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I wonder whether I’m doing something wrong?
190, 4-1/2 minutes, 190 degrees, 2 slightly heaped teaspoons, and one additional ½ teaspoon.
Seemed weak, so I added another 1/2-min at 195, after which it became just a bit bitter/astringent. Not thrilled so far.
I use about 4-5 grams per 8 ounces of water brewed Western style at 190 degrees for 2 minutes, increasing subsequent steeps by 1 minute each. Maybe you’d like this better with the Gongfu brewing method?
I need to get a scale, but I actually just tried for a 4th or 5th time, this time brewing for a much longer time (which I usually don’t do), and it made all the difference.
18oz of water, 5 full teaspoons of the tea, 205 degrees, 5 full minutes.
THAT was good! It’s apparently a very sensitive, finicky tea.
Yay! I’m glad you found something that worked for you!! I don’t think I’ve tried Upton yet, so I can’t speak to their teas. I know they’re popular here on Steepster. Every Tie Guan Yin I’ve tried has been awesome!! It’s one of my favs and not particularly finicky in my experience.
Wait, I’m mixing up the tes I’m reporting on. That was something else entirely! . And yet it’s almost true, because I was inspired by this to try again.
4 heaping teaspoons (I need a scale, of course), 15 oz., 190, 5 minutes. I might try 5:30 or even 6 minutes next time. It is almost syrupy, and clearly better, but… it’s as if it has all the “secondary” tastes, the ones you find in the background, but without any of the “main,” foreground taste. Odd stuff.
And you’re right that I might like the Gongfu approach, but it seems like a huge amount of work. Although that’s because I haven’t done i before.
I really like their zO80 “first grade” version.
