Tagged: brewing
The Second Cup Was Decided at the Rollers
Whether a second steep of Assam is worth the wait was settled before the kettle ever boiled. The chemistry of what crush, tear, curl leaves behind, what whole leaf holds in reserve, and why one cup differs in kind, not just in strength.
Milk and Assam: Why the Strong Tea Takes It
Assam is the tea built for milk, and there is plain chemistry behind it. Milk's casein binds the tea's tannins before they reach your mouth, softening the pucker, which is why a brisk, full-bodied Assam survives the jug where a delicate tea is drowned by it.
Orthodox Averaged Higher Than CTC in an Assam Caffeine Study
An average cup of black tea carries about 48 milligrams of caffeine, roughly half of what a cup of coffee holds. Here is the lab measure of Assam's leaf, orthodox against CTC, how fast caffeine leaves the leaf, and the decaffeinated black tea CSIR-NEIST in Jorhat has developed.
Brewing Assam
The Authority's standing method for Assam: boiling water, a measured dose of leaf, and a few minutes left alone. This is the complete reference, covering water, leaf, time, milk, the second steep, CTC versus orthodox, and the test for a properly brisk cup.