TeaChat

Does Adagio have recommendations for tea amounts based on weight rather than volume? If so, where can I find this information? If not, would you consider providing this information?

"A level teaspoon" is so arbitrary. I just received my very first shipment of Adagio samples (so excited! ) but my first cup of tea is very, very weak even though I measured "a level teaspoon" of tea and steeped it for five minutes. I will continue to tweak things but having a recommended weight of tea per 8 oz of water is a much more accurate measure. I am a person armed with no fewer than three electronic scales that measure in grams and ounces so I'm ready!

(I'm new here so it could be that this information is already available, I just don't know where to find it!)

You know, I don't know if Adagio has ever officially addressed the issue, but their October 2006 TeaMuse had a column that suggested 2.5 grams per 8 oz water.

I'm pretty sure that's the ratio most in the industry aim for, but I tend to use 2.5 grams per 6 oz water for most Western brewing, and waaaay more for sencha. (5 or more grams per 10 oz water.) So don't feel married to the 2.5g/8oz thing. Play around and find what works for you.

Well, that makes sense! I measured out a level teaspoon of Golden Monkey, weighed it and it came in at 1.2 grams. No wonder my tea seemed so weak! I will begin with about 2.5 grams of tea per cup and adjust from there. Thanks so much for the response!

I use...

Black/Red Tea: 3g/8oz
White Tea/Oolong 4g/8oz
Sencha, that always depends on what it is, but I'll start with 4.5g/7oz and go from there, sometimes as hights 6-7g/7oz. Kukicha, 6-6.5 grams/7oz.

This is where a scale really comes in handy. I know plenty others prefer to eyeball it, but I am not a traditionalist. I'll let technology give me a hand on making a better cup.

I think it really depends on what tea you have and how you are brewing it. I've experimented with many of my teas, adding more or going with less and I always seem to find a happy medium.

Space Samurai wrote:I use...

Black/Red Tea: 3g/8oz
White Tea/Oolong 4g/8oz
Sencha, that always depends on what it is, but I'll start with 4.5g/7oz and go from there, sometimes as hights 6-7g/7oz. Kukicha, 6-6.5 grams/7oz.

This is where a scale really comes in handy. I know plenty others prefer to eyeball it, but I am not a traditionalist. I'll let technology give me a hand on making a better cup.

Hm I just realized something pretty interesting. I have a digital scale accurate to the .01g, but that's only really a useful piece of information if I can figure out how much water i'm using. I'm sure my water varies quite a bit. I wonder how many of us weigh out our tea, but don't know the water level to a nearly as exact amount. Anyone else like me?

Pentox wrote:..don't know the water level to a nearly as exact amount. Anyone else like me?

No one around here!

eagerly awaiting tenuki rant

Pentox wrote:I wonder how many of us weigh out our tea, but don't know the water level to a nearly as exact amount. Anyone else like me?

I am the low-class tea drinker who doesn't weigh my tea, however, I only have 2 cups I use regularly and pour the water into my cup and pour that over the tea.

Using filtered or RO water makes a big difference, to me more than measuring the leaves. I have had some undrinkable tea that had to be dumped b/c all I had to brew with was tap water. Yuk.

I'm really good at eyeballing my water. Whenever I get a new pot/yuzamashi, I use a measuring cup a few times untill I get good visual feel for it.

I find a scale also lets me play around more. Sometimes I'll make my sencha with either 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, or 7 grams, depending on my mood. In my opinion, this is easier.

TeaScales are for TeaNerds...count me in.

Scales are not for everyone, but I NEED mine especially for Japanese tea.

I like to be able to quantify my results to a degree. It is hard to do that when I am just eye balling it. Consistancy in brewing is unbeatable as well.

And of course as already stated, each tea has a different density making the eye ball thing too hard for me.

I can honestly say, my scale is the single biggest improvement to my tea prep. I did not use a scale for the first 5+ years of tea drinking...when I got mine almost 3 years ago, I can remember saying out loud..."Whoa, that is amazing" when I actually used the right amount of leaf...time after time...

I only use my scale to check and see if a vendor is ripping me off or not.