Wednesday TeaDay 8/3/11 Grammer or eyeballer?

[Chip]

Greetings TeasFriends, and welcome to TeaDay. Please stop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Broad stroke, how fanatical are you about "how much leaf" you use? Please share some details!

We are looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone, bottoms up.

[Xell]

I weigh only if i'm not familiar with particular kind of tea. Yesterday attempt at white tea was fun. And i though houjicha takes big volume per weight No way i could eyeball right amount of it without scales But seems this tea is not for me.

Time for some matcha

[Drax]

I'm similar to Xell, in that I can usually get by not weighing for a tea that I'm familiar with. Oolongs in a gaiwan are particularly easy to eyeball.

But... I'm write down most of my tea sessions. Tasting notes, steep times, temperatures, etc. I do this level of detail partly for reproducability, but also so I know what to try differently next time, if that particular session didn't turn out well....

Speaking of oolongs, I think I'll be having a nice cuppa this morning...!

[JBaymore]

I use the Mark I Eyeball, calibrated by my optometrist once a year, for most teas.

best,

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

[Chip]

I weigh Japanese greens just about each time, and since I am brewing Japanese greens most of the time, I am also weighing most of the time. I could probably get pretty close w/o weighing, but there is a bit of a mad scientist in me that likes to fanatically weigh things down to the .01 of a gram.

There is an added benefit to weighing, less waste for Japanese greens, more sessions per bag.

Most other teas I do not weigh, unless it is a new tea or maybe conducting tastings, etc.

About to go weigh a Japanese green to start the TD.

[JRS22]

I voted for weighing each time, but I realize in retrospect that I sometimes make an exception for genmaicha. I haven't figured out how to allow for the rice when weighing or measuring that tea. I also keep records, especially of the pot. That determines another important quantity issue - how much water to use.

In my cup this morning, Tamaryokucha Guricha, the last of the Shincha OTTI. In the middle of my OTTI tasting I began using what I refer to as the Tsuen method. It's from a posting by Kevangogh after he moved to the Tsuen Tea House environs. It's transformed my experience of Japanese teas. So even though I still found that the 4 samples had too much bitterness to balance the other flavor components for me to want to buy more, I was able to enjoy all 4.

[debunix]

Grams every time for sencha--it's the one tea that is still sufficiently touchy for me to brew that I need the weighing every time.

Other teas, I mostly weigh if they're new to me or I'm writing a review.

This morning, no tea yet. Not weighing the hot chocolate.

[Chip]

Not weighing the hot chocolate.

You are wild and crazy, aren't you???!!!???

In my cup this morning, Tamaryokucha Guricha, the last of the Shincha OTTI. In the middle of my OTTI tasting I began using what I refer to as the Tsuen method. It's from a posting by Kevangogh after he moved to the Tsuen Tea House environs. It's transformed my experience of Japanese teas. So even though I still found that the 4 samples had too much bitterness to balance the other flavor components for me to want to buy more, I was able to enjoy all 4.

I am glad you found a brewing method that works for you! I thought he was discussing gyokuro, but it would be a logical progression to try it with sencha, especially if one is having a particular issue with sencha.

[Chip]

Oh, began the TD with Miyabi shincha from the O-C with the Mrs. EXACTLY 5.00 grams, this way I will get exactly 20.0 sessions with this bag. The mad scientist/frugalmeister within is pleased with this logic.

Also using the new varieTEA kettle from our host Adagio. This is BIG (up to 57 oz, 1.7L, almost 2X the size of my old utilTEA)!!! It has 5 electronic/digital temp settings (150, 165, 180, 195 and 212F) and a "Keep Warm" setting (30 minutes for whatever temp I set it). It also gets style points compared to any other electric SS kettle I have used. And is quite quiet, and no bleeping beeping.
http://www.adagio.com/teaware/varieTEA_ ... c36a657bef
I still have to run it through its paces, but very nice so far.

[tortoise]

I only weigh the tea to get accustomed to a new one. From then on, I eyeball it. I like the casual attitude that comes when I know a tea well and that is the manner in which I prefer to brew. I can easily understand how, for some, it's fun to get out the scales each time though. I actually try to eliminate the thermometer as well, though that is sometimes more difficult. I do recognize variation in my outcomes, but as long as it falls in a certain zone, I find it to taste excellent. Funny thing is that even when I carefully measure everything, there is still variation sometimes.

Sipping the last of my shincha Kinari. Easily my favorite of the varieties I sampled this year.

[entropyembrace]

I always eyeball when I´m brewing tea but sometimes I´ll get out the scale to check how much that really is in order to communicate better on the forum.

On the other hand I weigh out coffee for every espresso shot I make to 0.1g

[debunix]

It has 5 electronic/digital temp settings (150, 165, 180, 195 and 212F) and a "Keep Warm" setting (30 minutes for whatever temp I set it).

That sounds like a pretty nice selection of temps--much better than the average 'adjustable' kettle with the typical 2 temps.

[jaderabbit]

I always eyeball.
Maybe if I had a scale I would weigh but oh, well. I manage to make good tea most of the time. :p

[Drax]

I will be curious to hear if the new kettle actually comes close to the stated temperatures, regardless of the water in the kettle. The utiliTEA gets steadily warmer for the same setting as the amount of water goes down...

Meanwhile, the best laid plans... I thought I was going to go for oolong at work, but took a sudden right turn into some matcha. I regret nothing!

[Poohblah]

I will be curious to hear if the new kettle actually comes close to the stated temperatures, regardless of the water in the kettle. The utiliTEA gets steadily warmer for the same setting as the amount of water goes down...

I noticed that as well; I thought I was going crazy. Glad I'm not the only one.