tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post322408009247682828..comments2024-01-22T04:03:01.815-08:00Comments on Tea Obsession: How to time a good brew without a timerImenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810835688957113404noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-78877642564677299102009-10-18T15:58:28.246-07:002009-10-18T15:58:28.246-07:00"Using only 3g of leaf with at least 100ml of..."Using only 3g of leaf with at least 100ml of water, I can see how you'd be able to inspect the liquor above the leaves, say, in a white gaiwan." <br /><br />I use 3g of leaves for most of the old bush DC, and always have started with 3g or less for a new tea. My taste is on the lighter side of the spectrum. <br /><br />"But in a zisha pot with a narrow opening? Seems to me the liquor would essentially be invisible there. Am I missing something?"<br /><br />Using a Zisha is essentially the same. Instead of looking inside of the pot, you check the color when pouring thru the spout, or color of tea in cup. Begin with slow and observe color, if too light, pour slower, if too dark, tilt pot to perpendicular, if just right, pour normally. We all know as long as leaves are in water, it's still extracting, so even as we pour tea out, it's still steeping. Prolong pouring time means longer steeping.Imenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16810835688957113404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-36362555070520509012009-10-15T07:22:40.492-07:002009-10-15T07:22:40.492-07:00"judge the color and consistency of the liquo...<i>"judge the color and consistency of the liquor while it's still brewing rather than once it's been decanted"<br />Yes!</i><br /><br />OK. Using only 3g of leaf with at least 100ml of water, I can see how you'd be able to inspect the liquor above the leaves, say, in a white gaiwan. But in a zisha pot with a narrow opening? Seems to me the liquor would essentially be invisible there. Am I missing something?Lew Perinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05843222191460729180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-32272520447008656102009-10-13T14:03:09.065-07:002009-10-13T14:03:09.065-07:00Thank you all for your inputs!
Lewis:
"judge...Thank you all for your inputs!<br /><br />Lewis:<br />"judge the color and consistency of the liquor while it's still brewing rather than once it's been decanted"<br />Yes!<br /><br />halfkill:<br />1) After e.g. 8th infusion when the tea leaves are weak do you recommend to add new leaves to the pot or first clean the "old" leaves out and then add only the fresh ones?<br />No, do not add new tea leaves to already brewed leaves. <br /><br /><br />2)How do you know when has the water the right temperature?<br /><br />Type (color) of dry leaves tells you approximately how hot (in range) of the water you want to experiment with. <br /><br />My personal experience is from low to high by the following order range between 180 to 212 F. The temperature also varies by the size of leaves, small/delicate vs large/coarse/woodiness. <br /><br />Green, white, yellow, green oolong, green pu-erh, medium oolong, dark oolong, aged green pu-erh, black, cooked pu-erh.Imenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16810835688957113404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-80464582231604805012009-10-10T05:33:24.828-07:002009-10-10T05:33:24.828-07:00Clear and descriptive, very nice. I never used a t...Clear and descriptive, very nice. I never used a timer but in the very beginning I was recommended to count the breath. It sound maybe silly but I learned to concentrate on myself and the moment with tea. Additionally you brew your tea right :).<br />With thermometer it's a bit different, I don't use it but it's very hard for me to assess the right temperature without it. maybe in future I'll get one.<br /><br />Imen I've got 2 questions in regards with brewing.<br />1) After e.g. 8th infusion when the tea leaves are weak do you recommend to add new leaves to the pot or first clean the "old" leaves out and then add only the fresh ones?<br />2)How do you know when has the water the right temperature?<br />Thanxhalfkillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10056738526274764370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-58360147092477233302009-10-09T15:09:06.174-07:002009-10-09T15:09:06.174-07:00Thanks for this, Imen! I found the post very illu...Thanks for this, Imen! I found the post very illuminating.<br /><br />I was surprised that you don't discard a first steep (rinse.) I myself am always vacillating on this issue, but I thought of you as a traditionalist who'd always rinse.<br /><br />I was also surprised that you use only 3g of leaves with 100-120ml of water as a starting point. My surmise is that you do this because you want to judge the color and consistency of the liquor <i>while it's still brewing</i> rather than once it's been decanted.Lew Perinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05843222191460729180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-91425474799470886212009-10-09T02:17:11.324-07:002009-10-09T02:17:11.324-07:00I have decided to go without specific timing anymo...I have decided to go without specific timing anymore for my Puerh tea. And the water temp is easy because it's just boiling. But the reason for this is that I'm giving up Gong Fu-style multiple short steepings. I'm going to do a single very long steeping with a small amount of leaf and a lot of water. This can be done with Puerh better than with any other tea except for some sturdy Oolongs. It's going to simplify tea making for me. <a href="http://www.jasonwitt.org/teaternity.html" rel="nofollow">--Teaternity</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-77801323651630974062009-10-08T20:36:45.764-07:002009-10-08T20:36:45.764-07:00I myself have gone from a wrist watch to a timer t...I myself have gone from a wrist watch to a timer to no added tools in a year. And somehow I feel that the lack of tools makes the tea taste much more personal. <br /><br />Though I do follow certain extra signs, such as if brewing in a yixing, I observe the absorption of the water with the pot, but that also comes with getting to know your equipment. Or as is occasionally easier, with a Gaiwan I can easily tell color.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08939074707659681899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31843014.post-12612495738655013962009-10-08T20:19:41.886-07:002009-10-08T20:19:41.886-07:00I think what you have to say is really excellant, ...I think what you have to say is really excellant, but for myself I need to use a timer because I can get distracted easily and if nothing else, a timer reminds me to check on how my tea is doing. I also mostly do black teas, with longer brew times.Marlenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01075020988377774265noreply@blogger.com