Thursday TeaDay 2/10/11 Great versus botched?

[Chip]

Happy TeaDay everyone! We are all looking forward to hearing what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed botched brews. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Speaking of botched brews, what is your ratio of good/great brews to botched brews. Please share.

We are all looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone. Bottoms up.

[auhckw]

50/50

I just don't know... my tea seems to taste much better in the tea shop itself. Whenever i brew it at home, I just couldn't get the same taste/feel like in the tea shop.

I have a feeling it is because of the environment, the accompany while drinking, etc

[IPT]

I clicked 100%, although that's not really accurate. It's not often, but I do sometimes botch a brew. It's usually thanks to outside interference like my wife or co-worker. It really ticks me off! I should make them drink it huh?

[Trey Winston]

I'll be generous to myself ('Why, thank me very much!' 'I'm welcome') and estimate 60 good/40 botched. That's still a large percentage of sub-optimal tea, thanks to my easiness of distraction.

Having some gunpowder today. There's definitely something to be said for enjoying the occasional black tea in between all the whites and greens and oolongs.

[el gringo]

I think it's something like 70/30, good to bad brews, especially since I'm quite new to all this. I find getting a good brew a little hit and miss until I've used the same tea a handfull of times.

[TwoPynts]

I rarely totally botch a brewing, so I'll go with 90:10. Other who drink my teas may not agree though...

Not sure what to have this AM, perhaps another sheng from the OTTI.

[Chip]

Looking at the voting, it would seem we are pretty proficient in brewing. I went with the majority (so far) at 90:10.

It is so rare that I would botch a first steep, but it can more likely happen with a first steep of a tea that is very new to me. I am paying uber attention on the first steep, but less so in successive steeps. Fortunately they are more forgiving except for the crucial second steep for most japanese greens.

Began the TD with Musashi from O-Cha with the Mrs. It is really rare for me to start the TD with a karigane. The brewing was not botched.

[tortoise]

I'm at 90:10. It doesn't happen regularly, but often enough that I can remember the botched occasions. The worst is when you are serving tea to a guest who may not have had the tea you are making before and you taste and say, "oh, I'm sorry, this sucks. I have to start over."

Started the teaday with a very smooth assam blend from H&S. Did the whole cream and sugar thing which was most comforting on this freezing morning with very light snow in Northwest Louisiana.

[brlarson]

I clicked 100%, although that's not really accurate. It's not often, but I do sometimes botch a brew. It's usually thanks to outside interference like my wife or co-worker. It really ticks me off! I should make them drink it huh?

I could have checked 100%, but I chose 90:10 instead. I think I botched brews twice last year. When I did, it was because I chose brewing parameters from memory rather then by consulting my notes.

Opened a new bag of Jing's Ban Tian Yao this morning, and I just brewed some Kirameki with lunch.

[ErikaM]

Mine are usually somewhere in the middle -- not great, not botched. I've learned enough about brewing that I rarely botch a cup, but at the same time I'm a little too lazy to call the results great. If I'd just make the effort to use a thermometer and timer, I'm sure my percentage of greats would go up.

[brad4419]

I'm thinking about 80:20 on botched brews. Mostly good but every once in a while I will over brew. This morning I had tie luo han and accidentally overbrewed the last cup making it a bit too strong.

[debunix]

80:20 here too. Less than 10% utterly undrinkable--probably 5% in that category--but at least 20% are disappointing infusions.

Today drank a nice thermos full of one of my first puerh beengs, probably a shu of unknown provenance, and now working on some Yunnan Mao Feng from Norbu. Both sets of infusions on the good side.

[Skippyandjif]

80:20 good vs. botched. Often what happens to lead to botching is that I'm making tea while doing homework and end up oversteeping it. And then I'm really careful for a while.

Rose congou all this afternoon, currently sipping on some lavender sencha.