I've Been Ruining Pu-erh...
That’s good you’re learning how to brew Pu’erh! Sometimes even with the new and rough shengs I will do two quick 10 sec rinses and might not even start drinking until the 4th or 5th infusion. I can’t drink 20+ infusions anyway so I figure it’s not a waste.
I might have some shu (and some sheng) I can send you. Give me a PM.
Considering that I’m pretty much in the same boat you are, I’d share some thoughts (I might not even be right with these lol)..
I brew mine at a lower temp (185 for sheng) and it seems to be much better then higher temps. In my opinion, I know I brew loose leaf tea when I have all of the taste and none of the bitterness. I’m finding that’s not necessarily the case with puerh. Those first three steeps (after rinsing) can still be pretty bitter. Also, for the amount of time to steep, I use five seconds for the first three full steeps and increase slowly. If I have a cup that has bitterness, then I know I increased too quickly. If there’s a cup that’s way too light compared to other infusions, it wasn’t increased quickly enough. I’m figuring it out on the 4th or 5th steep what the appropriate increments are.
Now that I’m getting the puerh to be less bitter, I need to train my palette to look past the inherit earthiness and taste the actual flavors!
The poor bugger’s been frequenting Marzipan’s Steepster Chat. He never stood a chance. ;P
I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I actually know a bunch of people that brew their pu erh grandpa style (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=tea+grandpa+brewing) It doesn’t work for all teas, but most pu erhs I’ve tried worked for me pretty well.
It gives a pretty different flavor profile progression from gongfu style, but it’s worth a try, especially if you like to take your tea on the go. (Or you don’t have the patience to gongfu brew like me.) Always rinse first though! I usually throw out the first two rinses, I’ve seen people rinse up to five times for aged pu erh.
I still western brew shou once in awhile, it only takes a pinch of tea for an entire mug of water! I rinse it in a strainer, then empty the strainer into my mug and fill with boiling water.
I too do that, and I love it, especially when I’m at work and don’t have time, place, and nifty teaware to brew in the way I normally do.
Next time you meet those people doing 5 rinses tell them to give me a call and I shall gladly be their waste water bowl for the session. =D
Like Flayawaybirdie, I frequently brew shou grandpa style, though I prefer to brew it western style like Cwyn. (I have tried gongfu brewing, but the steeps are too weak for my preference.) I don’t drink sheng any more, as I don’t like the taste of (what I think Cwyn once described as) old gym socks.
Best wishes,
sherubtse
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