Resteeping (Multiple Infusions)
Resteeping is infusing the same tea leaf more than once; whole-leaf oolong and pu'er can give 5-15 infusions, each tasting slightly different.
Definition
Resteeping, or multiple infusion, means using the same leaf for several rounds of brewing. It is the norm in Chinese and Japanese tea practice and the basis of gongfu brewing, where a single 7 g serving may produce ten or more small cups. How many infusions a tea gives depends on leaf size, processing and grade. Broken black tea and tea bags release most of their content in one long steep; a second is weak. Whole-leaf green tea manages two or three. Rolled oolongs such as Tieguanyin and high mountain oolong often give 6-10 gongfu infusions, and good sheng and shou pu'er can run past 15 because the compressed, mature leaf releases slowly. The cup changes across a session. Early infusions are aroma-forward; middle infusions carry the most body; late ones turn lighter and sweeter as the leaf tires. Following that progression is one of the main reasons people brew gongfu at all. Leaf left wet between sessions should be used within a few hours; damp, warm leaf left overnight can grow mold and should be discarded.
In Depth
Timing rule: lengthen each infusion as extraction slows. In gongfu brewing, add 5-10 seconds per round; Western-style, add 1-2 minutes for the second steep and more for the third. Raising the water temperature for late infusions also helps.
A tea is spent when lengthening the steep yields only a thin, watery cup without aroma or sweetness. Some brewers then do a final long steep of 5-10 minutes, or leave the leaf in a thermos, to pull out what remains.
Count infusions as a quality signal only within one tea type. Six good infusions is excellent for a Chinese green tea but modest for an aged oolong. Look at the wet leaf at the end of a session: whole, supple leaves that unfurled fully usually mean the tea gave everything it had.
See Also
- Multiple Infusions
- Gongfu Sessions
- Tea Longevity