Some people impart taste from a tetsubin, others use bottled water, some store in an earthenware pot while others still get their water from a natural stream. Since we all can't be Lu Yu and not everyone can afford a single cast tetsubin, I was wondering who out there has tried mineralizing their water.
I have used a Berkey filter for years and like the taste of the water. I had some of the Santevia mineral stones, but threw them out when I moved (they were 4 years old, in retrospect I wish I had kept them, but I was purging to move across state). Since getting obsessed with Taiwanese Oolongs a few months ago, I have been thinking about my water. I tried some Eternal bottled water and thought I noticed a difference (confirmation bias??), but I am still training my pallet.
After reading this blog posthttps://teasecrets.home.blog/2018/12/28 ... -in-water/ I stopped by the homebrew store and got some gypsum. I had unopened baking soda and epsom salts around but no scale. So I have been sprinkling a very tiny bit into the water before boiling. I was thinking of combining the three together in a salt shaker I can use when I want to harden water for Oolongs. Maybe using a scale to measure out a more exact ratio, but I generally avoid scales, thermometers and timers.
Is any of this on the right track? Or am I wasting time in minutia I should spend focusing on tea and preparation? It was a 3 dollar investment (for gypsum) and I can always justify spending under 5$ on anything that I think will contribute to my tea practice. I have a/b'd the original water with my sprinkled salt concoction and can notice a subtle difference. So an A/B of the same tea with mineral/no mineral is next on the list.
Does anyone else harden their water deliberately? Any tips or tricks to share?