Friday TeaDay 2/11/11 Vendor brewing suggestions?

[Cicada Lady]

I'll try a vendor's suggestions - within reason.

[gargoylekitty]

Rarely to virtually never. Only really when I'm completely unfamiliar with it and even then I normally look around online for suggestions or wing it(if I have enough to play around). Even then, I only really pay attention to the suggestion on temp, never brew time since that seems to end up off more often then not.

[brad4419]

I will at least try their suggestions but I always check out what teachat members are doing with the tea and compare that to the vendor. Teachats suggestions usually comes out better.

jiu Hua fo cha in my cup today

[JRS22]

When I first began drinking tea I followed vendor advice and ruined a lot of tea that might have been just fine if it had been brewed correctly. A lot of vendors offer a blanket recommendation of 180 degrees for 3 minutes - and that's just too hot and too long for many fine chinese greens. I got the best advice here on Tea Chat, and now I have a good sense of how to test new tea.

The best, most detailed, advice I've ever seen was from Kevin at O-Cha, here as well as on his site.

[debunix]

I follow vendor suggestions if I trust the vendor and it was close to what I would have done anyway.

Today, brewing a winter 2009 dark roast TGY from Taiwan via Norbu. Since it was bulk-brewed for a thermos to drink through the day, can't say I was following any directions, just following my nose, stopping when it smelled right.

[IPT]

I NEVER follow vender's instructions.

Being a vender, I always say that any brewing suggestions, including mine, are just that, suggestions. Everyone's taste is different and what works for me might not work for you, so everyone needs to experiment to make the tea right for them.

[iannon]

*some* of them i look at/try out..the ones that seem to make sense anyway.

[Peacock]

I usually will give a vendor's brewing suggestions a shot and if I don't like them then I stick with what I know best and what suits my taste buds on my tongue.

[MarshalN]

Where's the "definitely never" option?

[Marco]

If it seems reasonable I give it a try. But I search teachat for better instructions or do it out of my little experience.
There are too many brewing instructions that are far from making a good tea.

On Friday has been a green day