This is a true conversation that took place between a Tea maker with over a decade of experience and a connoisseur who has been storing White Tea for the same amount of time, at a white tea factory. Eventually, a rapid moisture analyzer was used to test the controversial batch of white tea, revealing that its moisture content (the percentage of Water in the tea leaves) had reached 6.4%.
The tea maker's family sourced their tea leaves from a local core area and did a decent job with the white tea production process. Crucially, they never had trouble selling their tea each year, so he didn't have much of an awareness about storing white tea. The oldest teas they could find in the factory were no more than four to five years old, and there wasn't much of it.
Why had the moisture content increased from less than 5% when the tea was first made to over 6% now? He couldn't figure it out and didn't seem too worried. In a thriving market, he didn't need to think too much about it.
On the other hand, the connoisseur had started learning how to store white tea back in 2009 because he loved it. He chose the best materials and studied various storage methods. The well-stored teas truly amazed everyone, but some of them went bad. However, it was this long experience that taught him a secret about storing white tea – something most people overlook: the moisture content of dried tea leaves.
White tea captivates people not just with its natural taste, which is neither pan-fried nor kneaded, but also due to its incredible transformation over time. Because of its natural processing method, white tea retains abundant active enzymes and polyphenols. As the storage years increase, the active substances within the white tea undergo natural transformations, developing richer aromas and flavors.
In recent years, more and more white tea enthusiasts have enjoyed storing tea themselves. For experienced tea drinkers, stocking up on tea is like stocking up on food. Additionally, storing tea itself is full of joy; starting with new tea, one can keep track of its condition and witness the infinite possibilities of white tea's annual transformations, experiencing its wonderful flavor changes every year.
White tea production: picking → withering → Sorting → Drying. These simple four steps hide profound secrets! The quality of the base material determines the richness of the tea and lays the foundation for its future transformations. Withering is the most critical step in forming the quality of white tea.
Therefore, when storing white tea, most people first consider the origin and quality of the material, followed by the storage environment and conditions. However, they often overlook one step – drying.
In fresh tea leaves, water accounts for approximately 75%, while dry matter makes up around 25%. After processing and drying, the moisture content of tea is generally controlled around 7%. Scientific research has shown that when the moisture content of tea is below 7%, the water forms a single molecular layer, preventing air moisture from entering, which is beneficial for maintaining the stability of tea quality. High moisture levels are not conducive to tea storage, while excessively low moisture affects the internal quality of the tea. Different types of dried tea have different standards for moisture content.
In the case of white tea, according to the old national standard for white tea, the moisture content of finished white tea must be below 7%, while the new national standard adjusts it to 8.5%. Currently, the industry generally recommends keeping it below 6%, and most white teas after drying are controlled at below 5%. For white tea intended for long-term storage, the moisture content should ideally be around 4%.
It's important to note that the national standard is only the minimum recommended standard, not the optimal standard for long-term storage of white tea. In the short term, white tea with a moisture content of 8.5% will undergo faster transformations during storage compared to tea with less than 5% moisture content, and this transformation process is irreversible, making it unsuitable for long-term storage and increasing the risk of mold growth.
Moreover, keeping the tea dry is a crucial condition that cannot be overlooked at any stage of storing white tea.
Undried new white tea initially tastes smooth and sweet, often receiving praise from unsuspecting tea lovers.
However, all this comes at the cost of the future. Ultimately, it cannot be stored for a long time, losing its value as a collectible. And these consequences are usually not explicitly stated by manufacturers, leaving consumers to bear the burden.
In addition to being unsuitable for long-term storage, buying white tea with excessive moisture content is not cost-effective, after all, you're paying for water as well as tea. So, how can one determine whether the moisture content of the white tea they've bought meets the standard?
Experts suggest that one can use simple methods such as visual inspection and touch to judge whether the moisture content of the purchased white tea is within acceptable limits. Well-dried white tea tends to produce broken leaves during transportation, and if you take a single dried leaf, it should easily crumble into powder. Conversely, white tea with excessive moisture content is more resilient due to the higher water content and is harder to crush.
So, returning to the beginning, why does the moisture content of freshly made white tea increase after a period of storage? Feel free to leave comments and share your thoughts as we seek the answer together. If you have any questions related to white tea, please feel free to comment, and we'll gather them to ask experts for answers.