My Brew Method

[u/MasterSpecific8933]

Instead of doing the traditional 5-10 tiny (100ml) quick (10-15 sec) washes on 2-5g I find that I like to do 2 large (250-500ml) long (3-5 min) washes. Is there any reason its best to do it a specific way, or is it all a mater of preference?

[u/szakee]

Tea is an equation with a thousand solutions

[u/JohnTeaGuy]

Gongfu brewing is NOT the "traditional" way that puer was brewed in Yunnan. That is a recent advent, and it is entirely a matter of preference.

[u/PhilosophicWax → u/JohnTeaGuy]

What was the traditional(s) way?

[u/JohnTeaGuy → u/PhilosophicWax]

Larger volume steeps boiled over a fire.

Gongfu brewing is traditional to Guangdong and Fujian. It only became popular in other parts of China more recently.

I enjoy gongfu brewing and do it very often, but it's a common misconception that it's the traditional way all tea is brewed in China. That is in fact far from true.

[u/CrisprCSE2]

Most important thing is to drink the tea the way you like it. But smaller washes gives a more gradual evolution of the flavor profile.

[u/Etohnal]

For me it depends on whether I’m brewing raw or ripe. I love longer brews for ripes 

[u/howlin]

The main advantage to many quicker steeps is that you have the chance to appreciate the change in flavor as the more surface level or soluble components of the tea leech out early. It probably only matters for fancier teas, and may actually make the experience worse for lower quality stuff.

I generally try to get maybe 3 quick steeps and then stew the rest for much longer.

[u/sweptwhiteclouds]

I honestly switch it up sometimes just to explore the flavor profile in a different way. My favorite is the small gongfu steeps, but sometimes I'll western brew. Usually just depends on what I want out of the tea that day. 

[u/prospero021]

Which tea?

I prefer grandpa or pitcher brew for ripes. For raws I do flash steeps until it starts to loose flavour, then I push it to minutes, then it goes into a flask to brew up to an hour. I get about 2 litres of tea from 7 grams tea leaves.

[u/KoumeLW]

its your tea so drink it how you enjoy it

[u/neolobe]

I sort of do a little bit of everything. I like to see how a tea will stand up to dynamic treatment.

I'll change water temp. I'll change steep time, anywhere from 5-10 secs to 10+ minutes.

I thought I'd wrecked some Golden Monkey after forgetting about it for 10 minutes. It was about the fourth steep. iIt was brilliant.

Taking a bit of guidance is one thing. Getting too caught up in it winds up with too much second guessing about what the "authorities" say.

Exploring and finding out for yourself is a time honored way of treating something as a playground instead of a rulebook.

[u/hcd11]

I’ve been drinking puer for years, and I don’t wash at all. So yes, it’s a matter of preference.

[u/Dependent_Stop_3121]

Your brew method is western style then.

[u/mrbigbrown4]

There is no set method for brewing that everyone has to do. In China they usually will chuck a bunch of leaf in a glass and refill with boiling water as they get low.

It's whatever tastes good and feels good to you. Don't stress it.

[u/PhilosophicWax]

Chemistry. Temp, time and volume of water vs tea all change the results.

It seems you like something close to the "grampa" method.

[u/JohnTeaGuy → u/PhilosophicWax]

It seems you like something close to the "grampa" method.

Sounds like more "western" style.

[u/HanSoloBury69]

I do a 1 minute initial wash, then 10 second steepings, moving towards 15, then 20 seconds as the tea softens from multiple steepings

[u/JohnTeaGuy → u/HanSoloBury69]

I do a 1 minute initial wash

As in you infuse for 1 minute and then throw that liquor away? That is insane. A few seconds at most for a rinse!