Gongfu Brewing Green Teas

[Dylan1117]

Hey Everyone!

I'm relatively new to the world of Tea (a year give or take) and have found that I enjoy nearly every tea brewed in my little Gaiwan (around 120 ml) with around 5 grams of leaf.

My problem is Green Teas. I really like Chinese Greens, but if I brew them at that ratio they become really bitter. I reduced my ratio for Greens to 4 grams, which is a lot better but some of my teas still come out a little too bitter for my tastes (and I actually like a little bitterness).

I was wondering what I could be doing so wrong?

Thanks

[debunix]

To avoid bitterness in green teas, you can:
change the tea (An Ji Bai Cha is the least bitter of those I've tried)
decrease the leaf : water ratio
shorten the infusions
cool the water temperature especially in the early infusions

I doubt you're doing anything 'so wrong', but if your palate is like mine, you may be happier with 2 grams, or much shorter/cooler infusions.

[jayinhk]

How hot are you brewing them?

[PaddyB]

Have you taken the temperature into account? High temperatures (around 100 °C) that are usually used for oolong or pu erh will "burn" most of the greens. I would first try to reduce the temperature to 80 or 70 °C (higher quality teas, such as gyokuro or dragon well, require lower temperatures, whereas in my experience a generic gunpowder can take up to 85°C). Also, I think quantity is a secondary issue, but by all means experiment with that. Another thing I would try is brewing it with the lid open, so that temperature can drop a little during steeping (and I presume you don't steep for more than a minute).
But in the and, I figured out there are some teas that get bitter no matter what you do with them. In some cases this is intentional but most of the time I think of it as a sign of low quality product.
Hope that helps and have fun discovering tea!

[gunbuster363]

My 2 cents:

Bitterness usually comes from several brewing mistakes:
1) Temperature is too high ( 70 degree C is a good parameter for most green tea )
2) Brew time is too long
3) High leaves to water ratio but I think 1) and 2) dominate most cases.

In my opinion, you should try 0.7g per 1 ounce of water for green tea, that is about 2.1g for you gaiwan. ( 1 ounce ~= 30ml )

For gyokuro, use 1g-1.4g per 1 ounce of water.

[chrl42]

I often use 120ml Gaiwan for greens no problem. (the high-qualities)

Yet the temperature has to be little lower and take a quick time to brew (ignore those 2~3 min. instructions)

[mcrdotcom]

I +1 all the above posts.

I'll add in that I prefer brewing my greens "grand pa" style! I throw some in a glass tumbler, fill with 70-80 degree water, and constantly top up as I go along! Works best with Long Jing I think

The fun in tea is the experimentation! I know it can be frustrating when a tea is horrible and you can't seem to fix it, but honestly, it's more rewarding to experiment yourself and find a solution that suits your tastes best!

You said you lowed the tea:water ratio by a gram, well other teas may require it lowered even more, a change in water temperature etc...

If you have some free time and small gaiwan (60-90mL) then you can have some fun fine tuning the brewing parameters for your green teas without wasting too much

I'm not suggesting it's bad to ask about this by the way! I always asks these sorts of questions, but I've learned over the last year that, taking the suggestions as a vague guideline and then experimenting until I find the perfect parameters is always the most helpful

Hope your tea tastes nice, and remember, always trust your instincts and palette, if you feel you need to deviate from the guidelines, do so!

[Se7en8ight]

Hi All,

I was very much an over-steeper. Comes from me being served --brace yourself-- Lipton tea bags perpetually marinating in a hot pot of water growing up.

What are your thoughts on "Strip Style" Brewing for Green Teas?

I fill my vessel halfway with green tea, then strip brew. So far so good but do let me know if there is a better way to maximize the flavor profile of these types of teas.


78

[Evan Draper]

What are your thoughts on "Strip Style" Brewing for Green Teas?

I like to leave my clothes on while drinking tea.

[William]

What are your thoughts on "Strip Style" Brewing for Green Teas?

I like to leave my clothes on while drinking tea.

[Se7en8ight]

What are your thoughts on "Strip Style" Brewing for Green Teas?

I like to leave my clothes on while drinking tea.

You don't know what you are missing

[AdamMY]

What are your thoughts on "Strip Style" Brewing for Green Teas?

I like to leave my clothes on while drinking tea.

You don't know what you are missing

Could have been interesting some of the times I've had people over for tea. But that would be a tough sell when initiating someone to tea... "Oh yeah, and I forgot to tell you, you remove an article of clothing with each steep."

[Se7en8ight]

What are your thoughts on "Strip Style" Brewing for Green Teas?

I like to leave my clothes on while drinking tea.

You don't know what you are missing

Could have been interesting some of the times I've had people over for tea. But that would be a tough sell when initiating someone to tea... "Oh yeah, and I forgot to tell you, you remove an article of clothing with each steep."

pow chiki wowow

[jayinhk]

I'm in Hainan drinking the locally grown green tea, and it's pretty good. Tea vendors here gongfu it in gaiwans and rinse, but use a lower temp with excellent results. I've been doing the same, but my tea bowl seems to subdue the flavors; cup shape absolutely makes a difference.

78...Strip-style brewing? Ano yan bro?

[Se7en8ight]

78...Strip-style brewing? Ano yan bro?

LOL @ ano yan bro?

Rapid 10-second-ish steeps with slightly more leaves or less water than recommended. I dunno what gong fu style its called...

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