Tuesday TeaDay 3/23/10 Brewster dislikes?

[MASALACHAAAAIIIIII]

cleaning teaware...finding green tea still in my kyusu that is weeks old is the norm...AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

having a glass of thai tea, finally figured it out...
next will be some matchaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, then some yutaka midori! about time for some shincha!

[Chip]

I learned the hard way that you don't leave the chashaku soaking in dishwater for any length of time (or it will straighten itself out).

I had read that you were not supposed to submerge the chashaku, but I never knew it would flatten out. Heh, I don't hardly even really throw teaware in water. My work cup used to have tea stains about an inch thick.

TD continued with a nice little session of Long Jing in a Korean "Travel Set" from Hankook which we are wondering why these are called travel sets in the Korean Teaware Topic. http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=12437

[Mrs. Chip]

Nice shot!

[mbishop]

I voted Getting the Temperature right and Cleaning the Teaware.

I don't have a problem getting the temperature right usually, but what I dislike is the process itself of getting the temperature right.

I boil the water and then pour it into the pot (to warm it) then into a cup (to warm and measure), but the water is too hot still, so I have to pour it between two cups (and spill some water in the process) a few times before I can get it down to the right temperature. It's either that or just wait for the water, which is even worse.

And cleaning the teaware, well that's self-explanatory.

YM today, almost to the bottom of the bag.

[Seeker]

Heating water, getting temp right, and mis-brewing (too bitter, etc). These are my pet peeves.
On a regular basis - heating water and getting the temp right are the most onerous for me. I use an electric, SS, cordless kettle and a taylor thermometer - so I have to 'watch' the water.
It doesn't happen often, but when I mis-brew - get too much bitterness (usually due to distraction) or get too little flavor from expensive and limited amount teas, well, I tend to struggle with those kinds of events.
I suppose living this western life with all its demands, well, all my demands on myself, this makes me impatient to get to the next thing, and I miss the whole point of the more zen tea process - calming down, getting into the moment.
The same goes for my response to "over" or "under" infused tea - the more meditative and zen approach would be to meet and fully be with, in the moment, the tea that has emerged from the process at hand, here and now.
So really, I should have voted "other" - I am what I struggle with the most.

[Skippyandjif]

I don't like burning myself (my electric kettle spits, so I have to be really careful) or being interrupted while brewing my tea and oversteeping it. I also chose "other"-- the "other" would be spillage! Nothing makes me sadder than spilling tea that I've taken time to brew, or being bumped into and dropping a spoonful of leaves on the floor (small dorms are not conducive to the tea process, apparently ).

Oolong-jasmine-green tea right now, to be followed with something green or herbal later.

[teaisme]

Cleaning sucks.
That is all.

Same for me
sometimes I try out a lot of teas and end up with a lot to clean

A mini dishwasher that just uses hot water would be great

[geeber1]

Definitely over/under brewing. I hate it when I'm looking forward to a nice cup of tea, only to realize that I used too much water and end up with a watery brew.

Nilgiri Glendale Handmade was in my cup this morning, followed by some iced no-name (because I can't remember what I used ).

[msurads06]

I voted getting the time right/waiting and burning my mouth. I rarely burn my fingers, but have a bad habit of forgetting the tea is still HOT and burning my mouth. The time/waiting is the worst for me because I am usually either impatient for the tea to be ready or so busy that i forget about it. this often results in over/under brewed tea, but it is the time that is the problem

No tea yet today, just too busy this morning trying to get the garden planted before work. Will probably have some peppermint tea tonight after dinner.

[brlarson]

Why would you ever put your chashaku in water at all? I just wipe it with a slightly damp towel, one swish and it's done.

Well, I like to lick the matcha off of it , and after that I need to really clean it off.

Life lessons learned. It is the journey.........

Yes it is.

[brad4419]

At the top of my list is scalding my fingers. My favorite yixing is imposible to brew in without burning my fingers and it makes me so frustrated

Next would be cleaning teaware and last is overbrewing or underbrewing my tea. This doesn't happen very often anymore. I don't know if Ive become more patient or just gotten better at remembering the teas brewing.

slow teaday today, I just rebrewed the same anxi benshan from yesterday this morning and maybe some herbal tonight.

[LauraW]

#1: Cleaning. Ordinarily it doesn't bother me - especially if I can do it right away - but if it has to sit while I do something else.... it bothers me to have to come back and do it later. I at least try to get the tea and leaves out right away, even if that means coming back later to actually clean it.
#2: Getting temperature right. Ordinarily not a problem, but for greens especially I dislike pouring them between 2 cups until it's the right temp (I end up spilling too much, and it's just not worth it), or just wait, in which case I'm likely to either be impatient and make the first steep too hot (like I did today) or do something else while I wait and forget about it (like I did I think 2 days ago).

Work today was a few steeps of Camellia Sinensis' AliShan. I love watching the leaves unfurl more with every steep. After work/cooking/eating dinner tea was more of Den's Fukamushi Sencha - it just felt like a green-tea afternoon. Cleaned out the IngenuiTEA right after dinner - which I didn't do yesterday, so I came home today to old tealeaves. Ick.

[Chip]

Finishing the TD with a Korean herbal from Hankook. Gamip Cha, persimmon leaf tea. The dry leaf has a very savory aroma, like a hearty dish. As did the steeping brew. Once poured, the sovory "attitude" faded quite a bit a revealed an underlying sweetness.

C**P, lots of teaware to wash ...................
But a great TD .......................