Intro and question

[chrishall314]

Greetings... been lurking and gathering intel for a few weeks. Don't remember what, but in December I must have heard or read something about the health benefits of tea and I decided I was going to try loose leaf tea. That is when my education on tea started. I previously stuck with bagged herbal due to having no caffeine and always used a good deal of honey to sweeten.

So...I bought an herbal sampler from Adagio and they sent the Leo blend (birthday thing) also, which is Vanilla Oolong, Orange Rooibos, and Chamomile. That was quickly my favorite and I found out I actually like the tea taste. I have since ordered maybe 30 samplers (mostly real tea) from Adagio and even got 3 teas from Teavana. I have also read up quite a bit on tea including the health benefits. Currently I am drinking a mix of Vanilla Green and Vanilla Rooibos Chai, just wanted to throw that in there. Special thanks to Adagio! In my limited experience against Teavana and bagged tea, Adagio is far superior in quality. Looking forward to experiencing more and more teas.

Now for the question which I am not sure which forum it should go in. To be concise, are there general guidelines for multiple steeping? I steep everything twice in the same temperature as the first, usually a little less water (1-2 oz less), and a little more time (.5 - 1 min more), but I am usually not fond of the results. The 2nd steep is never as flavorful as the first. I think I had the best results with Silver Needle White. Trying 2 steeps with Vanilla Oolong, Earl Grey Decaf, Vanilla Green, etc. all seem to lose flavor. Suggestions?

[Chip]

Welcome to the forum! I am looking forward to reading your posts in the forum.

Multiple steeping requires practice. But as long as you gear yourself to the concept and keep at it, it will eventially start to click. Some teas will steep many times, some will really only steep once. Flavored teas may not steep multiple times particularly well.

BUT, each steep should reveal something different about the tea. If it does not, then we might as well use a lot less leaf and just brew everything once for 5 minutes!

Your palate will have to adapt as well.

It would be best to discuss the subject as it applies to individual types of teas in the appropriate forum of TeaChat ... such as Green Tea in the Green Tea Forum.

See you around!

[Victoria]

Are you brewing English style in a pot or ingenuiTea? If so, the second steep should be about 2 minutes longer. You probably won't get more than two steeps when brewing this way. But don't be afraid to try longer. Also if you are not brewing at boiling, up the temp. Oh and welcome to the forum!

[debunix]

In my experience flavored teas are made for the flavoring to give its all in the first steeping. If you a lot of tea and a very short steeping time, sometimes you can get a 2nd, but if I do that, I prefer to combine the two infusions so that the flavors are evened out.

Unflavored oolongs and puerhs the teas you can resteep over and over; most unflavored green teas will give a couple of steeps. Green jasmines work as green teas, but the resteep won't be very jasmine-y.

[chrishall314]

The lack of multiple infusions for flavored teas makes sense and coincides with my limited experience. I will have to keep experimenting and take good mental notes.

Victoria - I have used the ingenuiTea, but I seem to prefer the ease of a mug infuser. Not exactly sure what English style is, I thought that was more of a post brew preparation using milk. Is there a preferred way I am missing? I will try to increase the 2nd steep time as well.

[Victoria]

English style usually just refers to making tea in a pot or in even in some type of infuser for minutes at a time. A lot of newbies get confused here because lots of people brew by gong fu methods, meaning more leaf for shorter time usually in a gaiwan or yixing pot. Brewing this way yields many smaller cups with shorter infusion times. It is two different worlds actually. And entirely up to the preference of the person brewing.