Tea contains an astonishing number of incredibly healthful and beneficial compounds that are extracted from the leaf when steeped in water. These compounds include polyphenols, which are antioxidants naturally found in plants. The most important polyphenol in tea is EGCG, sometimes referred to as catechin, and is the tannin you taste in tea. Tea also contains methylxanthines, such as caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, which have a pharmacological effect on the body, like the energy boost you get from caffeine. Among the other important compounds in tea you will find amino acids like L-theanine, which has a uniquely relaxing effect on the central nervous system. These compounds are extracted into the water when you steep tea and may become more visible to the naked eye as the tea cools, causing your brew to appear cloudy.

You cold brewed your Yunnan Da Ye and it's still cloudy? Us too! With Yunnan Da Ye and some other traditional teas, this is a result of the specific chemistry of the tea you're brewing. Some teas are simply not meant to be brewed as iced teas, no matter how delicious we think they might be. For Yunnan Da Ye, for example, the specific ratio of caffeine and catechin make it a poor candidate for brewing a clear cold brewed iced tea (though if you don't mind a little haze, it certainly is delicious and refreshing!).

While tea might be the star of the show, it never pays to forget that the base of any tea preparation is water! You need a certain level of minerals like magnesium and calcium in your water to properly extract the tea leaves, but water that is too hard or mineral may cause cloudy tea. Just like the extracted polyphenols and other compounds found in the tea leaf bind with each other, they also bind with the particles found in the water you're using. We recommend filtered water for iced tea, just never distilled! Distilled water is completely stripped of the minerals needed to properly extract your tea, leaving you with a flat and bland brew.

While it may not be the most physically appealing, cloudy iced tea is entirely safe to drink! Of course, presentation is a large part of the satisfaction we derive from food and beverages (just think of how much better the same salad plated in a restaurant tastes than hastily cobbled together at home), so we don't blame you if you want to try again for a clearer brew!