green tea brewing options(questions please)

[Chip]

It sounds like you are experimenting and are finding success. Congratulations! The important thing is that you are enjoying the tea and learning as you adjust, it seems you are.

You can also brew this tea in a taller style glass, "grandpa style."

In a teapot I seem to use a 1:1 ratio (grams leaf to ounces water) as the starting point for a new Chinese green tea to the fold. And around 60-120 seconds ... usually 90. to start. I know some members go hotter and some go cooler. I think this has a lot to do with personal tastes and sensitivity to bitter.

Since I preheat the brew vessel (AND smell the dry leaves warming in the brew vessel), I use slightly cooler water, starting with 160*. If I do not preheat, then 170-175 seems reasonable. I only put the dry leaves into the preheated vessel shortly before the water is at the desired temp.

You are using more leaf, and less time ... so go the ebbs and flows of tea brewing. You can alter one aspect which then usually triggers an adjustment elsewhere.

[debunix]

You're on the right track. Remember, what counts is whether you like the result or not. BTW, one thing I've learned to do recently that has enhanced my Long Jing brewing and worked well with several other green teas is one hotter 'flash' rinse--water 180-190 degrees, pour in, pour out--before starting cooler (and longer) infusions. The hot start seems to bring out the sweetness of flavor a bit more and quicker, but dropping the temp helps continue to keep the bitterness under control.

[tea.and.peace]

Thanks it gives me a bit more confidence that I'm on the right track.

I have looked at the tall glass method on you tube. I like the looks of that method. It would seem very reasonable to use a glass I already have in stock. So it would not require me to buy anymore teaware.

I'll take your ideas into consideration, and experiment more. I'd rather not use my gaiwan. The tall glass would allow me to look at the leafs more. So perhaps I'll do a few rounds playing with my glass. I'd rather not drink directly out of the tall glass. So I can still use my strainer/pour vessel. Then go to drinking cup.

Thanks again.

[tea.and.peace]

So I tried a tall glass as my brewing vessel. Did not really like it so much. Too tall of glass. Glass retained heat rather well not great for handling.

I moved onto a pint size mason jar. I like this as I have it in stock. So I don't have to feed consumerism more on specialized teaware. I enjoy the neck of the jar. As it is very pleasant to hold at that area for pouring. Also the neck is a good place for the leaves to naturally stop as you decant the tea.

I'm brewing in 4 ounce increments with 4.5g leaf. preheating jar, 180 temp flash wash, 170 starting brew temp, 90 sec first infusion.

I'm finding the tea to be much sweeter then when I was using the gaiwan. The different brew methods I'm trying must be bringing out the sweetness more. I like the sweetness.

Still trying to figure out best brew times for after the first infusion. Think this is the main thing I need to finalize. I just did 6 infusions with the later brews having less grassy/nutty, but the sweetness still present. So I've been pleased with that. Even though the grassy/nutty taste was less, but still present in later infusions. The color still seemed to be present. Or rather the color seemed to stay fairly balanced throughout each infusion. I was not expecting that many infusions. I bumped up the water temp for the later infusions to 175 my last infusion was 3 minutes. My second infusion was the shortest at 1 min, but that also seemed to be the weakest drink.

I think it is coming along........Thanks.