Steep Time
Steep time is how long tea leaf stays in contact with water during an infusion, from a few seconds in gongfu brewing to several minutes in Western brewing.
Definition
Steep time, also called infusion time, controls how far extraction progresses. Compounds leave the leaf at different speeds: aroma molecules and sugars dissolve quickly, caffeine follows, and the larger polyphenols that carry bitterness and astringency keep accumulating the longer the leaf sits. A cup that tastes balanced at 3 minutes can be harsh at 6. Steep time depends on leaf size and the other two variables. Broken leaf and CTC black tea have far more exposed surface and extract most of what they will give in 2-4 minutes. Whole rolled oolong needs time to open before it releases much, which is why its first steep is often weaker than its second. Higher temperature and more leaf both shorten the time needed. Gongfu and Western brewing sit at opposite ends. Gongfu infusions start around 5-20 seconds and lengthen with each round; Western steeps run 2-5 minutes in a single pass. Japanese green teas in a kyusu sit in between, with the first infusion at 60-90 seconds and the second as short as 10-20 seconds because the leaf is already open.
In Depth
Western reference times: Japanese green tea 1-2 minutes; Chinese green tea 2-3 minutes; white tea 3-5 minutes; oolong 3-5 minutes; black tea 3-5 minutes; shou pu'er 3-5 minutes; most herbal tisanes 5-7 minutes.
Start the clock when the water hits the leaf and stop it when the pour finishes, not when it starts. A slow-pouring teapot adds real time.
Bitterness is the common sign of an over-long steep; a thin, watery cup with little aroma is the sign of too short a steep or too little leaf. Change one variable at a time, in steps of 30 seconds for Western brewing or 5 seconds for gongfu, so the cause of any improvement is clear. Write down the leaf weight, temperature and time that worked; the same tea from a new harvest may need small adjustments.
See Also
- Tea Brewing Parameters
- Infusion Time
- Extraction