Many people brewing Tea may have encountered this dilemma: “Won't the tea become bitter and astringent if I let it infuse?”

Infusing, or “damping,” refers to enclosing something in an airtight environment. To create conditions for infusing, there must be a sealed space.

Brewing means immersing the tea leaves in water.

When we talk about infusing while brewing, it means adding enough water and then covering it, letting it infuse for at least three minutes.

For example, using Teaware with lids, such as purple clay pots or covered bowls, can achieve the effect of infusing.

When brewing new White Tea with a covered bowl, it is usually good for five infusions. The first three infusions should steep for 10 seconds each, but the fourth and fifth are different: the fourth requires 100°C water for 20 seconds, and the fifth requires 100°C water for 30 seconds.

Even though aged white tea has undergone maturation, it shouldn't be infused for too long.

If it's an aged white tea cake, starting from the second infusion, you can extend the Steeping time by 3-5 seconds for each subsequent infusion, but it still shouldn't be infused for too long.

If it's aged white tea loose leaves, because they have matured over many years and contain more substances, the steeping time should be even quicker. Otherwise, the tea will also taste bitter and astringent.

Infusing is actually a rather extreme method that tends to highlight the flaws in the tea. It's a common technique used by tea evaluators; typically, they use 3 minutes + 3 minutes + 5 minutes for white tea and 5 minutes for other tea types.

For example, some experienced tea drinkers who want to know the flaws of an aged white tea will cover it and let it infuse, then pour out and taste the cooled tea to find the flaws in the tea.

Sometimes, when a tea enthusiast is brewing tea and suddenly needs to leave for a few minutes, they might not have time to decant the water, causing the tea to infuse in the purple clay pot or covered bowl. This releases the deepest substances in the tea, making the tea bitter, intense, and overly stimulating for the body, greatly affecting the tea-drinking experience.

When we truly brew white tea, infusing is done intentionally and with a clear purpose: to make the tea more enjoyable and to brew a pure tea liquor.