I know that it's better to rinse oolong when gongfu brewing, but do you guys rinse when brewing western style?
Since I use more water and less tea I'm afraid to lose a bit of the flavor.
So what do you think? Still useful to rinse or not?
Re: Rinse oolong western style
Well, the first answer is obviously experiment and see what works best for you. Personally, I don't rinse green high mountain oolongs. But that is true even when I GF brew them. With the roasted one, I feel that rinsing is important to wake the leaf and let it spread out a bit.Simon_Qc wrote: I know that it's better to rinse oolong when gongfu brewing, but do you guys rinse when brewing western style?
Since I use more water and less tea I'm afraid to lose a bit of the flavor.
So what do you think? Still useful to rinse or not?
Re: Rinse oolong western style
Hi,
The tea farmer once advised and insist that we rinse the tea before consuming the first brew. However high the grade is!
Well, coming from the very hands that harvested and prepared the tea... I would take their advise seriously.
Their main reason for rinsing.... hygiene.
Cheers!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The tea farmer once advised and insist that we rinse the tea before consuming the first brew. However high the grade is!
Well, coming from the very hands that harvested and prepared the tea... I would take their advise seriously.
Their main reason for rinsing.... hygiene.
Cheers!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Rinse oolong western style
Hi,OCTO wrote: Hi,
The tea farmer once advised and insist that we rinse the tea before consuming the first brew. However high the grade is!
Well, coming from the very hands that harvested and prepared the tea... I would take their advise seriously.
Their main reason for rinsing.... hygiene.
Cheers!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree with you, OCTO, but I would add that it depends on which tea farmer/country/tradition... When I went in Dayulin (Taïwan), the producer asked me not to rince his tea. He explained that he would feel insulted as rinsing implies that his work wouldn't be clean and carefully handcrafted. He added though that the lower the altitude, the more you rinse because of atmospheric pollution.
So, in doubt, always rinse!
Senlin
Re: Rinse oolong western style
You guys make a good case for rinsing. It's a shame it has to be done, but I want to put hygiene first tbh.
Re: Rinse oolong western style
My personal rinsing habits are typically focused on whether the tea brewing benefits from a quick rinse: balled oolongs or compressed puer needs a splash to help open it up before the first brew, whereas Wuyi oolong and green tea tend to let a lot of flavor out in that first few seconds, so I don't discard that.
If I were trying to be health-focused, I'd probably rinse all of them! It would be helpful to see an actual controlled study that looks at whether a brief rinse actually affects pesticide residue content.
If I were trying to be health-focused, I'd probably rinse all of them! It would be helpful to see an actual controlled study that looks at whether a brief rinse actually affects pesticide residue content.
Re: Rinse oolong western style
My understanding is that pesticide enter the plant by it roots so I don't think a 10 sec wash can really help for that.DrJacoby wrote: My personal rinsing habits are typically focused on whether the tea brewing benefits from a quick rinse: balled oolongs or compressed puer needs a splash to help open it up before the first brew, whereas Wuyi oolong and green tea tend to let a lot of flavor out in that first few seconds, so I don't discard that.
If I were trying to be health-focused, I'd probably rinse all of them! It would be helpful to see an actual controlled study that looks at whether a brief rinse actually affects pesticide residue content.
Re: Rinse oolong western style
Interesting...it seems like there could also topically be pesticide on the leaf as well, though perhaps that comes off in processing. I remember David from EoT sharing a tasting pack a while back that was designed to educate on the flavors when pesticides are present in tea. I bet he probably has more info about whether it's in, out, or both.Simon_Qc wrote: My understanding is that pesticide enter the plant by it roots so I don't think a 10 sec wash can really help for that.
Jun 26th, '18, 17:18
Posts: 151
Joined: Oct 24th, '17, 12:41
Location: Amsterdam
Re: Rinse oolong western style
With oolong and ripe pu erh, hygiene can be a concern. I normally do perform a quick rinse, even when I do Western style. You can simply use less water for rinsing.
Re: Rinse oolong western style
In Taiwan, I’ve heard some people said that the rinse will carry the extract away, but most of us still do a quick rinse.
I know the tea making process well, it’s very clean, without any pollution but I still do the rinse. Because the idea of rinse is to wash out the dusts that tea leaves may carry when they growing in the farm. The rinse could warm up your tea leaves and the tea ware, few seconds rinse won’t effect the flavor so don’t worry.
從我的iPhone使用Tapatalk 發送
I know the tea making process well, it’s very clean, without any pollution but I still do the rinse. Because the idea of rinse is to wash out the dusts that tea leaves may carry when they growing in the farm. The rinse could warm up your tea leaves and the tea ware, few seconds rinse won’t effect the flavor so don’t worry.
從我的iPhone使用Tapatalk 發送
Re: Rinse oolong western style
Contradictory opinions, as always in the tea community... I personnaly don't think you should rinse your wulong if you plan to do a 2-3 minutes steep. Two reasons are commonly involved for rinsing the leaves : 1) you should let the leaves open up before susbequent and repeted quick steeps ; 2) you should "clean" the leaves. About 1) I think a 2-3 minutes "western" steep should leave plenty of time for the leaves to open up. About 2) the question is : do you trust these leaves ; or do you trust the seller?
Re: Rinse oolong western style
Yes.... regardless.... I always rinse. Especially aged tea.jayinhk wrote:Regardless of who sold the tea, I rinse. Dust happens...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk