Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

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Dec 23rd, '13, 18:52
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Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by ClarG » Dec 23rd, '13, 18:52

I bought some loose young pu-erh tea leave and I am wondering if I have to do a rinse with them like you would with a cake's tea leaves where you pour boiling water over the leaves let them steep for 20-30 seconds and then throw away this infusion and then pour boiling water over the lesaves again and this is the tea that you drink?

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Dec 23rd, '13, 19:44
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Re: Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by MIKE_B » Dec 23rd, '13, 19:44

You don't HAVE to do anything.
But I think 20-30 seconds is more than a rinse.

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Dec 23rd, '13, 21:55
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Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by mcrdotcom » Dec 23rd, '13, 21:55

MIKE_B wrote:You don't HAVE to do anything.
But I think 20-30 seconds is more than a rinse.
+1 on not needing to do anything. However, regardless of cake or not, aged tea needs to wake up so to speak, and also it can have residue and what not that can do with some washing away, so a rinse just invigorates the leaves and is perhaps a bit more hygienic :)

Usually 10 seconds maximum is fine, and with puerh based on the liquor produced from a rinse I would decide whether to do another 5/10 second rinse but that's usually more for the compressed type!

Dec 23rd, '13, 22:01
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Re: Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by ClarG » Dec 23rd, '13, 22:01


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Dec 24th, '13, 06:48
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Re: Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by William » Dec 24th, '13, 06:48

I suggest you to rinse just for a few seconds, if you want you can make another rinse, but few seconds are more than enough.

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Dec 24th, '13, 09:22
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Re: Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by ShawnP » Dec 24th, '13, 09:22

mcrdotcom wrote:

+1 on not needing to do anything. However, regardless of cake or not, aged tea needs to wake up so to speak, and also it can have residue and what not that can do with some washing away, so a rinse just invigorates the leaves and is perhaps a bit more hygienic :)

Usually 10 seconds maximum is fine, and with puerh based on the liquor produced from a rinse I would decide whether to do another 5/10 second rinse but that's usually more for the compressed type!

I agree with this, loose Pu-erh may need may not (I never bought loose) but waking up the tea is a good idea imho. I keep my rinse between 5-10sec.

Shawn

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Dec 24th, '13, 10:37
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Re: Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by MEversbergII » Dec 24th, '13, 10:37

I've always rinsed mine for a few seconds before brewing. I think an unrinsed one tastes a bit muddled(?). Loose does better than compressed, though.

M.

Dec 24th, '13, 17:08
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Re: Do I need to rinse loose pu-erh leaves?

by ClarG » Dec 24th, '13, 17:08

MEversbergII wrote:I've always rinsed mine for a few seconds before brewing. I think an unrinsed one tastes a bit muddled(?). Loose does better than compressed, though.

M.
Yes the unrinsed loose pu-erh leaves do taste muddled and a lot more earthy. In college I did not know about rinsing so I just made loose young pu-erh Western style and the tea would come out very dark and taste very earthy. Since I have learned about rinsing I have done this with loose young pu-erh leaves and cakes and the tea is slightly earthy and is a redish color when made.

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