How do you prepare your gyuokuro?

[Xell]

I'm still getting bad or so so result time to time. Especially higher grades of yame gyokuro is quite sensitive to water temperature. It's interesting to know, how other people here prepare their gyokuro

I'm thinking on getting scales for tea and also i want a thermometer with temperature alarm. Since i tend to forget about it, i don't really use thermometer for now.

[iannon]

I'm still getting bad or so so result time to time. Especially higher grades of yame gyokuro is quite sensitive to water temperature. It's interesting to know, how other people here prepare their gyokuro

I'm thinking on getting scales for tea and also i want a thermometer with temperature alarm. Since i tend to forget about it, i don't really use thermometer for now.

personally..high leaf to water ratio..prob 2:1 at least. water temps of 130 to 145 or so. and steep time of 90 to 120 seconds. thats just me though. also if you dont have a thermo then i use the old fashioned method..get water to "fish eyes" then pour into pot to warm the walls..then pour into yuzamushi..let sit a min til walls are warmed on that too.. then pour into cup(s) to warm them up..then pour back into pot which now has leaves.

[Chip]

Pretty much what Ian has already said, but I have found some Yame requires even cooler water.

[auhckw]

I have more success on having nice gyokuro when it is cold brew...

[AdamMY]

With Gyokuro, Cooler temperatures are your friend. If the water is too warm, or you steep too long a rather nice brew can turn into the equivalent of Seaweed Soup.

I tend to brew my Gyo a bit lighter than some, taste wise. I use roughly 1.3-1.6 grams per ounce, but use rather cool water, sadly I do not get out a thermometer, but as I just about always use hagi for gyokuro, it is when the outside of the cup is quite comfortable to hold, and only slightly warm. Although different thermal properties of cups will feel different. Then First steep is for a minute, second is for 30 seconds, and I adjust from there.

I feel this gives just the right amount of umami for me. After the 3rd steep or so I tend to start raising the temp slightly each infusion. and I usually get 7 or so decent infusions, and can get decent but drinkable infusions for several more after that usually.

[Chip]

True Adam ... and the gyokuro itself will also dictate to some degree how much leaf you can use.

A crazy good one can likely take 3, 4, 5 grams per ounce, at an equally crazy price.

Most premo selections will work quite well with 2 grams per ounce which is what most of us will max out at, generally.

Lesser grades will require reduction in leaf down to as low as a gram per ounce.

The higher concentration of leaf also has a direct correlation with our steep sizes as this can get pretty $$$, so, small pots and cups is the general norm for gyokuro enjoyment.

If a gyo cannot take a gram per ounce, it is not really worth buying. IMHO

A possible exception would be some gyokuro karigane might require less than a gram per ounce, but this is for more casual enjoyment anyway and is not gyokuro in the terms we tend to use.

[Xell]

Nice, going to try to make temperature even colder, seems i was using way to hot water. Because i ended up using 20-30sec for first infusion.

But until i get scales and good thermometer i'll leave expensive stuff for latter.

[entropyembrace]

Ive only had the Yame Gyokuro from O-cha but I found two brewing methods for it that worked well....

both use approx 8g of leaf per 120ml of water

first is I heat the water then pour into my faircup and let it cool until it feels only slightly warm....no discomfort from placing my finger into the water...I would guess a bit over 40ºC and then brewing 1-2 min / 30s / 1 min / 1.5 mins ect....can brew a bit longer but it becomes intensely sour and doesnt last for as many infusions...

the other is to use water heated to 70ºC (160ºF) and make flash infusions...pour water into pot then pour to cup immediately...for the first 3 infusions then can increase time.

[Kevangogh]

The biggest mistake I've seen people make is not pre-warming everything - teacups, teapot, etc, first. The temperature is so low for gyokuro that if you don't pre-warm, you end up with a cold brew. Pre-warming makes everything more stable and consistent.

Start with 90C water, pour it into the teapot and let it set a minute or two. Take out a thermometer, see how much the temp dropped. Pour that water into the cold teacup(s), let it set, measure again. Pour that back in the teapot, measure again. Measure it at starting point, then at the 2 minute mark as if you were brewing leaf. If you actually use leaf, the temp will drop even more. If you experiment a little in the beginning, then you will get to the point where you no longer have to use a thermometer at all - you know that if you start with water at "X" temp, pour into teapot, let set "Y" minutes, pour into cups, let it set "Z" minutes, then brew with that, you will get a certain result. The use of a thermometer in the beginning is really helpful to understand what's going on but once you get good at it you shouldn't have to use it at all.

[Oni]

If one buys a special gyokuro set, it teaches you how to make it right, it has a small yuzamashi, small cups, a houhin, you pour the hot water between these vessels, and the result is great, without these, you need a thermometer and a scale to get things right.

[AdamMY]

If one buys a special gyokuro set, it teaches you how to make it right, it has a small yuzamashi, small cups, a houhin, you pour the hot water between these vessels, and the result is great, without these, you need a thermometer and a scale to get things right.

Granted while I want a Yazumashi they certainly are not necessary, as just because someone is using a Yazumashi does not mean they will magically always get the temperature right. All those items do make for a wonderful tea setting.

[Oni]

If you use a small hobin with 2 cups, you do not need a yuzamashi, nor when you are using a 250 ml kyusu, this is what Horaido told me, yuzamashi is used only with a 5 person houhin set, and they measure temperature with their hands, they touch the walls of the teaware.
I have made experiments, and now I can make tea without a thermometer, but I am not confident enough to do it.

[Tead Off]

I'm still getting bad or so so result time to time. Especially higher grades of yame gyokuro is quite sensitive to water temperature. It's interesting to know, how other people here prepare their gyokuro

I'm thinking on getting scales for tea and also i want a thermometer with temperature alarm. Since i tend to forget about it, i don't really use thermometer for now.

I think the hardest part of brewing gyokuro is getting the leaf/water ratio adjusted to your taste. Ippodo recommends a very high leaf/water ratio and brewing at 60c for 90sec. With many gyokuro, I cannot do this. It's just too much. Every tea is different. One formula will not work for all teas. Each tea must undergo trial and error until you begin to 'know' it. Personally, I use water that is under 60c, usually around 55c. Some teas I need to use half of what Ippodo recommends and brew for less time, maybe 60 sec.

All the rest, warming the gear, can be standardized, but, not the brewing of the tea. And, every harvest will produce a different 'personality'. I cannot brew Ippodo's Kanro from 2010 the same way I brewed 2009's. This doesn't even take into account the vessel you are using to brew the tea. Best thing is to experiment and be open to discovery. Many surprises await.

[Oni]

I'm still getting bad or so so result time to time. Especially higher grades of yame gyokuro is quite sensitive to water temperature. It's interesting to know, how other people here prepare their gyokuro

I'm thinking on getting scales for tea and also i want a thermometer with temperature alarm. Since i tend to forget about it, i don't really use thermometer for now.

I think the hardest part of brewing gyokuro is getting the leaf/water ratio adjusted to your taste. Ippodo recommends a very high leaf/water ratio and brewing at 60c for 90sec. With many gyokuro, I cannot do this. It's just too much. Every tea is different. One formula will not work for all teas. Each tea must undergo trial and error until you begin to 'know' it. Personally, I use water that is under 60c, usually around 55c. Some teas I need to use half of what Ippodo recommends and brew for less time, maybe 60 sec.

All the rest, warming the gear, can be standardized, but, not the brewing of the tea. And, every harvest will produce a different 'personality'. I cannot brew Ippodo's Kanro from 2010 the same way I brewed 2009's. This doesn't even take into account the vessel you are using to brew the tea. Best thing is to experiment and be open to discovery. Many surprises await.

You should adjust the brewing style to the quality of the tea. If you buy very high quality gyokuro, from the top of the list of a trusted vendor, Like Rinpao, Chitose no Homare, or Yamashita`s gyokuro, you can use a very small houhin, and use a lot of leaves, 4 grams to a 60 ml houhin, ot 10 grams in a 150 ml houhin, and brew it at 50 C for 2 minutes, but with lower quality, make it thiner at higher temperature with less leaves, I usually get it right after 2 sessions.

[Xell]

I just got scales from teashop man, until i receive my own and also i actually measured how much water i'm using. It's SOOO amazing, i can't put this in words. I was using so wrong tea/leaf ratio. Just blown away by taste of gyokuro and so far i was using only my cheapest one, i still have 2 cans of middle and highest grade one

My first try was about ~2.5g per ounce, preheated small kyusu. First infusion was ~45C and about 90sec, only little bit sour, but i like this small trace of sourness.