Usually, when people buy green tea tea bags and brew tea, they wonder when to remove the tea bag from the teacup.
Normally, a tea bag can be steeped for 1-2 minutes before it’s taken out. Tea bags are an innovative way to simplify the process of brewing tea. They offer convenience, and when brewing tea with a tea bag, you simply place the tea bag in the cup, leave the string hanging over the rim, pour in water at 100°C, and after steeping for 1-2 minutes, you can remove the tea bag. This duration avoids over-steeping, which can result in a bitter and overly strong tea. Typically, you can steep a tea bag for around three consecutive infusions.
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t leave the tea bag in the water for too long, as prolonged steeping can affect the taste of the tea.
If a tea bag steeps for too long, the first sip will be too strong, and it may not have the desired sweetness. Therefore, it’s crucial to manage the steeping time properly. The ideal steeping time varies based on the type of tea. In general, a tea bag should be removed after 1-2 minutes of steeping.
Steeping the tea bag two to three times is usually optimal. If you prefer a milder flavor, you can steep it for a longer period or use hotter water to brew the tea.
In fact, not only tea bags but also other types of tea, such as oolong, should be prepared in a similar manner. The steeping time depends on the specific variety of tea.
To provide a simple explanation: oolong tea leaves are generally older and larger, containing a higher amount of extractable substances. If steeped for too long, excessive extraction can make the tea’s color unattractive and result in bitterness (not the pleasant bitterness but a genuine unpleasant bitterness). Hence, the preparation of oolong tea often involves specific timing, such as 50 seconds for the first infusion, 2 minutes for the second, and so on (varies depending on the tea). The same principles apply to teas like Tie Guan Yin and Da Hong Pao.
Tea bags, on the other hand, are a bit different. Tea bags typically contain crushed tea leaves. When leaves are crushed, they release substances more quickly. In fact, you can often observe this as the tea diffuses into the water at a rapid rate. Steeping a tea bag for too long can result in bitterness. You may wonder why teas like Bi Luo Chun and Long Jing don’t require you to remove the tea bag after steeping. The reason is related to the type of tea. Teas like Bi Luo Chun are made from the tenderest buds, which contain fewer extractable substances. Usually, after the first or second steep, these teas lose most of their flavor, so there’s no need to steep them for an extended period.
With the right water temperature, water quantity, and steeping time, you can brew delicious tea with tea bags. This is why we establish specific water quantities, test to determine the appropriate water temperature and steeping time, and ascertain the tea’s brewing capacity for each of our products.
