How to re-roast oolongs?

[javi_sanchez]

Floating leaves has a two posts on how to do this at home:
http://www.floatingleavestea.com/index. ... dce5d89e59

I just tried the first method for a few grams and it worked pretty well. However the first method if time consuming and requires concentration. I will definitely be experimenting with this in the following weeks.

[jayinhk]

Tried pan roasting the SX today and it did improve it and bring some of the character back, but I think I gave it a little too much heat. It now tastes like wild Hungarian honey--very strange. Either way, it is better and dryer than it was before I stuck it in the stainless pot.

[Risdt]

I've been experimenting with roasting a couple of time so far. I had about 30g of a low quality Ali Shan that I didn't enjoy that much, so I started roasting these. I've tried many different things, like roasting it quickly on a very high heat but till now I've achieved best resulting by placing it in a cooking pot with a lid and slowy roasting it for a couple of hours. Every 1-2 hours I give the pot a stir and remove the lid to inspect the aromas and looks of the tea. My last batch I roasted over a 4 day span, slightly achieving a higher roast. It's not as good as a masterly charcoal roasted oolong but it's a lot of fun experimenting with different levels of roasting. Give it a shot!

[ethan]

2 days ago I was given teas from Taiwan that were 8 - 20 years old. Some were in plastic bags; some sealed in foil; 1 in a small cardboard cylinder that was sealed (this was the best). I tried them Friday evening & Sat. (yesterday) morning. Then I tried to improve all but the best one.

The 2 that were originally totally flat & 1 disgusting: Pan-roasting did not save them.

1 green oolong: originally had good though muted flavor good for one infusion; after roasting lost the flavors of "green" oolong & acquired a taste of roasted oolong (mostly sweet) which was good for 2 infusions (for tea that was prepared immediately after it was refreshened). Today this tea still tastes like roasted oolong but reverted to being good for only 1 infusion.

2 that I guess to be mid or high-roasted oolongs were good when first sampled but only for 1 infusion. Roasting strengthened flavor but not much for a second infusion.

Observations, questions, & conclusions: Before & after roasting all of the tea felt dry. I could crumble it in my fingers. I read about too much moisture but not dryness. However, did dryness hurt the tea? W/ these it seems to be that the tea has less to offer, giving less flavors (loss of complexity) & less infusions (like dried-out food). I regret roasting the green oolong since I lost a somewhat unique tea -- muted flavors but fairly complex. The flat & disgusting tea gave off no "tea aroma" in the pan. The tea that improved, did. I will continue to roast tea that is too weak but will not risk ruining tea that is already satisfying.

[jbu2]

can you do this on green tea ?

[ethan]

Jubu 2, I would read what others have said & rely on it more, since I am new to this. I have not roasted a green tea, just a green oolong which lost its "green" flavor.
I was quite quick, heating the tea in the pan for about a minute at high temperature. I imagine one can do better. (I drank a sample of Houjicha from Den's that provided good roasted flavor w/ a fair amount of the flavor of "green".)

[tenuki]

can you do this on green tea ?

Hojicha.

Can't really refresh greens in my experience, only oolongs (may be wrong about this), and the more oxidation the oolong has the easier it seems to be to refresh ( up to a point - I don't have any experience with black teas, but oriental beauty is more tricky for instance than something less oxidized )

[Math]

Does anyone know where I can ge hold of one of those taiwanese electric mini-roasters that teacuppa used to sell? They are like the total gadget

[tenuki]

Does anyone know where I can ge hold of one of those taiwanese electric mini-roasters that teacuppa used to sell? They are like the total gadget

Trip to Taiwan?

I love mine, sometimes I put tea I don't like in and roast just to fill the house with that smell.

btw - I have it from experienced roasters that a lot of doing it right is based on smell, supposedly you stir the tea when the smell changes instead of at a particular schedule.

I'm working on learning this skill, and don't have it quite dialed in, but there are definitely changes that are discernible. I think it might have to do with the bottom layer hitting the right dryness level and starting to head in the 'over-roast' direction. you catch that and stir and you prevent the 'over-roast' condition - which is leaves will be brittle and not unfurl or get soft when brewed.

[Math]

Thanks tenuki, yes it's probably my best bet right now. Roasting seems so much fun!