Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
Hey everyone. So, I just started using my nice little Chao Zhou with some of the Oolongs I have. However, I am unsure which type of Oolongs to use in it and what amounts? I have a few greener rolled oolongs, and a few twisted Oolongs such as Dan Cong and Beipu Oriental Beauty. I am unsure of steeping times, amounts to use, and which are best suited for the Chao Zhou. Any suggestions anyone?
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
I only have one Dan Cong. I just tried it today and I know that pairing Dan Congs with Chao Zhou is fairly common. I have been using Beipu Oriental Beauty with it and it brews a remarkable cup of tea. It also seemed to do really well with greener, high mountain oolongs, I'm still in experimental mode.NOESIS wrote:Personally, I'd dedicate it to dancongs.
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
As NOESIS said, the pots are originally meant for dan cong, but if you don't want to only dedicate it to one tea, it should do reasonably well for most light floral oolongs. As far as brewing parameters, dan cong and striped Taiwanese teas should be 1/2 full of dry leaf, rolled oolongs should be enough to cover the bottom of the pot (maybe about 1/5 to 1/4 full). After a quick rinse, begin the dc and striped oolongs with a 5s infusion, rolled oolongs begin with 10s infusion.
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
tingjunkie wrote:As NOESIS said, the pots are originally meant for dan cong, but if you don't want to only dedicate it to one tea, it should do reasonably well for most light floral oolongs. As far as brewing parameters, dan cong and striped Taiwanese teas should be 1/2 full of dry leaf, rolled oolongs should be enough to cover the bottom of the pot (maybe about 1/5 to 1/4 full). After a quick rinse, begin the dc and striped oolongs with a 5s infusion, rolled oolongs begin with 10s infusion.
Should I do rinses with greener oolongs as well? Or only with oolongs that have been roasted? I think I had the right amount for the Lishan Cui Feng as I only used about enough leaf to cover the bottom of the little pot, as it expanded the tea leaves almost filled the entire pot, I think if I had one more rolled piece in there it would've been the perfect amount.
So, I should do 10s infusion for lighter oolongs and rolled oolongs? I was doing 30, 30, 40, 40, 50, 60, 90....with the Dan Cong I was also doing about a 30s infusion. So if I were to infuse numerous times, what would my times look like? 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 for the Wuyi and DC and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 for the rolled?
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
I do a rinse with all teas, but I only drink the rinse if I'm sure of the tea's pedigree (i.e. someone I know personally got it directly from the farmer and saw their operation first hand) and can count on it not having any gross "additives".
As for infusion times, it's going to change constantly, day by day, and sometimes for reasons we can't even contemplate. Practice, practice, practice, and you will develop the right feel for it.
As for infusion times, it's going to change constantly, day by day, and sometimes for reasons we can't even contemplate. Practice, practice, practice, and you will develop the right feel for it.
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
tingjunkie wrote:I do a rinse with all teas, but I only drink the rinse if I'm sure of the tea's pedigree (i.e. someone I know personally got it directly from the farmer and saw their operation first hand) and can count on it not having any gross "additives".
As for infusion times, it's going to change constantly, day by day, and sometimes for reasons we can't even contemplate. Practice, practice, practice, and you will develop the right feel for it.
Hmmm, ok, well I haven't been doing a rinse with the greener oolongs and maybe I should. One thing I notice is I can never get the color that the pictures show on the websites, even with the really high end high mountain stuff. I get light colors, but I never really get that GREEN color like a lot of them show. Are my infusion times too long? is there too much water to tea? or too much tea to water? It's all so confusing for me. However, I just made some Lishan Cui Feng in my Gaiwan and the flavors and aromas were astonishing, color was still a little more of a light, light, greenish yellow rather than a green like it shows at iShopo. I'm wondering why I can't get the color right.
Oct 17th, '10, 18:47
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Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
... perhaps they manipulated the color ... or it could be your monitor. 
Not saying that this vendor is doing this, but many vendors seem to.
Not saying that this vendor is doing this, but many vendors seem to.
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
Hmmm, ok yeah because I have yet to see a real brewed tea other than matcha come out as green as some of the pictures I've seen. Some are almost fluorescent in color.
Oct 17th, '10, 19:11
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Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
Well, that and a lot of Japanese greens in general (likely due to steam processing in manufacture) are very green. Nothing like matcha albeit, but fukamushi can be intensely green followed by asamushi and gyo. And usually 2nd steep is greener than 1st.
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
Good to know, yeah even when I have brewed my Japanese green it didn't come out as I expected it would, possibly because it's way past the date it was supposed to be used.
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
Chao Zhou brewing is mostly paired with roasted and aged oolongs I thought...? The point being to make somewhat of an espresso type brew (very strong and full of flavor, but not bitter).
This post explains it in better detail:
http://www.thesiptip.com/2010/05/what-i ... ng-fu.html
This post explains it in better detail:
http://www.thesiptip.com/2010/05/what-i ... ng-fu.html
Re: Correct amount for Chao Zhou?
Most of the better Lishan and gaoshan's I have had have a yellow color to them, not green. You are probably not doing anything wrong. I have found the red clay pots of CZ are very good for Taiwan teas. Thinner is better for green oolong.10-20sec for the first 3 or so. Experiment.Tea4Todd wrote: Hmmm, ok, well I haven't been doing a rinse with the greener oolongs and maybe I should. One thing I notice is I can never get the color that the pictures show on the websites, even with the really high end high mountain stuff. I get light colors, but I never really get that GREEN color like a lot of them show. Are my infusion times too long? is there too much water to tea? or too much tea to water? It's all so confusing for me. However, I just made some Lishan Cui Feng in my Gaiwan and the flavors and aromas were astonishing, color was still a little more of a light, light, greenish yellow rather than a green like it shows at iShopo. I'm wondering why I can't get the color right.