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Does Black Tea Turn Cloudy When Cold? Is It a Quality Issue?

Tea News · Aug 13, 2025

 Have you ever noticed that when brewing black tea, if you don't drink it while it's hot and let the tea soup cool down, the originally clear and bright tea soup becomes somewhat cloudy? At this point, you might think this indicates poor tea quality. But is that really the case? What is this 'cloudy substance,' and how does it form? If you're curious, fellow tea lovers, keep reading to find out!

 

 

Why does a bowl of brewed black tea turn cloudy if not drunk in time? This is actually called 'cold after turbidity,' a normal phenomenon. The tea polyphenols and their oxidation products in black tea, along with caffeine, exist in a free state at high temperatures and dissolve in hot water. However, as the temperature drops, they coagulate and precipitate, forming a milky substance, causing the tea soup to become cloudy. 'Cold after turbidity' indicates rich substances in the tea and is a sign of high-quality black tea.

 

 

After brewing black tea for a while, the water temperature drops, and the tea soup becomes cloudy. Adding hot water can restore the bright red color of the soup. Therefore, this is a normal phenomenon.

 

 

Today's knowledge about black tea's 'cold after turbidity' ends here. Many tea lovers might now regret wasting so much good tea in the past. But it's not too late to learn! Everyone starts as a tea novice before becoming a master. Moreover, the journey of learning about tea is long, so keep learning and applying!

 

 
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