How long do already-steeped leaves remain usable for more brews?

Guy Juan
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Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:48 pm

Sometimes, like today, I brew a real nice green or Darjeeling before I’m rushed out the door after only 1 or 2 infusions. I come home hours later wondering if I can continue steeping the leaves left in my gaiwan. What is the time limit to be safe? Anyone ever get sick from steeping leaves that were left for a few hours after being steeped once or twice?
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Victoria
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Thu Jul 04, 2019 11:27 pm

Depends on the climate where you are steeping and the type of tea. Very hot and humid I would discard leaves left out after +6 hours. With certain teas, I have done multi-day steeps, without issues, but I am in Southern California, mostly dry (although not lately) and cooler climate along the coast. I haven’t had issues with two steeps and coming back a few hours later to continue, although generally I prefer to let a cool steep occur during that gap time. Oxidation of leaves occurring in open air is an issue, with degradation of flavor occurring.

A couple of threads on topic;
Time between steeps?
&
Longevity of Tea Leaves: Sustaining Multiple Steeps
.m.
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Fri Jul 05, 2019 8:25 am

Used tea leaves go bad mainly by turning moldy. How long this takes really depends on your local climate as Victoria has said above and can range from hours to days. Living in Europe and Canada, i often leave the leaves rest for several hours between steeps: 24h ok, after 48h without steep i'll probably discard it. I may go for several days like that. Some teas actually can benefit from a bit of rest, other just lose their freshness. It all depends if you enjoy the brew.
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debunix
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Fri Jul 05, 2019 9:41 am

I also think it depends on what you're going to do with that next steep. A long step starting with boiling water will kill a lot of things that might have started to grow, although some toxins might be resistant. I avoid short/cooler steeps after leaves have been left out, but am pretty cavalier with a long steep starting with boiling water when the leaves haven't been out too long (e.g., 24 hrs or less and indoor temps no more than 75 degrees) and will drink a long steep that started out with boiling water being poured over the leaves before leaving them out even after 48 hours sometimes.

Your health risks may vary; if I were immunocompromised, I might be less likely to try for any later/longer steeps.
Guy Juan
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Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:42 pm

How long can you leave steeped leaves in a gaiwan before they are bad? I would like to rebrew some puerh that still has life in it, but can’t drink anymore tonight. Can you get sick from resteeping wet leaves the next day? Leaving them out on the table in a gaiwan?
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pedant
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Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:21 pm

Guy Juan wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:42 pm
How long can you leave steeped leaves in a gaiwan before they are bad? I would like to rebrew some puerh that still has life in it, but can’t drink anymore tonight. Can you get sick from resteeping wet leaves the next day? Leaving them out on the table in a gaiwan?
eventually the leaves can get moldy (like after many days), and at that point i wouldn't consider re-steeping it. aside from that, you can't get sick.

i continue sheng sessions the next day all the time. sometimes i'll even pick up a session i forgot about days later.

if it smells good, brew it. if it tastes good, drink it.

greener stuff (especially actual green tea) is not suitable for next day brewing in my experience. the smell and taste change a lot and not in a good way.
Guy Juan
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Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:31 pm

pedant wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:21 pm
Guy Juan wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:42 pm
How long can you leave steeped leaves in a gaiwan before they are bad? I would like to rebrew some puerh that still has life in it, but can’t drink anymore tonight. Can you get sick from resteeping wet leaves the next day? Leaving them out on the table in a gaiwan?
eventually the leaves can get moldy (like after many days), and at that point i wouldn't consider re-steeping it. aside from that, you can't get sick.

i continue sheng sessions the next day all the time. sometimes i'll even pick up a session i forgot about days later.

if it smells good, brew it. if it tastes good, drink it.

greener stuff (especially actual green tea) is not suitable for next day brewing in my experience. the smell and taste change a lot and not in a good way.
Awesome thanks! I spread them out on a paper towel to help dry...is that necessary?
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pedant
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Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:05 pm

no
imo no point in drying them unless you're trying to preserve them for the long haul (to prevent mold). i've never heard of anyone doing that ofc :lol:
maybe i'd do it if they were the last tea leaves on earth, and i was interrupted mid-session and couldn't continue for a week or more

just leave them in the gaiwan with the lid on. if you leave them with lid off, they will partially dry and get plastered to the porcelain. then if you change your mind and want to dump them, it's more work to clean out the gaiwan.

edit: leaving the lid on may slightly reduce undesirable oxidation too
Guy Juan
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Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:18 pm

pedant wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:05 pm
no
imo no point in drying them unless you're trying to preserve them for the long haul (to prevent mold). i've never heard of anyone doing that ofc :lol:
maybe i'd do it if they were the last tea leaves on earth, and i was interrupted mid-session and couldn't continue for a week or more

just leave them in the gaiwan with the lid on. if you leave them with lid off, they will partially dry and get plastered to the porcelain. then if you change your mind and want to dump them, it's more work to clean out the gaiwan.
Hahaha...I figured it would help prevent mold overnight. I suppose bacteria and mold does not easily grow on wet tea leaves, which actually surprises me a bit. Good to know!!! This makes me very happy :D
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pedant
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Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:24 pm

they grow easily on leaves, but you just had them in boiling water. this knocks down the initial microbial concentration which significantly delays the time it takes for a noticeable amount of growth to happen. just like cooking a piece of raw meat significantly delays spoilage.
.m.
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Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:55 am

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pedant
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Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:04 am

Guy Juan wrote:
Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:48 pm
Sometimes, like today, I brew a real nice green or Darjeeling before I’m rushed out the door after only 1 or 2 infusions. I come home hours later wondering if I can continue steeping the leaves left in my gaiwan. What is the time limit to be safe? Anyone ever get sick from steeping leaves that were left for a few hours after being steeped once or twice?
Guy Juan wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:42 pm
How long can you leave steeped leaves in a gaiwan before they are bad? I would like to rebrew some puerh that still has life in it, but can’t drink anymore tonight. Can you get sick from resteeping wet leaves the next day? Leaving them out on the table in a gaiwan?
as pointed out by @.m., you asked this question already a couple weeks ago. i merged your two topics together, but what gives? :shock:
Guy Juan
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Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:23 am

pedant wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:04 am
Guy Juan wrote:
Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:48 pm
Sometimes, like today, I brew a real nice green or Darjeeling before I’m rushed out the door after only 1 or 2 infusions. I come home hours later wondering if I can continue steeping the leaves left in my gaiwan. What is the time limit to be safe? Anyone ever get sick from steeping leaves that were left for a few hours after being steeped once or twice?
Guy Juan wrote:
Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:42 pm
How long can you leave steeped leaves in a gaiwan before they are bad? I would like to rebrew some puerh that still has life in it, but can’t drink anymore tonight. Can you get sick from resteeping wet leaves the next day? Leaving them out on the table in a gaiwan?
as pointed out by .m., you asked this question already a couple weeks ago. i merged your two topics together, but what gives? :shock:
Researching everything all at once...I haven’t figured out how to view all of my topics and I get stuck with the search function giving odd results. I still can’t see the other thread I started so I don’t remember.
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debunix
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Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:29 pm

Guy Juan wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:23 am
I haven’t figured out how to view all of my topics
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Victoria
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Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:32 pm

Also, it is best to search first before actually starting a new Topic/Forum. This is to avoid multiple topic threads that are essentially the same. Keeps the forum a little more organized. Many questions can be posted inside existing threads.

To only search Topics you (or someone else) started go to; Search/put a name in Search for Author + check All Forums you want to search in + check to search ‘Topic titles only’.

To search all your posts with direct links and dates go to; Your Profile/ Search user’s posts

New Topics/Forums are best when a few criteria are met like;
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