Various brewing methods

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KapnoPhilia88
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Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:07 am

Hello,

I would like to know about the types of tea brewing methods. What are some common ways, and how do you like to brew your tea?
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LeoFox
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Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:26 am

Depends on the tea and and depends on the outcome you want. Please search around in this forum esp in these threads where people describe teas they are drinking and often list brewing parameters and their outcomes.

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viewtopic.php?f=15&t=15
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=13
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=12
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11
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pedant
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Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:43 am

very generally...

you can pay close attention to what you are doing (precisely measuring brew time, amount of leaf, amount of water (and hence leaf:water brew ratio)), or not.

for example, you can dump some leaf (measured or not) into a mug, add water, wait a while, and drink.
i often mug brew about 2.5g of leaf in a 300mL mug. when i get down to the last 1/4 or so of the liquid, i top it up with fresh water.

people may call high water:leaf ratio (perhaps a single infusion in a larger brewing vessel) western style brewing.

people may call low water:leaf ratio (perhaps done in several infusions in a smaller brewing vessel) eastern style brewing.
when chinese or taiwanese teaware and some element of practiced skill or showmanship are involved, some call that gongfu style brewing. others call it gongfu even without ceremony.
there are some specialized techniques practiced in chaozhou, but i am not so familiar with them.
for some japanese practices, have a look at cha-dō and sencha-dō.

i often make tea in chinese, taiwanese, and japanese teaware (gaiwan, yixing teapot, kyusu) in the 40-200mL volume range depending on how much leaf i feel like brewing. i feel it would be quite a stretch to say i practice gongfu, senchadō, or any other style. i am untrained and possess no skills. i'm just drinking tea :mrgreen:
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KapnoPhilia88
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:01 am

Thank you pedant, that is helpful.

Leofox in those links I found information about people's teas but little about actual brewing methods. Also I would like to know what your preferred method might be, and what types of vessels you like to use.
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Bok
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:33 am

KapnoPhilia88 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:01 am
Also I would like to know what your preferred method might be, and what types of vessels you like to use.
Brewing methods are ver subjective and highly dependant on the tea, water etc. you use. So it's usually of little value to follow others advice when you do not know where you or they stand in their skill sets and available hardware. Their cup of tea might be not to your taste and vice versa. Experiment on your own with what you have and go from there.

Usually porcelain in a thin vessel, same goes for cups. Go with a middle hot temp for starters and adjust from there to taste preference. Play with the parameters. Time/Leaf-water ratio/Temp.

All this informations from others are spread across the forum and other places, don't expect others to do the leg work for you. It's easier and less time wasting for others to reply to concrete, rather than broad general questions.

It's like "what's the meaning of life?" There is not one simple answer to that...
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KapnoPhilia88
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:26 am

Bok I would have no issue in giving you a straight and simple answer to "what is the meaning of life?"

Why would it be such a task for anyone to share how they typically brew tea?
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pedant
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:11 am

additional examples:

i make a lot of tea in a thin, porcelain, 80mL gaiwan. i usually load it with 4.5g of leaf because that's what seems to fit well, and i also enjoy that 'dose' of tea. i brew with ~boiling water (electric kettle set to maintain 211°F), and i'm usually too lazy to use a timer. i just try to brew it so that it's not too strong (often presenting as overly bitter) or too weak (uninteresting). depending on the tea, the first infusion could be between 3s and 2min. tightly rolled teas often have a longer initial infusion because the leaves don't extract quickly until they open up. i re-infuse the leaves until they're spent, and i increase the brew time for each infusion. the final infusion could be 10min or even overnight. this works for me for many but not all kinds of tea.

here is a thread all about brewing one particular japanese green tea:
Ippodo Tokusen Gyokuro 2020
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LeoFox
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:12 am

KapnoPhilia88 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:26 am
Bok I would have no issue in giving you a straight and simple answer to "what is the meaning of life?"

Why would it be such a task for anyone to share how they typically brew tea?
It's a task because you can write a book about it, and still not be satisfied. There are actually plenty of resources online about this, and the vendors themselves are more than happy to provide recommendations.

Ultimately it is very subjective. There are some people who must take tea with milk. Well, then you will have to brew a more tannin heavy tea in an aggressive way to get the casein and polyphenols to match up properly. Other people are super tasters and prefer to brew it very lightly. Some want to optimize perfume and aroma. Others want long lasting aftertaste. Others want a thick mouthfeel and expansive flavor. Others need balance.

And some want to drink tea with a heavy meal or with incense or while smoking. I remember you said you want to drink while doing pipe tobacco? You may then want something that goes with that experience and brew appropriately. To ask the general question how do you brew your tea is a bit open ended.

Also, if you take the time to read through more posts on the threads, you will see more brewing parameters being presented. Hint: follow Victoria's posts because she usually includes parameters. She likes her teas robust.

Also, here is a very typical guideline sheet from a popular vendor. Take it with a grain of salt and view it as a starting point. For me, these seem reasonable for some teas, but not most teas - but you have to find that out for yourself. Part of the joy of tea is the journey of discovering what a quality experience means to you.
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And this is a link to some guidance to Japanese tea,
https://www.thes-du-japon.com/index.php ... =page&id=5
Last edited by LeoFox on Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ethan Kurland
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:15 am

KapnoPhilia88 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:26 am
Bok I would have no issue in giving you a straight and simple answer to "what is the meaning of life?"

Why would it be such a task for anyone to share how they typically brew tea?
So, I am asking you to give me a straight & simple answer to the question: What is the meaning of life?
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mbanu
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:35 am

KapnoPhilia88 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:26 am
Bok I would have no issue in giving you a straight and simple answer to "what is the meaning of life?"

Why would it be such a task for anyone to share how they typically brew tea?
I think maybe it is a split between inductive and deductive tea-drinkers, or maybe reactive and systematic tea-drinkers. The two mindsets struggle to understand one another.

For one group, the answer to "Why do you brew this particular tea this particular way?" is largely a matter of social practices. "I brew this tea because it is the tea that is here. I brew it this way because over the years, this was the way everyone decided on." So it becomes, "I am a product of this place, so of course I drink tea this way, how else could I drink it and still be connected to my community?"

For the other group, there is a deep-set desire for structure that extends beyond custom. They want things to have a more consistent meaning than "this group decided to do it this way with this tea so that's why." So even if they are not scientists, they want to understand tea in a way that at least looks scientific. They try to understand what it is about certain teas that might make them more suitable for one method of brewing than another, and will develop guidelines that seem to connect all the various customs into something more than improv.

For the first group, this kind of thinking seems futile, as tea is a matter of taste. For the second group, it is essential, because robbing tea of sense robs it of purpose.
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OCTO
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:37 am

KapnoPhilia88 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:26 am
Bok I would have no issue in giving you a straight and simple answer to "what is the meaning of life?"

Why would it be such a task for anyone to share how they typically brew tea?

@KapnoPhilia88 What's the meaning of life??

Mine is simply being able to forge a lifelong friendship through a common interest that transcends gender, race, religion, nationality, locality and demographic segmentation..... to summarise.... it's friendship over a cup, one cup at a time.

It's not difficult to share how one brews their tea. To each their own preference. I love my Gaiwans.... :D :D :D

Cheers!
YSLondon
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:19 am

I used to be completely confused before by this too, not knowing ratio, time, etc, I initially used Mei leaf’s brewing guide also.

I practiced very high ratio leaf to water with short steep times and alternatively low leaves to water with long steeping times. I’ve tried pouring water in fast, from a height, or from a height and slow. I mix it up a lot depending on what I’m in the mood for.

Naturally you’ll find your own preferences and start to deviate from a set of rules to follow. One of my favorite things is being able to show different faces of the tea depending on how I brew it, so even though this might not be satisfying: experiment!!!! You’ll eventually be able to follow your instincts with your teas. Can try counting amount of breaths after pouring in water, color of tea liquor when initially pouring, or being somewhat aware of time without using a timer.
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pedant
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:49 am

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:15 am
KapnoPhilia88 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:26 am
...I would have no issue in giving you a straight and simple answer to "what is the meaning of life?"...
...What is the meaning of life?
i was almost afraid to ask. :)
i'm glad someone did.
faj
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:59 am

pedant wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:49 am
i was almost afraid to ask. :)
i'm glad someone did.
I will be glad when someone properly answers the question. Or will I? :)
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KapnoPhilia88
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Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:08 pm

Thank you for sharing, it is helpful.

LeoFox thank you for your thoughts and chart, however I am not very concerned about what is the best or the exact method, but only what you prefer yourself. As you might have read in my introduction, I brew my tea from a bag in a steel thermos, steeping indefinitely, usually with a black or peppermint tea using the thermos lid as a cup.

Ethan Kurland, I would be happy to answer your question, but please initiate a new thread so as to keep this topic unbroken. Perhaps in this Miscellaneous heading. If it goes unapproved, then I will certainly answer through private message.

mbanu this is an astute and helpful observation, and I believe it identifies two real types of thought in their extremes. I see both within myself but tend to gravitate initially toward the latter and over time move toward the former. However this is for a separate thread, no? Perhaps more if Ethan's is approved.

So, I would kindly venture to say that I am not searching for a tutorial on how to brew necessarily but rather a briefing of how you like brew and what type of equipment you might use.
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