Steep Time
Definisi
The duration that tea leaves remain in contact with water during brewing. Steeping too long extracts excessive tannins, producing bitterness; steeping too briefly yields a thin, underdeveloped cup.
Detail
Steep time works in tandem with water temperature, leaf-to-water ratio, and leaf size to determine extraction. In Western-style brewing with 2-3 grams per 240 ml, typical steep times range from 1-2 minutes for green tea to 3-5 minutes for black tea. Gongfu brewing inverts this relationship: high leaf ratios (5-8 grams per 100 ml) paired with short infusions of 10-30 seconds yield concentrated yet balanced cups. Each subsequent gongfu infusion increases by 5-10 seconds as the leaf gradually exhausts its most soluble compounds. Broken-leaf and CTC teas extract far more rapidly than whole-leaf orthodox teas due to greater surface area. Cold brewing eliminates temperature as a variable and relies purely on extended steep times of 6-12 hours, selectively extracting sweet amino acids and caffeine while leaving most bitter catechins behind. Understanding how steep time interacts with other brewing variables is the foundation of consistent, excellent tea.