Quick question about brewing temp for Darjeelings
Many directions on vendor packages say either boiling, or around 185F. I’ve heard some say 175F. If it weren’t for the label, how would you know what temp to brew each tea at? Assuming it has something to do with the oxidation level, or flush harvest? I’ve got a ton of Darjeelings from the Butiki TTB that I don’t want to ruin due to incorrect temps!
Hi Zack! For me, personally, it has to do with the oxidation level, so I usually look at the leaves. If they’re really green, I usually steep it around 175 – 180F. If the leaves are a little darker – mostly black with little flecks of green – then I raise the temp to 185F or even 190F.
Lower water temperature means less bitterness, so that can be a matter of taste. I would use lower temperatures for 1st flush, though I tend to use 200 F for most Darjeelings, as I don’t like bitter teas.
For me it’s leaf colour and flush. I prefer second flush as I find them more like black teas and can take a higher temp. Most of the time, I think of first flush darjeelings as green teas. Not my fave.
I have heard generally that Darjeelings benefit from lower temperature of around 190 degrees or so. I rarely drink Darjeelings but do steep them at a lower temperature when I do. I am not sure where I have heard this specifically.
As a general rule of thumb, I generally go 170-175F/1-3 min for first flush, 190F/3 min for second flush and 200F/min for fall flush.
I’ll tweak times and a few degrees depending on estate, but I generally start there.
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