TeaChat

I primarily drink black tea but am starting to experiment w/oolong. What is the ideal steeping time? I've done 5 min but it still seems a little weak. Don't know if I'm not letting it steep long enough or if I'm just not used to the lighter body. TIA for your help.

Well there are many variables here. Five minutes should be fine, but how much water are you using? And how muuch leaf? Oolongs need room and should not be cramped, what kind of vessel are you using? The water should be just off boiling.

Yes it can depend on the oolong too, some are light and some are more robust. Which variety are you using?

Common strategy: "If the tea is weak, use more leaf!"

Wesli wrote:Common strategy: "If the tea is weak, use more leaf!"

Or less water.

So far the only oolong I've had in H&S pomegranate oolong which is loose tea in a pyramid bag. First mistake was using rolling boil water rather than lower temp. I've got samples from Adagio coming...some flavored oolongs & #40 (thanx, Scruff, for mentioning in another post that it was similar to black tea). Just wasn't sure if it followed the same measurement as black tea (1 tsp/8 oz water) & how long to steep.

since you didn't mention what oolong you are brewing or what temperature you are brewing at I can't help. sorry.

My favorite oolong, tie guan yin, can be brewed for around 2 1/2 mins with good results, but seems to take on lesser tastes after 3. I think most Chinese teas are at their best when brewed kung-fu style with short immersions, but oolongs in particular.

Wesli wrote:Common strategy: "If the tea is weak, use more leaf!"

Exactly! You don't want to steep longer than 3 min as anything longer will start to release bitter tanins.

I disagree, brewed in a gaiwan maybe.
But in an IngenuiTea 5 mins is need for TQY,
in my opinon, of course.

It really depends on how much leaf and water you're using. In a gaiwan you don't usually need to steep for more than about 45 seconds. If I use my infuser mug and only use a very little then a couple mins is usually all that's needed, but add just a quarter to half teaspoon and 45-60 seconds is all it needs. That little bit can also make a big difference in flavor.

As Tenuki noted, the type of oolong and temperature will change things as well. Different oolongs will have different requirements. TGY will take longer on the first steep, for example, because the leaves have to open up before they do much of anything.

Victoria's Own wrote:I disagree, brewed in a gaiwan maybe.
But in an IngenuiTea 5 mins is need for TQY,
in my opinon, of course.

Wow that long! Thank god I gongfu brew as me don't like to wait around for tea

hop_goblin wrote:

Wow that long! Thank god I gongfu brew as me don't like to wait around for tea

Yeah, but you have such a tiny amount!

I do 4 minutes at about 187F. Use more leaf if it's too weak for you.

My TGY comes in 8g packs. My teapot's about 8 oz. 10 seconds after the rinse I'm in the tea-drinking business. kungfu tea for me

skywarrior wrote:

hop_goblin wrote:

Wow that long! Thank god I gongfu brew as me don't like to wait around for tea

Yeah, but you have such a tiny amount!

I do 4 minutes at about 187F. Use more leaf if it's too weak for you.

Tiny amount? You mean the infusion? Yes, I brew roughly 120cc at a time,. However, when you brew gongfu, you steep time are seconds and not minutes. But trust me, if you have never brewed tea using the gongfu method with Yixing teapots which are made of high quality zisha, then you have never taste the potential of tea!