Why Does Very Good Yancha Have a Bad Bad Day?

[JRS22]

I weighed out the same amount of tea, put it in the same pot, filled my Varietea kettle with the same quality water and heated it to the same temperature as the other day and previous sessions. I timed the steeps so that was consistent. The resulting tea wasn't bad, but it was boring and almost lifeless, not the same complex slightly sweet tea I've grown accustomed to. If it was just me I'd say my taste buds were having a bad day, but I was sharing it with someone else who's familiar with this tea.

Any ideas?

[the_economist]

It could be anything, from the way you poured the hot water into the pot to the overall brokenness of the leaves you used this time. It happens to everyone. I would be more likely to blame my brewing than the tea, but tea can also change depending on the ambient temperature/humidity.

Consistency in brewing is very hard to achieve in my experience.

[bonescwa]

I've noticed this more with strip formed oolong teas, mostly middle range or lower dancong but sometimes yancha. Rarely with puerh, ball shaped oolongs, never with greens. I use spring water or filtered well water, plain stainless steel kettle. This all remains constant, and I have noticed a huge difference with all things being equal in water, heating method, leaf amount, brewing device, brewing time, etc. I guess these tiny details do make a difference. I was skeptical before. It's just soaking leaves in water, right?

[Tead Off]

Usually, it's me, my body chemistry. But, if the other drinker experienced the same thing, there are many possibilities. Too difficult to give you a definitive answer.

[Puerlife]

As Paul of White2Tea once told me, tea is an agricultural product so there is going to be variation from leaf to leaf. The problem isn't always the shifu.

edit: He told me that during a conversation about a 13-year-old puer but I assume the idea is just as relevant to all artisanal tea.

[AT333]

It could be anything, from the way you poured the hot water into the pot to the overall brokenness of the leaves you used this time. It happens to everyone. I would be more likely to blame my brewing than the tea, but tea can also change depending on the ambient temperature/humidity.

Consistency in brewing is very hard to achieve in my experience.

+1

Yancha is extremely sensitive tea to brew and a slight variation can affect the final outcome tremendously. I don't think anyone can brew a consistently good cup all the time even for teamasters.

[miig]

this is potentially OT:

I don't think anyone can brew a consistently good cup all the time even for teamasters.

Question is if that is even desirable - I know, many people want control and consistently good results, but for me, it can be so interesting to get to know different faces of my teas.. So maybe it can be quite rewarding in its own right to taste today's tea...

[tingjunkie]

Assuming all other conditions were the same (including my mood, and not having ate anything very strongly flavored or drinking any alcohol before the tea session), I always attributed these bad tea days to weather and humidity. Dan cong seems very susceptible, with yancha a little less so. These teas tend to love rainy humid days, and not do as well on dry days. To me, indoor air conditioning usually kills a tea's potential regardless of varietal. It was always a tough call in my NYC apartment in the summer... sweat through a great tea session, or be comfortable through a mediocre one.

I often find it helps to "acclimate" a tea for 30 minutes or more before brewing- basically just leave it sitting out uncovered in the environment.

[AT333]

this is potentially OT:

I don't think anyone can brew a consistently good cup all the time even for teamasters.

Question is if that is even desirable - I know, many people want control and consistently good results, but for me, it can be so interesting to get to know different faces of my teas.. So maybe it can be quite rewarding in its own right to taste today's tea...

+1
Yancha has so many taste personalities itself. Sometimes we want a taste personality that cannot exist together with another. That is the fun
part especially if we can control the outcome by brewing skill.

[tingjunkie]

I weighed out the same amount of tea, put it in the same pot, filled my Varietea kettle with the same quality water and heated it to the same temperature as the other day and previous sessions. I timed the steeps so that was consistent.

BTW, if you haven't read this post by TIM, please do! One of the most insightful ways to look at tea brewing that I know of, and it will help you to have far less bad tea days! http://www.themandarinstea.blogspot.com ... ation.html

[the_economist]

^+1

The way to consistency isn't measuring everything out!

[kyarazen]

i had just written something on this..

its probably attributed to your sense of smell and the dryness of the air.

personally i find my sense of smell less acute when it goes down to 40-47% humidity, with the personal optimum at around 75% humidity.

and since the nose is important for complexity determination/sensing rather than taste buds, that could be the reason.


have you tried the tea again now to see if it will happen for the third time?

[AT333]

No wonder my tea taste flat on some days. I will shop for a humidifier and catapult my tea quality through the ceiling.

[William]

No wonder my tea taste flat on some days. I will shop for a humidifier and catapult my tea quality through the ceiling.

That is a good idea!

[wert]

Nothing wrong with the tea, mostly has to do with the human.