Wednesday TeaDay 2/17/10 Steeper time?

[Chip]

Greetings TeaChatters, welcome to another TeaDay. Please do drop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day!

Yesterday we discussed our steep sizes for out fave teas. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Again for the newbies and vets alike! What is your most COMMON FIRST STEEP TIME for your FAVE tea? Please share some details including for what types of tea you use for this steep time.

I am looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone, bottoms up.

[bsteele]

Yunnan Gold for 3 minutes... usually with about a tablespoon of leaf?

[debunix]

I have a lot of favorite teas. At the moment, it is probably the Honey Orchid Phoenix Oolong Dan Cong from Tea Habitat I'm drinking right now; at other times, it's the Spring Diamond Tie Guan Yin from Norbu; on a cold gray afternoon, it's the 2007 White Bud Sheng Puerh from Norbu; a few times it's been one of several Dragon Wells from Jing Tea or Wing Hop Fung; and lately, there have been quite a few favorite tea moments with the Select Sencha from the Cultured Cup. But I brew nearly everything with a first steep of less than 30 seconds, gong fu style, when brewing them for one.

[olivierco]

60 to 90s for gyokuro.

Kanro gyokuro this morning.

[Trey Winston]

When I'm alert enough to time the steeps, I usually aim for around a minute for whites, or a little less. About the same for greens. A little more for oolongs.

Nearing the end of my White Peony stash. Whatever shall I do?

[brad4419]

1 minute for green and white teas and 20sec infusions for Oolongs.

[spittingoutteeth]

I tend to drink rolled, green Taiwanese oolong the most lately, and for most I do a 1 min. first infusion.

[cls46]

I have so many favorite teas. Lately though I have been drinking a lot of Yunnan Noir, Black Dragon Pearls and Assam gold. I think they all taste good with about 2 tablespoons of tea in my 40 oz pot for about 5-5.5 mins on the first infusion. Yunnan Noir this morning

[Victoria]

I don't know if I even have a favorite right now, so it's hard to say. Also depends on brewing style and type of tea. I put 3 or less, which it was I used this morning on the Perdo Gardens Black Tea from Imperial Teas UK.

[LauraW]

Hmm.. I'm gonna go with Yunnan Noir at the momen (subject to change, of course), and about 3 1/2 minutes, maybe 4. Since I don't actually time it, it's hard to say.

Alternatively, if I'm not in the mood for black tea, my favorite becomes Silver Needle or Snowbud, in which case it's somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes.

Sagittarius again this morning. Shortly, there will be cake at work (yay for birthdays! Not mine, but 2 others in the office have birthdays this week), and I didn't want anything too sweet. I might try to post a pic later in the Food thread; it got a little messed up in the car (and I can't write with gel to save my life) but it looks alright. Go me and making/decorating a cake at 11pm after working 11 hours yesterday. Woo!!

[geeber1]

3 minutes or less for the first steep on most of my favorites. Currently it's Nilgiri Nonsuch Estate, which was in my cup this morning.

[Tazbell]

My favorite currently is White Monkey and usually for 3 min or less for the first infusion.

[Ebtoulson]

Hmm my favorite tea from adagio is Darjeeling #2 which I steep around 3 mins

[depravitea]

My favorite tea is pu erh. There are several steeps under the 30 second mark when brewing in a gong fu style.
A VERY loose gong fu style in my case.

[artmom]

Favorite at this time is Mariage Freres Marco Polo, a black, and I steep for 3 minutes.

This morning Golden Monkey.