multiple steepings
Brand new to tea. Hard to find answers to the most basic of questions. Suppose I want to have just one cup of tea. I know the tea is good for more than one steeping. What do I do with the tea after it has been steeped once so that I could use it again, say the next day?
Re: multiple steepings
it really depends on the tea. Some tea gives up it all quickly, and to let it sit will not be pleasant. Other tea, for me, like oolongs and more specifically pu'erh, are good for a day or days.
Some teapots, like yixing, are said to help prevent mold and keep tea fresh.
So - type of tea, brewing method, and pot are the three variables.
Some tea is very expensive and you might want to maximize the number of steepings you get out of it, other tea might be much better to be thought of as disposable. (Not in the sense it is bad, but more of a one time use) By changing the amount of tea you use, you might be able to tailor the session to what you expect to drink at that time, if it is a type of tea that does not sit well.
Some teapots, like yixing, are said to help prevent mold and keep tea fresh.
So - type of tea, brewing method, and pot are the three variables.
Some tea is very expensive and you might want to maximize the number of steepings you get out of it, other tea might be much better to be thought of as disposable. (Not in the sense it is bad, but more of a one time use) By changing the amount of tea you use, you might be able to tailor the session to what you expect to drink at that time, if it is a type of tea that does not sit well.
Nov 23rd, '09, 21:38
Posts: 8065
Joined: Jan 8th, '08, 06:00
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Southern CA
Contact:
Victoria
Re: multiple steepings
As Tom says there are many variables. But if it is good tea and you want to resteep, you can leave it out, no problem. Just in your pot. If you feel better popping it in the fridge overnight, do that. Just make sure you let the pot warm to room temperature again before you steep. Really there is no set guideline, it's what you feel comfortable with. For me if it is expensive tea I let it sit in the pot till I brew again, even overnight. If it's something cheaper, I toss it, if it's overnight.
Re: multiple steepings
Once in awhile I want to save leaves to rebrew the next day (I am a re-steeping fanatic and for me this is a component of good tea, that it will "go" with new flavors and interesting qualities).
What I do is to pour the wet leaves into a very large sieve with large mesh to allow as much air as possible to circulate. I spread the leaves out so this way they are as free of standing water as possible. I leave this in the top of a very wide-mouthed teapot and cover loosely with the cover overnight so air is still circulating. This way I safely rebrew the leaves the next morning if I'd like to try that experiment. If it's during the same day, the leaves stay in teapot or gaiwan, no problem. This is the best way to just drink a cup and save leaves for later. It's longer periods of time you need to think about.
Of course I know and love people who have done daily re-steeping experiments that went on for literally months.
What I do is to pour the wet leaves into a very large sieve with large mesh to allow as much air as possible to circulate. I spread the leaves out so this way they are as free of standing water as possible. I leave this in the top of a very wide-mouthed teapot and cover loosely with the cover overnight so air is still circulating. This way I safely rebrew the leaves the next morning if I'd like to try that experiment. If it's during the same day, the leaves stay in teapot or gaiwan, no problem. This is the best way to just drink a cup and save leaves for later. It's longer periods of time you need to think about.
Of course I know and love people who have done daily re-steeping experiments that went on for literally months.