Tea is one of the most popular hot drinks around the world. There’s nothing quite like the warm sensation that comes from a nicely steeped cup of tea in the winter. For tea enthusiasts, you may have noticed that while steeping some tea bags float and some sink. Why is that?
In general tea bags sink when being steeped in hot water. Some reasons why they may float include trapped air inside the bag, or the density of the tea not being heavier than water. Tea bags may also be a bit oily causing them to want to stay on top of the water.
Do floating tea bags affect the quality of your tea? Keep reading to find out and discover methods to prevent floating tea bags.
Why Do Tea Bags Float?
There are a number of reasons why tea bags may float during the steeping process.
- Air trapped inside: if there is air trapped inside the tea bag it will float above the hot water. Just like bubbles in carbonated drinks rise to the top, the air in the tea bag will force it to rise as well.
- Low density tea: most dry teas are less dense than water and by the laws of physics will then float. Most any dried organic items will float unless significantly soaked in water beforehand to gain enough density to sink in the tea.
- Oily tea: oil and water do not get along, and thus if the tea has been in contact with oil whether for preservation or simple organic release, it will combat the water and want to float on top.
- Type of tea bag: pyramid tea bags are more likely to sink because of their larger holes in that let air pass through. Regular tea bags will often float because of the small mesh size that doesn’t let air through, although this can vary with type of tea and brand. The same goes for loose leaf tea bags.
- Pouring technique: If you pour the water in after the tea bag it is more likely to float because the water creates a quick seal on the bag trapping the air inside.
What Effect Does Floating Tea Bags Have?
Floating tea bags diminish the strength of the tea. The leaves that remain above the surface will not be able to give as much flavor to the water given they are not steeped. Most tea-making instructions say the tea bag should be immersed within the hot water to extract the flavor.
With floating tea bags the time needed for steeping increases. The tea leaves will not be evenly used because they are not all submerged in the water. The more time the few leaves have in the hot water the stronger the tea will be, but it will never be as strong as a tea bag that sunk.
The good news is the tea should not taste much different. A floating tea bag does not affect the taste of the tea, but simply the brewing process. It’s more of an annoyance than anything.
How to Avoid Floating Tea Bags
Now that you know the reasons behind floating tea bags, there are three great ways to avoid this nuisance during the tea making process: pouring technique, manipulating the tea bag before steeping, removing trapped air beforehand.
Pouring Technique
The easiest and best way to avoid a floating tea bag is the pour the water first and then SLOWLY add the tea bag. This gives time for the air to escape before the water around the bag creates a seal trapping it in.
It is also possible that you could put the tea bag in first and then aim the water away from the bag when pouring to fill the cup. This would prevent the seal from being created right away and diminish the effect of putting the tea bag in first. However, this would not completely eradicate the seal the water creates and there could still be some floating.
Manipulating the Tea Bag
This may seem obvious, but if your tea bag continues to float after pouring the water in first, you can try and manipulate the tea bag to get it to sink in. This could mean attaching something heavy to the bottom of it like a needle or a paperclip. This changes the density of your tea bag enough to be heavier than water and sink.
Another option is to simply hold the tea bag down under the water until steeped to your liking. For example you could place a spoon on top of the bag to hold it at the bottom of the cup. It would allow for the tea to steep as needed and then effectively stop the steeping or slow it down once removed and the bag continues to float.
Removing Trapped Air
If you forget to pour the water in first, or put the tea bag in too quickly and the water has created a seal around the bag causing it to float, you can remove this trapped air while the bag is still in the water. Using a spoon or other utensil, push the tea bag against the side of the container to push the air out of the bag.
Without the air inside the bag the tea bag will sink instead of float and create yummy deliciousness to drink!
Final Thoughts
A floating tea bag is not a red flag, however for the best tea the bag should sink to the bottom of the cup. Floating tea bags mean less flavor strength. The most common reason for a floating tea bag is trapped air inside the bag that wants to float to the top like carbonation.
There are a number of ways to prevent or correct this most notably pouring the water in before slowly placing the tea bag into the water. This prevents the water from trapping air in the bag and stopping it from sinking and properly steeping. and We definitely recommend making sure your tea bags sink for the ultimate tea drinking experience!
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.
