Wednesday TeaDay 9/10/08 Craving Pu-erh?

[kongni]

http://multipleinfusions.com/2008/09/quick-easy-tea/

Yeah, but you can't extract the caffeine this way right? Does at least some caffeine come out when you cold brew?

Boy! I am just full of questions this morning. Maybe someday I'll be able to give answers

[Maitre_Tea]

I'm always up for some pu'er, especially in the early morning where the tea's earthiness and richness helps me get up. But I'm still learning more about pu'er, because like wines, it is such a complex tea. in fact, i'm a little intimidated by it...

[chamekke]

Not sure how to respond when I've never even tried puehr (unless you count an attempt to buy puehr locally - some rotten loose stuff which I trust is not representative!).

[Salsero]

Yeah, but you can't extract the caffeine this way right? Does at least some caffeine come out when you cold brew?

Wikipedia lists these figures, near meaningless to me:

• Solubility in water
  22 mg·mL−1 (25 °C)
  180 mg·mL−1 (80 °C)
  670 mg·mL−1 (100 °C)

[/i]
I take it to mean that caffeine is extracted much more slowly in cold water, but still extracted. The fact that you are infusing for such a long period, however, may mean that you are getting a full dose of caffeine.

If you use sencha powder in your water bottle, you will be drinking not just the infused water, but the actual powdered leaf and so getting a whopping 100% of the caffeine. I really like sencha powder, btw, when I am trapped in a meeting room for hours.

[Victoria]

I like it, but don't crave it. I think in the cooler months ahead, I'll be getting a little more into my samples and trying more and more of it.

Starting this morning with Yunnan Gold.

Have a nice day everyone!

[jazz88]

Haven't tried pu yet so I did not vote.
Will brew Earl Grey in a minute.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I haven't tried pu yet so I can't say that crave it since I don't even know what it tastes like.

Today is starting with the last of the Apple Green Tea sample.

[xine]

no no no no no no no. if I crave pu erh, I can just have a cigarette or eat my ashtray

having some fantastic Ali Shan oolong....we'll be getting it soon on the site! It's my new favorite!

[Beidao]

Isn't bing cha just a "tea cake", one of the forms that puerh can have?

Having some Huang Jin Gui now. 3rd infusion.

[Jack_teachat]

Think I'm gonna try Gyokyro Kame-Giru-Shi for the first time today, looking forward to it.

Let us know how you get on. I love that tea! Usually start it off at about 55 degrees C for 1 minute/ 9g leaf, 125ml water. Having Yutaka Midori ichibancha sencha now, I think i've got the parameters just right

[Victoria]

no no no no no no no. if I crave pu erh, I can just have a cigarette or eat my ashtray

having some fantastic Ali Shan oolong....we'll be getting it soon on the site! It's my new favorite!

Ohhhh cruel torture!!! I can't wait to try!

[Salsero]

So what is the difference between puerh and bing cha? Both tend to come in cakes right?

Isn't bing cha just a "tea cake", one of the forms that puerh can have?

Yep, Beidao's got it right. Babelcarp definition of Bing Cha: "Tea, usually Pu'er, compressed into thick disks, literally Cake Tea. " Occasionally you will see wuyi oolong compressed into bings and there is a Korean green tea that is pressed into a cake. Sometimes "bing" is rendered "beeng."

• 

[Selaphiel]

Think I'm gonna try Gyokyro Kame-Giru-Shi for the first time today, looking forward to it.

Let us know how you get on. I love that tea! Usually start it off at about 55 degrees C for 1 minute/ 9g leaf, 125ml water. Having Yutaka Midori ichibancha sencha now, I think i've got the parameters just right

I did 9g leaf, 120ml on 55 degrees celsius for 2 minutes. The tea was very good, quality very close to the Yume no ukihashi. Sweet and mellow, grassy, but not as grassy as the Yume no ukihashi. Had a mild astringency just like YnU. The 2nd and 3rd steep were more powerful than the YnU which tends to change character to a more subtle (yet good) aroma, Kami-Giru-Shi maintained its power although I picked up some aromas in the 3rd steep I weren't able to identify in the previous steeps.

The leaves were consistently big, there is absolutely no "dust" in this tea and they packed a powerful aroma.
I highly recommend this gyokuro.

[TIM]

can't live a day without it....

[Pentox]

Not really a fan of the pu. So therefore I don't crave it, ever.

This morning: Midori Sencha, std infusion style. (it's starting to cool down around here enough to start switching back to hot tea)