Brewing a small cup of tea is nothing short of bliss. Today, we’ll give you the ultimate tea brewing guide in this article, so you won’t have to look anywhere else.
Before we start, there are some important aspects of brewing tea that we must discuss. In this tea brewing guide, you will learn that tea brewing is very personal that depends on several factors.
So, there is no ‘right way’ to brew your tea. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine your preferred brewing preferences. Each parameter of the brewing process affects the flavor of the finished product.
Also Read: Brewing Loose Leaf Tea - How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea?
Everyone prefers different brewing ratios, temperatures, and brewing times for their perfect cup of brewed tea. All you need at the start is to master the basics of brewing tea.
Choosing Good Tea Needs Care
Tea isn't cheap, but it isn't overpriced either. Tea can be an affordable luxury if appropriately chosen, but you need to be careful while selecting a quality tea. Traditional, artisanal tea making - called the conventional method - is made with the purity of natural soil and the sophistication given to tea by climatic factors.
Teas that are packed near the source, which retain their freshness and maintain their purity - such as single origins, single regions, or single estate teas - are the most desirable.
Leaf Quality
When brewing tea, quality leaves are the most critical aspect. Tea bags produced in volume contain finely chopped leaves, known as fannings. These broken pieces lower the overall quality of the flavor. You're more likely to experience bitterness and astringency when using small amounts of tea leaves.
On the other hand, when appropriately brewed, premium whole leaf teas provide the most delicate flavor.
Make sure your tea is protected
Connoisseurs prefer humidors and climate-controlled cellars for housing wines and cigars. In the same way, tea must be handled with care as well. The hygroscopic nature of tea makes it prone to absorbing moisture and smells.
Also Read: Potential Health Benefits of White Tea
Keep your tea away from moisture, heat, light, and odors by storing it in an airtight container. Make sure, it is maintained in a cool and dry place, never exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. To reserve your tea for a longer duration, keep the stock in a refrigerator in an air-tight container or foil pouch.
Leaf-to-Water Ratio
Next, you need to decide how much tea to use once you've chosen a quality tea. A tea's strength is determined by the proportion of leaves to the water.
In the past, tea was traditionally brewed in a small teapot with a large portion of leaves. As a result, a small, concentrated cup of brewed tea is created.
Alternatively, using fewer leaves in a large vessel such as a thermos would also work. Leaves are less likely to taste bitter when left in water for a long time.
Weighing the leaves is helpful because tea leaves can vary in volume depending on how they were processed. Using this method, an exact amount can be determined.
Importance of Water
For a good cup of brewed tea, good water is just as important as the tea itself. Fine tea has a delicate aroma and is enhanced by combining color, brightness, strength, flavor, and body. Unfortunately, even the quality of your tea can be affected by contaminants such as chlorine or a poorly cleaned teapot.
Tea's flavor can be altered by very hard or very soft water. The result can sometimes be so dramatic that it overpowers the natural flavors of the tea. Filtered water or spring water can have a better taste.
However, there are times when the mineral content of the water can also enhance the tea's natural flavor.
It’s easy to use a high-quality active carbon filter for domestic use, which is widely available. In addition, your water will be less likely to ruin the taste of your tea when you do this.
Water Temperature
The temperature of the water significantly influences tea’s flavor. Therefore, a temperature-controlled water kettle is recommended for controlling this parameter, as it offers to-the-degree brewing accuracy.
Green and white teas, for example, will brew best at a low temperature because they have less oxidation. This avoids drawing out hydrogen sulfides and keeps the flavor intact.
The water for heavily oxidized teas, such as roasted oolongs and black teas, should be near boiling. When the leaves are heated, they release their flavors much better and result in a rich brewed tea.
Brewing
No tea brewing guide agrees to the same things, as tea brewing in itself is very subjective. Tea brewing is the process of extracting the goodness induced by nature in the leaves of black, oolong, green or white tea.
Tea must be used in the correct quantity for the amount of tea you want to brew, and the brewing method must be chosen appropriately.
As far as brewing tea is concerned, there are many options, with different teapot sizes, ratios of tea and water, and traditions. However, this is the most convenient and effective method.
For 8 Oz/240ml water, use 2.5g of tea.
- Place the 2.5g of tea in a clean, odor-free teapot that's been preheated using a clean and dry teaspoon.
- Pour some boiling water into the teapot and cups before pouring in the tea.
- Before brewing, swirl the water around and make sure the water is warm.
- Once the water has been boiled, pour it over the tea leaves in a ratio of 8 oz/240ml per 2.5g of tea leaves.
It is common for tea to taste unpalatable because of poor preparation.
Tea is ‘Too Light’ or ‘Too Strong’
It’s simple science - if you use too much water and less tea, your tea brew will be too light. On the other hand, if you use too much tea and less water, your tea brew will be too strong.
It’s imperative to understand that no tea brewing guide can tell you everything you need to do to make the best-brewed cup according to your taste buds.
As you experiment with making your perfect cup, eventually, you’ll find your equilibrium of quantity, materials, and taste.