Tea Steeping time: Discard the first and second infusions. Start drinking from the third Infusion, but the steeping time for the third infusion can be shorter, such as 10-20 seconds. The fourth infusion should be slightly longer than the third, such as 30-40 seconds, and so on. As the tea becomes weaker with each subsequent brewing, the steeping time can be gradually increased.
Brewing Pu'er Ripened Tea
Prepare the Teaware and Pu'er tea.
Warm the teaware: Rinse the teaware with boiling water. This primarily serves to warm the Teapot and cups, and also cleans the teaware. Then add the tea leaves. Regardless of whether I'm using a glass cup or traditional teaware, I always start by warming the cups.
Measure out tea: Place the Pu'er tea in the teapot. Generally, the ratio of tea to water is 1:50, which means using about 3 grams of tea per cup of water. However, it mainly depends on personal preference.
Rinse the tea: Pour freshly boiled water over the tea in the teapot and steep for 2-3 seconds before discarding the first infusion. This step helps to wash away impurities and awakens the tea. Depending on how your Pu'er tea is packaged (e.g., compressed into cakes), you may need to rinse it two or three times.
Pour the tea: Decant the brewed tea into a pitcher, placing a strainer on top to catch any loose tea leaves, then distribute it evenly into smaller cups to be served while still warm.
1. After each infusion, pour the tea into the pitcher to drink slowly, rather than letting it sit in the teapot too long, which can overcook the tea and negatively affect its flavor.
2. Pu'er tea maintains its flavor even when cooled, making it suitable for summer consumption. It can be enjoyed chilled or even after being refrigerated.
3. The steeping time varies depending on the tea. Generally, compressed teas require a shorter steeping time, while loose leaf teas need more time. A larger amount of tea requires less steeping time, whereas a smaller amount needs more. Shorter steeping times are appropriate for the initial infusions, while longer times are better for later infusions.
Brewing Pu'er ripened tea involves several considerations. Generally, aged and coarser teas require longer steeping times, while newer and finer teas need less time. Handmade Pu'er teas require longer steeping times compared to machine-made ones. Compressed teas require longer steeping times, whereas loose leaf Pu'er teas need less time. For the same Pu'er ripened tea, both the length of the steeping time and the water temperature significantly influence the quality of the resulting tea liquor.