In our daily lives, there are many techniques to brewing tea. You may notice that even with the same amount of tea leaves, Water quality, and temperature, and identical brewing methods, the taste of the tea brewed each time is not exactly the same. Do you know why?
First Pour Timing
Generally speaking, the flavor of the tea increases with the extension of the brewing time. According to measurements, when boiling water is used to Brew aged tea, vitamins, amino acids, Caffeine, and other compounds are first released. Around the 3-minute mark, the concentration of substances extracted from the tea leaves reaches its optimal level. Therefore, for teas where the release of elements is slower, a Pouring out point around 3 minutes for the first Infusion is ideal, which can make the tea taste fresh, smooth, and mellow. However, there are exceptions, such as Oolong tea, where the first infusion should be around 1 minute.
Second Pour Timing
After making a comprehensive evaluation of the tea infused during the first pour, we can analyze the timing for the second pour. Since the tea leaves have already expanded somewhat after the first infusion, the second pour does not require much longer, roughly the same as the first or slightly shorter; however, if the leaves are only partially expanded after the first pour, the second pour timing should be slightly longer than the first.
Third Pour Timing
The timing for the third pour varies depending on the situation, primarily based on how much the tea leaves have expanded after the first two infusions and the inherent characteristics of the tea. If the tea has released a significant amount of its components after the first two infusions, the third pour can be advanced by about 5 to 10 seconds; conversely, it can be delayed by 10 to 20 seconds.