Kyusu teapot brewing tips.

[JPX]

I use a 100-120ml kyusu teapot to brew japanese teas.

Here is what i was told to do :

-get your water to 75-85celcius or so.
-heat ur pot and teacup ( get rid of the water after)
-add 1teaspoon of your japanese tea
-pour water in the teapot, wait 5 to 15seconds (10second being the best time), pour into your teacup.

Is this the right thing to do? How do you guys do it?
Im looking for the best way to get the maximum of my teas!

[Oni]

You drink it too weak, more leaf more time.

[clareandromeda]

It depends on the tea but you should def be brewing longer... what kinda tea is it?

[Chip]

Yeah, never heard of a 10 second first steep for Japanese teas.

Depending on the tea, I usually go 30-90 seconds for most sencha.

If I am preheating the kyusu (sometimes I do and sometimes I do not) I use the kyusu to cool water as well. Pour water into pot, then into cups or cooling pitcher. I see no need to waste energy and water by throwing away the water used to preheat the pot ... just seems wrong to me.

[clareandromeda]

I have tried preheating my kyusu and I have found that it just adds another factor to the whole process that I can screw up. I just steep in the kyusu according to the directions. I think when I no longer feel like a "novice" I'll add the preheating to the plan, but preheating is def not a requirement to make a good cup.

[Chip]

Preheating is optional.

If you do preheat, you brew with cooler water. If you do not, you pour hotter water over the leaves since the temp will drop quickly.

I find some sencha does better with preheating and some do better without.

[Oni]

Foreplay is optional too... But definitely recommended.

[clareandromeda]

hahahahahahah. That is all I have to say.

[JPX]

well they called it the sen cha do technique i think.

I tried using longer period like 60seconds and it seemed a bit too much.

i would say that my best result were around 15-25 seconds depending on the tea ( i have found that a tea like kamairicha is way faster than lets say a gyokuro).

thanks for the enlightement.

[thirtysixbelow]

well they called it the sen cha do technique i think.

I tried using longer period like 60seconds and it seemed a bit too much.

i would say that my best result were around 15-25 seconds depending on the tea ( i have found that a tea like kamairicha is way faster than lets say a gyokuro).

thanks for the enlightement.

I don't think I have ever brewed for less than 40 seconds on a first steep. What was too much about the 60 second steep? Depending on the tea there may have been some astringency starting to come through but this is a sign of balance and a lot of high quality greens have this. This is the only thing I can imagine being a put off for steeping longer.

[Chip]

60 seconds could be too long if it was fukamushi ... and/or something else was out of whack like too much leaf, too hot. Or both ...

[clareandromeda]

JPX's brewing sounds similar to the directions on tea gallery blog http://www.theteagallery.blogspot.com/....

It's totally different than anything I've ever read or heard.

[Chip]

One thing I notice and quite love, a few seconds or so after pouring water into my kyusu over the some sencha leaves, a beautiful sweet, almost floral aroma is given off. You have to lift the lid a bit to experience this, or at least tilt it.

I think if I poured it off at this moment, the aroma would be fleeting and the leaf would not have had enough time to give up enough flavor to make the brew flavorful enough to enjoy.

But still, that aroma is beguiling and a surprise given the change in another minute or so.

[clareandromeda]

I've made cups I've deemed "to weak" at about that temperature and for much longer.... perhaps I have indelicate taste buds. I also have decided after the millionth time converting C to F I need to stop operating in Fahrenheit and into Celc...and in ML.... instead of ounces. damn American forms of measurement. Damn you Benjamin Franklin!

[Chip]

I've made cups I've deemed "to weak" at about that temperature and for much longer.... perhaps I have indelicate taste buds. I also have decided after the millionth time converting C to F I need to stop operating in Fahrenheit and into Celc...and in ML.... instead of ounces. damn American forms of measurement. Damn you Benjamin Franklin!

Then our habit of converting leaf ratios into a Grams Leaf per Ounces Water must drive you batty? Funny thing is, I think some vendors are picking this up from us and using it on their sites.

It is a nice ratio IMHO, but it bugs me a bit TBH. a .75 : 1 sounds nicer than .75 : 30.