Science behind letting puerh "rest" after shipment?

[Atlas]

I believe I can do this. I have some stuff due Saturday or Monday if it tracks correctly. I think I can isolate a bit of one in the fridge and then one to acclimate. Refined palate, no no no just a simple tea drinker

Hah, everything's relative

I was suggesting using existing material (rather than something that has just arrived) - if known-good material can be messed up or changed up by subjecting it to a ziplock and a fridge or temperature fluctuations for a couple of weeks, that would suggest it's the transportation process that is causing the issue (though I suspect it isn't).

If it stays pretty much the same, it points more toward something else, like (for example) storage-related volatiles airing out.

What you're talking about kinda-sorta verifies the need to acclimate in the first place, but I don't think anyone would dispute that after being in the hobby for a while.

[Elise]

If the Ziplock-fridge transit doesn’t give notable results, it’s also possible to send samples from place to place before reopening it. One can send to himself a sample of well known tea to test further the “tea travel-sickness”

[tealifehk]

I suspect the issue is pressure-related and only related to air travel. Testing needed of course!

[Atlas]

-snip-

Maybe I'm beating a dead horse here (but) do you have any kind of hypothesis regarding how a period of low ambient pressure could cause a temporary physical change in tea?

Not to mention that freight planes are pressurised.

[century]

Question....

I just got a my first large order of Puer.
I have Rubbermaid boxes that are humidified.
Should I let the tea sit for a while at room temp/humidity before putting them in the humid Rubbermaid environment (67%) or can I just put them in now.

Not planning to crack into them for at least a week.

[mrmopu]

Question....

I just got a my first large order of Puer.
I have Rubbermaid boxes that are humidified.
Should I let the tea sit for a while at room temp/humidity before putting them in the humid Rubbermaid environment (67%) or can I just put them in now.

Not planning to crack into them for at least a week.

Put them in now as long as you have no plastic smell in there.

[mrmopu]

@Atlas, I will try this and see what happens. I do suspect the loss of volatiles can be at fault as well. It will be an interesting experiment.

[century]

Question....

I just got a my first large order of Puer.
I have Rubbermaid boxes that are humidified.
Should I let the tea sit for a while at room temp/humidity before putting them in the humid Rubbermaid environment (67%) or can I just put them in now.

Not planning to crack into them for at least a week.

Put them in now as long as you have no plastic smell in there.

Ya, no smell.
Thanks for the help.

[Atlas]

@Atlas, I will try this and see what happens. I do suspect the loss of volatiles can be at fault as well. It will be an interesting experiment.

Just chucked mine in now - a Dayi 8582-806 sheng and a 2001 Awazon shou, for variety

[tealifehk]

-snip-

Maybe I'm beating a dead horse here (but) do you have any kind of hypothesis regarding how a period of low ambient pressure could cause a temporary physical change in tea?

Not to mention that freight planes are pressurised.

No, but there are definitely changes in pressure that do occur; food tastes different at altitude and if you have blocked ears from a cold when flying, it can be excruciatingly painful!

https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/5 ... you-can-do

Turns out the taste issue is almost exclusively a humidity thing:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2015011 ... stes-weird

[Atlas]

-snip-

Bear in mind that these are changes in your perception based on ambient conditions. The food itself doesn't undergo any kind of change, the way you sense it does. The phenomenon has no relevance to someone getting tea shipped and drinking it on the ground.

[tealifehk]

-snip-

Bear in mind that these are changes in your perception based on ambient conditions. The food itself doesn't undergo any kind of change, the way you sense it does. The phenomenon has no relevance to someone getting tea shipped and drinking it on the ground.

The taste perception issue is due to lower humidity. The air pressure issue with the ears is a recognized medical phenomenon and can lead to serious issues!

I've flown thousands of times in my life. There is a definite change in pressure in the air. I get really bloated!

"Changes in air pressure when you're flying on an airplane can cause a rupture. But more commonly the culprit is an ear infection, says Dr. Mukhija. And flying on a plane with an ear infection leads to an even greater risk of an eardrum rupture."

http://www.health.com/celebrities/ruptu ... -treatment

[S_B]

I wonder how this changes samples compared to whole cakes. Has anybody seen a difference between the two? Would the wait period then be different based on size of pieces? Perhaps loose leaf is different as well. It seems that there won't be much science brought to this topic, but I will be lurking to see if any are added at any point...

[Atlas]

-snip-

Sure, but what does that have to do with shipped tea?

-snip-

You want someone to tell you it's ok to drink your CLT samples today, huh?

[tealifehk]

-snip-

Sure, but what does that have to do with shipped tea?

Couldn't tell you, but we all seem to think shipped tea needs rest, so there is something going on!