bigjinla said

Ripe Pu'erh question

I’ve read in a few places (White2tea mentions it for Laochatou) that some people will boil/cook ripe pu’erh for 10 minutes as a final steep and that it yields a thicker, sweeter drink. Any thoughts/guidance on trying this and whether it’s worth trying? Any quick and easy instructions if you’ve tried doing this would be great. Thanks in advance and I apologize if this has already been covered on another posting. I tried searching but had no luck.

9 Replies
Garret said

I frequently use this method and use it with oolongs and pu’er teas alike. I place the leaves in a pan with a cup or so (depends on amount of leaf, to taste) of filtered water and bring it to a boil. I gently boil for 10 to 15 minutes and then strain it off and drink it! Easy teasy! It’s like giving your leaves a ninth life. Enjoy the exploration.

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bigjinla said

Thanks Garret! I’m going to give this a go tomorrow and it will probably be with one of your fantastic teas. Probably Phatty Cake 2. I’ll also give it a go with your milk oolong.

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If you got the time and you are on a tight tea budget it’s worth doing to milk all the flavor out. Many of what I call “bombproof” teas which can take the extra boil don’t get all weird and bitter from a boil. Some teas can’t take the boiling and will be really dry or bitter.

If you don’t have time to watch something boil on the stove, or it comes out really bitter, you can try cold brewing overnight. This works pretty good for oolong and sheng.

I personally don’t do it all the time. I get the steepings out to around 20 minutes in a gaiwan/yixing then it goes to compost. If the tea is expensive and good I’ll try and get a boil or cold steep in to get more out of it.

bigjinla said

Those are some great tips. Thanks!
Btw – I love your blog and follow it regularly. Some really wonderful reviews and information and very inventive writing. Thanks for taking the time to do it. :)

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andresito said

I do this particularly with aged/expensive puerhs, both sheng and shu. I put the used up leaves in a borosilicate mug and fill with water. then put the mug into a pan full of water like a water bath. its all uncovered btw. Then bring pan of water to a boil, once boiling turn down to simmer and set timer for like 20-30 minutes. Check if the water level drops and fill with water if necessary. If I really boil them a long time, and the water level in the mug drops, then I’ll just boil some fresh water in my electric kettle and top off the mug, and enjoy! Yes, its usually creamy, smooth, and delicious!

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graceatblb said

I often do this for the final steep of ripe pu’er (or sheng too). Mandala’s Noble Mark, Phatty Cakes and Special Dark (R.I.P.) are perfect for this. It brings out some notes and flavors that were faint in the previous steeps and it tends to be sweeter and the flavor more concentrated. These are often my favorite steeps.

bigjinla said

Thanks for the response.

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I make boiled cha tou on weekends sometimes. I just boil it and don’t bother with the initial steeping part :)

Try about 1g/100ml and boil (gentle simmer, actually) for 5 minutes to start. I often boil cha tou 3-4 times, adding 5 min or so per iteration.

bigjinla said

I’m going to give that a try this weekend. Thanks for the tip.

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