u/unexpectedDiogenes

Cold brewing tea can be controversial for some, but as we bake in a karmic heat dome here in the Midwest US, I am on a mission to try to make the best cold brew possible.

I wanted to share an important warning: if you cold brew tea over 24 hours, even in a fridge, it will oxidize and potentially spoil from mold or bacteria. To help with this, I needed to scrub the oxygen from the tea, and double check that everything is clean/sanitized/sealed up extra well.

To scrub oxygen, we could pour some co2 into our cold brew vessel before filling (only an option if you have access to co2 gas). You could potentially ferment, but this would be kombucha and need a skilled hand. Finally, and most convenient, you can add ascorbic acid, or vitamin C. This scrubs the oxygen, lowers the pH increasing shelf life, and unfortunately prevents color absorption as well as bitter forming compounds. I ordered some ascorbic acid (not citric acid) to dial in the ratio, but in the interim I just squeezed some lemon into my cold brew vessel before filling up with water.

Lemons have a ton of ascorbic acid, it helps your brew stay safe, it’s refreshing, and it’s convenient. I highly recommend squeezing some fresh lemon juice in your tea if you plan on brewing for more than 24 hours. I used 1/4 of a lemon, I think 1/8 would be better unless you love that sour tang.

This cold brew was a blend of sheng from the five famous LBZ villages. It’s good, but I think dialing in the amount of ascorbic acid will improve the process and hopefully retain more character from the leaves.

Brewing parameters:
-1000mL glass pitcher, cold tap water
-9g rivers and lakes Yunnan field trip sheng, washed in gaiwan w/boiling water
-squeezed juice of 1/4 fresh cut lemon
-double wrapped with plastic at spout
-brewed in fridge for 36 hours

Wow. You guys are so hostile. I never said I was getting sick from it. Just tried to share my background in brewing beer and apply it to something I thought was worth sharing. I was wrong.

Got this pig from Bitterleaf recently, we share some common characteristics.
This the first tea pet I’ve spent money on. I was ambivalent to the idea at the beginning of my tea journey, but have come to love the whimsy of it. So far I have this pig, a ceramic snake, and a jade dragon I’ve had forever before using it for anything.

Grandpa-style sheng blend of Bakanan, Bakalong, LaoMan’E, and Xin BanZhang. More complexity than the Banpen LME blend. This was an attempt of a “fake BanZhang” blend with fresh mao cha from Rivers and Lakes. My blending skills are a bit lacking! Does not really compare to the real Lao BanZhang. (Still a tasty blend, though.)

A casual side by side comparison of two villages near Lao Ban Zhang. Bakalong and Bakanan from the Rivers and Lakes Yunnan Field trip sampler. Both have an interesting floral and mineral character, and a huge hit of tea energy.

This Coldbrew creation is a blend of fresh Farmerleaf Da Sun Shan single tree mao cha, and Liquid Proust Taiwan-aged 2005 Mengku. 1000mL cold brew pitcher, about 13 grams of sheng, one boiling rinse and then combined with cold water, brewed for 48 hours in the fridge.

The two teas blend well together, they are both sweet and subtle. Citrus and hay from the Da Sun, a little bit of aged character and nice sweetness from the Mengku. Bitter orange peel on the aftertaste. Body feel is very relaxing. This is a nice, easy-going coldbrew blend, perfect for drinking outside or sharing.

Inspired by the good people of this sub, I have set out, perhaps on an endless quest, to answer the Coldbrew Conundrum: is it worthwhile to brew tea this way instead of hot, is it’s only redeeming quality that it’s cold, will it lose its character, clarity, and bitterness, and most importantly for me, can it taste good enough, unadulterated, to make it worthwhile and enjoyable?

1000mL glass cold brew vessel
10-15 grams of tea
Water temp: cold (flash rinse w/boil)

This first experiment is a blend from LaoMan’E, courtesy of Bitterleaf 3x bitter Gushu and Farmerleaf Autumn shengtai. Rinsed once with boiling water in a gaiwan, then combined with cold tap water inside a glass brewing pitcher, then left sealed for 36 hours. I know from previous experience, and an article from goodeats, (maybe seriouseats, some kind of eats blog) that you have to use a healthy dose of tea, and you have to brew for at least 24 hours. Since so much tea is needed for 1L, and to coax more interesting flavors and mouthfeel, think a blend is for the best.

The first pour was weak, kind of like the first sips of drinking grandpa. The second pour is pictured here. Golden color, some toned down fruit and leather flavors, nearly no bitterness, but then the aftertaste has a wonderful dark chocolate bitter sensation. It blooms on the tongue a little bit and I can taste the richness of the bitter Gushu. It is refreshing and has a great tea energy. That classic LME relaxing feeling, as well as a jolt of energy. Lots of caffeine. Starting to sweat outside after I went for a third pour. The aftertaste is great and it makes me crave more.

Final thoughts: coldbrewed tea is endearing: easy, cold, refreshing. Fourth and final pour thoughts: bitter apricot, light smoke and leather, cloudy. Satisfying and tasty.

ITS MAO CHA not MOA CHA

After binging on [edited for spelling error] I wanted to share my thoughts before [post edited for brevity]

here are some quick:

-=-= -=-= -=-= -=-= -=-= -=-= -=-=-

Xigui, One River Tea: wonderfully fragrant, mixed feeling

Bingdao Laozhai, ORT: pleasant grounding, anchor, herbal, medicinal

Lao Ban Zhang, ORT: furnace inside core, floral minerality, vanishing

Yiwu Guafengzhai, ORT: delicious, relaxing, leaves foretold my near future death, hint of caramel and malt

Da Sun Shan single tree, Farmerleaf: yum, citrus, relax, soft

LaoMan’E Single trees… words cannot describe, it’s worth its weight in gold.

Final thoughts: _ itS MAO CHA not MOA CHA the fresh sheng mao cha is really fresh, fragrant, and worth experiencing.

It finally happened: every leaf flipped over onto the gaiwan lid after gong fu cha. I think it could be an ominous sign.

This is Yiwu Guafengzai fresh moacha from One River Tea, fresh, vegetal sweetness, with some aromas of caramel and lightly toasted malt. Relaxing chaqi for me. So far LBZ and Bingdao have been my favorites.

How long do we rest fresh mocha samples? Ripping into them as soon as they arrive seems misguided, but so does waiting 3 weeks. These rested about a week and had no noticeable off flavors. Alternatively, should this be guzzled into my gullet as soon as possible, like fresh green tea? I’ve heard moacha doesn’t age as well as cakes, but airtight seems it would be good for a few months? Has anybody blended some of their moacha with good results? Am I saying the word “moacha” too much? I appreciate any thoughts or insights.