http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/product. ... t=4&page=1
Rishi's site says 1 tbs / 8oz for 5-6 min @ 180f, but I just wanted to see what you guys thought. 5-6 minutes seems a little long to me, and there are ALOT of different ways you can fit tealeaves onto a tablespoon.
I was thinking of filling a gaiwan between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way w/ leaves, then brewing for 4 min @ 180.
Would you recommend I do anything different?
(by the way, I don't have a scale)
Apr 20th, '08, 22:52
Posts: 281
Joined: Mar 6th, '08, 18:02
Location: immersed in tea
Contact:
trent
Apr 20th, '08, 23:24
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Apr 21st, '08, 00:45
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
The description of this tea makes it sound a little unusual due to the "old growth" tea trees in Yunnan. Sounds like it may be a green made from the Assamica varietal like the puerh teas. But I don't think that would change my approach to it as a green.
With a new green I usually start with cool water, 160° or even less, 3.75 gr in a 6 oz mug, 1 minute, and feel my way from there, increasing time and temp each subsequent infusion up to 4 or 5 infusions and sometimes even boiling water.
As you have pointed out, tea leaves come in all kinds of shapes and many don't fit that well into a spoon, but I tried weighing and measuring appox equivalents. One-third gaiwan still looks like too much to me. I would start with less than a quarter. I found that 1 very heaping teaspoon (measuring spoon) was about 2 gr therefore about right for a 100 ml gaiwan. I don't find it so easy to judge % fill of gaiwan, but this looked less than one-quarter full.
Course, in all things tea, you will likely change your parameters as you get to know the tea. The first time is mostly experimental. Just as in love.
With a new green I usually start with cool water, 160° or even less, 3.75 gr in a 6 oz mug, 1 minute, and feel my way from there, increasing time and temp each subsequent infusion up to 4 or 5 infusions and sometimes even boiling water.
As you have pointed out, tea leaves come in all kinds of shapes and many don't fit that well into a spoon, but I tried weighing and measuring appox equivalents. One-third gaiwan still looks like too much to me. I would start with less than a quarter. I found that 1 very heaping teaspoon (measuring spoon) was about 2 gr therefore about right for a 100 ml gaiwan. I don't find it so easy to judge % fill of gaiwan, but this looked less than one-quarter full.
Course, in all things tea, you will likely change your parameters as you get to know the tea. The first time is mostly experimental. Just as in love.
Apr 21st, '08, 00:50
Posts: 1559
Joined: Jan 28th, '07, 02:24
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Contact:
Space Samurai
Re: How would you brew this tea?
Its been two years since I had this tea, but I remember it being strong for a Chinese green, and the leaves were large. I would use a heaping tbsp for three min and go from there.
Apr 21st, '08, 00:55
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Re: How would you brew this tea?
Short and sweet, Space, I wish I had your gift for getting to the point.Space Samurai wrote: I would use a heaping tbsp for three min and go from there.