Storing tea cake

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


Apr 17th, '18, 16:19
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Storing tea cake

by Puerh3 » Apr 17th, '18, 16:19

Is it a good idea to keep a puerh tea cake in a hermetic sealed bag? There still air it in. I read on hojo site that oxydation occure even without oxygen. So leaving some oxygen in a hermetic bag for medium period of time, about 7-8 months. Would that be ok?

I am not planning to keep cake for years, I drink them all in a matter of months.

Thank you all! 😊😊

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Apr 17th, '18, 17:47
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Re: Storing tea cake

by pedant » Apr 17th, '18, 17:47

first, keep in mind that hojo's perspective on this point is not necessarily mainstream.

also, i think the cake isn't going to evolve much over just a year, and oxygen vs no oxygen won't matter for you. no need to vacuum seal it or use an oxygen scavenger packet.

what will matter much more imo is moisture content. if you don't live in a humid climate and don't have a pumidor, keeping it in a sealed bag is a good idea for that reason.

Apr 17th, '18, 20:37
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Re: Storing tea cake

by Puerh3 » Apr 17th, '18, 20:37

pedant wrote: first, keep in mind that hojo's perspective on this point is not necessarily mainstream.

also, i think the cake isn't going to evolve much over just a year, and oxygen vs no oxygen won't matter for you. no need to vacuum seal it or use an oxygen scavenger packet.

what will matter much more imo is moisture content. if you don't live in a humid climate and don't have a pumidor, keeping it in a sealed bag is a good idea for that reason.
Ok thank you! i live in Quebec Canada.
It dry in my house all winter because of heating but can get humid during summer. Anyway I will let them in the bag!

Apr 21st, '18, 18:55
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Re: RE: Re: Storing tea cake

by xiaguanfanboy » Apr 21st, '18, 18:55

Puerh3 wrote:
pedant wrote: first, keep in mind that hojo's perspective on this point is not necessarily mainstream.

also, i think the cake isn't going to evolve much over just a year, and oxygen vs no oxygen won't matter for you. no need to vacuum seal it or use an oxygen scavenger packet.

what will matter much more imo is moisture content. if you don't live in a humid climate and don't have a pumidor, keeping it in a sealed bag is a good idea for that reason.
Ok thank you! i live in Quebec Canada.
It dry in my house all winter because of heating but can get humid during summer. Anyway I will let them in the bag!
Use a room humidifier during winter months

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Apr 24th, '18, 22:51
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Re: Storing tea cake

by bagua7 » Apr 24th, '18, 22:51

Hojo's advice doesn't follow common sense. Better leave the cake in its factory wrapping, you can further wrap it up with butcher's paper to avoid any loose leaves leaving the package (making a mess). But this is only a personal preference thing.

Puer cakes are living things and as such need to breathe; if you keep the cake in a sealed environment the breathing will be significantly affected.

It's better not interfering with the natural fermentation process.

Hope this helps.

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Apr 25th, '18, 03:54
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Re: Storing tea cake

by jayinhk » Apr 25th, '18, 03:54

I'm now of the opinion that the oolong pu currently being produced is a good candidate for airtight storage, since it is essentially assamica oolong. It might even do well vacuum sealed and refrigerated. For anything made to age, though, the old tried and tested ways are superior IMO.

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Apr 29th, '18, 00:00
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Re: Storing tea cake

by OCTO » Apr 29th, '18, 00:00

jayinhk wrote:I'm now of the opinion that the oolong pu currently being produced is a good candidate for airtight storage, since it is essentially assamica oolong. It might even do well vacuum sealed and refrigerated. For anything made to age, though, the old tried and tested ways are superior IMO.

I concur with Jay... let me also add that the objective is controlling and maintaining an acceptable range in humidity, temperature and fresh air. In wetter conditions, you may want to tighten up, under drier conditions, vice versa.

IMO it’s not rocket science, but doing what works for you to achieve a desirable result that you can enjoy, of course within desirable and palatable range. We don’t want to end up drinking moldy or dehydrated tea... ImageImageImage

Cheers!


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