Friday TeaDay 3/27/09 Why TeaChat?

[chad]

Curiosity. Then looking for advise.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here even if I don't post much.

Pai Mu Tan in the mug today.

[silvermage2000]

I would say all of the above.

[trent]

In my cup today:

90's dan cong (started 4 days ago)
late 80's puerh (started last week)
yancha from The Tea Gallery (started earlier this week)
90's roasted oolong from houde (started 2 weeks ago)
young sheng from houde (started today)

Does anyone else brew their tea for this long, or am I crazy? I usually have 3-5 pots going, and only stop when the tea yields water.

[Salsero]

Does anyone else brew their tea for this long, or am I crazy?

You are crazy.

[Intuit]

...why you feel that these tea leaves are impervious to slow oxidation and microbial growth. Unless you're oven drying them inbetween extraction steps, that is.

*grinning*

Or maybe it lends a certain tang to your extended brewing sessions...

(thanks for posting the link on Japanese arts and crafts culture)

[trent]

...why you feel that these tea leaves are impervious to slow oxidation and microbial growth.

I think tim would be a better person to ask, considering I'm copying his method. Somehow, the tea gallery brewed some yancha for 7 weeks!
http://themandarinstea.blogspot.com/200 ... sting.html

[Chip]

See, you learn something new everyday around here. Although I may not be applying this practice to sencha brewing I will break out new leaf everyday!

I am enjoying genmai, mugi, buckwheat "roasted" in my hot air popcorn popper. Then brewed with some houji kukicha. Quite enjoyable!

[Anelezel]

Today I have a cold so I drank the Cocomint Green from Adagio, made me feel a lot better!

Amazing how a cup of tea can perk you up and make the sniffles not seem so bad

[bsteele]

I'm happy to report that after taking the keyboard out and sitting my laptop on its side we're all good now... it's not fried. Just a little tea, ain't no thing.

Ah my precious clunker of a laptop, how I'll miss you when I replace you.

[trent]

See, you learn something new everyday around here. Although I may not be applying this practice to sencha brewing I will break out new leaf everyday!

I should add, greens are the only kind of tea I don't do this w/. Japanese greens, I brew 5 times. Chinese greens, I brew Korean style.

[Chip]

I should add, greens are the only kind of tea I don't do this w/. Japanese greens, I brew 5 times. Chinese greens, I brew Korean style.

Ok, I'll bite, please share your Korean style for Chinese greens.

You hit a bullseye with 5 steeps for Japanese greens
.

[trent]

I should add, greens are the only kind of tea I don't do this w/. Japanese greens, I brew 5 times. Chinese greens, I brew Korean style.

Ok, I'll bite, please share your Korean style for Chinese greens.

To preface, it's adopted from this article by Matt http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2008/0 ... n-tea.html.

I've only been doing it for about a week, so it's more of an idea than a method. i.e. I still need to tweak it alot to get it right.

basic idea: start brewing at a really low temperature, gradually increase temperature untill you use boiling water and the leaves only yield water.

why I like it: as we know, gong fu brewing dissects tea layer by layer. Rather than brewing one infusion, we let the tea reveal itself over multiple short infusions. "Korean Style" brewing operates on that same premise w/ a twist (at least in my understanding of it). Different chemicals are released from the tea at different temperatures. By brewing at a cold temperature, then working our way up to a hot temperature, we extract the chemicals layer by layer. (i.e. the first infusion is composed of the chemicals that can be extracted at a low temperature. when those are exhausted, we up the temperature so we can extract that next chemical tier. Remember, the low temperature chemicals are exhausted, so we are predominately extracting the higher temperature chemicals.

*take what I wrote with a grain of salt - it's only a theory, and I've only done it about 6 times. However, what I can definitively say is that I don't really like chinese greens brewed the conventional way, but I like them when they're brewed like this.

If anyone wants any clarification or elucidation, feel free to ask.

**cough, cough, hint, hint, chip - we could have a teaday poll sometime to see if people like the Korean method**

[Chip]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing with us. This is much like an extreme version of how many of us brew many teas, starting cooler.

I have some Korean greens, I will have to give it a go!

[omegapd]

In my work cup this afternoon: Lapsang Souchong

I am so proud of you.

E

[Victoria]

Well before you get all misty-eyed - it was a sample from a friend.


But I have to say with my love of the lightly smoky Bohea, if I could
find the right one, I might be converted.