How to Keep Loose Leaf Tea between Infusions

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If you are brewing Gong Fu style or Western style tea, you should always reinfuse your leaves. But what if you need to take a pause between infusions? How long can you wait and how should you store your wet leaves to maintain as much of the fresh flavour as possible?
Don experiments with different ways of storing tea leaves to find the best method of maintaining the aromatics of the leaves.
The tea that he used was Hou Kui green which we sell as MONKEY PICKED TEA: chinalifeweb.com/shop/product/...

[@MorpheusMushin]

Summary starts at 11:54 *_POINT #1_* Drinking fresh brewed tea is “best” for best aroma and flavor. *_POINT #2_* 2nd “best” is making a second infusion less than 2 hours after the 1st infusion. (Brewing a cup of tea is called “an infusion”). *_POINT #3_* If keeping your 1st-round infused tea leaves for 12 hours or more, then spread the infused tea leaves on a paper towel to air dry. Keep these air-dried tea leaves in a dark, dry, odorless location until the next infusion. Almost as good as “fresh” tea. *_POINT #4_* You should infuse your tea leaves at least twice to get maximum economic and epicurean use from them, perhaps even three infusions from the same tea leaves are possible. The video goes through Don’s scientific process of testing various infused tea storage methods (dried, sealed at room temperature, sealed but refrigerated, and hour and a half interim between infusions) and his taste-test results in aroma and flavor.

[@SanguinaryStrife]

Lol, I keep seeing your comments in other tea videos.

[@gjram8807]

How many infusions or brewing can we do with the same tea leaves?

[@betrion7]

Conclusion is at 11:27

[@Radders123]

The hero we need

[@lookingforfreewifi]

Thanks

[@Broockle]

i enjoyed the process ;D

[@adamfroman7983]

I think mold is the thing that should be looked at importantly also..If you leave the Gaiwin out on the counter with the leaves moist, they can get moldy..There must be info on what temp mold starts to grow and how fast after it is not submerged in water…I am thinking the refrigerator or freezer is best as it will slow mold growth..The polyphenols will be ok in freezing..

[@altareggo]

Your videos are AMAZING!! In the space of an hour, my understanding of tea has increased a hundred fold. All i have to do now, is find a place that sells good loose tea around here, and get one of those brewing thingies you use.. and maybe a thermometer so i can consistently get that 80 C temperature range you recommend: have been using boiling water per my mom's instruction many years ago. Again, THANKS!!!!!!

[@tagamag]

This KZbin channel belongs to tea shop. You can buy from them. Their tea is nice.

[@LSWUK]

An excellent video as always Dom. Thanks.

[@SerenityJohnson80]

I'm so thankful for your playlists! For those of us that are late in the game on discovering you it's great to be able to go back and watch all the videos according to what I'm specifically looking for!!!

[@ThePreacherJD]

Every time I have a question from one of your other videos I always see the answer in the suggestions to the right. Very well thought out and informative channel!

[@Kubatko]

wow this was amazing. I love your semi scientific blind tests. keep making these you have answered so many of my questions in your videos

[@leoonthego5077]

he is SO good at what he does and clearly loves. Congrats :)

[@kirkoneill725]

Great Advice! I was unsure on what to do

[@aprilzarychta1912]

Wonderful! I've been telling friends about brewing tea more than once, and they asked me what to do if they couldn't brew again right away. Now I can tell them!

[@embee221b]

This was fascinating! Thanks for the video. I feel better for leaving my tea out to dry in between infusions!

[@vidyab.6938]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for.

[@Moksha0108]

Very useful. I used to put the pot with tea in the fridge! So thanks!

[@samanthahernandez4038]

This is very helpful!

[@annathy]

The cat in the background was a nice touch :) Thank you for this video - something that former bio-scientist co-workers and I have talked about before. Pondering bacteria formation vs hot water killing anything growing on the leaves left out to dry vs storing in fridge.

[@painfullyaware5221]

Thank you so much!! It's funny that you say this is the most asked question, because it also seems to be the least answered. I've been trying for at least a year to find the answer to this question. Again, thank you. You've earned my subscription.

[@nicholasboleky3760]

I appreciate that you run these experiments for us. Does a lot to inform us on how to protect/enjoy our investments. Also cute cat!

[@theanguyen7764]

Brilliant video!

[@kuhvacako]

Love that you did a blind test! :)

[@MeiLeaf]

We try to taste blind as much as possible so that we take away expectation. Often we are sent tea samples and knowing the prices and supposed quality does influence tasting so we do it blind to choose our tea.

[@friedricey]

Thanks for showing this very useful video, particularly useful when drinking alone on an expensive tea that you can't finish the flavours. I tend to cold brew mine in the fridge for at least 12 - 24 hours mixed in with all the others before throwing it out and I find the flavours usually turning out mellow and sweet.

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes we do the same cold brew method to get all the flavour from the leaves.

[@lambree4947]

Love your videos man

[@Rozencraft]

Thanks for making the video. I asked you this question too lol.

[@MeiLeaf]

:) one of hundreds who asked this question.

[@nozkaian]

Very informative video, thanks.

[@janemarriott3389]

Of course, I am grateful for all the education BUT I must say the cat bath during the infusion of the tea was very wonderful.

[@persephoneunderground845]

Time lapse bit starts about 5:00, cat about 5:05 😺

[@amdcamera]

This video is the most helpful video I have seen on loose leaf tea re-infusion/re-steeping. Because of this video I am able to enjoy 3-4 cups of tea from the leaves I use to make my morning cup of tea. Thank You!

[@dongordon9900]

Great video very instructive and practical going forward - neat little experiment thanks again

[@davanzo305]

Great information. I would love to see this test done with a darker tea such as Wuyi Yan Cha or Hong Cha. I think with a Yan Cha, the difference between freshly brewed leaves, and dried out from day before would be much more pronounced. I’m gonna try this experiment myself, nice!

[@Madno]

great video as usual!

[@kimulm0619]

I had an inkling that something could be done with the loose tea leaves after one use and I typed in search bar and this video came up.Your quite the tea connesior!!! ty for this.New sub, thumbs up too.U deserve it.I will tea ya later😋

[@yogirise2669]

Good work! ♥ Impressive and MASTERY Taste Buds! TY!

[@yogirise2669]

A reason to visit London perhaps... 😉

[@pkubek1]

Don thank you for this channel! Please do more videos about the different clays for pots and how they affect the flavor and aroma. There are so many clays and colours of natural materials to choose from particular types of tees! Beside, I love your channel and your tee trips! Its fascinating how you talk about tee and help to discover Chinese Culture!

[@MeiLeaf]

We have done an entire Masterclass about clay types if you have not seen already.

[@pkubek1]

Mei Leaf I’ll check it out!

[@thrmos]

Thanks for this.

[@z_the_world]

Wonderful information

[@NoelleLocke]

Love, love, LOVE all your videos! Couple questions / video requests: 1. What tea accouterments do you take with you whenever you go on holiday or take a trip somewhere? I feel I must relinquish myself to teabags when traveling because so many Americans prefer their coffee over tea. :-( 2. When you are completely finished with brewing a pot/bowl of tea (everything has been infused the max amount of times), what do you do with the leaves? I know some of the higher quality Japanese green teas are good to eat with rice/bfast, but what about other teas? Do you compost them? Feed your pets with it? Fertilise your plants with them? Would love your thoughts on any of these questions! Thank you so much for your channel!!!

[@tobythefox6631]

Ever since I stared drinking tea I haven't been sick for a year and 5 months so far I love drinking tea Loose tea

[@charlenetyger9473]

good information!

[@teawe1936]

amazing test!! thx!

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks!

[@mgtow3005]

Excellent info as always Don. I usually leave it covered on the table. No anymore though. Please also add in your next videos that people should reuse because this is called, it took a lot of water to grow our tea so please reuse. Green tea has become so mainstream now that they are the world with bad tea which also costs water. Use and buy tea wisely.

[@jeanne2730]

Sometimes if I don’t want to resteep I put the wet leaves in a glass with water and cold brew the tea. I like doing this especially with green tea. It has just as much flavor when I cold steep. I make sure I cold steep it overnight at least 8 hours.

[@whopassedthegas]

Good to know!

[@RabidHobbit]

Conclusion: The best way to store your tea for re-steeping is to dry it on a towel *Me, looking at my fukamushi with broken leaves and tiny pieces of dust, and crying* Awesome vid!

[@lepetitchat123]

Most tea laeves are small, how can they fry them on a towel? It would be messy

[@RabidHobbit]

@@lepetitchat123 Most high-quality loose leaf tea is the whole leaf or close to it. My joke about fukamushi cha was based on the fact that this style of Japanese green tea is steamed deeply, which causes more broken pieces and dust to be included than usual (this is an intentional compromise for flavor and texture). Very low grades of any variety of tea will be very small pieces and dust, so they also could not be towel dried.

[@treleaj]

Firstly, Thank you for the education. I am grateful for these videos as I see your passion in them. Is the by the type of tea, say a green as to an oolong, affected by the storage method? Are there teas that fair better in a more moist or higher humidity environment?

[@capitanpercoca948]

Thank you very much man!

[@MeiLeaf]

It's a pleasure my man!

[@ericberger4511]

Celine (in time lapse) cracks me up :)

[@pde442]

Good video

[@kiwanoish]

Thnx! Great video! Request: I would like to see a video on storing tea in general, i.e. dry, and not between infusions. Are there jars that are good for this (which you can pump air out of), can you/should you freeze tea (what are the best ways), how do you store it in the shop, how long does different sorts of tea hold. I keep mine in airtight aromatic safe thick ziplocks (which I wish you would ship your teas in, will probably be cheaper for you aswell, just order a big cheap bunch from china and print stickers with info to put on them) . I feel there are alot of ambiguities here. The tea sellers usually say that I should drink it within a couple of months but first of all, its in their interest, second, they've already stored it for a long time (but very different amount of time for different teas) at the shop.

[@clubhonda]

I generally fly direct to tea producing countries whenever I want to buy some tea such as Taiwan or China and buy freshly produced tea on the spot. There are well known wholesalers and producers which you can purchase direct from which ensures the freshest quality. This way, you don't have to worry about how long they've been stored. I also don't put the tea in ziplocks but in specific, airtight, containers so that they would be at their freshest. But in saying that, I normally just buy in quantities that I know I will finish drinking within a few months, thereby ensuring that I am always drinking the highest quality tea all the time.

[@geschepper]

That´s so cool. I just got into the tea world and I bought a high Q. Gin Shuen and a Milky oolong. [ the lady said, it´s steamed over milk - can´t find any content about that jet ;-) And it is THE BOMB! ] So I´d like to have one ore two oolong cups, then go to bed and get up in the morning feeling a liitle more like Gin Shuen and I don´t want to thow away anything because out of my last milky oolong I got at least 8 infusions. Then I covered it all just with a kitchen towl and it´s still good!

[@ofthetree]

"If at any point in time you enjoy this video, please give thumbs up". I am only 25 sec in and I enjoy it ... and I enjoy my tea with it. (tea is called Taohua Buddhist bio;-) was looking for answers about this, since you introduced me to Gongfu brewing :-)

[@LoriGreco]

Thanks very much. I am very new to this gentle art, and have fallen in love with Tie Guin Yin tea, and the whole ceremony of making tea. I was wondering ....if I want to make another tea 30minutes after the first brew, and even 1 hr after the first brew, what would I do with the leaves? Still take them out to dry? So far, I have just reboiled some water for the next batch, (leaving them wet and in the pot) and trust that the boiled water may kill any bacteria?

[@MeiLeaf]

I would advise keeping the lid off and draining any water from the pot and it should be ok!

[@gratitudeplatitude7724]

I put my used tea leaves in the up-turned top of the gaiwan. Let it sit until the next using.

[@TheAyeAye1]

Thank you for the upload. That was really useful. I've just been covering the leaves and putting them in the icebox for use the next day.

[@MeiLeaf]

It seems to maintain the high notes if you keep the leaves cool but do not cover if possible and keep out of other smells - this is why we avoid using the fridge.

[@voidremoved]

In the winter time with a fireplace, I have had better results to put the tea on top of the fireplace. When I just leave it on the countertop it can get a seaweed taste but not in a good way. It is so cold here in the winter so the wet leaves probably dry to slow. I left it by the fireplace all night and figured it would be ruined from all the heat, but it tasted pretty good

[@jayamilapersson4030]

Lol I been leaving My leaves over night like that many times I dont exactly know what you mean with odorless enviroment but its not close to garlic or anything just on a plate (only some times I have been putting a papertowel under the leaves) in the kitchen Way back When I used teabaged tea I put the used bag in a dry Pan or in the microwave a few minutes just to dry it of a little extra, just lately I learned that that method is similar to how you make aged Oolong( if you ignore the fact that My method was used on cheap tea that alredy had been used and wasnt even worth that extra care)

[@nicholaschristman2593]

Oh man thank you!! I was putting my teas in the fridge after brewing and saving for later. Each time I would rehead I was thinking the exact same thing you mentioned. It was like the edge was taken off but not in the good way. What do you recommend as a maximum amount of time to leave in between brews? 8 hrs, 12 hrs, etc. (obviously I'm not thinking days away but if I leave it and come back the next day*)

[@MeiLeaf]

I would say about 12 hours.

[@ekelindner7991]

Thanks for this video. The number 2, that was kept in the gaiwan... that was lid-off right?

[@LEMONedOblaat]

Another excellent video, Do you sell that tea tray with the slot for the strainer? I have been looking for a quality tea tray but i've had the hardest time finding one.

[@MeiLeaf]

This one is coming in a week or so. Videos are being made to introduce it properly.

[@susannekaiser8247]

could you recommend a strong green tea to me?also,can i purchase strong green tea with mint at your shop?

[@SG-sm2ev]

what about herbal medicinal teas? how do I dry and store them for reuse? how long can I keep reinfusing them? thx

[@mscharocher]

for the one that was left in the gaiwan did you leave the lid open or closed?

[@HalSamuel]

Hi Mei Leaf, hoping I could pick your brain on something related to this very question: I'm wondering if it's advisable to keep wet leaves in a yixing pot and re-infusing throughout, let's say for simplicity's sake a whole day, emptying the pot in the evening. This would allow me to get a day's worth of brewing out of one lot of puerh, for example, and would be great. I'm just wondering if I should be concerned about staining the clay, bad smells, or even the beginning of mould etc? Any thoughts on whether this is good practice would be a huge help.

[@MissGreenTeaLady]

Thank you for this! I had no idea you could save wet tea leaves for later. I'm sensitive to caffeine so I have to space out my cups of tea throughout the day.

[@feilik]

So glad I instinctively stored on kitchen towels in open air.

[@feilik]

Although sometimes I just left it in the brewing container open to the air - probably less good

[@AndreaCuiuli]

Hi Don. Can you give me some advice on how to properly store pu erh tea cakes? I couldn't find any video about that and since is somewhat correlated to this one I asked it here. I love your informative videos! Have a good day.

[@MeiLeaf]

Storage videos are being made for everyone.

[@helenapacheco-tavares4330]

Hi, being a tea seller have you ever tried Gorreana green tea from the Azores? I think it’s the best tea that’s the only green tea I drink .

[@jenicekable]

At 5:21 I paused the video and scrolled to the comments to see If anyone else enjoyed Celine's waving and silly faces during the timelapse as much as I did :)

[@lennutrajektoor]

I got 6 infusions from Amber Mountain in Western style. Remarkable result! Remarkable tea!

[@MeiLeaf]

That is pretty remarkable actually!

[@lennutrajektoor]

+chinalife Tea House Do you advice to infuse the latest Silver Needle with 95C water if I feel I don't get what I expect from it doing in Western style? Have to resupply my stash as consumed almost all :)

[@MeiLeaf]

+lennutrajektoor we brew these bug bud Silver Needles between 90 and 95 because they need a but more temperature to get a full extraction.

[@lennutrajektoor]

+chinalife Tea House Then 95C will it be. Also got feeling this tea needs to be done in Gong Fu style. Western seems to be waste of a exceptional tea. I'll let you know when I have done direct comparison. ;) I actually started intentionally seek for smaller teapots keeping amount of tea the same.

[@lennutrajektoor]

+chinalife Tea House A quick recap - Bai Hao Yin Zhen Silver Needle, 2nd brew, approx 30 min between brews, 95C, 2 min infusion, 6g per 1L, same result - great tea but not impressed of flavour profile. Need to go Gong Fu style.

[@iggipeeg1]

So basically my undiscerning tongue will miss those slight differences and it is okay to push the limits! Thanks for answering my question!

[@MeiLeaf]

+iggipeeg1 push the limits but we strongly advise to store the leaves uncovered in a cool place to maintain the top notes.

[@annalawler6970]

Reminds me of my time in Taiwan.

[@rando4168]

I like baking my tea. It will look black after you dry them out but the will brew the exact same as when they were new.

[@yanhuang6747]

hi, I am fond of Asian tea culture and fellow all of your videos about Chinese tea. All of them were authentic and original as I saw in China. I am wondering how do you get so much about them, or is there any places can learn Chadao in European land

[@MeiLeaf]

+yan huang thanks. Don has been involved in Chinese tea and medicine for his whole life because his father was a Professor in Chinese Medicine and he has been sourcing tea for over 10 years. So he has learnt from many experts of many years.

[@jessieturris9956]

Can you eat the brewed tea leaves ?? Is their any health benefits to eating brewed loose leaf teas?? Or are they good for your garden like brewed coffee beans??

[@ArtemSayapov]

Can you rebrew black tea? Or does this only apply to green teas?

[@RAZASHARP]

Thank you great video I am a new tea enthusiast !how many infusions or days would you suggest for green tea?

[@MeiLeaf]

I recommend 5-7 infusions depending on the tea and I would not spread over more than 24 hours but I am sure it is possible

[@MeiziVu]

whats the max time you can infuse your teas? like, can I just leave the tea leaves in the hot water, even overnight to drink and infuse for the next morning?

[@What-zb9ju]

Serious question here. I have been binging teas for about 2 weeks (since I discovered Don and Celine, and since my first order from Mei Leaf came in). I'm an absolute noob when it comes to tea drinking and I've been drinking about 25-30g weight of dried tea daily - white tea in the morning, pu erh in the afternoon and oolong after dinner. The total volume of tea i drink daily is about 1.5L-2L from the 25ish g of tea leaves. Aside from burning a hole in my wallet, I feel pretty great. Am I over drinking tea?

[@luismonroyRealtor]

So i know you used these leaves earlier but Do you rinse these again after air drying them or do you drink right away?

[@dandanndannnnnn]

Would you recommend using ziploc bags to store oolong and other loose leaf tea while traveling?

[@MeiLeaf]

+Dann sure they work pretty well for short storage.

[@crisv2833]

What is the name of the song while she prepares the teas?

[@kongengorm3360]

What about storing them in cold water?

[@aristakatz]

So once they've been airdryed, can I then store them in a container or do I leave them out till I use them again?

[@haleighshorror2250]

now after leaving the tea put to dry what should I put the tea in? or do i just leave it out until next time I want that tea?

[@MeiLeaf]

Haleigh Benson leave them out until your next brew but try not to leave them for much longer than 12 hours.

[@seabreezy3368]

I wonder about freezing. What about another test using a different tea that has more punch to it?

[@lennutrajektoor]

You have a cat! Include the cat in one of your next videos :D

[@MeiLeaf]

+lennutrajektoor we have tried but he is not exactly the most reliable in front of camera!

[@kirkoneill725]

@@MeiLeaf Kitty is camera shy

[@Broockle]

it's a law in the internet

[@catherinerobson5482]

Do you have information regarding fair trade teas, pickers are fairly compensated vs traders.

[@polyglotdiary]

Is there a video where you show how exactly you dry the tea after the first infusion? Can I use a paper kitchen towel?

[@annathy]

I would love to see a live youtube tea tasting with Q&A during this time while we are home bound.

[@moritzkohler9214]

I love you bro. Everytime i watch your vids i feel better and Instantly want to brew a tea

[@Bracgypsy]

I have never been to a tea tasting, but I have been to many coffee tastings and wine tastings. One cardinal rule is to cleanse the palate between tastes. I would assume that this would also apply to tea. Yet he does not do so. Can anyone elaborate on the usual protocols in tea tasting and explain why a palate cleanse is not needed between tastes? If t he differences are "most minute", would not doing palate cleanse lead to poor differentiation?

[@SanguinaryStrife]

So if you want to reuse your tea leaves, you can only reuse them within 12-24 hours? But what if you want to save them for next week. Could you do this?

[@robyn4119]

How are you covering your leaves?

[@chadczternastek]

Finally got tea, worthy of re-steeping. I've never done it before. I been using a thick glass measuring cup and a top I found that covers it. The directions says steep 3 minutes. Directions says to re-steep 1-2 times. Then says add 30 seconds to each re-steep. My dilemma is, does that mean I re-steep it again 30 seconds on top of the other 3 minutes? I'm confused.

[@genjuroSE]

I thought that keeping the leaves slightly warmer would keep the flavors. Perhaps it will depend on the tea and processing too. So you're advice in not to keep the leaves in the gaiwan then. How about keeping the leaves in the gaiwan without the lid?

[@hologos_]

Hello, Dom. My question is off-topic. Do you have any recommendations how to order a tea directly from China/Taiwan? The only place I found was Aliexpress (don't know other Asian platform). I ask about origin of the tea, cultivar and pesticides but I'm not getting the response I like. It's not that I want to buy tea for cheap, it's more like I would like to taste a higher grade tea but I don't want to sell the house. :-) Thank you

[@hologos_]

Sorry for mispelling your name, it's Don. :-)

[@MeiLeaf]

More and more sellers in China are opening up to selling abroad and Aliexpress is often their preferred platform. It is important to build trust and you will find companies that are more reliable at giving information but there is so much fakery and lies that we would advise you to be careful. There aren't any other platforms that we know about that acts as a hub for tea but please do post if you find any.

[@Malthan]

There are some reputable sellers from China that have websites in English and ship worldwide. I'm sure Don wouldn't be happy with me advertising his competition here, but you can find recommendations in many online tea communities.

[@hologos_]

I search the web and I found a lot of people saying to stay away from tea sold on Aliexpress. So I rather listen to them. I managed to find good local seller. :) Thank you

[@kimberlyrose984]

What does fresh mean? He said brewed an hour and half ago. I understand what dry means but does fresh mean brewed once and used right away or not yet brewed?

[@polyglotdiary]

I try not to consume caffein in the evening. So I only drink tea in the morning. Can I keep the tea leaves for 24 hours after the 1st infusion or is 12 hours the maximum?

[@onixtheone]

Unless you change your refrigerator air filters at the right time, the stuff in your fridge might be the thing causing the “astringent” flavors you were tasting.

[@berthaantoinettamason9207]

What about 24 hours, like the same tea with breakfast daily?

[@elias2660]

And how many maximum infusions would you recommend? And is bad to storage the leaves in the strainer? (wet)

[@MeiLeaf]

Depends on the tea but usually between 5 to 12. I would advise you to not keep it wet in the strainer because leaving it wet for a while affects the flavour much more than allowing to dry.

[@PinkwithaP]

@@MeiLeaf I do the same. It's fluffed up enough to succumb to air dryness. That is if I don't squish the leaves trying to get all the steep out from before, and the next infusion is perfectly fine. But I do think I will try to find a tiny drying system that will both protect and allow proper drying after infusions and save the work of cleaning the strainer from the stuck leaves residue. Thanks so much for this video. I often wondered and worried what was the best method and have had my instincts confirmed. To your good health ☕😃👍

[@robyn4119]

Is that stock trading on the phone?