"Weak"End TeaDays 12/4-5/10

[Chip]

Welcome everyone to another "Weak"end edition of TeaDay. Please stop by throughout the weekend and share what is in your cup with us.

Friday we discussed food/tea pairings. You can still vote and discuss Friday's topic.

This "Weak"end's TeaPoll and discussion topic, thanks again to Herb_Master. Would you say you BREW your tea "strong or weak?" Relative to other TCers? Compared to the general public TeaDrinkers? Etc? Please share.

I am looking forward to sharing this WeakEnd TeaDay(s) with everyone. Bottoms up.

[JBaymore]

Average.

best,

...............john

[AdamMY]

This is definitely a sliding scale. I would say I brew my tea stronger than many teachat members, but then there are people like Brandon who are sure to blow me out of the water, with most (likely all) teas.

That being said there are a few teas I like to make rather weak, such as I can only stand shu pu when brewed with a little bit of leaf, but steep it for a very long amount of time.

[Marco]

I am not sure about this one.
I have choosen weak.
But I think I brew it average or even stronger than some others with my first infusions. But I tend to brew till there is only coloured water left. So I think I do more infusions than most of you. So definitely the last ones are very weak.

In my cup today was a 2002 Hai Lang Hao Menku Wild Arbor Pu from YS that made me sleepy. Now I try a 2009 Menghai "Da Yi Hong" from jkteashop - a little bitter. Perhaps I oversteeped.

[nickE]

I prefer strong tea. I gongfu almost everything I drink; if it can't stand up to gongfu brewing I usually don't drink it. I've also been known to stuff my 80ml Yixing with 8-9 grams of aged Shengpu.

Sencha is the exception here; I brew it using the standard 1g/oz. method.

[entropyembrace]

I tend to brew strong...with low bitter sensitivity it´s usually rewarding

what´s strong?

10g of DHP in a 70ml gaiwan
8-10g of gyo in a 120ml pot brewed 2 mins at 70ºC
8g+ of 2nd flush darjeeling in a 350ml pot brewed 5+ minutes (occasionally 30mins plus when I get distracted and It´s still good! though that ruins the 3rd infusion)

I think that counts right?

[Proinsias]

I tend to brew most teas pretty strong, if I'm making tea for others I usually go a little easier on the brews.

Going by the otti's I've particiapted in recently I'd say I brew on the strong side compared to some teachatters.

No tea today but had about 5 cups of coffee

[debunix]

Weak end of the spectrum, mostly, especially with puerhs, greens, and black teas.

Today enjoyed a rather rich (for me) Sayamakaori sencha, and now am working on a reasonably weak brewing of purple bud Haiwan puerh.

[msurads06]

I voted for average, though it really depends on the tea. I prefer white and shu on the strong side and blacks a little on the weak side to avoid bitterness. Sheng can go either way depending on how much bitterness the specific tea has. I probably brew my oolongs about average.

Aged oolong grandpa style today, had to hit the road early.

[Chip]

I voted strong, I tend to use pretty much leaf for most teas, 1 gram per ounce water. But I tend to brew "light." So average this out to "strong."

Great Td that began with Yutaka Midori, moved onto Tsuru Jirushi Gyo with the Mrs., and finishing with Oku Yutaka organic from the O-C.

[tortoise]

I voted for average because I really don't know how strongly you all brew your tea or the general public. Actually, I think the general public brew their tea ridiculously strong: boiling water poured over a bag of tea dust, brewed for an indefinite period of time.

I've discovered that I prefer highly roasted oolongs brewed more in a western fashion (though not weakly), high mountain - gong fu, and sencha average to weaker.
Still learning and evolving...

[Dresden]

Greeting everyone... I'm back on TC after quite a lengthy hiatus. Reason? My DW had our second child in September. She was a preemie but is very healthy and doing great.


Anyway, I'm back.

I tend to brew mine about average.

In my cup tonight: Casablanca Twist and trying to soothe a sore throat.

Cheers,
Mike

[debunix]

With two little disease vectors, er, lovely children who generously share of their germs, in the house, you're due for more cough & sore throat & runny nose than before, so a decent stock of chamomile and hibiscus might be in order.

Glad you're back, and hope the sore throat abates soon so you can join the ones doing great.

[brad4419]

Greeting everyone... I'm back on TC after quite a lengthy hiatus. Reason? My DW had our second child in September. She was a preemie but is very healthy and doing great.


Anyway, I'm back.

I tend to brew mine about average.

In my cup tonight: Casablanca Twist and trying to soothe a sore throat.

Cheers,
Mike

Congratulations Dresden! Im glad to here shes doing well and happy to see you back on TC.

Im probably on the stronger end because I do longer gongfu infusions than most. Other than that Im average for green, black and white.

No tea yet today. Finals are next week and I found out I have a paper due tomorrow that I thought wasn't due until thursday

[nrstooge]

I voted strong.. perhaps because I tend to prefer the stronger teas.. but I have discovered a white earl gray that is to die for so that is in my "to go" double walled travel container from Teavana today - now... off to laundromat... with tea of course