Well, it sounds like I'm fine with leaving the teaball in and getting plenty
o'good stuff.

thanks for the info.

Peter

"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
m...
> Largely if not mostly what determines the taste and color of tea are
> the various antioxident polyphenols such as catechins, flavonoids,
> tannins, theanine, vitamins, minerals, etc (I don't play a chemist on
> TV.) These constituents are released on a bell curve and if I were
> guessing a 10 minute infusions of white tea buds would release 90% of
> the healthfull benefits. Obviously tea volume is no more than
> concentrate. I always error on more volume. A teabag in a cup taste
> bad a couple in a pot taste great and make sure you get the first cup
> from gongfu service. You could pull the tea ball certainly after 30m
> and not throw anything away. The bell curve says multiple infusions
> can't taste the same. Sure you could slice it up for equal area but
> then brewing times vary which certainly isn't gongfu. So let your
> tastebuds do the talking and the healthfull chemistry takes care of
> itself.
>
> Jim
>
> "Peter" > wrote in message
>...
> > I drink Chinese white tea all day at work. I use a tea ball and fill a
1.5L
> > thermo caraffe with boiling water and put the teaball inside. I start
> > drinking it after an hour. This method results in well-brewed, strong
tea.
> > Especially later in the day.
> >
> > My question is, since I am making one amount of tea go a very long way,
due
> > to the time it has to brew, am I getting less of the healthful
ingredients,
> > and instead just getting color and flavor? Put another way, since I am
not
> > using one teabag per cup, am I greatly diluting the healthful properties
of
> > the tea, and getting less antioxidants, etc, than if I were using one
bag
> > per cup?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Peter
> > Vancouver