Brewing Japanese Greens (experiments to try etc...)

[trent]

I try to brew my tea as dynamically as possible, constantly experimenting w/ minor changes to see if they "improve" the result. After about 6 months of experimentation, I've arrived at this process.

- pour water into kyusu (slow & from height)
- transfer to cup and add leaves to empty kyusu
- transfer water to yuzamashi --> kyusu (slow & high)

1. Brew for 2:00 / pour tea into cup (slow and no splashing)

- pour water into cup --> yuzamashi --> kyusu (slow & high)

2. Brew for 0:30 / pour tea into cup (slow and no splashing)

- pour water into yuzamashi --> kyusu (slow & high)

3. Brew for 4:00 / pour tea into cup (slow and no splashing)

- pour water into kyusu (slow & no splashing)

4. Brew till cold / pour tea into cup (slow and no splashing)

- reboil water / pour into kyusu (fast & no splashing)

5. Brew till cold / pour tea into cup (slow and no splashing)

Although I love the result this method produces, I can't resist keeping the experience dynamic and ever changing. So, I was looking for some alternate ways to brew.

One I came across was http://www.samovartea.com/html/lounge/teatv.cfm. Click on the Kinezuka video. Ayumi proposes an interesting method of using a reduced water level for the 1st 2 infusions (see the video for clarification). Considering her background, she is an obviously qualified source.
have any of you tried this, and if so what did you think? feel free to try it out and report your results here.

if you try my method, what do you think of it?

I guess the purpose of this post is to ask: what do you do to keep the Japanese Green brewing experience dynamic?

[olivierco]

Very interesting post and thanks for the link to the video.



I try to keep my Japanese Green brewing experience dynamic.
I quite always adapt the steeping times to the results of the previous steep and previous sessions.
When opening a new tea package, I start always this way:
sencha 1g/30ml 70°C (160°F) 60s (slow pour)
gyokuro 2g/30 55°C (130°F) 90s
and I gradually adapt it to get the best results for the tea.
When I open a package from a tea I had had before, I restart the whole process without looking my notes: that is the way I try to keep my brewing experience dynamic.

I sometimes also try brewing parameters given by teachater, teasellers... That is why I might try the method shown in the video and yours as well.

[Oni]

Most japanese do not use yuzamashi for sencha, the only thing you need is a kyusu, and 3 cups, generally 210 ml = 3 x 70 ml = 3 cups, fill you kyusu with hot water and pour to the cups, put 7 grams = one tablespoon shallow filled with leaves plus a half, puor back water and wait a minute and pour the cups halfway full, then top it off so that the tea will be equally strong in each cup, wath this video> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWT36gk6 ... =1&index=1 , however I think with the second infusion you really need a yuzamashi, this method is shown everywhere on japanese sites.

I have made some modifications to the sencha brewing, pour water to your kyusu 200 ml, then pour 100 ml of water to your cups (yunomi), after this transfer the whole water from the kyusu to your yuzamashi, put leaves in you teapot about 6-7 gramms and pour the water from the yuzamashi to the kyusu, brew for 1 minute for light steamed 40 seconds with heavy steamed tea, and pour to your yuzamashi back and use it as a serving pitcher to the cups, the main advantage is that you can make the second brew while everybody is drinking their first brew and just keep it in your warm yuzamashi till everybody is ready to recieve their second cup, second infuison is 20 seconds with light steamed and instant pour with heavy steamed tea.

Read http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/chako5e.htm , and look at their houhins they are really afortable. And I will make a podcast about my brewing methods.

[Jack_teachat]

A couple of things I have tried in the past year which appear to make a difference...

i) (With some senchas) Adding the leaves to the water in the kyusu instead of allowing the leaves to sit in the warm pot before brewing - I find this can be a good way of getting rid of any unwanted bitterness when you've tried anything else and it just won't go away!

ii) Leaving hot water in the tea cup during brewing and discarding only just before you are about to pour out the tea.

Jack

[Oni]

You nr. II, is what I am talking about.