basic questions

[solitude]

So, I received my order from Jing's tea shop which contains also a raw pu erh (2005) and since this is my first pu erh I have some basic questions
- what are the brewing parameters? how many steps are you doing?
- how do you get small amount of tea from the cake?
- how do you store the cake?
- do you brew small piece of cake and wait until it slowly break down by brewing, or you break it to leafs before brewing.
Most probably all these questions were already discussed, but there are to many topics about it, lazy to read.

[argus]

So, I received my order from Jing's tea shop which contains also a raw pu erh (2005) and since this is my first pu erh I have some basic questions
- what are the brewing parameters? how many steps are you doing?

I'm a bit newbish in pu-erh (not even a year of experience) but here's what I do. gaiwan 100 ml, I eye the tea to fill 1/3 of the gaiwan, water below boiling, first couple of infusions are 5 sec then gradually increase by 5 or so seconds

- how do you get small amount of tea from the cake?

With a knife, letter opener, screwdriver, anything thin and pointy. insert the implement laterally and then wiggle it up and down to pry out pieces of the cake. Some cakes can be crumbled by hand.

- how do you store the cake?

I have a small cabinet in which I store my cakes

- do you brew small piece of cake and wait until it slowly break down by brewing, or you break it to leafs before brewing.

It mostly breaks down during the first rinse which you throw away

[nickE]

argus gives good advice. +1

[solitude]

argus, thanks for the answers, short and clean, like it should be

[solitude]

how much in grams is 1/3 of a 100ml gaiwan?

[argus]

Maybe this'll help:

http://www.nicolastang.com/tea/brewingpuerh.html

[TwoPynts]

argus, thanks for the answers, short and clean, like it should be

Just remember that with tea and most things, there are no absolutes. But mainly with tea.
Happy brewing!

[solitude]

[/quote]

Maybe this'll help:

http://www.nicolastang.com/tea/brewingpuerh.html

really nice, especially the ceremony about it

[solitude]

]argus, thanks for the answers, short and clean, like it should be

Just remember that with tea and most things, there are no absolutes. But mainly with tea.
Happy brewing!

Thanks.
I am new in pu and a starting point is needed. I have experience only with green and oolong and I see that pu brewing is different from both of them.

BTW I already made some sessions and it is really impressive that I can go up to 8-9 steps and there is still taste and body.