What's the difference between multiple infusions with the same leaves
vs one infusion with the same amount of tea, the same total amount of
water (sum of the multiple infusions), same total steep time (sum of
the multiple infusions), and, as much as possible, holding the
temperature constant?

For example:

Trial Tea Water Infusions Temp
1 8 g 20 oz 3 x 1 minute 180
2 8 g 60 oz 1 x 3 minutes 180

The only differences I can see are:

1. The temperature cannot be exactly the same unless it is done on a
heating element. I could start the longer steep slightly hotter so
that the average temperature is the same.

2. The leaves get "shocked" multiple times going from room temperature
(or maybe refrigerated) to 180 or so.

3. Something (probably not good) happens to the leaves while sitting
between steeps.

On Aug 27, 11:13 pm, Square Peg wrote:

On Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:43:53 -0700 (PDT), RaistX@gmail.com wrote:

Square Peg writes:

But caffeine does affect the taste. Caffeine is quite bitter,
acutally. I suspect that's one reason colas have so much sugar.

On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 10:28:27 -0700, Square Peg
wrote:

On 31 Aug 2008 16:24:27 -0400, Lewis Perin panix.com> wrote:

You are correct. I should have checked that.

http://www.coffeefaq.com/site/node/17

I think you are right on with the tannin theory. I seem to have a
vague and unscientific understanding from different sources that the
tannins may be released in larger amounts as the tea is steeped for
longer. One good reason to make short steeps instead of one long one
is if you mess up one of the steeps, you can still have another go at
a decent cup of tea. If you over-steep your leaves in one long steep
with more water you are stuck with a lot of undrinkable tea.

When I drink certain Chinese Oolong teas such as Wuyiyancha and
Dancong, I find that fewer leaves in more water wont give me the same
sort of flavour as using the same amount of water and making multiple
infusions. This may be partly a water temperature problem, though. I
ought to admit to my bias for small, multiple infusions, partly for
aesthetic reasons.

If you do increase the temperature of the larger steeping, you may
risk injuring your green tea.

The whole doesnt equal the sum of the parts. Tea solubles is much
more complex than just tannins.

Jim

PS Brown tannins bad, red tannins good

Square Peg wrote:
...a weak cup of tea taster better than a good cup of coffee...

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 05:40:37 -0700 (PDT), Xuancheng
gmail.com> wrote:

I'm not sure I have a theory, just a bunch of questions.

If a X micrograms of tannins are released in a 5-minute steeping, then
I would expect the same amount of tannins to be released from five
1-minute steepings.

Now, if the 5-minute brew is with 500 ml of water and the five
1-minute brews are all each with 500 ml of water, then the tannins
will be diluted by a factor of 5 unless they are all released in the
final steeping. That's why I suggested 5 one-minute steepings in 100
ml of water.

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 07:23:55 -0700 (PDT), Space Cowboy
ix.netcom.com> wrote:

Probably not. I am trying to understand how it is different and what
makes the difference.

No doubt. I am not saying that tannins are the whole story. I'm
actually less interested in what the chemicals are, at this point,
than in what the results are.