My first tea at work! I brought in a mug, a thermometer, my Finum Brewing Basket, and some tea, of course! I figured I’d start wearing down some of my samples. I don’t want to be brewing stuff I haven’t tasted yet in the office.
I measured the water temperature in the office, and it tops out at 180. Bah. So I guess that means greens and whites for now, until I get a kettle. I’m scared of exploding water in the microwave, so blacks will have to wait.
Anyway, this one steeped up to a very light color. I adjusted the temperature and steep time to maybe mellow out some of the astringency and weird mineral flavors that I got the first time I tasted this one.
The infusion was really a very light cream-yellow, almost the color of a white tea. And the smell coming off of it was a lot more buttery than I remembered. But the leaves smell kind of gross wet. I can’t describe it. But it’s unappealing.
The taste this time… woah. Okay, so the mineral weirdness is still there. But now I’m really, really tasting pine cones. Like, wet, kind of old pine cones, mixed with a vegetal taste that’s really kind of like spinach. And then it’s blending into a sweet taste, but this only happens after the cup has cooled. I think the rating is staying where it is. This one isn’t exactly the best thing I’ve ever tasted, by far.
It’s good for mindless sipping, but I can’t say that I’m particularly enjoying the flavors that I’ve extracted out of this one.
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I still have some of this left! Such a weird little tea… I need to make myself drink it. But yay for tea at work!!!
Glad to see things at work are calming down!=D
Teas I don’t like, I try too. And then I play with them. I tried adding some dried fruit, or skillet-toasted grain (rice) – only takes a few minutes in a frying pan on the stove. Makes all the difference.
Yay, work tea! :)
How long did you microwave the water to hit 180?
Matt, I tested the temperature of the water in my Flavia coffee/tea machine, and it’s at 180.
I’m sort of afraid of boiling water in the microwave! I’ve heard it super-boils and then can actually explode. :(
You think that’s the temperature of those hot/cold water coolers as well? Three minutes should be fine, it won’t explode unless you cover it. BUT if you don’t cover it a little, it absorbs all the icky smell from the previous person’s food.
I tested the temperature of my hot water cooler, and it topped out at 160. Perfect for sencha but… not much else. :P
Yeah, I might just buy that kettle. Or not drink blacks for a while!
It only will superboil if the container you are microwaving has no scratches or imperfections. You can avoid superboiling by putting something in the container, like a wooden stick…I saw Alton Brown do that. :)
Dude! Mythbusters did something on this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_OXM4mr_i0&NR=1 Apparently it only happens with distilled water but still!
(Okay, Wikipedia says it can happen with any liquid, not just pure ones but the Mythbusters’ video is still cool because it’s Mythbusters.)
Mythbusters!!!! Thanks for linking Auggy! OMG I have missed that show sooooo much, because I don’t have a TV anymore. :(
(Heh, I had a superboiling incedent a few days ago…I heated the water in a pyrex measuring cup, and it exploded when I poured it into my teapot…it was so cool though!)
Well you know, Shanti, someone very smart once told me that you can avoid superboiling by putting something in the container, like a wooden stick.
;)
@teaplz I was curious actually on how long you heated the water in the microwave to hit 180
Hi mattscinto, I think it depends on what model of microwave you have to determine how long it takes for the water to get to 180, not to mention the amount of water in the cup…anyone know for sure?
Matt, I meant that I used the water from my Flavia machine, which tops out at 180 for the tea. I haven’t actually heated any water in the microwave just yet.
That’s awesome that you have a quick and easy way to get 180 degree water. Yay for the flavia machine!=D
@teaplz oh. i see :)
I still have some of this left! Such a weird little tea… I need to make myself drink it. But yay for tea at work!!!
Glad to see things at work are calming down!=D
Teas I don’t like, I try too. And then I play with them. I tried adding some dried fruit, or skillet-toasted grain (rice) – only takes a few minutes in a frying pan on the stove. Makes all the difference.
Yay, work tea! :)
How long did you microwave the water to hit 180?
Matt, I tested the temperature of the water in my Flavia coffee/tea machine, and it’s at 180.
I’m sort of afraid of boiling water in the microwave! I’ve heard it super-boils and then can actually explode. :(
You think that’s the temperature of those hot/cold water coolers as well? Three minutes should be fine, it won’t explode unless you cover it. BUT if you don’t cover it a little, it absorbs all the icky smell from the previous person’s food.
I tested the temperature of my hot water cooler, and it topped out at 160. Perfect for sencha but… not much else. :P
Yeah, I might just buy that kettle. Or not drink blacks for a while!
It only will superboil if the container you are microwaving has no scratches or imperfections. You can avoid superboiling by putting something in the container, like a wooden stick…I saw Alton Brown do that. :)
Dude! Mythbusters did something on this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_OXM4mr_i0&NR=1 Apparently it only happens with distilled water but still!
(Okay, Wikipedia says it can happen with any liquid, not just pure ones but the Mythbusters’ video is still cool because it’s Mythbusters.)
Mythbusters!!!! Thanks for linking Auggy! OMG I have missed that show sooooo much, because I don’t have a TV anymore. :(
(Heh, I had a superboiling incedent a few days ago…I heated the water in a pyrex measuring cup, and it exploded when I poured it into my teapot…it was so cool though!)
Well you know, Shanti, someone very smart once told me that you can avoid superboiling by putting something in the container, like a wooden stick.
;)
@teaplz I was curious actually on how long you heated the water in the microwave to hit 180
Hi mattscinto, I think it depends on what model of microwave you have to determine how long it takes for the water to get to 180, not to mention the amount of water in the cup…anyone know for sure?
Matt, I meant that I used the water from my Flavia machine, which tops out at 180 for the tea. I haven’t actually heated any water in the microwave just yet.
That’s awesome that you have a quick and easy way to get 180 degree water. Yay for the flavia machine!=D
@teaplz oh. i see :)