problem with keeping tea warm

[europas_ice]

Hi, I have a question for this illustrious, knowledgeable group. I'm not a tea connoisseur or anything, but I've been making myself several cups of tea a day for the last year or so. I got tired of my tea getting cold, and having to make a whole new cup every time I drank the first. A few weeks ago I got a brilliant idea to make a whole pot of tea and then keep the tea warm in the coffee pot/maker we keep in the closet for when my father and/or father-in-law visit. The problem I'm having is that after 30 minutes or so of the tea being just fine in the pot on the warmer, the tea starts to separate out or something, and little bits stick to the sides of the pot and cup and float on the surface.

Is this normal, or should keeping a pot of tea on a warmer work fine?

Thanks for any insight you may have.

[auggy]

Since their are tea warmers out there I would guess that this isn't typical - unless perhaps you have lemon juice or sweetner in the warming tea? That's the only thing I can think of but I haven't had any personal experience. My solution to the tea not getting cold is to make smaller cups.

[omegapd]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

I think you should use a strainer of some sort and take the tea out of the pot after the proper brewing time. Unless I'm reading your post wrong, that should take care of the problem.

Eric

[Pentox]

I would say that it really depends on what you're seeing coming up or sticking to the sides of your container. It's a bit hard to tell from your description.

[Oni]

I think when you brew darker more fermented tea use a yixing pot, yixing pitcher and yixing cup set (those double cups), you preheat those and use the double cups, and don`t open them until you star drinking, you learn to use these and your tea won`t get cold guaranteed.

[Rakuras]

Hmm... tea. Keeping it warm, to boot, so straight to my experiences, neh? I suggest a coffee urn (those things you often see in lobbies and lounges) to keep tea warm for longer periods when you do decide brew it. The reasons are two fold: internal glass urns reflect heat back in as well as have a foam or air insulation space and if the tea does start to separate you just have to close the lid again and give the entire container a swirl to mix it right back up. Of course, now it'd be in our best interest to figure out that those little bits of tea that are floating up actually are.

Thinking on it, if you are keeping tea warm in a coffee maker I would wonder what temperature the heating plate is kept at! If it is around boiling or above you could be essentially burning your tea and causing carbon (charcoal, taste comparatively) to filter up as your leaves burn up. (Start TMI section) Why are there tea leaves in your strained pot? There's always a few slivers, not matter how well you strain your cup as the leaves can be so very fine. These add some substance to cups and are used in those very odd tea leave readings occultists tend to profess to (TMI section complete). If your coffee maker has a lower setting for the hot plate, try it for a while and see it this persists. If not then we'll likely need to hear more about these pieces of your tea that are sliding free of the brew. Pictures would definitely help!

[Marky]

Here are the ways I like to keep tea warm:

A Thermos


A tea cosy


A candle heated teapot warmer (Adagio sells nice ones)



Good luck!

[Riene]

+1.

I use all of Marky's above methods and they all work well. That said, I'd be drinking this tea within an hour. To me, tea goes "flat and dull" if it sits too long. Just be sure to remove any leaves first if you're making black tea, and don't add milk, lemon, or sweeteners to the tea if it is going to sit for a while.

[europas_ice]

Wow, thank you for all your replies. Those are lots of good ideas that I would surely like to try. I think we have the problem solved now. I had been going ahead and putting the sweetener in the pot. However, it makes total sense that heating sugars over a long period would do something funny to them. (I say this based on my limited candy-making experience where we boil the sugar until it turns into candy.) I did try another pot without the sweetener and it seemed to work fine.

Thanks again and I will lurk your forum a bit more and see what other kinds of tea tips I can pick up. I am fascinated by all the tea equipment out there.

[JP]

Cook a sugar solution long enough and it will start to crystallize, as you found out. Keeping tea on a warmer should always be just the tea, the extras can be added to the cup as it is poured.