Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: neilep on 10/06/2009 11:17:21

Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: neilep on 10/06/2009 11:17:21
Hullo Peeps Of Wonder Joy And Knowledge Aplenty,

As a sheepy I of course imbibe my favourite hot drink..green tea !

look here's some !

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Hmmm...looks like wee !!...My tea is not ususally that green !..that must be the hard core stuff !!


Anyway, why does it say do not add boiling water to my tea ?..and that I should use 'just boiled' ie water that has boiled and left for a second or two !...What's the difference between adding 100c water and 98c water ! ?..what does it do to the tea ?

I ususally can't wait for two seconds so I usually pour it immediately...it still tastes good !

Or..is it causing a chemical reaction which is bad for me ?

I'm drinking some now and if you're in the locale ..please do pop in for a cuppa !



hugs & shmishes


mwah mwah !!

neil
Tea Drinking Woolly Sheep
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx







Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: JnA on 10/06/2009 14:48:33
If it is anything like coffee the tea boffins will tell you that you will 'burn' the leaf.
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: neilep on 10/06/2009 15:50:50
If it is anything like coffee the tea boffins will tell you that you will 'burn' the leaf.


Burn the leaf  [:o].!..I want to drink it not smoke it !!...but i do know what ewe mean and thank ewe for it too JnA...I suppose the sudden shock of boiling water must taint it somehow !





Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Bored chemist on 10/06/2009 18:18:50
If it is anything like coffee the tea boffins will tell you that you will 'burn' the leaf.
In the very real sense that leaves burn under water.
I doubt that anyone has done a proper double blind trial. I also wonder if those people who think you need to use "not quite boiling hot" water have checked the barometer (or altimeter if they happen to travel).
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Madidus_Scientia on 10/06/2009 19:21:56
Yeah, there's no oxygen in boiling water so how are they going to burn
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: JP on 10/06/2009 21:32:40
Probably because adding still-boiling water to anything increases the risk that it will boil over and splash you.  I agree with everyone else that you probably can't "burn" leaves with a 2 degree difference.
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Make it Lady on 10/06/2009 22:24:10
I think the word is scold.
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Bored chemist on 11/06/2009 07:09:47
I think the word is scald.
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Don_1 on 11/06/2009 07:21:39
I have always used fresh boiling water for tea, but stuck to the old adage 'Coffee boiled is coffee spoiled.' I think this 97,98, 99o business is only for the snobs.
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: JnA on 11/06/2009 10:12:06
I think the word is scald.

yes.  I did use these ' '   though :)
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Edster on 16/06/2009 05:42:12
The flavour you get from good tea is only released by freshly boiling water. I worked in a place which had "boiling" water on tap and teabags but they tasted of nothing. 80c I sneaked in a kettle and used the cleaners socket. I got "what do you do? you always make a superb cup of tea, i go round there and it tastes weak however many minutes i wait".I suspect the lack of dissolved gasses is important as nothing for the volatile flavour components to react with.
 Even the japanese green teas i have specify freshly boiled water.

If this is not tea but a floral or herbal infusion then many of those need about 80c or all the flavour evaporates in a heady wash of aroma when you add water and it tastes mild and wet.
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Karen W. on 16/06/2009 06:27:26

My grandma worked restrants her whole life and always taught us to turn the kettle off for a few inutes only because boiling water can actually pop and shatter a coffee or teacup if the cup is cool or or has cool dribbles of water, or has a cold spoon in it....
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: pharmaspam on 01/07/2009 19:24:18
Hello.
"The best temperature for brewing tea depends on its type. Teas that have little or no oxidation period, such as a green or white tea, are best brewed at lower temperatures between 60 °C and 85 °C (140-185 °F), while teas with longer oxidation periods should be brewed at higher temperatures around 100 °C (212 °F).[49] The higher temperatures are required to extract the large, complex, flavorful phenolic molecules found in fermented tea, although boiling the water reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
Title: Why Should I Not Add Boiling water To My tea ?
Post by: Edster on 18/08/2009 19:49:11
Pharmaspam I thangyou! fully roasted or black teas always need freshly boiling water. Can you reconcile the identical instructions in french german and english for freshly boiling water with some green unroasted teas with this? ( and in japanese and in chinese (according to a work colleague who translates far too many languages into English ). tried both and boiling and putting tapwater to make 80 ish didn`t work,  and boiling usually does the right thing with those that don`t say "boil and let stand 15..... xxx minutes  or add one cup water to 4 cups boiling"

 As posted before Herbal teas do get killed by hi temps outside what you have quoted "generally" but these tend to be infusions of other herbs rather than tea, and 80-85c seems to be it for them . Camomile is not "tea", neither is mint which loses all its aromatics with fully boiling water.

I`m glad wikipedia is sensible on this, it often isn`t.