TeaChat

debunix wrote:I think the debate over how many infusion max you can get from a tea is strongly biased by preferences for weaker or stronger brew. Someone like me, who likes tea more dilute, can easily enjoy more infusions from the same amount of tea, even without adding additional infusions by brewing overnight a few times.

Biased or not, that is why we need tea drinking buddies. So we are not making these claims up by self 'makes believe'.

I once got 14 infusions out of a rather cheap TGY. All of them had good flavour strenght. Mostly, though, I'm satisfied with 3, 5 or maybe 7 infusions from a good TGY.

Qiu Xiang Tie Kuan Yin - This shop owns a Tie Kuan Yin farm and factory in china. They have a range of grades, from cheap to premium.

Went and try these today...

Qiu Xiang Wang - Single Roasted 150g (left), Double Roasted 150g (Right)

Qiu Xiang Green Kuan Yin 150g

Qiu Xiang Kuan Yin Wang - Single Roasted 100g - This won Silver award in the recent Tea Expo 2011

Qiu Xiang Huang Jin Gui - This is not TieKuanYin, but taste a like it.





They have many more grades, but I am feeling not comfortable already from the same kind of taste... so enough for today

Tie Kuan Yin - Good aroma. Green.

Life is tough.... 6 different grades of single estate Anxi Xiping Tikwanyin.
Ranging from 1000 meter above see level, 400+ years old bushes to lowest $120/pound.

Luckily, the cha qi are very obvious

A picture tells a thousand words ... Thanks for the great comparative photo Tim, and to auhckw.

TIM wrote:Life is tough.... 6 different grades of single estate Anxi Xiping Tikwanyin.
Ranging from 1000 meter above see level, 400+ years old bushes to lowest $120/pound.

Neat... though, uh... any help on which is which in the picture?

TIM wrote:

brandon wrote:

debunix wrote: Do you have a table, cabinet or counter where you store the teapot with their superlong-brewing leaves during this process? I am imagining a little collection of pots with tea-in-progress, separate from the dry, cleaned pots....and a generous pot collection to facilitate this.

I'm new to the idea of all-day steeping, but I like the idea of a tea that still has body and personality 15+ steeps in. I have to say I'm a little creeped out by the idea of drinking/reusing leaves that have been sitting out at room temperature all day/night, though -- will the near-boiling temperature take care of any bacteria that comes along? Or does the tea's antiseptic properties do that for you? I'm probably being a worrywart, but I generally toss anything (used) that's not refrigerated after a couple hours.

With that said, I think I'm going add a little more leaf to my gaiwan and push for 10+ steepings throughout the day tomorrow. The Dong Ding I have isn't super premium, but I can still taste/smell that lovely floral aroma after a solid 7 steeps, so I think I could get a couple more with even longer infusions.

debunix wrote:I think the debate over how many infusion max you can get from a tea is strongly biased by preferences for weaker or stronger brew.

I absolutely agree.

I have tasted infusions of oolongs that the tea master raved about. For me, they were just coloured water.

I like my oolongs with a nice pronounced flavour, so even good quality leaves don't last very long for me.

Best wishes,
sherubtse

I count myself lucky that I enjoy my tea a little more dilute than average--good for the tea budget!