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One of the intentionally aged teas, Pu-Erh has a loyal following.


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May 27th, '08, 22:52
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Help

by tomd » May 27th, '08, 22:52

Hey everyone, I recently got quite a bit of pu erh but unfortunately I cant get breaking it up right. When I break it up I try and break into large chunks but I still get quite a bit of broken leaves and a cloudy brew, especially on the really hard touchas. Any help would be appriciated. Thanks!

Tom

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May 27th, '08, 23:02
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by Victoria » May 27th, '08, 23:02

Here is a video that will help, I'm sure the Pu erh fans will chime in soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th86Ge4fFJs

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May 27th, '08, 23:08
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by hop_goblin » May 27th, '08, 23:08


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May 27th, '08, 23:13
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by Salsero » May 27th, '08, 23:13

Some cakes are harder than others, and tuochas are usually the worst. I have taken a hammer and chisel to a tuocha on more than one occasion, though I'm sure that there must be a better way.

As for the clarity of the liquor, if the leaves of the cake are very broken (often the case) or if you break them a lot while separating them, you can get a cloudy brew. I always use a special little filter designed for puerh tea.

Three Youtube videos about breaking up tea cakes and tuochas.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V2WFx-oG1-M
http://youtube.com/watch?v=th86Ge4fFJs&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MTsBHJM9mo0&feature=related

For the brave at heart, the rather scary method of steaming the tuocha briefly, separating, then drying the leaves.

http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php? ... =puerhinfo (toward bottom of page - where you see woks)

And finally, sophisticated pu drinkers debating the steam alternative:

http://community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea/200801.html

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May 27th, '08, 23:16
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by tenuki » May 27th, '08, 23:16

You rinse yer pu before you drink it, right?
Do something different, something different will happen. ( Gong Fu Garden )

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May 27th, '08, 23:29
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by tomd » May 27th, '08, 23:29

Thanks for the quick replies everyone!

hop_goblin- Thanks that offered more insight than just the usual "insert knife break off chunk" response

Yes I rinse my pu, but it still comes out cloudy on some of the ones that I have to really struggle with to break up

Edit: Broke up a tou with the steam method it worked great. Clear and great tasting tea 8)

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May 28th, '08, 18:04
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by MarshalN » May 28th, '08, 18:04

Cloudiness can be caused by a lot of things, including how you our your water (and what's in your water). Generally speaking, if your breaking of the tea involves a lot of mess... it's more likely to come out a bit cloudier.

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