How to Use Large Fill-Your-Own Tea Filter Bags for Loose Leaf and Cold Brew

Our large fill-your-own tea filter bags are 4 by 6 inch drawstring bags, big enough to hold a quart-jar portion of loose herb without the leaf swelling out of the top. We use them behind the bar for every cold brew we make, because they keep petals and root bits out of the pitcher and there is no strainer to wash afterward. This guide covers hot steeping, overnight cold brew and a batching habit that saves time all week. For adults 21 and over.

What you need

• Large Fill-Your-Own Tea Filter Bags (4 by 6 inch, drawstring)
• Loose leaf. We use English Lavender Flower and cut Valerian Root in the examples below. Whole flower teas like our lotus flowers work the same way
• A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g
• A 32 oz mason jar with a lid for cold brew, or a mug and teapot for hot
• A kettle and, if you have one, a thermometer

More bags and the rest of our tea gear are in the Accessories and DIY Supplies collection.

How much herb goes in a bag

Weigh, do not scoop. Flowers are light and roots are dense, so a tablespoon means nothing. For a 16 oz hot cup we use 3 to 5 g of lavender or 5 to 8 g of valerian root. For a quart of cold brew we double that: 8 to 12 g of flowers or 12 to 16 g of root.

Never fill a bag more than halfway. Dried herb swells to two or three times its size once it is wet, and a packed bag steeps unevenly because water cannot move through the middle.

Hot steep, step by step

1. Weigh 4 g of lavender into a bag. Pull the drawstring closed and tie a single loose knot, leaving a tail long enough to hang over the rim of the mug.
2. Heat water to about 195 F for flowers, which is just off the boil. Use a full boil, 212 F, for roots.
3. Pour 16 oz over the bag. Push it under with a spoon so the whole bag is wet. A dry patch on top steeps nothing.
4. Cover the mug with a saucer. Steep flowers 5 to 7 minutes and roots 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Lift the bag by its tail, press it once against the side of the mug, and set it on a saucer. Valerian root gives a second steep. Lavender is mostly spent after one.

Cold brew, step by step

1. Weigh 10 g of lavender, 14 g of valerian root, or a half and half split, into one bag. Tie it off.
2. Drop the bag into a clean quart jar and fill with cold, filtered water. Leave an inch of headspace and cap it.
3. Refrigerate. Flowers are ready in 8 to 12 hours and roots in 12 to 18. Past 24 hours the flavor goes flat, so set a timer.
4. Pull the bag, squeeze it gently over the jar, and put the lid back on. Keep it cold and finish it within 3 days.

Cold water pulls fewer of the sharp, tannic notes than hot water does, so cold brew tastes rounder and sweeter. Valerian root in particular smells far milder cold than it does hot, which is the main reason we brew it this way in summer.

Batching for the week

On Sunday we weigh out seven bags at once, tie them, and keep them in a closed jar on the shelf. Each morning one bag goes into a jar of cold water before work and is ready by dinner. Seven bags take about 10 minutes to fill and the loose leaf stays sealed in its original pouch the rest of the week, which keeps it fresher than opening it daily.

Small things that matter

Tie a tail. A bag with no tail sinks and you will be fishing for it with a fork. Rinse the jar with hot water between batches, because flower oils cling to glass and turn the next brew cloudy. Use each bag once. They are cheap, and a reused bag carries yesterday's flavor into today's cup.

If you like a stronger cup, add herb rather than time. Steeping longer past the numbers above adds bitterness faster than it adds flavor.

Disclaimer. For adults 21 and over. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Traditional use of a botanical does not establish that it will produce any particular result. Keep out of reach of children.