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If you're buying all the way in to app use myteapal has pretty good timer functionality alongside the multi-steep note taking and such, but personally I've found that I hate handling my phone while I'm making tea. I much prefer a physical timer.
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Apr 21, 2022 22:39
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Irony.or.Death posted:If you're buying all the way in to app use myteapal has pretty good timer functionality alongside the multi-steep note taking and such, but personally I've found that I hate handling my phone while I'm making tea. I much prefer a physical timer. I had tea with Vincent, the guy who wrote the app, and he’s a fantastic guy. Great story too and he’s started selling monthly well curated and sourced teas. He’s currently doing a virtual tour of the Wuyi mountain ranges on Facebook and the app, pretty neat!
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Apr 29, 2022 14:49
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Can anyone recommend a teapot for western-style brewing? I find myself drinking 2-3 cups in a row and the boil-steep-drink-repeat cycle would be fine if I weren't so frequently on calls. Since my cups are spread out over 30-45 minutes I think many teapots wouldn't really keep the tea all that hot, which is why I haven't really looked at them so far but hopefully I'm wrong. I'd be using a Cuisinart water kettle and have a couple of brewing baskets, so having a built-in one isn't necessary. Ideally it would be dishwasher-safe though. (I'd actually like to support a ceramicist local to ATX, but teapots do not seem to be a thing with most of them) Comedy option but also holy gently caress this is a great Cronenberg-rear end teapot: 
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May 11, 2022 17:28
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You might look into cast iron. The trick is to preheat it with hot water and then pour it out to brew with fresh hot water. Alternatively, brew several pots all at once and put it into a thermos and dispense from that into a cup as needed.
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May 11, 2022 17:33
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I usually use a cheap ceramic teapot I bought from Adagio years ago (I also have a few old/maybe antique? ones I use occasionally). I just use a knitted tea cozy to keep the pot warm longer and I've never had it get too cold (at least what I would consider too cold) within a 30-45 minute time frame.
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May 11, 2022 17:53
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When I need a lot of tea, I do one of two things: keep the water hot with an electric kettle and brew as needed, or keep thr brewed tea hot in a thermos. (I just use the big Finum filter and the thermos itself to brew.) Cast iron kettle sounds like it might be a fun thing to get, though.
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May 11, 2022 21:04
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Thank you all for the suggestions!
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May 11, 2022 22:34
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Trabant posted:Can anyone recommend a teapot for western-style brewing? I find myself drinking 2-3 cups in a row and the boil-steep-drink-repeat cycle would be fine if I weren't so frequently on calls. It sounds more like you need an electric tea kettle on your desk. For single cups of western style tea I really like the https://www.forlifedesignusa.com/collections/teapots/products/stump-teapot They pour really well, and the integrated basket works well with different fill levels.
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May 12, 2022 12:01
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You're not wrong, a tea station at my desk would be ideal. The catch is in my tiny office/desk situation where every horizontal surface has been spoken for. Having a place to brew but also keep milk, honey/sweeteners, for leaf disposal... it's just not in the cards at the moment.
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May 12, 2022 15:36
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I’m certain this has been answered, but I couldn’t find it in the OP, I apologize. I’ve been spending the year getting much more into fine loose leaf tea. Oolong still eludes me somewhat, and I’m wondering if I’m making a simple mistake. Namely, am I diluting the tea too much if I’m brewing it in a standard western teapot, and making approx 8 oz of tea per teaspoon of leaves? It seemed to me that if you brewed it in the traditional manner, it might be much more concentrated due to a smaller volume of water. Every article I read online has slightly different methods but doesn’t seem to address this specific question. Thus far I’ve found oolongs to be pleasant but far too weak and subtle for my normal earl-grey drinking self. Am I doing it wrong?
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Jul 3, 2022 15:16
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With tea, the answer to "am I doing it right" comes down to "does it taste good to you?" Oolongs are not especially "strong" teas overall, so if you want to brew it stronger but maintain the overall profile, try lowering the temperature a little (5-10⁰C) and add another minute or two to brew, and then adjust to taste. That way you won't extract so much of the higher temp bitterness but you'll get more of those middle temp flavors that are generally desired.
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Jul 3, 2022 16:15
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Thank you! I have read so much about the complex flavor profile of Oolong so I was expecting something like the tea equivalent of a Cabernet but it was quite the opposite.
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Jul 3, 2022 16:18
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Jewmanji posted:I’m certain this has been answered, but I couldn’t find it in the OP, I apologize. I’ve been spending the year getting much more into fine loose leaf tea. Oolong still eludes me somewhat, and I’m wondering if I’m making a simple mistake. Namely, am I diluting the tea too much if I’m brewing it in a standard western teapot, and making approx 8 oz of tea per teaspoon of leaves? It seemed to me that if you brewed it in the traditional manner, it might be much more concentrated due to a smaller volume of water. Every article I read online has slightly different methods but doesn’t seem to address this specific question. Thus far I’ve found oolongs to be pleasant but far too weak and subtle for my normal earl-grey drinking self. Am I doing it wrong? As Heath said, oolong can be brewed longer. Also what fits in a teaspoon will differ depending on shape and size of leaf. If you have a kitchen scale you can weigh it instead to get a better idea. I tend to measure out between 3-6 grams per cup depending on what type of tea (lower for Keemuns and higher for Yunnans for example) and generally stick to about 5g per cup for oolongs
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Jul 3, 2022 16:21
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Maybe get a scale that can do fractions of a gram and try adding tea leaves by weight instead of volume. The density can vary widely depending on how the leaf has been processed. So experiment. I brew oolongs in a western style teapot using 3 to 4 grams for 3 to 4 minutes for a 6 ounce cup. Seems to be ok. Could also be that the oolong you have aren’t that good? Poor tea can be flavorless. But even good oolong isn’t going to kick you in the face like a strong black tea can. I don’t drink much oolong, but the dozen or so I’ve tried have been more subtle than your typical black tea. So maybe you are doing it right? I’d try adding more leaf and see how that works.
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Jul 3, 2022 16:33
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Oolong will cover the spectrum between lighter and greener to more roasty and darker as well. So it really depends on the specific oolong for time (30s-3m), temp (175-205), and quantity (3-7g/8oz). And instructions are just guidelines. Many places will just have a single sticker to put on the bag, some don't even include instructions. But the key to remember is that they're guidelines. Adjust to suit what you want to drink. But when you know that you liked a roastier oolong at 200 with 6g for an 8oz portion, you can start there for the next batch of similar leaf and adjust from there. Knowing where to start is the most difficult step.
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Jul 3, 2022 19:42
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I think if you're coming from Earl Grey, just about anything is going to seem relatively attenuated by comparison
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Jul 3, 2022 20:05
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I had a bag of yerba mate that I didn’t think tasted great. Then I accidentally left it open for a couple of weeks, and instead of tasting worse, it now tastes better. WTF I don’t know if it’s offgassing of volatiles or oxidation or what, but props to whatever mechanism is at work.
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Jul 3, 2022 21:57
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Platystemon posted:I had a bag of yerba mate that I didn’t think tasted great. Which brand, if you don't mind me asking? I just acquired my first bag of yerba, Cruz De Malta, and have been really enjoying it so far. I don't have any of the fancy equipment that's apparently needed, but I do have a french press, and after following this article, I've kinda come to love the stuff. The bag is just a standard folded over paper bag, so it doesn't reseal. Given how large it is, I'll definitely be experiencing whatever offgassing is going to happen.
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Jul 4, 2022 19:11
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what's the scoop on microplastics and tea bags I'm given to understand that most tea bags are now made with nylon which apparently makes them sheds millions of microplastics when you steep them. Am I 75% Lego now? Am I going to get cancer and die? Can I just cut open the tea bags I already have and then shake out their contents to use in loose leaf
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Jul 5, 2022 05:11
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HIJK posted:what's the scoop on microplastics and tea bags I’m mainly concerned with compostibility so I stick to paper teabags (not plastic infused) when I can, usually the refillable kind for herbal teas that tend to gum up my filters I think for plain ol grocery store black teas, Yorkshire Gold is plastic free, and the tea itself is better than most, so I stick to that when I need a simple bagged tea
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Jul 5, 2022 05:23
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Jhet posted:Oolong will cover the spectrum between lighter and greener to more roasty and darker as well. So it really depends on the specific oolong for time (30s-3m), temp (175-205), and quantity (3-7g/8oz). And instructions are just guidelines. Many places will just have a single sticker to put on the bag, some don't even include instructions. But the key to remember is that they're guidelines. Adjust to suit what you want to drink. But when you know that you liked a roastier oolong at 200 with 6g for an 8oz portion, you can start there for the next batch of similar leaf and adjust from there. Knowing where to start is the most difficult step. And in addition to this spectrum you have weird subgroups like milky oolongs and super floral oolongs of both natural and synthetic origin.
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Jul 5, 2022 10:47
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neogeo0823 posted:Which brand, if you don't mind me asking? I just acquired my first bag of yerba, Cruz De Malta, and have been really enjoying it so far. I don't have any of the fancy equipment that's apparently needed, but I do have a french press, and after following this article, I've kinda come to love the stuff. The bag is just a standard folded over paper bag, so it doesn't reseal. Given how large it is, I'll definitely be experiencing whatever offgassing is going to happen. I threw away the ziptop bag it came in because the zipper broke (unrelated to the leaving open incident), so I don’t know what brand it is. You can try roasting your yerba. I’ve done this before and I like it, but I didn’t get great roasting results with this batch. I haven’t tried roasting again since the offgassing (?). It’s hard to imagine that sitting in the open air for a few weeks would do something that roasting didn’t, but it’s not impossible. I use a hundred and ten celsius or so. It darkens fast. Try yerba mate’s relatives guayusa and yaupon if you haven’t. They have distinct and good flavors.
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Jul 5, 2022 11:01
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HIJK posted:what's the scoop on microplastics and tea bags The fully plastic teabags are usually those pyramid shaped ones. I would definitely avoid all of those if you don't want to drink plastic. That said, I don't think they're the majority of tea bags by a long shot. Paper are still way more common at least at all the stores I've been to, but some of them do use a small amount of plastic-based glue to seal them (not great, but it's WAY less plastic than the plastic pyramid shaped ones at least). Odds of plastic are lower if it's a brand that just uses staples to close the bags, but not zero unless you can verify a specific brand doesn't use plastic at all. If you really want to avoid it as much as possible though, definitely just switch to loose leaf. Especially if you're considering cutting the tea bags open and brewing loose leaf style anyway (I imagine cutting/tearing them still sheds microplastics anyway). It's usually a lot cheaper and higher quality than bagged tea, too!.
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Jul 5, 2022 16:05
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It's a Thai tea question again! Anyone got a lead on a reputable brand that doesn't add Yellow #6? I've been making my own Thai tea at home and stocking it in a jar in the fridge so I'm paying $8 for a gallon instead of a single cup that's mostly ice, but I am concerned about the sheer amount of Yellow #6 intake. I recognize that it's going to be hard to compete with Pantai or Number One because they can sell on volume and lower-grade tea, but I'm looking for something that's maybe only double the price of those, instead of (I currently have a package of Yim Tea Co.'s naturally-colored with annato and a package of their undyed tea blends that I will use when making a new batch) six times what it costs me to make a gallon with Pantai. edit: Also, silly me for believing what a random person on the internet said about "it's okay that it's more expensive, the Yim tea blends use less tea per cup because they're stronger", before doing the math myself, loving no they aren't. Old recipe: 2 cups tea 8 cups water 1 cup water for evaporative loss 1 cup sugar old recipe conversions to oz: 16 oz tea 64 oz of water 8 oz of water for evaporative loss 8 oz of sugar New directions 2.5oz tea (volume) 6 oz of water New directions scaled up: 26.6 oz tea ?!!?! 64 oz of water
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Jul 17, 2022 11:39
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That’s an incredible amount of tea for that volume of water. I use 18-24g (less than 1oz) for that much liquid. You can definitely find loose leaf tea from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) that’s strong enough to use a lot less to still make a very strong tea to stand up to all the sugar. Most of the sites in the OP will have something. You can even find it on Amazon in whole pounds.
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Jul 17, 2022 16:03
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I recognize that it's an incredible amount of tea, but it's what the package says. stuff I've been using:  Yes, it comes out very strong, and yes, I generally tend to dilute what comes out 2 parts tea to one part water before adding ice and creamer, but that's what I've been going off of. But it is also regularly $5 for a one-pound bag of thai tea mix at my local chinese grocery, so it's not like some great waste. edit: Also I did gently caress up the conversions from tsp to oz and back a bit, turns out I'm projected to be using .83 cups of tea of the new stuff to my half gallon of water + a cup for evaporative loss, but it's still three times what I'm paying for the Pantai. SwissArmyDruid fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Jul 18, 2022 |
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Jul 18, 2022 09:08
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I need to cut down on my caffeine intake, so I'd like to find either a decaf that's nice on its own (the ones I've tried so far are all just vaguely brown and tannic-tasting) or is unobtrusive enough to blend with a tea I do like (something like this for example https://www.uptontea.com/loose-leaf-china-black-tea/p/V01083/) Any suggestions?
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Aug 1, 2022 15:09
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Are you OK with flavored tea? I like to mix chai spices in my decaf. Decaf earl grey is usually OK too. Vanilla rooibos can cut regular black tea pretty well. Are you open to green tea? Less caffeine, but definitely a different flavor profile. I've never really enjoyed decaf green, so if you are trying to phase it out completely it may not be the best option.
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Aug 1, 2022 16:29
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To cut out caffeine you pretty much just need to not drink tea. Even green tea has plenty of it and the process that takes out caffeine takes out a lot of flavor. Herbal options would be the way to go with rooibos doing the heavy lifting. Hibiscus is also nice but tends to take over. Ginger and lemon also works great steeped. Mint is another one too. You can of course mix and match what you add, but you might find that even using half the base black tea would just end up being too weak.
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Aug 1, 2022 17:21
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rooibos is a great 100% caffeine free option. it tastes pretty good on its own, but you can also get interesting blends of it with orange and different spices, etc. if you like smoky flavour etc, you could also try hojicha, which is green tea that’s roasted afterwards. the process removes most of the caffeine, and while it isn’t 0, it’s low enough that it’s in the “decaf/practically caffeine free” range.
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Aug 1, 2022 18:34
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Fair warning! I also have taken measures to lower my caffeine intake and withdrawal is very much a real thing. Please take care of yourself if you find you're suddenly fatigued and headache-y. It might not be a covid scare, but just your body going 'hey where the hell is my usual caffeine levels!?' I also second rooibos. I have no idea what brand I have but search about, there's probably some decent teas out thre.
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Aug 1, 2022 19:06
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effika posted:Are you OK with flavored tea? I like to mix chai spices in my decaf. Decaf earl grey is usually OK too. Vanilla rooibos can cut regular black tea pretty well. Thanks, I don’t dislike green tea as such but I feel like black tea is easier to sleepily brew while I’m making breakfast, and green gets unbearably grassy if I’m not very careful
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Aug 1, 2022 21:00
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the yeti posted:Thanks, I don’t dislike green tea as such but I feel like black tea is easier to sleepily brew while I’m making breakfast, and green gets unbearably grassy if I’m not very careful Lower your brew temps.
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Aug 1, 2022 23:32
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Tasting notes on that Yim Tea Co. thai tea without artifical coloring I bought: I can taste.... fruit? Oh boy, I think I hosed uuuuuuup. When they said "steep for 3-5 minutes", they meant it. What I bought was a much higher quality tea, a lot more floral, a lot less dark bitter. It actually feels wasted on thai tea, where I'm going to be adding creamer and more sugar. I can also taste the tannin from overextracting, this is a tea where you discard the rest after pouring off, and do not use the tea sock. No wonder why when I treated it like Pantai, I got a very lousy tea that wasn't as fragrant, was terrible to drink, and I dumped out the first entire half-gallon batch I made, it was that undrinkable even with cream and sugar. I made this batch already had some sugar mixed in, so i'm not getting quite the base experience, but I kind of just want to keep drinking this as I brewed it without anything else. Or less. Or next time, just the soy creamer with no sugar. Just kind of drives home that absolute bottom-tier quality tea that the Pantai is made of, that it needs/isn't bothered by 30 minutes of steeping, while all the volatile fragrance of this tea boils off if you leave it for that long. This is definitely a fancier tea than what I was expecting. SwissArmyDruid fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Aug 2, 2022 |
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Aug 2, 2022 01:26
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the yeti posted:I need to cut down on my caffeine intake, so I'd like to find either a decaf that's nice on its own (the ones I've tried so far are all just vaguely brown and tannic-tasting) or is unobtrusive enough to blend with a tea I do like (something like this for example https://www.uptontea.com/loose-leaf-china-black-tea/p/V01083/) If you're trying to cut down drastically but don't need to go completely caffeine-free, Kuki-cha is a Japanese style of green tea produced from the twigs and stems. I quite like it, and it usually clocks in at around 10-15% the caffeine content of green tea; I personally don't have any issues drinking it an hour before bed.
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Aug 3, 2022 08:16
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Platystemon posted:I had a bag of yerba mate that I didn’t think tasted great. That's pretty normal for me when I roast a batch of yerba mate. The first week there's a few off flavors depending on what I started with, then after that it's stable for about six months. Was it green or roasted yerba mate?
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Aug 3, 2022 12:16
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SeaGoatSupreme posted:That's pretty normal for me when I roast a batch of yerba mate. The first week there's a few off flavors depending on what I started with, then after that it's stable for about six months. Was it green or roasted yerba mate? Wait, you can roast yerba? I'm intrigued; Tell me more.
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Aug 5, 2022 02:33
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neogeo0823 posted:Wait, you can roast yerba? I'm intrigued; Tell me more. Hell yes you can. I buy whatever's cheap at the time by the kilo and throw roughly a quarter of the sack into a baking dish. Oven at 340f, stir it around with a spoon every 5 minutes until done. Make *sure* to agitate everything off the bottom, otherwise it'll be a pretty uneven mix at the end. You're gonna want to shoot for anywhere from dark yellow leading to an almost nut brown for the final product. Depending on what I'm feeling for the next couple weeks I'll change the darkness of the roast. One word of caution: it will smell like burning grass after the first five minutes. It is not burning. But you'll be anxious the whole time. I'm making a batch tomorrow, I'll post pics of the various stages if I remember in the moment.
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Aug 8, 2022 08:33
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SwissArmyDruid posted:Tasting notes on that Yim Tea Co. thai tea without artifical coloring I bought: I can taste.... fruit? Oh boy, I think I hosed uuuuuuup. When they said "steep for 3-5 minutes", they meant it. What I bought was a much higher quality tea, a lot more floral, a lot less dark bitter. It actually feels wasted on thai tea, where I'm going to be adding creamer and more sugar. I can also taste the tannin from overextracting, this is a tea where you discard the rest after pouring off, and do not use the tea sock. This is all really interesting to know, thank you for posting about it! I've tried nicer Thai tea blends before, as well as mixing my own, but it never tasted right. Objectively it probably tasted better, but when I'm craving Thai iced tea I want the taste I'm used to (tea dust and dye  )
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Aug 8, 2022 14:31
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neogeo0823 posted:Wait, you can roast yerba? I'm intrigued; Tell me more. 
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Aug 8, 2022 19:11
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