Bitterness and that drying, puckering feel on your gums usually mean the water pulled too much out of the leaf. Both come out late in a steep and faster in hotter water, so the fix is nearly always less: less time, less heat, or less leaf. Change one at a time.
The quickest fix: steep shorter
Bitterness and drying tannins come out late; a shorter steep leaves more of them in the leaf. Take 5 seconds off a gongfu steep or 30 seconds off a Western cup and taste again with everything else the same.
What to change, in order
For a gongfu session of green, white, yellow tea or young sheng:
- Steep shorter. Take 5 s off a gongfu steep, 30 s off a Western cup. Bitterness and drying tannins come out late; a shorter steep leaves more of them in the leaf.
- Cooler water. Drop 5 to 10°C. Greens, whites and young sheng turn harsh in water that's too hot.
- Less leaf. Take off about a gram per 100 ml. Too much leaf packs the pot and every steep comes out heavy.
- Pour it all out. Drain every drop between steeps. Water left on the leaf keeps steeping and makes the next cup bitter.
For a Western pot of black tea, oolong or shou, temperature matters less; start with the time:
- Steep shorter. Take 5 s off a gongfu steep, 30 s off a Western cup. Bitterness and drying tannins come out late; a shorter steep leaves more of them in the leaf.
- Less leaf. Take off about a gram per 100 ml. Too much leaf packs the pot and every steep comes out heavy.
Delicate teas and hot water
Greens, whites and young sheng are the teas that turn harsh in water that's too hot. These are the starting temperatures; if you're above them, cool down first.
| Tea | Gongfu | Western |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 80°C | 75°C |
| White | 90°C | 85°C |
| Yellow | 80°C | 80°C |
| Sheng pu-erh | 100°C | 95°C |
See the full tea water temperature chart.
Astringent rather than bitter?
Astringency is a feel, not a taste: dry, rough, like strong black tea without milk. It comes mostly from tannins drawn out by heat and time, so the order changes a little:
- Cooler water. Drop 5 to 10°C. Greens, whites and young sheng turn harsh in water that's too hot.
- Steep shorter. Take 5 s off a gongfu steep, 30 s off a Western cup. Bitterness and drying tannins come out late; a shorter steep leaves more of them in the leaf.
- Pour it all out. Drain every drop between steeps. Water left on the leaf keeps steeping and makes the next cup bitter.
- Less leaf. Take off about a gram per 100 ml. Too much leaf packs the pot and every steep comes out heavy.
Some teas are meant to grip a little: young sheng and many black teas have some astringency even at their best. If it softens and turns sweet after you swallow, that's often just what the tea is.
Keep the steep that works
Once a tea tastes right, note the leaf, temperature and steep times along with the teaware and style. Next time, start from what worked instead of from scratch.
Steepbook is a free app that remembers the steep that worked for each tea, teaware and brew style. Have a look if that sounds useful.