Steaming a cake to break it apart

[Saayuq]

I have a few questions about this:

1) How do people do this? I have an electric water heater and I lay the cake or brick across the opening where the steam comes out.

2) Am I running the risk of getting larger parts of the pressed tea too wet?

3) Does the heat from the steam hurt the tea that doesn't get used up right away?

[wyardley]

Usually, I've only heard about this being done for *really* tightly compressed teas, usually super tight tuocha. Is there a reason you're not going to just break the tea up the "normal" way?

There is some advice online about the steaming method. Personally, I would tend to avoid it unless you really need to.

[MarshalN]

1) I think methods vary, as long as you have steam and you soften the tea

2) Yes

3) Yes, depending on how you do it.

So don't do it.

[brose]

Don't do it, spend some time with a solid knife or pick instead. I tried to steam some pu to loosen it up, but it really changes the profile. Try it on a small bit, make some tea side by side using a small piece that has been steamed and one that has not been. I have found that even a short steaming really alters the characteristics, and not in a good way in my limited experience.

[Deragoth]

Hey i do it with eletric heater and put a strainer over it and put pu in the strainer (bigger pieces).

It doesnt spoil the taste if you let it dry and use your pu over nex few weeks,..after a month or so pu starts to change taste.