Second infusion (green tea)

[AlexTheGreat]

Question:

When you steep green tea for a second infusion, should you let the tea steep for a longer amount of time then the first infusion?



It will be great to know the answer to this. Thanks.

[edkrueger]

What tea? It depends on the kill green was done and how you are steeping the tea.

[Chip]

In general, Chinese greens I do the second steep the same length of time, which is typically a minute.

Japanese teas, typically shorter second steep, from seconds up to 30 seconds depending on the tea.

Further steeps, I begin to increase time with each steep.

[AlexTheGreat]

I figured that the second steep would be for a longer amount of time than the first. Guess not.

I've been steeping my Japanese green tea by using a tea infuser. I have two infusers: One with large holes, and a mesh one (which of the two is better to use?)

For my first steep (before brewing), I let the water in my kettle boil. After it boils, I take it off the element for four to five minutes, then pour the water to brew my tea. I let it steep for two and a half minutes.

[Chip]

5 minutes is an eterniTea to wait for your water to cool. Try this to cut the time to less than a minute wait, and it will keep you busy versus sitting and waiting. It is beneficial to preheat your brewing vessel, pour the boiling water into the empty vessel to warm it, then into a pitcher. Keep moving or it will cool too much.

Put the leaf into the vessel, allowing it to warm the leaves for at least several seconds. Be sure to smell the warm dry leaf aroma of your sencha before pouring the now cooled water over the leaves. It is divine and one of life's simple pleasures. Ideal temp for higher quality sencha is usually 160 degrees.

I rarely steep Japanese greens more than 90 seconds on the first steep, but if you are using less leaf, more time may may be required.

[Jack_teachat]

Put the leaf into the vessel, allowing it to warm the leaves for at least several seconds. Be sure to smell the warm dry leaf aroma of your sencha before pouring the now cooled water over the leaves. It is divine and one of life's simple pleasures.

Definitely one of the best parts!

[chingwa]

That made me laugh. I love that part... I thought I was the only one....

[Oni]

The rule of Tang says 60 s , 20 s, 45 s, 1,20 s, 2,20 s. I think this applys to green tea well, with light steamed sencha I do it exactly like this.

[battra]

A common way to make sencha is
2dl water at 80°C, 8g tea, 60s first steep. (with small variations)
Then the leaves will have opened up when you do the second steep ->more tea leave contact surface -> less steeping time
- typically you just pour hot water over the leaves and then pour out the tea immediately.

Since you have a long steeping time, I suppose you have a small amount of sencha, for example one teaspoon (about 2g of sencha) for 2dl of water.
After the long steep, the leaves will have opened up long time ago, and this comparatively small amount of sencha will probably have released most of the taste - if there is enough taste left for a second steep you might need a longer time than for the first steep.

[Chip]

That made me laugh. I love that part... I thought I was the only one....

You are not alone, see TeaDay today.

[gingkoseto]

For most Chinese green, I don't think it's necessary to keep track of the steeping time, especially for 2nd infusion and after, as long as infusion time is within a reasonable range. For teas made from steamed green method (such as sencha), infusion time is more important.

[Salsero]

For most Chinese green, I don't think it's necessary to keep track of the steeping time

Certainly this is true for Glass Brewing, sometimes called Grandfather style, especially if you use lower brew temps, i.e. 150° F or less.

[AlexTheGreat]

I think that I'm actually only going to do single infusions with this tea. On my second infusions, it's starting to just taste like hot water to me, while the first infusion is actually quite good.

Is it rare to have weak infusions on a second steep? Would it be wasteful for me to only do a single infusion?

[olivierco]

Is it rare to have weak infusions on a second steep? Would it be wasteful for me to only do a single infusion?

It depends on how much leaves vs water you use and also on the tea.

[AlexTheGreat]

Is it rare to have weak infusions on a second steep? Would it be wasteful for me to only do a single infusion?

It depends on how much leaves vs water you use and also on the tea.

I use a standard sized tea-cup, use one heaping teaspoon of green-tea, and let it brew for two minutes.

I'm currently using sencha that is probably considered as being 'good' quality, not great, not excellent, just good.

With the first brew, my sencha tastes excellent, even though I've not compared it to anything else.