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Second steep of my green tea turns bitter even at 75 degrees Brewing Help
Japanese sencha, 4g to 250ml. The first steep at 75C for 60 seconds is lovely. The second steep at the same temperature comes out sharp and drying whether I go 30 seconds or 90. Straining faster does not seem to matter. Is a bitter second steep just what sencha does in a big pot?
@petra_lindqvist · 8mo ago · 3 replies
Second steeps of sencha want to be shorter and cooler than people expect, not the same or longer. The leaf is already open and the cell walls are already broken, so extraction is much faster - 10 to 15 seconds at around 70C is a normal second steep, not 30 to 90.
The other half is ratio and vessel. 4g in 250ml is a dilute Western style brew, which forces long steeps, and long steeps on broken leaf pull astringency. If you want several good steeps, go to 5g in a 150ml vessel and drop the times sharply: 60 seconds, then 15, then 30, then 45.
Sencha is also small leaf and there is dust in the bottom of any pot. If you are pouring off the last few millilitres you are drinking the most concentrated and most astringent part. Pour completely dry every time.
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@petra_lindqvist · 8mo ago
That bit sits and stews at 70C and then joins your next cup. It is a bigger effect than most people believe.
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@maren_dowd · 8mo ago
Pouring completely dry is definitely not something I do. There is always a bit left.
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