"RJP" > wrote in message
...
> "gomper" > wrote:
>
> > Bluesea wrote:
> >>
> >> 1. Pour water.
> >> 2. Let steep for 30 - 45 seconds - no stirring required.
> >> 3. Pour water out.
> >> 4. Using fresh water, steep as usual.
> >
> > Sorry, one more question: does this steeping time also go for green teas
(as their steeping time normally is shorter
> > than most blacks)?
>
> As Bluesea doesn't seem to be around today, I'll give you my answer,
> which I bet is the same thing (s)he will say. Yes, this decaffeinating
> steep time is independent of tea type. The fact that greens get
astringent
> at normal steep times for blacks is not really relevant - its how quickly
> the caffeine goes into solution, which ought not to depend so much
> on tea type (although it probably varies with leaf size).

Thanks, Randy. I've been busy off-line poring over an Upton catalog for gift
selections for a couple of friends .

Yes, I agree. Because caffeine is water soluble, the degree of oxidation
(black, green, white, etc.) doesn't really matter. However, leaf
type/location on the plant does matter because, for example, a tippy leaf
(first or second) contains more caffeine than do other leaves.

Which leads me to think that the reason that older/bigger leaves contain
less caffeine is simply because they've been exposed to more rain which has
rinsed some of the caffeine away. This is, of course, if all other factors
such as variety of tea plant, soil and climate conditions, altitude, etc.,
are the same.

But, when self-decaffeinating, a smaller leaf (particle) will release its
caffeine faster than a larger leaf so a small leaf may reach the 80% level
in 20 seconds while a large leaf may need 30 seconds or a little longer to
reach the 80% level.

Interestingly enough, an article in Food Research International, Vol 29,
325-330 (1996), compared the content of caffeine in various teas finding
that one of the Formosa oolongs had less caffeine than the green and black
teas on a dry weight basis, but they all had similar caffeine levels when
prepared to the directions provided.

--
~~Bluesea~~ Caffeine: an exception to "i before e except after c."
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