Is it bitter or too strong? (Or, am I a wimp?)

Is an orange too apple?

Nigel at Teacraft

Sorry about not trying to answer the question(s) in your original post, but I was responding to a later post.

By the way, when you identify bitterness with acidity, I don't see how this could be right. Acidity = sourness. I'm sure I've read that the human sensory apparatus has separate receptors for bitterness and sourness, among very few other taste components.

/Lew

Moron

Exactly.

/Lew

...snip...

Quick update. I just brewed my third pot:

1. 4.5g, 18oz, 1.50g/cup, 212°, 2:00

This was actually quite good. I might even try it slightly stronger.

I took a measurement to find out what 1 tsp weighs. I found that 10 tsp weigh 11.8 grams, so 1 tsp ~= 1.18g. That's even weaker than my third pot and almost half the strength of my first pot.

I think I'll order a larger sample.

Is that a measuring teaspoon or a flatware teaspoon? Also, please be aware that the type of leaf will affect the volume which will, of course, affect the weight.

Sounds like you're making progress.

Give me a little credit...

Er, uh, that's why I am weighing...

LOL!

I'm confused because you were weighing before. What's the point of measuring with a teaspoon and weighing that amount when the volume of each tea is going to be different and weighing is the accurate way to measure? It strikes me that you're introducing an extra, unnecessary step that yields data of inconsequential significance since it will vary from tea to tea.

I'm used to people going from using a teaspoon to a scale to obtain an accurate measurement and you're going from the accurate method to the inaccurate. Sorry, but it seems like you're going backward for no useful reason that I can discern. Please enlighten me.

I am going to continue using a scale.

Most vendors provide brewing instructions in volume units and it's usually 1 tsp/cup. I am measuring to find out how much a tsp weighs.

As you say, it varies a lot.

I hate to say it but I really think you are just continually complicating matters for no discernible reason but to stick to some scientific ideal with no basis in anything. I'm not saying this to be rude, we've already been there and back, but at some point you have to be realistic and see that your desire to ignore most everything said, and thousands of years of history, and sticking to arbitrary "measurements" has rarely turned out for the positive. You are trying to quantify something that cannot be quantified in the way you or vendors are trying to do. At most you are going to get an approximation even with the most rigid measurement.

I honestly gave you probably the best advice I could hope to in your last thread:

You're free to do as you will, certainly, but I just don't get why you keep to this rigid structure but keep posting here for unscientific/ unmetered advice. If your method is sound it will result in "perfection" eventually on its own, our meddling will only delay that. Seriously if your efforts were creating amazing results I could understand, but it's just not going to happen. Let go a bit, come at it from a new angle, and see what happens... even if just to prove everyone wrong.

- Dominic

You still haven't answered my question and I'm not enlightened. Sure, vendors suggest 1 tsp. per cup because there are those who don't know better and who don't have scales. Since you apparently don't fall into that category, please correct me if I'm wrong, what's the point in weighing the amount of tea that a teaspoon holds?

It stills strikes me that you're going backwards. Did you just get your scale? Is that why you're weighing the amount a teaspoon holds? I can understand it if you want to see the difference between measuring by volume and by weight if you just got a scale because that's what people do when they transition from one method to another. After a while, though, they get over it and don't go back as you seem to be doing. That's why I'm asking about your motivation. It doesn't serve a purpose that I can see.

(sigh) I'm just doing a little experimenting. It has already yielded a lot of information that is valuable to me. I understand that neither my approach nor probably any information that I obtain is of any interest to you and seems to be offensive (otherwise, why would you continue to tell me what an idiot I am?). But I am not trying to convince you to use my methods. Why do you need to keep telling me that I am doing it all wrong? I have heard your perspective every time you have made it. I've adopted what I can. Why is that not good enough?

Have you considered this advice for yourself?

Projection?

It's just data. It serves at least a couple of purposes.

1. The vendor says to use 1 tsp / cup. Since I want to use weight, I'd like to know what a teaspoon of this tea weights. It doesn't take long to measure 10-20 tsp into a scale cup. I am going to adjust the amount of tea to suit my taste, but this gives me a starting point and a reference point.
2. Measuring by volume is easier than by weight. I can measure 3-4 tsp more quickly than I can measure 9.7 g. Once I know roughly how strong I like the tea, converting back to teaspooons can be useful.
3. It's just interesting data. What can I say. I'm an engineer. I like data and pocket protectors. ;-)

PS: I've had a scale since I started drinking tea.

Again, vendors do that only because most people don't know better and don't have scales. Anybody who knows anything knows to start with 2 g or 2.25 g per 6 oz cup. That weight is your starting/reference point, not the teaspoon because the teaspoon is inaccurate due to type of leaf. If the teaspoon was accurate, you wouldn't have found the variance that you did.

Yes, that's why some people don't like using scales.

Only for that particular batch of tea, perhaps. Do you smoke? I've found several smokers who don't have a particularly discerning palate. If you're a smoker, I suspect it won't matter much how you measure.

Sorry, you don't sound like an engineer with the way you're doing things.

Whatever. To each his own. Have fun.