TeaChat

I have a few questions about this:

1) How do people do this? I have an electric water heater and I lay the cake or brick across the opening where the steam comes out.

2) Am I running the risk of getting larger parts of the pressed tea too wet?

3) Does the heat from the steam hurt the tea that doesn't get used up right away?

Usually, I've only heard about this being done for *really* tightly compressed teas, usually super tight tuocha. Is there a reason you're not going to just break the tea up the "normal" way?

There is some advice online about the steaming method. Personally, I would tend to avoid it unless you really need to.

1) I think methods vary, as long as you have steam and you soften the tea

2) Yes

3) Yes, depending on how you do it.

So don't do it.

Don't do it, spend some time with a solid knife or pick instead. I tried to steam some pu to loosen it up, but it really changes the profile. Try it on a small bit, make some tea side by side using a small piece that has been steamed and one that has not been. I have found that even a short steaming really alters the characteristics, and not in a good way in my limited experience.

Hey i do it with eletric heater and put a strainer over it and put pu in the strainer (bigger pieces).

It doesnt spoil the taste if you let it dry and use your pu over nex few weeks,..after a month or so pu starts to change taste.