Refrigerating brewed puerh tea

Puerh and other heicha
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Webley
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:37 pm
Location: Baltimore, USA

Tue Mar 31, 2020 8:25 am

I brew my pu in a dedicated 300ml clay pot. Most times I drink the entire amount in 1 infusion. If I decide every so often to only drink part of it, could I refrigerate the rest for a later time? If I do this, am I sacrificing some quality in the brew? Do some folks brew a batch to have handy for a limited time in the fridge?
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Youzi
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Location: Shaxi, Yunnan, China
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Tue Mar 31, 2020 8:51 am

Webley wrote:
Tue Mar 31, 2020 8:25 am
I brew my pu in a dedicated 300ml clay pot. Most times I drink the entire amount in 1 infusion. If I decide every so often to only drink part of it, could I refrigerate the rest for a later time? If I do this, am I sacrificing some quality in the brew? Do some folks brew a batch to have handy for a limited time in the fridge?
I'm nut sure, but what I do during every session is to put the first or second infusion away until the end, and let it cool to room temperature. It's the best and most flavorful part of the session. If I wouldn't use a glencairn glass, then that last cup would be better than the rest of the previous session. (I'm talking about wulongs here especially medium oxidized roasted ones)

The only thing you sacrifice with cold tea is the aroma.

With pu'er the cold cups are not that amazing, as the bitterness is more pronounced, but give it a try, and see how it's for you.
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debunix
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Location: Los Angeles, CA

Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:14 pm

There is a flattening of some flavors as the tea liquor sits in contact with air after brewing, that is not kind to aggressive younger shengs. I've enjoyed some shu pu, like the fine plummy Lao Cha Tou I get from Norbu, cooled and even chilled, but it has mostly been because I didn't finished it while hot. For drinking in the car on road trips, or hiking, I prefer greener oolongs; or I'll carbonate some cold-brewed sencha for a sparkling beverage on a summer afternoon.

This is just not the forte of most puerh, IMHO.
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beachape
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2017 1:06 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:33 am

I never have much success with refrigerating tea, but no harm in giving it a whirl. In my experience it ends up tasting a bit different and less pleasant. I tend to brew in a much smaller pot gong-fu style. When the leaves still have some strength in them, but I can't drink more tea, I just leave the leaves in the pot until the next day/morning and brew them again. Just don't leave them in there for more than a day or they may mold.
Rui
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Location: Luebeck - Germany

Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:47 am

Just do not forget to bring the tea leaves to room teamperature and afterwards give them an initial flash rinse with hot water as if the leaves are going to be steeped for the first time. This rinse will "re-awaken" the tea leaves.
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