Teaware Comparison Side-by-Side - General Tips
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 1:13 pm
I have some 90's aged ripe shou I'll be getting delivered soon and I'm going to do a side by side tasting with a yixing and porcelain gaiwan. I'm looking for some *general* tips on conducting such a comparison.
I say *general* because I don't want to make this a definitive test, where I follow tight restrictions. I realize that if I keep it 'loose' I may get back false 'data', but that's okay. I've never done a side by side so I'm looking at this as more of a fun experience, where maybe/hopefully there will be a clear winner, or not (both are good results).
Here is the general approach I'm planning to follow - let me know if any easy to implement recommendations:
- the 80's yixing and porcelain gaiwan both hold very close to 100ml, so I will try to pour directly from the Bonavita kettle into the pots...but as I'll be doing this multiple infusions the exact volume of water may vary a bit
- I'll use 5g and shoot for 90ml of water (basically I won't be going to the top of either pot), water 99 Celsius
- I'll make an infusion in one of the pots, pour into a glass pitcher, then into a small cup...tasting each cup until the infusion is finished
- I'll repeat with the other pot, and while I'll be using the same glass pitcher, I'll give it a quick rinse with hot water, and then pour into a second, matching up
- I'll go as long as the steeps go, taking some basic notes along the way
What I'm looking for is what pot works best for the tea, for me. I'll then use that pot for the remaining sessions with that tea.
Hopefully this is a clear explanation. When I write about tea, I envision in my mind what I'll be doing and expect everyone will get it (lol). I know from other discussions this isn't always the case, so please ask for clarification if you think you have some good advice but need clarity from me before providing.
I say *general* because I don't want to make this a definitive test, where I follow tight restrictions. I realize that if I keep it 'loose' I may get back false 'data', but that's okay. I've never done a side by side so I'm looking at this as more of a fun experience, where maybe/hopefully there will be a clear winner, or not (both are good results).
Here is the general approach I'm planning to follow - let me know if any easy to implement recommendations:
- the 80's yixing and porcelain gaiwan both hold very close to 100ml, so I will try to pour directly from the Bonavita kettle into the pots...but as I'll be doing this multiple infusions the exact volume of water may vary a bit
- I'll use 5g and shoot for 90ml of water (basically I won't be going to the top of either pot), water 99 Celsius
- I'll make an infusion in one of the pots, pour into a glass pitcher, then into a small cup...tasting each cup until the infusion is finished
- I'll repeat with the other pot, and while I'll be using the same glass pitcher, I'll give it a quick rinse with hot water, and then pour into a second, matching up
- I'll go as long as the steeps go, taking some basic notes along the way
What I'm looking for is what pot works best for the tea, for me. I'll then use that pot for the remaining sessions with that tea.
Hopefully this is a clear explanation. When I write about tea, I envision in my mind what I'll be doing and expect everyone will get it (lol). I know from other discussions this isn't always the case, so please ask for clarification if you think you have some good advice but need clarity from me before providing.