10 years; though maybe I'll have settled down a little by then and just have a few kinds of tea in the house, as opposed to the endless sample tins and baggies littering my shelves right now

[debunix]

[maybe I'll have settled down a little by then and just have a few kinds of tea in the house, as opposed to the endless sample tins and baggies littering my shelves right now

+1

I hope to have calmed down and realized that I don't need to have a dozen of every class of tea available opened all at once....