Do people even read these threads?

[jextxadore]

Hi all.

I've been lurking for a while, but last night I bought (for HKD200, which is about 25USD) a mini-gongfu set, all glass (I drink up to 5 teas in a day and don't have a particular type, so a yixing is out of the question…and the price!): 200ml pot (7g of TKY leaves expanded so much, the lid was lifted off on the 3rd infusion and when I cleaned the leaves out, they came out in a cylindrical block ) with glass infuser (which I'm not sure about since I can't pour water in quickly enough for real gongfu brewing), make-fair cup and 2 double-walled, ~30ml cups (unfortunately my friends don't share my love for teas, else I'd've bought more). So I thought it was high time to…reserve a username

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since my parents would let me…so probably since I was 4 or 5.

What was your first Tea?
I can't remember. Growing up in HK with tea at every restaurant…probably tieguanyin, because that's what my grandpa always orders.

What is your favourite Tea currently?
The one that's "always there for me" is probably Anxi tieguanyin (it's also probably the tea I'm most familiar with, just because I've had so much of varying qualities at various restaurants and at home), but I don't have a favourite — I'm always open to all types. As long as there's no milk or sugar in it (I make an exception for sugar with bubble tea only ).

What is your next purchase?
Probably a tea-tray/table. Last night I made do with a large cork mat, a plastic tray and a towel. It worked fine, clearly, because I drank about 3L of tea in 6 hours (blame how many times you can brew tieguanyin and pu-erh…). Really need to master the fast-pouring bit…without burning my fingers.

Where is your favourite spot to brew up?
My room, currently, because good company can be found online whilst drinking. If I were drinking with "real-life" friends though, it'd be anywhere comfortable (probably the dining room).

[Fabien]

Yes, we do read these threads
Welcome aboard!

[debunix]

Yes, many of us do read these threads. We may not reply if we don't feel we have anything to contribute at that moment, but while the TeaChat forum doesn't show 'views' of a thread, I bet there are many times more views than replies.

I too started with Anxi Ti Kuan Yin (SeaDyke red label version), because one of my father's chinese friends recommended it, and it was his favorite tea. I was very faithful to that one tea for years, because the box was always recognizable. My occasional attempts to explore other teas did not go so well, so I kept coming back to the SeaDyke.

[donaldosborne]

Of course we reading these threads

[jayinhk]

Welcome! I see you're from HK too. TGY is definitely one of my favorite teas too--I don't drink much pu erh anymore!

[PurplePotato]

I rarely post, as I usually don't have too much too add to the conversation around here. I am an avid reader though . I do have something to say about mastering fast pouring. In my experience, the trick to quick
infusions is to slow down. Here are a few reasons:

• 1. When you go too fast, you're more likely to mess up and burn yourself, and loose time shaking your finger and swearing at the teagods.
  
  2. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. If you regularly go to fast and burn yourself, and practice that way, you will simply learn to keep going too fast and burning yourself. If you slow down, you'll get good at not burning yourself, and the speed will come with time.
  
  3. Hitting the leaves quickly with water is likely to cause a brash pour, which can shock the leaves and cause harshness in the brew. If you go slow with a nice easy pour around the edge of the gaiwan, the leaves may spend a little longer in the water, but they will be happier about it. (Imagine doing a cannonball into a hot tub versus slowly sitting in)
  
  4. When you slow down, you will relax and are less likely to make clumsy mistakes. And when you relax more, the tea will taste better.

Anyways, welcome

[jextxadore]

I rarely post, as I usually don't have too much too add to the conversation around here. I am an avid reader though . I do have something to say about mastering fast pouring. In my experience, the trick to quick
infusions is to slow down. Here are a few reasons:

• 1. When you go too fast, you're more likely to mess up and burn yourself, and loose time shaking your finger and swearing at the teagods.
  
  2. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. If you regularly go to fast and burn yourself, and practice that way, you will simply learn to keep going too fast and burning yourself. If you slow down, you'll get good at not burning yourself, and the speed will come with time.
  
  3. Hitting the leaves quickly with water is likely to cause a brash pour, which can shock the leaves and cause harshness in the brew. If you go slow with a nice easy pour around the edge of the gaiwan, the leaves may spend a little longer in the water, but they will be happier about it. (Imagine doing a cannonball into a hot tub versus slowly sitting in)
  
  4. When you slow down, you will relax and are less likely to make clumsy mistakes. And when you relax more, the tea will taste better.

Anyways, welcome

I agree about slowing down. Anyway, I've sorted it out — bought a 100ml gaiwan a few days ago and it's much easier to use than that glass teapot. I usually take 5–7 seconds to fill it and 2–3 seconds to decant. I usually only get leaves escaping on broken pu-erh leaves or a few "inevitables" when brewing sencha.

Now to find a slightly bigger gaiwan. (200–250ml would be about right for the amount of tea I drink…in 5 minutes.)

On another note, I found that a tray lined with paper towels is a pretty good substitute for a tea tray (unless you do the whole washing procedure). Fabric towels, however, start to smell after a few hours, to such an extent that you may not be able to smell the tea (I made that mistake one night).