TeaChat

I was wondering, what kind of tea leaves the members of TC are used to wash, before the infusion/infusions? What reason motivates you to do this?

I wash pu-erh, but only because of the way it's stored — compressed into cakes and wrapped in paper (when compared to the vacuum-packed bags of many other teas), no information on how the cakes were transported, etc.

Frankly I don't even know how pu-erh cakes retain their shape with modern processes. The ancient way was to use blood or manure to make the cake keep its shape, which is why the ancient process of brewing pu-erh was to first toast it on a pan. I'm sure things've changed since then, though.

With other teas, I'll drink the first, but my tasting notes are generally based on the 2nd and 3rd.

I wash pu'erh, and Twining's blacks and Gunpowder with 80°C water since they get dusty sometimes.
(Yes, I put the last two in "other teas".)

I always discard the rinse of puerh, given that it is growing microorganisms and god knows what. I sometimes discard the rinse of oolongs, and sometimes just skim the top and wash that away. I have been told those bubbles are surfactants, so dirt etc. adheres to them. I usually just skim hongcha, as it doesn't stand up to many infusions. I realize that I should probably rinse lower quality teas more often, but I probably rinse them LESS often since they are not getting the gongfu treatment.

Evan Draper wrote:I always discard the rinse of puerh, given that it is growing microorganisms and god knows what. I sometimes discard the rinse of oolongs, and sometimes just skim the top and wash that away. I have been told those bubbles are surfactants, so dirt etc. adheres to them. I usually just skim hongcha, as it doesn't stand up to many infusions. I realize that I should probably rinse lower quality teas more often, but I probably rinse them LESS often since they are not getting the gongfu treatment.

Why should you rinse lower quality teas more often?

jextxadore wrote:

Evan Draper wrote:I always discard the rinse of puerh, given that it is growing microorganisms and god knows what. I sometimes discard the rinse of oolongs, and sometimes just skim the top and wash that away. I have been told those bubbles are surfactants, so dirt etc. adheres to them. I usually just skim hongcha, as it doesn't stand up to many infusions. I realize that I should probably rinse lower quality teas more often, but I probably rinse them LESS often since they are not getting the gongfu treatment.

Why should you rinse lower quality teas more often?

Probably because low quality often leads to a greater chance of pesticides and other substances.

For myself, I execute the washing of the leaves only for raw Pu-Erh, ripe Pu-Erh, and in general all the Oolong.
I tried with Chinese green teas, but I find that washing, albeit quickly, takes away a certain amount of tastes and aromas, so I'm looking for a way to execute the washing of these leaves with cold water.

Just pu'er, as for the reasons stated above re: microorganisms. Mostly, it's because I started out doing it that way following instructions and just kept doing it like that. I don't think I've ever drank it straight.

I've thought about rinsing oolongs to increase it's steeping ability, but I don't really do that. I make do with the first one or two infusions being kind of weak.

M.

I too tend to drink the first infusion instead of pouring it away. I never make notes based on it though.

Edit: Posting on 4 hours' sleep usually isn't a good idea anyway. If any mod reads this, please delete this post (it just repeats what I posted last time)…

I rinse everything.

Didn't Cao Cao or some historic figure once say that drinking the rinsing liquid wasn't even fit for a dog?

That was probably said in a time when blood and manure were used to help the cakes keep their shape.

If you drink pu erh, you definitely want to be rinsing the stuff! Sometimes you have to pick out your free gift: cigarette butts, turds, dead lizards, sticks, nylon string, etc. I wonder if anyone ever got a used condom in their bing?

I thought the type of cigarette in the cake was the major thing in contributing to the taste and aging of the tea…oops?

jayinhk wrote:If you drink pu erh, you definitely want to be rinsing the stuff! Sometimes you have to pick out your free gift: cigarette butts, turds, dead lizards, sticks, nylon string, etc. I wonder if anyone ever got a used condom in their bing?

I honestly think that if you find all of these stuff inside of your Pu-Erh, you absolutely need to change seller.
In all the (few) Pu-Erh that I have purchased, I did not find any of the nasty stuff you have mentioned. Maybe it's just luck, maybe it's due to having selected good sellers.

Judging by the processing rooms I've seen, I'd figure pu would have dirt in it, but the rest I can't speak for.

M.