Brewing balled Taiwanese Shui Xiang

[lebleu2]

A couple of other things :

- extraction is usually stronger with a teapot than a gaiwan because of the higher temp, so using the exact same parameters may not be adequate. I'd lower time a bit with a teapot ;

- as far as I am concerned, I prefer lower ratio/longer times with taiwanese oolong, as I find that they will need space to unfurl properly so that they can bring out their best.

Good point about the temperature. I'll keep that in mind. It's so interesting to me how very different it tastes when brewed in a gaiwan. I wonder if parameters other than temperature at work. Perhaps my water/tea ratio is slightly different.

I have a tall (though tiny) teapot. I wonder if that's a significant factor. It only holds 75 mls and it's much taller than it is wide. It has no "belly".

[wyardley]

- extraction is usually stronger with a teapot than a gaiwan because of the higher temp, so using the exact same parameters may not be adequate. I'd lower time a bit with a teapot

Also, the pot will often have a longer pour time.

[lebleu2]

A couple of other things :

- extraction is usually stronger with a teapot than a gaiwan because of the higher temp, so using the exact same parameters may not be adequate. I'd lower time a bit with a teapot ;

- as far as I am concerned, I prefer lower ratio/longer times with taiwanese oolong, as I find that they will need space to unfurl properly so that they can bring out their best.

I found that to be true. I also found that a gaiwan and teapot that both hold the same number of mls. brew different amounts of tea. Maybe the leaves in the gaiwan absorb more water.

I wonder if I'm expecting "too much" from this particular tea. I hope I'll come across someone who is experienced and who will humor me by brewing the tea for me in my teapot. I think i could learn a lot from that. One thing I'm learning iby brewing the same tea over and over again is that, as Wyardley said, there are plenty of chances to try again. I feel as though I'm getting to know what I like and how to get there. Now if I only knew what the tea, "at its best" tasted like, I'd have something to aim for

[edkrueger]

This would more often be done with heavy roasted teas, especially roasted tieguanyin, maybe less often with some Wuyi yancha. You could try it, but I don't think it's a good idea in this case. One thing it will probably do is even out the strength of the first infusion a bit, however, it may make the tea a bit more bitter or metallic.

If this is anything like the 2009 one, it is pretty heavily roasted. So, I wouldn't be afraid of crushing some leaves. The *lowest* ratio I would use for that one would be 1g per 10ml. But, from the picture, it looks a bit lighter. 7g per 100ml is pretty standard start.

[lebleu2]

If this is anything like the 2009 one, it is pretty heavily roasted. So, I wouldn't be afraid of crushing some leaves. The *lowest* ratio I would use for that one would be 1g per 10ml. But, from the picture, it looks a bit lighter. 7g per 100ml is pretty standard start.

Ed- you lost me. If the standard ratio is 7g to 100 ml wouldn't you use less than the standard amount if the tea were heavily roasted, yet you said you would use 1 g per 10 ml (10 grams per 100 ml) to brew the (winter version of) this "pretty heavily roasted" tea. I'm confused.

[David R.]

I think he is saying that his standard is 7g/10cl, but the heavier the roast is, the more leaves he uses. I do agree with this statement.

[edkrueger]

Yeah, that is what I meant. 7g per 100ml for light roast and more leaves for darker roasts.