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Have any of you ever tried pressing maocha into cakes? I have some moacha I ordered a while ago and am currently keeping it in a porcelain jar so the flavors don't dissipate. The problem is I really like this tea and want it to oxidize and age. It doesn't seem to hard to quickly steam it, press it, then let it dry out. Any insight or help would be great

Good luck, I don't think this is something easily done on your own without the required tools (the right press, etc) and skill. You can easily screw it up and end up with moldy tea, for example.

The tea will probably oxidize more uncompressed. It will, however, age differently. Which result you'll like more is hard to say, but I would also advise against trying to press your own cakes.

wyardley wrote:The tea will probably oxidize more uncompressed. It will, however, age differently. Which result you'll like more is hard to say, but I would also advise against trying to press your own cakes.

Interestingly, I had just had a conversation with a knowledgeable Chinese Puerh drinker and I asked the question which will age faster, maocha or compressed cake? Without hesitation, they answered the compressed cake. Oxidation and fermentation are 2 different processes. The compression seems to help the fermentation process do its work. The loose tea will still age, but what is the difference really between aging loose Puerh and loose oolong or any other loose tea? Does it make sense?

You might say the bing traps moisture better than the loose.

Tead Off wrote:

wyardley wrote:The tea will probably oxidize more uncompressed. It will, however, age differently. Which result you'll like more is hard to say, but I would also advise against trying to press your own cakes.

Interestingly, I had just had a conversation with a knowledgeable Chinese Puerh drinker and I asked the question which will age faster, maocha or compressed cake? Without hesitation, they answered the compressed cake. Oxidation and fermentation are 2 different processes. The compression seems to help the fermentation process do its work. The loose tea will still age, but what is the difference really between aging loose Puerh and loose oolong or any other loose tea? Does it make sense?

Yes, this is similar to what I heard. It also helps because a cake in contact with air will not lose its flavor nearly as much as maocha and the steaming process is (from what I've heard) vital to the fermentation of the cake

Pressed tea definitely ages better in the long run. I'm just worried about the risks you're taking unless you know what you're doing. Otherwise you can end up with a deformed ball of tea that actually ruins the aging process.

MarshalN wrote:Pressed tea definitely ages better in the long run. I'm just worried about the risks you're taking unless you know what you're doing. Otherwise you can end up with a deformed ball of tea that actually ruins the aging process.

I'll probably buy some inexpensive maocha to test with, make a couple cakes, and try them in a couple months to see how they do.

Exempt wrote:

MarshalN wrote:Pressed tea definitely ages better in the long run. I'm just worried about the risks you're taking unless you know what you're doing. Otherwise you can end up with a deformed ball of tea that actually ruins the aging process.

I'll probably buy some inexpensive maocha to test with, make a couple cakes, and try them in a couple months to see how they do.

If I may ask, how long have you been drinking Puerh?

TIM wrote:

Exempt wrote:

MarshalN wrote:Pressed tea definitely ages better in the long run. I'm just worried about the risks you're taking unless you know what you're doing. Otherwise you can end up with a deformed ball of tea that actually ruins the aging process.

I'll probably buy some inexpensive maocha to test with, make a couple cakes, and try them in a couple months to see how they do.

If I may ask, how long have you been drinking Puerh?

About 9 months. I am fairly new but I followed advice on the forum and have probably tried around 100 different puerhs through sampling. I know this doesn't even scratch the surface compared to some people but I am trying to learn with the limited time and budget I have.

Exempt wrote:I'll probably buy some inexpensive maocha to test with, make a couple cakes, and try them in a couple months to see how they do.

If your goal is to have compressed tea, why not just buy cakes in the first place? Good pu'er is much more readily available, and with more competition, in compressed form.

wyardley wrote:

Exempt wrote:I'll probably buy some inexpensive maocha to test with, make a couple cakes, and try them in a couple months to see how they do.

If your goal is to have compressed tea, why not just buy cakes in the first place? Good pu'er is much more readily available, and with more competition, in compressed form.

Yeah, usually maocha you can buy tend not to be so good to start off with

MarshalN wrote:

wyardley wrote:

Exempt wrote:I'll probably buy some inexpensive maocha to test with, make a couple cakes, and try them in a couple months to see how they do.

If your goal is to have compressed tea, why not just buy cakes in the first place? Good pu'er is much more readily available, and with more competition, in compressed form.

Yeah, usually maocha you can buy tend not to be so good to start off with

Ya, it's probably a bad idea. I may try it just because I can and it could be interesting though

You could try it as an experiment, going in with full knowledge that you might be wasting however much tea you are choosing to press. Maocha doesn't age that badly or anything. You can still age it and drink it later, the result will be different than a cake, though.

Marshaln is right, it is not a particularly easy process if you are just winging it with the proper equipment and experience

Go for it, have fun. You will probably learn more about the aging dynamics of pu than most of us can claim. Of course, you might get sick, but that didn't stop Marie Curie, did it?