Pu Erh brewing guidelines

[pb2q]

Making a lot of tea and making the right amount of tea are two very different idea. [...] both serve very different needs.

Well put. As for me, the tea is better when brewed circumspectly, in smaller amounts. Better tea, and also an opportunity to breathe and focus on something. Also the good stuff is too costly for me to do otherwise. Brewing for a crowd of even two friends is typically a different situation.

the difference between "Cow"drinking and "Tasting" tea

This is great terminology.

Too often I'm the Cow drinker. Even though I'm brewing gongfu style 99% of the time. I'm careful during brewing, I'm smelling everything along the way, monitoring the tea and thinking about the process. But then I sit down to work and drink carelessly. When it gets out of hand this feeds back into the brewing process and I end up with a worse brew. The tea laughs at me.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

We use about 26grams of tea in 600 to 700 ml of water and we use our french press coffee pot to make the tea. I will get the pictures of the whole process on my website tongiht. I took most of them last night.

The great thing about this set up is that you can make a lot of tea for everyone and you do not to keep making it to give everyone a glass. I have my gongfu style pots, cups and tray and can do that also, but why. Same tea same taste same character of flavor. Only i get a full cup and can drink it for a while. I drink Pu'er as part of my whole life, it is not just a ritual i pull out once and a while. I make ~ 7 pots from one set of Pu'er leaves. So my family, fiends and I drnk about 14 large pots of tea a day. The actual number of people changes everyday, since I do not know who at work might stop by to drink tea with me.

Making a lot of tea and making the right amount of tea are two very different idea. When I first learn to make tea, my teacher told me the difference between "Cow"drinking and "Tasting" tea. Which both serve very different needs.

This couldn't really be put better any other way. Brewing a large amount of tea at once (for drinking) is going to be VERY different than brewing the right amount (I don't think there is a "right amount", but were refering to gong fu here I think ) for actually tasting.

On a side note, I understand the convenience of brewing large amounts of tea at once, especially for multiple people in a party... but if you ever watch some of the videos on youtube how they do a "proper" session in china... well... theres just something very beautiful and calming about the whole thing, and is the way I would rather share tea (most of the time) then just gathering around a big pot 'o tea.

[vibrantdragon]

If calculate the cost 26 grams is about 5 dollar. So not much more than that venti coffee drink at starbucks. From 26 grams you get at least 3.6 liters, a great deal vs Starbucks.

Should we buy coffee drinks at Starbucks or buy water at $1.00 per 500 mls at 7-11 when we can drink great Pu'er at the same or less money?

Fine i have the nice purple clay pot with all the beautiful small cups and the nice bamboo tray, but do i need that at work just ot enjoy my healthy tea drink.

No one i know in china drinks tea that way, everyone leaves the house in the morning with thier glass jars with tea in it. and they drink it all day. Walk down to the water heater and fill their glass (200 ml or so) and drink iit.

If we want to improve our lives here in US we need to drink Pu'er and others teas as part of our everyday lives not a special ritual.

Gongfu is fun and internally focused, but we also need to bring tea drinking into our everyday life and make it the same as drinking coffee or something. Save Gongfu for very special teas or a time we need the relaxation that ritual gives us. No one is going to do that everyday many times. Make it an act of reverance. Make tea part of our everday life.

[vibrantdragon]

On a side note, I understand the convenience of brewing large amounts of tea at once, especially for multiple people in a party... but if you ever watch some of the videos on youtube how they do a "proper" session in china... well... theres just something very beautiful and calming about the whole thing, and is the way I would rather share tea (most of the time) then just gathering around a big pot 'o tea.

Just rememer in those videos the person serving the tea is trying to sell you that tea. The mood they set is all a part of the sell. A nice pot is great, if you want the focus on your friends not the tea or the work at hand. I was just at a nice group meeting and i brought my pot of tea and everyone a cup. A great way to get people talking about their results. Pu'er helps to focus everyones mind and give them the energy for the afternoon meeting.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

On a side note, I understand the convenience of brewing large amounts of tea at once, especially for multiple people in a party... but if you ever watch some of the videos on youtube how they do a "proper" session in china... well... theres just something very beautiful and calming about the whole thing, and is the way I would rather share tea (most of the time) then just gathering around a big pot 'o tea.

Just rememer in those videos the person serving the tea is trying to sell you that tea... The mood they set is all a part of the sell...

I suppose in some (perhaps many) cases this is true, but at any rate I don't think you can seperate gong fu from everyday life. For me, gong fu'ing tea is everyday life. I know they drink green tea a lot the way you mentioned, but I can't say I have heard or know of them doing this with pu.

In any case as long as you enjoy the tea however way you brew it than thats all you really need to know

[vibrantdragon]

I will find a picture. They have these large baskets that fit ontop of a glass that holds the tea. You pour the hot water into the top and let it set with the tea and than push a buttom let the water out of the bottom of the basket into the glass at the bottom. Drink the tea in the glass and than do it again. This is used all the time in Jinghong by most people at the office and in the home. Jinghong is the real commerical center for Pu'er in Yunnan. Plus, most of the good tea mountains surround Jinghong.

[TIM]

I will find a picture. They have these large baskets that fit ontop of a glass that holds the tea. You pour the hot water into the top and let it set with the tea and than push a buttom let the water out of the bottom of the basket into the glass at the bottom. Drink the tea in the glass and than do it again. This is used all the time in Jinghong by most people at the office and in the home. Jinghong is the real commerical center for Pu'er in Yunnan. Plus, most of the good tea mountains surround Jinghong.

Thanks for all the helpful info. Since you've been to Jinghong and tasted many good puerhs, if you don't mind me asking about your view on chachi and it's effects on you? Thanks in advance. T

[vibrantdragon]

Hi, here is the picture I was talking about. It is called Pio Yi Teapot.



https://cid-78b07b560eb424a6.skydrive.l ... Pot/is.jpg

sorry can not get the code to work.

[vibrantdragon]

Thanks for all the helpful info. Since you've been to Jinghong and tasted many good puerhs, if you don't mind me asking about your view on chachi and it's effects on you? Thanks in advance. T

I think that Qi is very important, but i feel that most people in Xishuangbanna are just normal people and care more about the cultural aspects of tea, unless you can find a tea master that really know and live the chadao. The masters are used to make some of the really special teas, that are not commonly available. Some people are starting to be trained in Chachi and learn which tea is best for certain conditions and certain body types, but this is a newer trend and more focused on the culture. This is a very complex question and will most like involve many documents and many descriptions. There are culturally, philosophical and mystical aspects that all must be considered.

Those of us that sell tea; honor the tea and honor the spirit in those that drinks our tea. In my mind Tea is a drink, it is glass of chemicals that can help heal you or clean you body. Than if you combine it with Qi and the honor of the spirit it can be much more. Maybe that first time you look over the edge of the Grand Canyon or the top of the mountain. Again we must consider the internal preparations and the external handling of the tea. If you can use Gongfu to focus your spirit and feel the tea that is great, but remember it is only one path.

But there is nothing wrong with a healthily drink that can clean our bodies and make us healthily and taste greats. Good friends good health good life.

Namasté

[Jeremy]

Well I use a semi cow drinking method at work, and pure gong fu at home.

Work - 250 ML yixing pot, and zojirushi water boiler.
This makes for pretty large glasses of tea for me to consume from a 6 oz double walled glass.

Home-
100ml gaiwan, glass pots on flame only. 2 small tasting cups .


As far as brewing time, this def varies to taste. I was using a digital timer and trying to time infusions. This seemed to take some of the fun out of it. So now a teacher showed me a few new ways to time.

1. No timing , brew to taste. First infusion light, then real heavy on second, then stay at the sweet spot for further infusions.


2. You can use breaths to time, I think its like 3s per breath.

3. Use the speed of your pour from the kettle to brewing vessel and speed of tea from brewing vessel to brew longer or shorter.

For green puerh I think its important to increment infusion time to properly taste the layers of the tea. But when Im at my desk at 7am, I want a fast strong cup with as little fuss as possible

[JAS-eTea Guy]

Using a yixing pot, I use about 6 grams of tea. I rinse with water just off of boil twice for about 10 seconds.
Then, I infuse based on what I see, smell and taste (by small sips) from the rinses. Usually, infusions start at about 10 seconds since my yixing takes at least ten seconds to empty.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

Using a yixing pot, I use about 6 grams of tea. I rinse with water just off of boil twice for about 10 seconds.
Then, I infuse based on what I see, smell and taste (by small sips) from the rinses. Usually, infusions start at about 10 seconds since my yixing takes at least ten seconds to empty.

My pot has about a 10 second pour too when full of leaf. What size pot are you working with?