On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 23:01:15 -0600, "Bluesea" >
wrote:

>"Top Spin" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I purchased 50 g of a tea labelled "Makaibari Estate FTGFOP1" at a
>> local tea shop on their recommendation. I have made two 4-cup pots so
>> far. One seemed weak and the other astringent.
>>
>> For black teas, my procedure is to pour 3 cups of tap water from the
>> cold faucet into a 4-cup pyrex and bring that to a brief rolling boil
>> in the microwave (about 6-7 minutes).
>
>WHOA! Stop right there 'cause you're scaring me. Are you aware that a
>microwave oven can super-heat water beyond the 212F boiling point w/o it
>ever creating a shimmer much less a bubble? And, if conditions are right,
>it'll explode spontaneously and scald you.

Naw. I've been doing that for 30 years. Never had one explore or even
erupt. My microwave might be too wimpy. It's almost 30 years old as
well. But the concern is touching. ;-)

I did get a potato to explode once and also an egg. Marshmellows are
kinda fun, too.

>So, unless your microwave has a temp. probe or control, I strongly urge you
>to get a thermometer (Wal-Mart has an instant-read thermometer in the
>kitchen gadget section for ~$5.50) and perform a series of tests to
>determine how much time it takes to bring the amount of water that you want
>to 212F, get an electric kettle, or do it the old-fashioned way on top the
>stove.

I have been thinking about an electric kettle for the convenience --
plus it's a gadget!

>> Using this procedure, I made my first pot using 6 g of tea brewed for
>> 3:30. The package recommended 3+ minutes. That pot seemed slightly
>> weak.
>>
>> For the second pot, I used 10 g of tea. Everything else was the same
>> except that I did not use the infuser.
>
>What type of infuser? A tea ball? A brewing basket?
>
>If a tea ball, I'll bet the leaves didn't have enough room to expand and
>float around because dry leaf will expand 3x or 4x and need even more room
>for the water to circulate freely.
>
>If a brewing basket like a Teeli, you're okay.

It's the plastic infuser basket that comes with the Chatsford teapots.

>> I put the leaves directly into
>> the pot and then strained the tea when I poured it out of the pot into
>> the cup and thermos. This pot was slightly astringent and unpleasant.
>> It also seemed to have a bit of a smokey aroma that was also
>> unpleasant and it had an aftertaste that was mildly bitter.
>>
>> What causes the astringency? Is it due to the type of tea, the amount
>> of tea, the brewing method, or all of these?
>
>Usually, the type and amount of tea affects the intensity of flavor (for
>example, a Darjeeling is "delicate" and an Assam is "robust") while
>oversteeping causes bitterness and too high a temperature for green tea
>causes astringency. Since black teas are typically best brewed with boiling
>water, but you may have super-heated your water by using your microwave and
>used a tea ball, it's hard for me to tell.

It's a black tea and it was only in there for 3:30, so that wouldn;t
be oversteeping, would it?

On the other hand, I just tried another pot and this time I stopped at
3:00 and it was less astringent, so m,aybe 3:30 is too long. But I
still don't like it that much.

>> I am fairly new to tea, so my palate is probably poorly developed. Was
>> this a poor choice for a newbie and possibly one that I might like
>> later on?
>
>It's possible that you'll like it once it's brewed properly. That takes
>experimenting with amounts and times - suggest you test 1 cup at a time
>until you determine the best combination for your taste. At a certain point,
>you'll think, "Aha! This is it!" and while the strength, lack of bitterness,
>and everything else may be right, you still might not like the taste of the
>tea. In which case, move on to another.
>
>> Can anyone recommend other teas that might be good to help develop my
>> palate?
>
>All that you can get your hands on. The basic black teas a Assam, Ceylon,
>Darjeeling, Keemun, Kenya, Lapsang Souchong, Nilgiri, Yunnan. There are more
>.
>
>> I have never smoked and find the smell of smoke unpleasant. I do not
>> drink coffee. I find the smell wonderful but the taste revolting. I
>> drink very little alcohol, mostly a glass of chianti with dinner 3-4
>> times a month. I was raised in a largely Scandanavian area of the
>> midwest and grew up eating lots of bland foods. I only provide this
>> info in case it helps suggest teas that might be less of a stretch for
>> me as I am "growing up".
>
>Not smoking will help a lot, but you really do need to experience the range
>of what's available or you'll be cheating yourself, IMO. You'll develop
>favorites as you go along.

I actually meant the not smoking part to suggest that my tastes are
kinda bland and any strong flavors are off-putting to me at first.

Anyway, thanks for the tips.

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)