How to re-roast oolongs?

Owes its flavors to oxidation levels between green & black tea.


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Dec 16th, '12, 16:35
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by javi_sanchez » Dec 16th, '12, 16:35

Floating leaves has a two posts on how to do this at home:
http://www.floatingleavestea.com/index. ... dce5d89e59

I just tried the first method for a few grams and it worked pretty well. However the first method if time consuming and requires concentration. I will definitely be experimenting with this in the following weeks.

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Dec 17th, '12, 01:50
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by jayinhk » Dec 17th, '12, 01:50

Tried pan roasting the SX today and it did improve it and bring some of the character back, but I think I gave it a little too much heat. It now tastes like wild Hungarian honey--very strange. Either way, it is better and dryer than it was before I stuck it in the stainless pot.

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Jan 5th, '13, 10:10
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by Risdt » Jan 5th, '13, 10:10

I've been experimenting with roasting a couple of time so far. I had about 30g of a low quality Ali Shan that I didn't enjoy that much, so I started roasting these. I've tried many different things, like roasting it quickly on a very high heat but till now I've achieved best resulting by placing it in a cooking pot with a lid and slowy roasting it for a couple of hours. Every 1-2 hours I give the pot a stir and remove the lid to inspect the aromas and looks of the tea. My last batch I roasted over a 4 day span, slightly achieving a higher roast. It's not as good as a masterly charcoal roasted oolong but it's a lot of fun experimenting with different levels of roasting. Give it a shot!

May 26th, '13, 19:10
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by ethan » May 26th, '13, 19:10

2 days ago I was given teas from Taiwan that were 8 - 20 years old. Some were in plastic bags; some sealed in foil; 1 in a small cardboard cylinder that was sealed (this was the best). I tried them Friday evening & Sat. (yesterday) morning. Then I tried to improve all but the best one.

The 2 that were originally totally flat & 1 disgusting: Pan-roasting did not save them.

1 green oolong: originally had good though muted flavor good for one infusion; after roasting lost the flavors of "green" oolong & acquired a taste of roasted oolong (mostly sweet) which was good for 2 infusions (for tea that was prepared immediately after it was refreshened). Today this tea still tastes like roasted oolong but reverted to being good for only 1 infusion.

2 that I guess to be mid or high-roasted oolongs were good when first sampled but only for 1 infusion. Roasting strengthened flavor but not much for a second infusion.

Observations, questions, & conclusions: Before & after roasting all of the tea felt dry. I could crumble it in my fingers. I read about too much moisture but not dryness. However, did dryness hurt the tea? W/ these it seems to be that the tea has less to offer, giving less flavors (loss of complexity) & less infusions (like dried-out food). I regret roasting the green oolong since I lost a somewhat unique tea -- muted flavors but fairly complex. The flat & disgusting tea gave off no "tea aroma" in the pan. The tea that improved, did. I will continue to roast tea that is too weak but will not risk ruining tea that is already satisfying.

May 29th, '13, 06:50
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by jbu2 » May 29th, '13, 06:50

can you do this on green tea ?

May 29th, '13, 10:19
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by ethan » May 29th, '13, 10:19

Jubu 2, I would read what others have said & rely on it more, since I am new to this. I have not roasted a green tea, just a green oolong which lost its "green" flavor.
I was quite quick, heating the tea in the pan for about a minute at high temperature. I imagine one can do better. (I drank a sample of Houjicha from Den's that provided good roasted flavor w/ a fair amount of the flavor of "green".)

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May 29th, '13, 13:00
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by tenuki » May 29th, '13, 13:00

jbu2 wrote:can you do this on green tea ?
Hojicha. ;)

Can't really refresh greens in my experience, only oolongs (may be wrong about this), and the more oxidation the oolong has the easier it seems to be to refresh ( up to a point - I don't have any experience with black teas, but oriental beauty is more tricky for instance than something less oxidized )

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May 31st, '13, 17:57
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by Math » May 31st, '13, 17:57

Does anyone know where I can ge hold of one of those taiwanese electric mini-roasters that teacuppa used to sell? They are like the total gadget 8)

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May 31st, '13, 18:15
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by tenuki » May 31st, '13, 18:15

Math wrote:Does anyone know where I can ge hold of one of those taiwanese electric mini-roasters that teacuppa used to sell? They are like the total gadget 8)
Trip to Taiwan? :twisted:

I love mine, sometimes I put tea I don't like in and roast just to fill the house with that smell. :)

btw - I have it from experienced roasters that a lot of doing it right is based on smell, supposedly you stir the tea when the smell changes instead of at a particular schedule.

I'm working on learning this skill, and don't have it quite dialed in, but there are definitely changes that are discernible. I think it might have to do with the bottom layer hitting the right dryness level and starting to head in the 'over-roast' direction. you catch that and stir and you prevent the 'over-roast' condition - which is leaves will be brittle and not unfurl or get soft when brewed.

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Jun 1st, '13, 05:52
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Re: How to re-roast oolongs?

by Math » Jun 1st, '13, 05:52

Thanks tenuki, yes it's probably my best bet right now. Roasting seems so much fun!

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