Some tealeaves can be put away for a number of hours for second runs. Green teas, greener style oolongs, white teas that are actually green, very young types of “raw” puer (ie shengcha) are NOT very good for this. Try to finish these types of teas in a half day.
For other types of teas, do not disturb the tealeaves, and do not open the lid of the infusion vessel after the last round of infusion before putting away. There is no need to put the whole thing into the fridge unless the room temperature is beyond the high 20’s (°C). In any case, always blanch the leaves once again before infusing again.
I feel safer with a smaller vessel with a tighter lid, such as a gaiwan or a small porcelain teapot. An infuser mug, which infuser has to be lifted and left in the open while the tea being drunk, is obviously not suitable for doing this.
The Yixing teapot is especially good in protecting the leaves between infusions. In the case of matured teas, I am comfortable in using leftover leaves even from yesterday, with the pot left on the infusion table all night, even in summer. Just follow the protocol above and it seems just like a continuation in the last session.
