Tuesday, 2/19/08, TeaDayyyyyyyyyy

[Chip]

Wow, yesterday was a fun discussion and poll. I suspected there was a gender bias regarding gongfu style TeaPrep, but this was amazing. 14% of female responders followed either a semi or full gongfu tea preparation...are you ready for this, 73% of male responders followed the practice. That almost blew my TeaMind, but makes perfect sense. I appreciated the good natured and fun discussion.

Today on TeaDay, we will follow up with a discussion that was pricked on yesterday, again with a gender twist. It is something many of us roll our eyes about when listening to the opposing points of view. Technology in TeaPrep...those little things like digital scales, digital thermometers, digital timers...water measuring devices...

Remember, have fun with this!!!!!!!!!!!

So, today's TeaDay TeaPoll follows up with yesterday's poll.

Today is TeaDayyyyyyyyyyy...so come on in and share with everyone what is in your cup. See what other TeaChatters are sipping today.

All are welcome to participate in TeaDay, TeaNewbies are encouraged to participate and TeaVets are as always welcome.

[Wesli]

Finishing up some Rou Gui. mmmmmm

[olivierco]

Due to my past work of research engineer in physics and chemistry, I like to experiment with tea with precise tools. So digital scale, timer and digital thermomether.


When I have a new tea , I always test it with scale, thermometer and timer. Usually I brew the tea two different ways simultaneously and compare.
After having determined the best brewing method (according to my taste), I continue to use the scale (handier than remembering how many teaspoons I have to use with each tea) and the timer (I don't wear any watch) but I use the thermometer constantly only for gyokuro.

For puer, I have a more empiric approach: no scale (when you break a puer cake, you can't adjust the size of the pieces you get) I try to determine from the look and taste of the infusion what time is needed to the following one (which I am not always very good at...)

This morning Keemun for breakfast and Jasmine pearls right now. (No scale needed for both teas as I drink them regularly)

[Ladytiger]

I use use a timer.
This morning, as I'm heading off to school, I'm have Irish Breakfast with cream and sugar, it's a little different then what I've been doing.

[kchan99]

I use a timer so I don't forget about my tea if I need to do something else during the wait.

[Victoria]

I use a timer and digital thermometer is next on my list.

Enjoying my Adagio Morning Blend and trying to wake up. Not a morning person. Oy to Tuesdays, disguised as Mondays.

Have a lovely day all!

[CynTEAa]

Morning all! Definitely all out when it comes to tea tasting - digital scale, etc. When it comes to personal consumption I tend to eyeball it for weight and temp most of the time unless brewing an unfamiliar tea, but never without a timer.

Yunnan Gold as usual, now on to something....Darjeeling!

[cloudyday]

At home I use it all: UtiliTea, digital scale and timer. At work, though, I wing it - all I gots is my koryo and an electric kettle, but I do use the TeaTimer on the computer.

Yunnan Gold for me this morning, as well.

[TexasTea]

I'm between some tech and hardcore. I use a timer, always, because oversteeping can ruin a good pot of tea and I'm too ADD to keep track of it otherwise! I have a variable temp electric kettle, so I use that and don't bother with a thermometer. I use standard-sized spoons ("1 cup of perfect tea" spoon and "1 pot of perfect tea" spoon) to measure, though I might weigh a tea the first time I use it to see how dense it is.

I do have a precision pocket scale on order...

I started this morning with a cup of Nilgiri Tiger Hill - my current favorite black tea. Right now the cup is empty - I'm contemplating something fruit-flavored; I still have some (dare I say it) Republic of Tea teabags in the "Comfort and Joy Black Tea" seasonal blend, which tastes something like spiced apple cider. Love the tea, would like to find a good loose blend that is comparable. Any suggestions? It is described as cloves, apples, and cinnamon blended with fine black tea.

[TimeforTea]

I use a timer and digital thermometer. I have also ordered a tea scale.

I am curious to see if there's a gender bias with this question. I am reminded of how much I disliked my food science class, where we had to weigh ingredients instead of using volume measurements. Back then, I wasn't a tea drinker.

What I hope to do, is start off using a tea scale and then be able to eyeball portions.

This morning I am drinking adagio spiced green tea for the first time. I hate to say it, but it is not my cup of tea! Perhaps I'll save it for iced tea.

[daughteroftheKing]

So...does marking my IngenuiTea with a sharpie so that I know how much water to put in for my regular cups count as a tech tool???

I hit the wrong poll answer because I definitely use a timer, otherwise I lose track of time and can end up with tea that's been steeping for 25 minutes.

Wake-up tea today was Kyoto Cherry Rose organic, but now I'm waiting for my Jasmine Pearls to unfurl and get me through the morning at work.

[RussianSoul]

I definitely use a timer. Like TexasTea said, extra minute or two can ruin a perfect pot of tea. I am looking to buy a thermometer because of my new interest in greens. But once I am familiar with a new tea - I wing it. So I am a semi-tech girl here.

Just finished a pot of Scottish Breakfast and trying to avoid work by thinking about a cup of Buckingham Palace Garden Party tea.

[tenuki]

timer if I'm doing other stuff so I don't forget and temperature to figure out settings on a new electric teakettle. But, if I have the time I'm learning to do it all without the instruments entirely.

This sort of reminds me of sailing. sailboats have all this fancy equipement on them to measure windspeed, etc. But I'm finding that the Beaufort scale, which is totally observation based is actually more useful regarding what sails to choose, when to reef, etc. I think modern man is actually handicapped by science sometimes because it draws our attention away from our own senses.

Legend of Tung Ting - from teahome starts the day

[xine]

blah, Golden Monkey part II. I fell 'up' the stairs today, and spilled my first large mug, and then my second cup had a bunch of leaves in it, and I choked on some of the dust, so I just made a new pot. Needless to say, my 'teaday' is starting out on a sore note.

I eyeball everything, to a fault sometimes. I have a measuring spoon, and I will buy a scale, especially as I am getting more interested in mixing and doing proper tastings.

[Victoria]

After a second steep of my Adagio blend I made it to work somehow.

Now on to the oolongs -

Bai Ji Guan Oolong from TeaCuppa - aka White Cockscomb, very nice for a wuyi, sweet and fruity. I've been enjoying a large sample pack, this one goes on my next order.