Monday TeaDay 4/06/09 Caffeine OD?!!!?

[geeber1]

Like Salsero, never on tea- but I have had it before on coffee. Get stuck working a bunch of OT and living on caffeine and nicotine is not the best feeling in the world.

Omega, your post reminded me of the Sheryl Crow song "Everyday is a Winding Road" where she has a line about living on coffee and nicotine ... now I have to get the tune out of my head.

[Chip]

I can definitely get jittery or a bit hyper with too much caffeine from tea, can sometimes feel my jaw clench a bit. I try to avoid more than one tea during the morning, seems to help. I used to have 2-3 teas by noon. I sometimes think this is partially due to a combination of needing to eat more. But I tend to eat less when I am drinking tea ... a catch-22.

Started the day with Zuiko asamushi from Den's. I cut back on the leaf just a bit and I think this makes a big difference. SweeTea agreed. Pyrit, Gandalf, TEAh, and finally Lil Bit passed over the TeaTable. Lil Bit is the clan clutz and stepped on my saucer sending the Hagi cup rolling and spilling tea everywhere. Nothing broken and it was the 5th steep anyway.

[Janine]

I can remember years ago drinking several cups in succession of black tea made from Twinings tea bags - and all of a sudden I got the jitters. That told me all about caffeine from tea.

I do, however, think it's important to consider the sleep cycle and how caffeine may interact and act to disturb sleep. This does happen to me and it's noticeable at times when I am drinking tea all day. I use calming herbal teas in the evening and this really helps to get solid sleep. I wake up more refreshed.

But the cycle also involves drinking caffeinated drinks to compensate for lack of sleep - then we can really get hit hard. So - one solution to over-caffeination (is that a word?) in my opinion is trying to get enough sleep or at least to pay attention and try to regulate that. I find it helps immensely - it also influences energy level and appetite in general.

Today I'm back to the Yunnan Gold Tips and enjoying it a lot!

[Victoria]

I feel it sometimes, especially after a long tea session on an empty stomach.
Just a little jittery not bad. Of course if it runs past 4:00 then I can't sleep that night.

Some not so good Darjeeling to start the day. I'm in need of something better.

Have a nice day everyone!

[Intuit]

TeaChat revved up my interest in teas; like others here, I have to watch consumption in the later afternoon and evening, because it can disrupt sleep.

lrish Breakfast this morning. Keemun a bit later and maybe green tea this afternoon.

[olivierco]

Never. I can have some koicha or gyokuro in the evening without feeling any caffeine effect.

Kaboku sencha in a few minutes.

[murrius]

The only time I overtly noticed caffeine in tea was the first time I tried gyokuro and had three mugs of it. I felt very "energized". I usually don't have more than two cups of tea at a time.

A nice sencha fukamushi in my cup this morning.

[kymidwife]

Tea can affect me in certain quantities, but it has to be quite a bit, because I've built up a tolerance so that I can drink most teas right up until bedtime with no problems. Matcha hits me harder than anything, so I only ever have it in the morning. My main side effect from caffeine in tea seems to be insomnia... I rarely, if ever, get the palpitations, clenched jaw, queasy stomach, and jitters that I got from coffee. And with coffee, I always have those symptoms if I have more than 2 cups in a few hours' time.

Early this morning I had IB/hazelnut/mango blend, interesting... now some White Margaret's Hope Darjeeling FF... fabulous.

Sarah

[ErikaM]

I voted no, although I once got carried away with a bag of chocolate-covered expresso beans and did get a bit wired. But I'm such a caffeine junkie that I don't notice the effects anymore... only the withdrawal.

[jazz88]

Virtually never. I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning and then drink tea all day long.

Just had several cups of Jasmine Yin Zhen.

[brlarson]

... I rarely, if ever, get the palpitations, clenched jaw, queasy stomach, and jitters that I got from coffee.

Back in the early 90s there were a few times when, in addition to these symptoms, I would actually hear steam whistles But that stopped when I switched from Gevalia to other types of coffee that were light in caffeine.

I still sip a beverage more or less constantly while I work. That's why I prefer oolongs in the morning and, now, Japanese greens in the afternoon.

I'm nearing the end of my Yutaka Midori. I just brewed 4 grams in 8oz at 170F for 1 minute. I like it like this. It has less flesh and less intensity than YM does when you follow O-Cha's recommendation, but it has good balance and reasonable acidity.

[Katrina]

First off, thanks to Chip for the note about my little project. I hope to see a lot of Tea Chat member submissions.

Caffeine - Like so many others, I notice it with coffee, but not with tea. Too much caffeinated coffee gives me the jitters and an upset stomach. I've never had this problem with tea unless I've been drinking huge amounts without having eaten.

Slow tea day around here so far. Too much child-related drama. So far only a personal blend of black tea, orange peel, cinnamon and vanilla.

[Chip]

First off, thanks to Chip for the note about my little project. I hope to see a lot of Tea Chat member submissions.

You are welcome of course, and I too hope to see some TCers grace these pages!

Next up. Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha. WOW, this is still really good, but I find myself using a bit more leaf with sencha this time of the year when it would not be feasible to do so in shincha or summer or even fall. So, the faded intensity allows the extraction of more flavor via more leaf ... or is this just too much caffeine talking?

Currently, a non caffeine blend of roasted grains home roasted and brewed up nice and naturally sweet!

[Janine]

Currently, a non caffeine blend of roasted grains home roasted and brewed up nice and naturally sweet!

What is your recipe Chip? I'd be curious about the blend and also about how you roast it.