Derek > writes:

> While intrepidly exploring rec.food.drink.tea, Lewis Perin rolled
> initiative and posted the following:
>
> > Derek > writes:
> >
> >> While intrepidly exploring rec.food.drink.tea, Michael Plant
> >> rolled initiative and posted the following:
> >> > [...6-7 minutes to steep greens..]
> >> > Derek, I steep greens seldom more than 2 minutes, even at
> >> > temperatures as low as 130 degrees (in the case of best Long
> >> > Jins and Gyokuros). Once the leaves open, even less time is
> >> > required. Perhaps I'm putting in far more leaf than you. My
> >> > formula is simple enough and usually works: Half the number
> >> > of grams of dry tea as there will be ounces of wet water.
> >> > More often I brew at between 160 and 175. Most good green
> >> > teas seem happy at this range. Six or seven minutes sounds
> >> > like a pretty long steep to me.
> >>
> >> You're using much more green tea than I am. I use about 1/3 or
> >> even 1/4 as much as you do.
> >
> > I'm with Michael.
>
> I'm with they guy at my local tea shop. He hasn't steered me wrong
> yet.

Actually I shouldn't have been so, uh, short. I do sometimes brew tea
with very little leaf for a long time, but only if I'm not going to
have the time to drink multiple steeps. Usually the first couple of
(short) steeps from a "normal" amount of leaf will please me more than
the single long steep.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html