whats the diff between dry storage vs wet storage?
whats the diff between dry storage vs wet storage?
Jun 22nd, '11, 00:14
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debunix
Re: whats the diff between dry storage vs wet storage?
Someone will come along here soon to give you more detailed information, but in the meantime, what I've picked up is that wet storage--puerh kept in a humid environment--may show more rapid aging than puerh kept dry, which is both good (faster change to the desirable 'old' taste) and bad (higher risk of dirty sweaty gym sock odor/taste).
Re: whats the diff between dry storage vs wet storage?
Aside from the obvious wise ass response.... (one is drier), the terms don't mean anything by themselves - everyone has their own standards for how wet is "wet" or how dry is "dry", and whether they consider wet stored teas anything with humid storage or only teas with excessively wet or improper storage.
Luckily, there are some great posts with some information that I think will help answer your question. I think it's important not to decide that because you don't like one wet stored tea (or one dry stored tea) that all teas stored that way are bad. The storage of a tea tells its story, and the story is usually more complex than just "wet" or "dry". Also, a tea that has a lot of storage taste now may taste great after "drying out" for 10 years. I think some people who complain a lot about wet stored tea think that what they're tasting is the end result, when really it's a step along the way. Teas that are truly purely dry stored for long periods of time may not really develop the taste that many of us enjoy in aged pu'er.
Keep in mind that almost all of the area where pu'er has been stored in large quantities for long periods of time are relatively humid for much of the year.
The best way to understand how storage affects the taste of tea is to try different teas and see for yourself how they taste. Also, do your own storage experiments, so that you can see how your own teas progress over a period of years.
http://www.cloudsteacollection.com/html ... 031_e.html
http://puerh.blogspot.com/p/puer-by-app ... orage.html
http://www.marshaln.com/2011/01/traditional-not-wet/
Luckily, there are some great posts with some information that I think will help answer your question. I think it's important not to decide that because you don't like one wet stored tea (or one dry stored tea) that all teas stored that way are bad. The storage of a tea tells its story, and the story is usually more complex than just "wet" or "dry". Also, a tea that has a lot of storage taste now may taste great after "drying out" for 10 years. I think some people who complain a lot about wet stored tea think that what they're tasting is the end result, when really it's a step along the way. Teas that are truly purely dry stored for long periods of time may not really develop the taste that many of us enjoy in aged pu'er.
Keep in mind that almost all of the area where pu'er has been stored in large quantities for long periods of time are relatively humid for much of the year.
The best way to understand how storage affects the taste of tea is to try different teas and see for yourself how they taste. Also, do your own storage experiments, so that you can see how your own teas progress over a period of years.
http://www.cloudsteacollection.com/html ... 031_e.html
http://puerh.blogspot.com/p/puer-by-app ... orage.html
http://www.marshaln.com/2011/01/traditional-not-wet/
Re: whats the diff between dry storage vs wet storage?
I love that one by Bears. I have looked at it several times since he posted it.
Re: whats the diff between dry storage vs wet storage?
I think Will's answer more or less covers the basics. It is worth keeping in mind that BBB's pictures cover only one instance of traditional storage, and that they run the gamut in terms of coloration - so use it as a general guide, rather than a strict reference. Often times you'll see colour that's darker than his dry stored, aged stuff, but lighter than the traditionally stored, aged stuff. It's really the drinker's job to figure out which is which, and that is all down to how it tastes in the cup.