Perfect Water

Where I live in PA we have a lot of natural springs that come straight out of mountainsides and are incredibly cold and clear. My best tea is brewed with that water and comes out amazing, however I don't know the exact composition of it. When the weather is bad or I'm lazy we have a local water distributor who sells water already in water cooler (3 & 5 Gallon) jugs from a similar spring, it's excellent as well.

I have tried a number of bottled waters but in the end I go back to my quad filtered (Dupont not Brita/Pur) tap water. I will also say though as an avid camper/backpacker that tea brewed fresh from streams is also tops on my list... but that may just be due to exhaustion/cold and any hot beverage :) To answer your question though, I've seen many establishments use bottled waters for their teas.

- Dominic

A clue to "best" water may be in the location of farms on mountain sides and the fact that mountain waters probably have high mineral content. So if "traditional" has meaning in your ceremony with tea, then perhaps mountain water that's well filtered is most satisfactory.

What I use is distilled water, which is most like soft rain water and mineral free. This suits me best, considering the other problems associated with public water and chemicals such as arsenic that occur naturally in ground water. But I like the highly aerated and mineralized water from a mountain stream, too. Don't know which tastes best. bookburn

Friends,

With my experience, I can say with conviction that rain water is the best for tea. However, please avoid the first few rains .. which are acidic. As far as tasting of tea is concerned, it is possible to notice even minor flaws / differences in the color and taste of liqour, when the sample is brewed using rain water. On the estates, particularly of Assam and Darjeeling, it is quite a common practice. The only difficulty being the readjustment of palate / organoleptic senses with ordinary "tap" water, once monsoon gets over. The rain water can be safely stored in closed, cool and dark containers / tanks, for a long time, and the brew prepared with it is brighter, more flavoury and a wee bit thin.

Tea Cheers! Jayesh S Pandya.

The perfect water composition is the water you taste that tastes the best to you. So you need to compare the waters that are available in your local area, and see which is most suitable to your needs.

This is hilarious.

What exactly is in this magical rain water other that H2O?

And why does it need to be stored in dark containers?

It's not hilarious. Water is serious business - especially when it comes to tea. And any water is not merely just H2O. There are many many kinds of water - from many different sources. Would you use muddy pond water to brew your tea? Or would you prefer swamp water, drawn on a sunny day? Rain water is actually good for tea - provide it's clean. But nowadays, with pollution and everthing, maybe it's not the best choice of water.

Of course, you can always rely on Tapwater Springs - and buy those bottled waters that are really just filtered tap water. Yuck.

It's not only hilarious, it's also ridiculous.

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

Yeah, I asked about that. You conveniently ducked the question.

Not sure what this has to do with anything, but no.

I'd love to run a double-blind experiment on a bunch of water snobs with a few grand at stake. I'd even give odds. Just for fun, we could toss in some of your warm swamp water and maybe some horse piss.

Ridiculous? Well, what kind of tea are you drinking? Don't tell me it's the stuff that comes in little bags. If you drink good tea, you will notice the results good water makes.

I ducked the question, because I don't have to answer it if I don't want to. Do the research yourself. I'm lazy.

grand at stake. I see you're going to be a hard convert. But nobody's going to be doing any hand-holding with you. You have to kind of figure this stuff out for youself. Try different kinds of water - bottled, from lakes, from the tap - in different locales. Compare samples side by side - of just plain water (no need to brew tea or anything). Then you will know. There is a difference.

Other way round. Tap water is often very mineral rich in ways that adversely affect the flavor of, well, anything. In India, tap water is often non-potable.

Do you think iron or sulfur hard or brackish water make good tea?

To avoid algae/mold, if you're saving it for months?

N.

Sadly not. Call your local water supplier and ask for an assay. You will find all sorts of dissolved minerals in your water. Those minerals can dramatically change the taste of tea.

Don't forget the Burton's Water Salts!

--scott