To use a timer for gongfu, or not?

[brad4419]

What tea fish said.

I do agree with you beecrofter that gong fu should not always be the same repetition of brew times but using a timer will mean that I can "choose" when I want to change my paramaters and to what extent I want them changed to. Then I can know how long is too long or too short for my tastes. You do have a good point maybe I will try without sometimes to mix things up.

[tenuki]

This Half-Dipper blog post from a while back echos my thoughts on the topic very well:

http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2008/05/timing-tea.html

[Chip]

This Half-Dipper blog post from a while back echos my thoughts on the topic very well:

http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2008/05/timing-tea.html

Beautiful blog entry. Thought provoking ...

[tingjunkie]

I'm often surprised to find that this silly little topic I started has bubbled back up to the top of the page once again! I suppose it is a testament to the fact that those of us who attempt gongfu brewing have all had to deal with these issues at some point.

tenuki- I have read that Half-Dipper article several times in the past (as well as reading the revelatory Zen In the Art of Archery many a time too) and I truly appreciate the similarities of gongfu and the Zen arts. Thanks for reminding me of that excellent blog entry.

To be able to have that 'right mindfulness' when brewing tea is indeed a lofty and noble goal. I think the biggest problem, for the bulk of us, is that getting to that point not only takes time and dedication, but also a TON of cash in the form of a steady supply of good tea! When Eugen Herrigel undertook his journey of learning traditional Zen archery in Japan, he had the benefit of using equipment which required a minimum of upkeep. He could stand there for hours at a time drawing and loosing the bow, and (aside from the occasional replacement string perhaps) never become a cent poorer. Every time we tea fiends draw our proverbial bow it costs us 5-15g of premium leaf!

Don't get me wrong, we do get a lot back from our investment- amazing flavors, good healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and, if we are lucky, some decent qi. That being said, I think most of us are happier when we feel like we didn't just waste 7g of fresh Da Yu Ling by stewing it! For that reason, I think note taking, and a bit of scientific method can really help us out until we are ready to move past that novice stage.

Hopefully one day my tea brewing skills will become as effortless as snow falling from a bowing bamboo leaf. Until I get closer to that, I'm going to keep using some type of time measuring method to make sure I don't totally screw things up. I honestly can't afford to have most of my "arrows" fall weakly at my feet.

[brandon]

You're only going to "stew" each tea a few times before you figure it out.
Lifetime to master, but not too hard to learn. Actually, where did all my money go?

[Proinsias]

I don't really mind most of my arrows falling to my feet when brewing. I think I've become immune to a pretty high level of bitterness and astringency - I get the feeling Chip's eyes may pop out if I had to brew some sencha for him. If I stew a tea I tend to drink it anyway, gives a insight into the tea I wouldn't have gotten from normal brewing. If it's really bad I'll dump a flash infusion in to even things out a bit.

I've been tempted a few times this year to pick up a thermometer and use a timer as I've been drinking more Japanese greens. I never do. I figure my brewing will sort itself out in a few years, if I stick to the same basic set up each time.

And I like tea fairies.

[ABx]

You're only going to "stew" each tea a few times before you figure it out.
Lifetime to master, but not too hard to learn. Actually, where did all my money go?

Hehe, I think that you and I have little room to talk

I will say, though, that you certainly learn faster without measuring devices. How much money you waste in the process would really depend on you and the tea (there are some very decent, or even great, cheap teas out there).

I too have found that I don't even count anymore, and there were many times that I didn't in the beginning either, but I also have a great internal clock; I usually go back to the microwave within 10 seconds of when it's done and haven't needed an alarm clock in years (even if I need to get up after just a few hours).

However, if you feel too new but want to learn, just keep an eye on what the leaf is doing. It doesn't take much to learn how the leaf will look when the steep is ready, and it won't hurt to lift the lid now and again. Once the leaf is fully opened, you can pretty much just go through the motions at a casual pace without stopping to wait for steeping. Even if you do oversteep a bit, a little bit of bitterness isn't necessarily bad, depending on the tea; sometimes it can even bring out some things that you might not find otherwise.

You can also start with the more forgiving teas, like fisted wulong from Anxi or Taiwan (as long as it's decent quality and has been acclimated to your environment it shouldn't go bitter easily).

[Serg]

I think if we use timers, termometers and scales we don't study art of tea but rather the technology of tea. Turn that dial, press the button, wait 10 seconds then get your standardized cup of espres.. err.. oolong cha It seems gong-fu machines are really in demand

[debunix]

I like my thermometer, and timer, and scale--they are tools that help me to work with a tea, to understand and enjoy it better. They're a tool that helps me find pleasure in my tea by adding some precision and reproducibility to what I'm doing, especially as I'm working with a new tea.

At the shortest initial infusions, the timer becomes more of an obstacle than a helper to me--trying to remember to set it for 10 second infusions just isn't so practical, but for longer infusions, it works fine.

If it helps you, use it, if it gets in your way, don't.

But don't worry that a tool or too will pollute your experience of tea artistry by contaminating it with technology, any more than the potter's knowledge of the chemistry of glazes contaminates your appreciation of a beautiful pot or cup.

[entropyembrace]

Everytime you use a timer a tea fairy loses her wings...

+1

I don´t even count...I just smell the lid and somehow this tells me if it´s ready or not....it´s an intuitive thing. I might screw up an infusion or two when I´m trying a new tea, but that´s part of the learning process for me...

[Chip]

Brew how you like, like how you brew!!!

At the same time, I would not want to judge someone based upon the tools they use or do not use. Tolerance comes to the TeaTable.

[hop_goblin]

Since the objective in Gongfu is to brew "tea with skill", the easy answer would be to use a timer, if in effect, it guides to that end. However, there are those who take Gongfu cha to a different level which then the objective is to remove yourself from any enviroment that would detract your concentration onthe movement of qi. Since, timers are not conducive for eliminating distractions, then it would be best to avoid them.

Your call

[Janine]

My answer? Never. But like others said, "Your call." At the risk of being called flippant, I'm more inclined to a phrase I learned in Cantonese pronunciation ya mou gao cho'a.

A better answer is one from a tea teacher friend: being too technical (and obsessive) defeats the purpose. Just balance your use of it against that caution, I suppose.

[debunix]

My purpose Is to enjoy my tea. Sometimes that is best accomplished with the aid of a timer, sometimes not. It is a tool as comfortable and familiar in my kitchen as any pot or knife.

This weekend I wasted two brewings of sencha and several infusions of oolongs that would have been saved by a timer.