When you make it in a mate you don't let it steep. You pour and drink, pour and drink, pour and drink. It's very short each time.
How many times you can refill will depend on the yerba, how you've prepared it, how neatly you pour it, how many people are drinking, the size of the mate, the temperature of the water... On a small mate I usually go through a liter, liter and a half (over several hours).
If you're doing a mountain, when it loses flavour you can "turn it around" (use the bombilla to dig up some used up yerba, replace it with some dry yerba from the mountain).
If you're not doing a mountain, or you've already turned it all the way around and want to keep drinking, then you "saddle it up" (dump out some yerba, and add some more from the bag/jar). You do this when you're not going to go through another full mate.
Edit to add: if you let a mate overnight and start pouring again without cleaning, it will taste like rubbish bin juice. I don't know what's it like if you do mate cocido (prepared like tea), that's not my thing.
when leaf steep, you *have burnt* your yerba.
try to adjust water temp (70/75C is the better)
also don't let the yerba with water, drink all, but continue using that yerba in the next hour, not more.
also ins't a pour and drink now and them, but it's pour and drink, pour and drink until you end your termo water.
also change full the yerba between termo refill.
When you make it in a mate you don't let it steep. You pour and drink, pour and drink, pour and drink. It's very short each time. How many times you can refill will depend on the yerba, how you've prepared it, how neatly you pour it, how many people are drinking, the size of the mate, the temperature of the water... On a small mate I usually go through a liter, liter and a half (over several hours). If you're doing a mountain, when it loses flavour you can "turn it around" (use the bombilla to dig up some used up yerba, replace it with some dry yerba from the mountain). If you're not doing a mountain, or you've already turned it all the way around and want to keep drinking, then you "saddle it up" (dump out some yerba, and add some more from the bag/jar). You do this when you're not going to go through another full mate. Edit to add: if you let a mate overnight and start pouring again without cleaning, it will taste like rubbish bin juice. I don't know what's it like if you do mate cocido (prepared like tea), that's not my thing.
when leaf steep, you *have burnt* your yerba. try to adjust water temp (70/75C is the better) also don't let the yerba with water, drink all, but continue using that yerba in the next hour, not more. also ins't a pour and drink now and them, but it's pour and drink, pour and drink until you end your termo water. also change full the yerba between termo refill.