/ck/ - Food & Cooking

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I wish there was more Tea-related content creators who weren't trying to sell you something.

>of course don will say his tea is the best
>of course Scott will say Yunnan Sourcing is the place to go
>I guess teahouse ghost is good

>>15858083
Tea db aren't really trying to sell their own products, they are just shilling other people's products for free. I guess that's sort of an improvement.

>>15858161
This is about the least shilly content I have found.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dKWHGzBV0
That said some of the videos from farmer leaf on youtube have been some of the most educational I have seen. His video on fake and mislabeled tea is a must watch for people getting into puer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwvx3yrsyLU

This woman harvests your tea. Please thank her.

>>15858343
uwu thankies <3

g'day, is tibetan butter tea anything worth making? aside from taste does it have any practical uses like keeping you awake for long periods of time since it is black tea and fat?

>>15858343
Thanks! I hope she gets paid well and has good working conditions.

Hey /tea/ I'm a newb both to this thread and to tea in general. I usually just drink green and peppermint bagged tea but I'm looking to branch out and try new things. In the past I've tried a couple different black teas (earl gray and oolong I think) but they both made my stomach upset. Has anyone else had this issue? Perhaps it was a quality issue since they were both bagged? I'm gonna try to get into better quality tea but idk if I should drop the money to try good black tea if its just gonna upset my stomach again.

>>15858705
I haven't tried it in a few years but it's hard to find a good recipe.
It's very much like bulletproof coffee if you have had that. That's probably the easiest way to make it. Brew a cup of black tea the way you would to drink it normally, through it in the blender with a hunk of salted grass fed butter and spin it till it gets nice and frothy.
The advantage is that if your body is used to digesting fat you can drink lots of it on a mostly empty stomach without getting sick. The fat also provides some long term energy. You could fill up an insulated bottle and sip it all day. But it sort of depends on your diet, for people that are used to eating keto or a high fat diet it goes down nicely, but if you aren't and eating fatty foods bothers your stomach i would probably look elsewhere.

>>15858750
I have a very sensitive stomach and bagged black tea makes me feel sick. You want to try chinese black teas, ones that are described as fruity and not malty, also roasted oolongs, with green tea it can also cause issues in me but properly brewed and on a full stomach it doesn't bother me.
Go on yunnan sourcing.
Get some 2021 longjing aka dragonswell green tea.
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/green-tea-spring-2021/products/premium-grade-dragon-well-tea-from-hangzhou-long-jing-tea
A roasted tieguyanyin
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/anxi-oolong-tea-tie-guan-yin/products/charcoal-roasted-gan-de-village-tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-of-anxi
and
A small amount of these two black teas
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/black-tea-spring-2021/products/yi-wu-mountain-wild-arbor-assamica-black-tea
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/black-tea-spring-2021/products/high-mountain-red-ai-lao-mountain-black-tea
Get a little brew basket like the ones finum makes so you can brew in mugs.
Look at the pastebin for info about how to brew these teas or yunnan sourcing posts directions somewhere.
That should give you a chance to try quality fresh examples of many of the major tea groups and give you a better idea of what you would like to buy larger quantities of, once you know what you want you can zero in on slightly cheaper prices to buy larger quantities.
Don't forget to check the freebies tab on YS to see if you spent enough to get some free tea with your order. They usually throw in random samples as well

>>15858722
She does, she lives in Osawa in the mountains of Shizuoka. It's a small tea farming community, about 20 families. It's beautiful there. This isn't the exact place, but it's in the same mountain area.

>>15858823
Very informative, thanks anon! I've never had any issues with green tea which is why it became my go-to. Recently got some peach flavored full leaf green tea as a present and its been delicious. Ill take a look at your suggestions and have a read through the pastebin.

>>15858766
Is it possible to make good tasting butter tea with regular products like proper butter, some good tasting black tea and such?

>>15858343
Thank you, ma'am. :-)

>>15858881
It should be possible. I think the trick is to use a pretty standard black tea brewed pretty normally. Trying to chase authenticity by boiling smelly bricks of dark tea is where i ran into problems

I'm looking into getting into tea, but wanted to know if I'll be fine brewing in a small french press

>>15859343
Yes, just don't squeeze the leaves, just push the plunger down about half way when you are done brewing. Also pour all thr tea out at once, don't leave tea in there soaking with the leaves. Do those things and you will be fine.

>>15858881
The quality of your butter is the most important as is your salt ratio. Go with unsalted butter so you can control how much salt is in there.

>>15859364
>don't leave tea in there soaking with the leaves
This is the most important thing.

I don't understand why so many tea pots/cups are designed not to follow such a basic principle.

>>15859343
this >>15859364 but i'd just push down to water level, apparently works better for coffee too

>>15859364
Thanks! Yeah I was planning on just leaving the plunger high since it just needs to strain the leaves. Will keep in mind to move the tea into something else after it's done

>>15858083
It wouldn't really be hard to usurp them and make good tea content
just have any level of production value and throw in some decent video and microphone quality with a real script, decent set, and real editing, and you have 100% made higher quality content than any other teatuber and normies might actually watch it

>>15859732
oof, the difference is I don't regularly go on trips to China and Japan

>>15859967
You just need to sit in your living room and drink tea. Once yiu get a few hundred views per video you will get endless free samples and different vendors wanting to do tastings with you.

>>15858343
I thank the human-raisin hybrid

>You can eyeball (roiling boil, steaming but not boiling, no steam, etc)
Can anyone help me out with this, gauging temp by eye, like what do these various boils correlate to temp wise, and also does anyone know if longer boil times due to altitude would affect anything? Sorry if this is asked ad nauseum

>>15860223
just get a kettle that lets you set different temperatures

>>15860223
I guess it's easier if you cook frequently. Very roughly
For delicate greens, around 70°c-80°c bubbles are starting to form in bottom of pot but aren't floating up to the surface yet.
For less than a full boil, around 90°c when bubbles are forming around the sides and then coming to the surface but it isn't violent or heavy
Full rolling boil 100°C, surface of water is rumbling, pot is making lots of noise if you leave it on heat for longer it wont boil harder that this.
If you are high altitude you need to lock up what temperature water boils at at your altitude and adjust based on that

>>15860310
mind you this entirely breaks down if you live above 4,000 ft in altitude

>>15860323
>>15860310
Yeah, over that. Side question, is there any issue with just going full whistling boil and then letting it cool off? Seems like it would be easier to wait a specific amount of time rather than watch it like a hawk heating up
>>15860255
Yeah probably, I'm just sick of buying more appliances for one use

>>15860362
>Yeah, over that.
As in I live above 4000 ft, realized it sounded like a snarky response to your post, which I appreciate!

>>15860362
I full boil than letting it cool off is fine.
Something like 3-5 minutes, you will have to experiment with your specific setup.

>>15860394
I live about 7,000 ft, just get an electric.
it's such a pain at this altitude calculating cool off wait times or what temperature it is by looking at it. The lower air pressure and the rather wild temperature changes throughout the day makes it a pain to collect your own data, and all the existing exists for low altitude.
92 degrees for boiling is also fun to deal with.

im spending my stimulus buying chinese tea

>>15861075
I haven't got mine yet

>>15858343
ありがとうございます

>>15860636
>>15860394
Do you guys have an electric meat thermometer? I'd just use that after a full boil.

t. Drops a regular thermometer into a just boiled jar of water to watch the temp for activating yeast or making corn mash

>>15861209
I have an electronic thermometer, I used it to calibrate my electric kettle so now I dont need it

can you grow tea and process it into something drinkable at home?
i don't expect anything great but it seems like it could be fun

>>15861075
Yeah i spent a decent chunk of tea and teaware. Now I'm just waiting for EMS to get some packages to me.

I just bought a tea bush, thanks again to the anon that linked that nursery https://camforest.com/
I'm excited to have a huge tea bush in the yard.
>>15861281
I will let you know next year.
It seems like white tea is very easy to make, it's just rolled and dried.
This guy has a decent video showing his process.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yRxrEWs3QY8

>>15861281
Its a pretty picky plant

>>15861281
>>15861343
If you are zone 8 or warmer with decent rainfall, you can grow tea. If you are zone 6-7 you can grow Soviet experimental tea varieties. The plant name is camellia sinesis, and you are looking for tea camellias which can be found from various snooty private plant nurseries. A tea plant takes years to fully establish but it's doable for someone owns property. Anyone can grow herbal tea like mint or english lavender if there's full sun exposure on your window or balcony.

As I understand it, the pandemic absolutely raped tea harvest season 2020. I can't even find bags of decaf green tea locally the past few months. Cheap bulk boxes of bags of green tea have this odd tinge to them like they've been dyed. (Yes I'm poor.) I'm in the US. Does anyone else have this issue where they are?

>>15861896
just buy loose leaf ffs
The harvest wasn't that bad, the leaves still got picked and roasted, it's more complicated supply chains that broke down.
China is practically normal right now, you can wait for the 2021 harvets to filter down to bag hags

>>15861908
I've been considering buying loose leaf. Thank you for the information.

i want to buy a nice tea tray but i have trouble justifying spending $50 on it

>>15862026
CONSOOM

>>15862026
>tea tray
holy fuck you are really really gay

>>15862047
i am extremely gay u got me

>>15862026
Can you build one yourself?

>>15862026
https://kingteamall.com/collections/tea-tray/products/bamboo-tea-tray-the-big-dipper

https://kingteamall.com/collections/tea-tray/products/rectangle-stainless-steel-tea-tray-with-water-tank-5-variations

Here's 2 of the cheapest ones I know of

>>15862026
>>15862109
I think that I would recommend the metal tea trays, they may not look as good but theyre more utilitarian and wont break/warp

>>15862135
If you're not a slob, wood trays last awhile

>>15862155
i bet your hands are soft as a womans, you have never worked a day in your life and value aesthetics instead of functionality

>>15862166
why do you think valuing aesthetics is bad

>>15862183
it isnt, per se
but if you are perusing it at the cost of functionality then you will end up with a lower quality experience

>>15862166
>functionality
It's a fucking tray. You put things on it. You don't need it to "function". It's a piece of metal/wood/plastic not a particle accelerator.

>>15862206
ok then gong fu on mona lisa
itll be pretty but you wont have a very good time

>>15862166
Wow you gathered all that by me saying to take care of your things
Insulting someone for saying to act like an adult and take care of your possessions makes you sound childish. If you don't clean your guns often, they decay faster, if you don't take care of your kitchen knifes, they become useless, if you don't restain your deck every spring, it warps and decays.
Part of being a functioning human being is putting in appropriate maintenance for your possessions.

Don't leave the liquor in your tea try, dump it out and dab it dry like an adult and it'll last decades.

>>15862346
someones mad
amiright, guys?

>>15862358
I'd really just prefer it if you both talked about actually drinking tea instead of having your anonymous petty-fight.

>>15862358
Yeah >>15862166 is mad that someone not to be a slob

>>15862374
if i talked about tea they would just call me a puer lesbian

>>15862389
Who cares? Just discuss what you like and ignore the losers who aren't even drinking tea in the first place. I'm going to brew up something soon myself. You should, too.

>>15862392
i've been drinking white and feeling a bit jittery from all the tea i've drank combined with the lack of sleep I had

>>15862374
It was a talk about tea equipment

>>15862424
Nice, which white? I haven't had one in a few weeks. I don't tend to get jittery from whites though, seeing as they're usually rather light. The only ones that really do that to me are heavily-steeped shou and black teas.

>>15862434
I have a Silver Needle I don't like that needs to be used up

>package arrives in America
>scott ships it to San Antonio, TX
>1000 miles away
>instead of LA, 800 miles away
why does he do this

Dark Tea and White Tea eternal alliance, assemble

>>15857927
is steeping tea more than once good for you

>>15863069
Gong fu tea is steeped several times, some puerh teas are steeped upwards of 20 times

>>15863069
NO
After 3 minutes heavy metals leech out of the leafs

Does anyone's products come close to Don's?

>>15863196
In price? No, he has the highest prices

>>15863196
In quality to price ratio? No, he is shit

I'm curious /tea/, who here adds stuff like honey/sugar/milk etc to your tea? Which teas/additive combos do you think works best? Or do you all prefer to drink your teas pure?

>>15864023
I drink tea with jasmine leaves sometimes

>>15864023
I don't tend to drink teas with anything added because I want to be able to clearly appreciate the individual subtle qualities of what I'm drinking rather than mask it up. That said, I've had some interesting results by mixing in herbal tisane blends with otherwise unpleasant teas (great way to use up sub-par leaf). My introduction to tea as an interest was sampling a chilled osthmanthus oolong at a tea house years ago. That is one of the few I'd like to sip again.

>>15864023
Put a cinnamon stick in a jar of honey. Leave it in a cabinet for a month. Cinnamon honey.
Do the same thing but with ginger slices and keep it in the fridge. Ginger honey.
If you're rich, do it with a vanilla bean.
All good on tea or toast.

>>15864544
keep your vanilla pods in white sugar, vanilla sugar, and you can still use the pods afterwards

I ordered some random teaware on etsy and the seller threw in some tea. Should i drink it?
It looks and smells okay but in guessing it's not duper fresh

>get what-cha tea for the first time
>try the taiwan Mi Xiang honey black tea
>see the reviews call it sweet
> brew it western style
>drink it
>tastes like nothing
>decide to add some milk
>tastes like water with milk

idk what I did wrong

Where are my pearl tea chads?

>>15863188
wat

>>15864023
evaporated milk is p good
sweetened condensed milk would be good as well for a really bitter tea maybe

>>15865455
How much tea did you use in how much water? A taiwan black tea might be subtle or at least not strongly malty like an irish breakfast but it shouldn't taste like water.

>>15862449
whenever i drink white i always wish it were stronger or more aggressive

>>15862434
white2tea's 2020 nightlife, pretty good

Any recs for a good barely tea?

>>15865748
Try one of the korean brands if you can find a good price for them.

>>15865455
You got the China virus and lost your sense of smell 4evr

Are any of the puer sampler packs out there worth the price?
I was looking at the one from yunansourcing and $48 is a bit steep. I don't mind spending the money, but also not looking to get giga ripped off

>>15866735
If you don't mind that its all from the same factory this one is worth it. I really like their tea in general.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Puer-tea-set-of-puer-by-the-Mengku-factory-shu-black-and-sheng-green-puerh/303579705344
He also has a more general puer sampler with multiple brands but I dont really like one of the factories that is in there, still overall it is probably worth it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yunnan-puer-tea-30-types-Different-ripe-shu-and-raw-sheng-puer-30-puerth/303241415774

>>15866780
My goal is to get a wider breadth of puer understanding, so I think a general sampler is what I'm looking for
Why don't you like on of the factories in the second link?

>>15864023
I prefer to drink my tea plain, but if the leaves are really old or not to my taste, I'll add stuff. I do tisanes for green and oolong tea and sugar or sweetened condensed milk in black/pu erh tea. I also put it in chai.

>>15866828
Eh it's not actually bad and in fact another anon that ordered that sampler said some of their teas were his favorite. Anyway it should cover a decent range of factories and ages, both raw and ripe, so it should help as you say to expand your understanding. There probably wont be anything super expensive in there, though he did throw a sample from a $400 kilo brick in one of my recent orders. It is almost certainly a better buy than getting sample sets from YS.

If I want to buy looseleaf or cakes of tea, but I don't want to die from lead poisoning or something, where do I buy from? (In US)

>>15867114
Anyone listed in the pastebin for US sellers is fine

If I steep a bag of black tea in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes on two seperate occasions, can I just steep it for 10 minutes in 2 cups of water and get the same strength?

>>15867221
Yes but you're making a huge mistake. Teabags weren't intended for reuse.

>>15867252
I guess I'm mainly interested in the caffiene/L-Theanine content in the bag, I don't care too much for the flavor. With tea leaves, do you still get a similiar amount of caffiene from re-steeped leaves?

>>15867264
With loose leaf you probably dont get as much as the first steep and each re brew will be weaker. Probably the same with teabags. I believe that quality loose leaf has more l-theanine content than teabags.
Here is a chart of caffeine content in different teas. Its per gram of tea when placed in freshly boiled water and left for 30 minutes. But i would not suggest brewing like that.

>>15867221
>>15867264
probably not, just as you get stronger bitter coffee using less grounds im guessing the water becomes saturated with all the different chemicals thats released. so to get the maximum out of your leaves you'd want multiple steeps not just 1 long one im more volume. this is kind of the principle of gongfu, lots of leaf with many short infusions
>>15867114
i wouldn't worry about it, if you're really anal avoid teas with lots of stems, aim for smaller younger leaves(green) over old and bigger leaves(puer)

I'm new to this way of tea. is there a decent enough variety sampler i can buy to try stuff that isn't expensive?

I've had bagged tea, and proper tea a few times as a little kid.

>>15867343
do you have any idea what sort of tea you'd be into? I think personally something that us westerners don't realize is that loose leaf chinese green tea is really good actually (and more palatable than japanese greens)

I think starting off in pu erhs is sorta a bad idea, but if you want to get into them honestly you just have to buy a decent quality cake and commit to the price

loose blacks are good, now that im thinking about it, maybe go on yunnan sourcing (probably the .us site for quicker and cheaper shipping) and just look around for something that interests you and add a sampler to your cart. Get a few of those plus a gaiwan and go to town

>>15863196
>>15863216
>>15863946
Don's prices are kinda crazy but honestly, I think for new people it can be a big turn-off to wait a month for some tea then have it turn out to be shit.
so I think that don has a place in this mad world. plus, his gaiwan is nice and i will stand by that

if you want nice consistent non pu erh, go to YS and get some. Their puer is more of a gamble imo (prob because of the huge selection)

>>15867264
>In a typical 3-5 minute infusion of black tea, about 40% of the leaf solids are extracted into the water. Caffeine is rapidly extracted, more than three quarters of the total in the first 30 seconds, while the larger phenolic complexes come out much more slowly.
Just use another teabag you poorfag.

I believe I had my first Liu Bao tonight, and it was an unusual learning experience. I wouldn't say I explicitly liked it, and usually don't find earthy teas to be too palatable, but it was eye-opening, and a great learning experience. Tea is a 2017 Liu Bao (in a bronze can) from Health Tea House.
_________
6g/205F/15s

Dry leaf has an aroma of earth and sweet rice. Brewed leaf smells more deeply of Earth than before.

High astringency, medium thickness, low bitterness. It maintains the profile of the described brew aroma, with some refreshing (light) minerality. Brewing at 195F and 200F/15s moderated these flavors, but did not change much else.

Something interesting happened when I brewed at 205F/45s. The earthiness and bitterness settled even more than when brewing low, and the 'juiciness' increased. This was refined further in 90s and 120s brews, each maturing into oddly clean, mellow, low earth flavors with very modest rounded bitterness that seemed almost herbal and even a touch sour on the aftertaste. The color reflects this transformation, possessing a garnet, wine-like liquor. When left to cool to room temperature, it even tasted somewhat sweet! This liu bao certainly benefits from long infusion times.

I've read about liu bao being used historically more like medicine (I believe for laborers), and I can see that viewpoint with this new context. It isn't particularly exciting, but it is refreshing and gentle in flavor, yet energizing. I won't go out of my way to drink this regularly, but I may reach for it the next time I want a more simple, mature drinking experience.

>>15868395
It's definitely an acquired taste. Their is quite a bit of range between different productions as well from ones that taste very similar to ripe puer to ones with lots of musty cellar character. Most of it undergoes some period of traditional storage by the factory before it is sold. Traditional storage is very hot and humid and imparts some of that aged musty root cellar type flavors, it definitely can be a bit off putting.

>>15868612
I can understand how this might be an acquired taste considering its initially odd qualities. Though, would you consider my described notes as belonging to a 'musty' tea? It didn't seem that way to me, and developed in an interesting way. I haven't had many earthy teas that didn't taste like straight soil, especially with longer brews. The sweetness that came from cooling improved how palatable it was as well. I am left somewhat uncertain of my true personal impressions.

>>15867424
nope. I have no idea what I might like either.

it's why I wanted to try a sampler. preferably loose teas. it's how I discovered sulawesi with a coffee sampler. I want to educate my palate. those gaiwan look neat. I'm fixing to get me one.

>>15867343
Try uptontea from the pastebin. US based vendor with a huge variety of teas from around the world, and you can just get cheap 3-5 buck samples of whatever looks tasty. A lot more fun too than just buying some big sampler that takes all of the thought out of it for you.

>>15868395
>6g

My Yaupon Brothers tea samples came in yesterday. They sent their American Green, Fire Roasted Warrior's Tea, Lavender Coconut and Revive Mint. I had only ordered the green and black teas so that was nice of them. Although I hate lavender with a passion. I tried the roasted tea this morning. Seeing as these holly leaves are heartier than actual tea leaves and lack tannin I brewed them in pot for approximately eight minutes. The minimum being five. It smelt like lumber, sweet grass, maple syrup and something I can't quite pin down. Like chocolate hard candy flavor or something. It drinks juicy with those maple and dry sweet grass flavors but also dark honey and weak black tea. Gives you a decent kick after three or four sips. Fearing no bitterness I left the leaves brewing in the pot and poured another cup. While the tea didn't become bitter it developed a strong astringent quality. Overall a good first cup and a decent black tea substitute. Just keep the steep under ten minutes. I look forward to trying the green later.

>>15870279

Now that I think about it the mystery scent was molasses.

Does anyone have that screencap about how the Brits conquered the world with tea?

>>15859732
>normies might actually watch it
Why do you think this is desirable?

>>15870111
How much would you recommend I use for liu bao in the future? I'm still learning about my preferred brewing ranges, especially with dark teas and some pu'er.

>>15862389
lol puer lesbian what even is that?

>>15864023
I like a bit of lemon, especially if it's a more bitter tea. The balance is nice, plus it good for you.

I like to drink tea in work. I there better way to have hot drink over the course of the whole day than to make cup of it once in a while? Emphasis on hot -
I always make whole pot, but it often go cold before i manage to finish it.

How many times can I reuse a teabag before it needs to be replaced?

>>15871069
How many times you want, just be sure to dry it properly between each use.

Drinking gyokuro for the first time right now. It's so flavorful and savory, it's like drinking unsalted chicken broth. Way different from its smell, which was very fruity and zesty

>>15865648
I added 3g of the tea to 250ml of water. I let it infuse for 3 min and 30 seconds

>>15871098
Yeah I want to like japanese greens but most of them I find super overpowering. Really nutty and buttery tasting. Maybe I just havent tried the right ones though, who knows.

Thanks to the anon who linked me 2019 China Tea 7581 brick. I paid about 15 eur shipped (close to Chinese retail price) and it came in about three weeks to EU.
I'd say the review on puercn is mostly spot on. The brick is quite thin but relatively lightly pressed. Consistent material grade on the front and the back of the brick is a nice touch. Pleasant caramel whiff from the wet leaves. No wet pile taste to speak of, which plagues "boutique" ripes of similar age. The leaves are brown, not black, suggesting lighter fermentation. Solid factory drinker.
That said it's not ready to drink now for me. The liquid is murky in the first infusions and the taste is not that pronounced, it meanders still as it is quite recently pressed. I'm sure it will settle in the coming months as the quality of material is promising. Into the storage it goes and see you next winter.
Overall very satisfied with the purchase, price/quality ratio is perfect.

https://www.puercn.com/puercha/21269/
https://www.puercn.com/pingce/3056/

>>15871138
There's a time and a place for all tea. I like the brightness of Chinese greens but the deeper flavor of Japanese is nice too

>>15871052
Tea cozy?

>>15871111
Try another two grams of tea next time

>>15871069
You shouldn't reuse a teabag. The leaves in there are only able to be brewed once, then they're flat. Best to use the leaves, once spent, as compost for any house plants you have. :-)

>>15870279
Thanks for the writeup anon, ive been interested in hearing about those for a while.

>>15871052
Get a vacuum insulated bottle. In the morning brew a large batch of tea in a separate container, let it cool for 2 or 3 minutes and then pour it into the vacuum bottle. Then keep a mug at work and refill it from the bottle. If you have access to hot water at work you can use to to pre warm your mug before you refill it with tea, then it will stay hot longer

>>15871098
The second steep loses that heavy broth flavor and tastes more grassy

>>15871161
Nice anon! Yeah its pretty cool to be able to get something with that lighter level of fermentation, ive seen a few leaves that are almost green in some of the brews. Also you are probably right that it needs to settle down some, i do see that murkiness you mentioned.

>>15871172
But they look stupid :(

>>15871344
>let it cool for 2 or 3 minutes and then pour it into the vacuum bottle.
Why letting it cool?

>>15871421
Just a little, if you brew directly in a vacuum bottle or put tea in one the second after it's brewed the tea can stay too hot and taste a bit over brewed later in the day.

>>15871477
I see. Makes sense. I don't have actually great expectation of that tea, but i sure would prefer if it came out well.
Thanks.

>>15871477
That's a very good tip. I don't see it mentioned. Yes, I brewed some dian hong in a hurry before work and it took some off notes throughout the day. I've never put the two and two together though. Cheers for that.

>>15870508
Getting video views higher than 10,000 per video can help you beat out don from mei leaf and actually inform new people rather than circle jerk with the 1,000 people who actually watch tea channels

>>15872060
its actually pretty amazing that tea channels exist considering almost nobody watches them
even don only gets like 30k max

>>15872387
Its because theyre all 30 minute unedited videos with no production quality. Theyre boring and rambling

>>15872402
go watch league of legends highlights if you want action, man

>>15872442
I just want something better than a vlog man

>>15872454
they're just like tea mukbangs, something for you to listen to in the background while enjoying your tea. I think it's too niche of a topic for people to really put much effort into.

>>15871321

I made a cup of the green for lunch earlier. Eight minutes again. Smells grassier, wet grass with unripe bananas and white grapes. The taste is a lot fresher and mild. You got notes of grass, banana, melon rind and kiwi fruit. The astringency is upfront but weaker. Goes done real easy. It also pairs well with orange blossom honey.

what caffeine free loose tea should i buy off of amazon right now that's ebt eligible?

>>15872854
Barley tea,
https://www.amazon.com/Ayurvedic-Anti-Inflammatory-tea-Turmeric-Lemongrass/dp/B06XSQ4HW5/
Chamomile
rooibos

>>15872777
Interesting, i didn't expect fruity notes, i figured it would just be green and or grassy tasting

>>15872777
those leaves look kinda lower quality, almost like you picked them out of a low cost puerh cake rather than a bagged tea

>>15873349

It's pretty wild west operation. Here's the "factory''.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh9An_npu7s

>>15873395
what on earth is that leaf shaking bin
There's easier ways to sift

>>15873417

And it's not all that effective if you couldn't tell by my photos. They lean more into selling the bags rather than loose leaf. it was a good introduction to Yaupon but I don't know if I'd order from them again. I am interested in the Texas varieties though.

coof

>>15874336
hey that's illegal here

For real tho, why isn't there a James Hoffmann of tea?

HK expat here

Got half a bag's worth of Liu An in a place in Sai Ying Pun earlier, the brand is 中国名茶

Brewing it now, smells nice. Don't have a teapot so using a french press so we'll see how it turns out

>>15874589
Isn't Liu An the stuff all the HK locals love to sip on frequently? I recall reading about something like that from another anon's post some threads ago, but don't recall if that is the same tea.

>>15874597
Yeah it seems to be reasonably common here

I'm not exactly certain what's served in dim sum places, I think that's puerh, but they serve something afterwards which tastes like this (gongfu cha)

But there's a big afternoon tea culture here for older people, presumably they drink it there with some snacks

>>15871052
>make cup of it once in a while
Just gong fu, bro. Do you have access to hot water at work? If not, fill a big insulated flask with boiling water.

>>15874806
I dont like Bruce Lee

Not sure if this is the exact tea I'm sipping, but I believe I'm drinking the 2008 Yiliang Yunnan Long Yu Sheng from Health Tea House/Fullchea. Was nice to break my dark tea streak with a sheng. Some notes:
_________
5g/205F/10s

Dry leaf smells of maple syrup and a campfire (almost like s'mores). Brewed leaf has a somewhat 'green', more emphasized savory campfire aroma.

Low astringency, thickness, and bitterness. Possesses a nice mineral base, with a modest smoky-sweet flavor that flows into a vague herbal bitterness. Finish seems somewhat foamy. Extending the brew time to 15s increased both the sweet and bitter notes equally. An accidental infusion of around 30s dropped most of the sweetness, but only rounded the bitterness. While I can appreciate these results, I think the 10s brew is superior and more palatable in general, as the sweetness is still allowed to shine fully.

This is a pleasant any-day sipper in my opinion. Easy to drink, with a relaxed flavor and aroma profile.

>>15874820
sounds like shit. do teafags really drink gross tea from a polluted shithole and pretend to like it?

>>15874837
To each their own. I'm not the biggest on all sheng pu'er in general, but this is still an alright one. I'm not feeling sick or offset by consuming this, and the flavor seems right for the present mood. I like it right now.

Do any of you anons have preferred teas, or note any qualities in tea which you find best help with excessive mucosal production? I'd like to clear up my sinuses more regularly, but am not sure what to go for.

>>15874927
Try an herbal tea with ginger in it. Or make your own by boiling sliced and peeled ginger root in water for about ten minutes. I mix it with some lemon juice and sugar and down the whole thing to clear my sinuses. It's really good.

>>15874927
I enjoy drinking herbal tea but honestly I have never noticed any effect from any of them except for chamomile assisting sleep. Best of luck.

>asian guy transferred to work
>tried talking to him about vacuum brewing regional growths, and teaware material
>he just shrugged and said his family never did any that shit
>just put on a kettle for the day and poured a cup whenever they wanted some
I thought I had finally found a fellow tea drinker, too

>>15875142
>>15875201
I'm aware of some tisanes being able to support this, though I don't find them being especially effective in general. I have a lot of camellia sinensis that I want to use, so I was hoping a selection of them might be ideal for my described interest. Oh well.

2.8 kg of tea I got today

>>15876371
Neat haul, I imagine it will last you a very long time. Mostly heicha and pu'er?

ii lliliklike ddrddrinking tea my keyboard was being weird

>>15876371
That one with the snow and pines tastes the way that the Tsukiji Market smells.

>>15858083
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tea+journal

>>15876155
It's frightening how many are out of touch with their own heritage. I find I know more about asian cultures than 50% of the asians I meet. Some even use forks and spoons, and it's like "why not carry around your own chopsticks, you fake-ass asian?"

>>15876920
Responded to the wrong post?

How do I western brew?

>>15874810
The kind of stupid joke that makes me stop wanting to help out. I'm oversensitive, I guess...

>>15876371
this fucking facebook mommy tier "art" on the wrappers. Scott really is a tasteless imbecile, no?
look at the fu brick on the right, also modern but somehow more tastefully done.
is that 2014 impression? I shilled it here few times and still stand by the statement that is second best after 2017.
this tuo is kind of meh but I guess worth the $10 I paid.

are those three cakes at the bottom young sheng? who the fuck buys young sheng in 2021 and from ys of all places?

>>15876447
Yeah, like 2/3 puerh
>>15876675
Noted
>>15877243
Tuo was free, yeah its the impression
Its 4 ripes and 2 raws, with a white tea and a fu. Its fine that its young, I like it enough

>>15877262
Ba Da Mountain is painfully heavy compressed, tastes good, good cha qi.
I'll probably drop reviews in the next thread

>>15876675
like all the small producer fresh ripies, as I mentioned already in the thread. and yet people still buy them for a double or triple the price of true and tested factory ripes
>the vendor's description mentions premium material
>oh shit it's probably true, take my $40 for a this year's shou cake, cute wrapper btw, is it small batch?
hype train consoomers disgust me sometimes but I'd be a hypocrite if I said I wasn't like that in the past.
enjoy your fishmeal ripes.

>>15877342
Out of all the fermented teas I've tried, only the golden flower stuff was any good. Never again.

>>15877357
you mean golden flower hei cha with big flat leaves kind of thing?
yeah, it's pretty different than ripe puer or liubao. looks like it's not your cup of tea and that's perfectly fine. some people don't like olives or garlic or even onions. still plenty of other food groups to enjoy.

>>15877342
Man, I just don't want to pay shipping from multiple places, calm down

>>15877243
I like the wrappers, they're fun to scrapbook

How much salt do you add to your tea?

>>15877403
more power to you sista, I won't look up what
>to scrapebook
means. I've already been told to calm down. It's enough I learned what quilting is already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J33HdkLjw6Q

>>15877416
About two /jp/-post-vtuber-invasion's worth.

>>15877420
Its just taking them and saving them in a binder book like pokeman cards

>>15877357
Fu cha is great, the couple i've tried had kinda a chocolate cherry smell and taste to them

>>15876371
Should be fun anon, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the 2014 impression, i posted before i had one a few years ago and enjoyed it.
How long did your order take to arrive?

>>15877480
About 3 weeks, didnt pay for DHL though

>>15877451
I don't drink it daily, but I have consistently kept some fu on hand. I guess I like it.

>>15857927
I have a nice pot of Tetley orange pekoe steeping right now.

>>15877342
I found the concept of "small batch fermentation" ripes the most baffling. Who is actually in charge of the wet piling? Why are none of the small batch "boutique" productions lightly fermented? Actually i know the answer to that one, it's because then the tea would need at least a year before and after pressing to be ready to drink preferably somewhere wetter than Kunming and these guys don't have time for that.

>>15877496
NOO! you can't enjoy tetley brand tea mixed with oranges, it's against the gong fu!
jk frog poster, enjoy your inferior overpriced black tea, don't forget to scrapbook the teabag.

>>15877521
Drink what you enjoy anon
Its just something to drink, not a contest

>>15877496
Comfy anon, going to add milk? Sugar? A twist of lemon?
It's better for winter but you should get a box of constant comment teabags next time you are at the shops, maximum comfy tea for a cold day.

>>15877520
>Who is actually in charge of the wet piling?
it's of course the "wet, piling master" of the factory the particular gajin made a deal with. it's about as hands on as they can get.
and for example ys Scott had a great one with their 2013 something line from Jinggu or was it Simao. very good ripes, ready to drink only two years after release.
as for lighter fermentation I think it's also byproduct of the metric fuckton size pile that's not that easy to turn with rakes constantly.
all those hucksters claim they micromanage all this stuff while the suave chinks clad in camo jackets and trousers and flipflops laugh behind their back, doing what THEY think is the best for the tea, only letting them take a quick pic for insta.

Where can I go to get a decent inexpensive gaiwan? Is the only option getting one shipped in from China?

>>15877847
I don't know about their shipping costs but purple cloud tea house has some $10 cheapies. Really just get one on aliexpress, thin white porcelain 100ml-120ml. It will come faster than you think.

>>15877533
Very nihilistic postmodern attitude. You should encourage others to be better, to stay away from those teabags and keep drinking the good stuff because nobody deserves bad tea.

>>15877896
No, you have the modern attitude
The traditional attitude is throw a fistfull of leaves in a mug of hot water and sip on it, who gives af.
Westerners are the autists who care about perfecting the science of drinking tea, tea cultures just drink tea however they like it.

The idea of perfecting the meta of [x] is incredibly modern and sucks. Sports got into it recently (40ish years ago) and now everything is meta and less variation and excitement to watch, coffe drinkers are into that and require expensive machines to drink coffee, esports is cancer, the music industry is bland now, ect.
Have some variation, put your own likes and such into things, have a soul, don't be a drone.

>>15877936
Speak for yourself you moron. Learning what good tea is made tea much more enjoyable for me. Same for art and such.

>>15877936
Based
One should always drink the tea they enjoy, they way they enjoy drinking it. If you want to brew everything gongfu style more power to you. If you would rather boil bricked yancha or ripes on the stove for half an hour that's fine too.

>>15877949
It's fine to like it that way. It's tea, not a religion, don't go promoting it like a dogma to drink it with the precision you enjoy.
Precision is nice, helps you learn the basics, but once you learn, just run it off instinct.

There's a reason most people that get really into tea eventually brew grandpa style more than gongfu. Being a try hard all the time is exhausting and autistic, especially when you can throw like $0.20 of loose leaf in a cup of hot water and it tastes good enough.

>>15877936
You just made me feel ashamed for using a digital scale to dose my tea leaves. But the reason I enjoy gongfu is because there's no need for a timer. Instinctual brewing is the endgame.

>>15878000
Not thst anon
I mostly brew grampa style but i still use a scale. There is just too much variation in tea density to eyeball it.

Drinking 2014 Yi Wu Ma Hei right now. First puerh I purchased for myself.
The aroma is a bit like ocean breeze scent plus the dried out grass that grows by the sand banks. It's nostalgic. I close my eyes and a single tear rolls down my cheek.
Tastes kind of astringent though, so 6/10. Still not sold on puerh.

>>15878210
Where is that from?
I don't typically find yiwu teas that astringent but who knows. Do you get hay, nuttyness or sweetness in the taste?

>>15878000
Yeah I still use a scale
tea is too light for easy eyeballing
When I brew western style I just eyeball though

>>15878271
Kong Mountain. The product page notes saltwater taffy and I kind of understand interpreting sweetness in that way but it's 90% hay. It's less astringent than oolong but I'm just a total pussy about tannins. I added some milk and it tasted like skim milk from a cow that ate 9000 pounds of silage.

>>15878403
Hmm, i don't usually get a lot of tannins out of puer, but now that i think of it i did have a wuyi that went in that direction.

>>15878454
Is that true for both raw and ripe puerh?

>>15878476
I don't really like tannins in black tea, especially teabags. I don't have issues like that with raw or ripe puer. I don't typically get that front of tongue dryness except with some astringent puers. Then again ripe is supposedly loaded with polyphenols, and I'm kind of retarded, so don't take my word for it.

>>15877847
I got mine and some from Verdant Tea, and they ship quickly within CONUS. I don't really recommend most of their teas except for maybe the cheap Shou Mei cake they sell, though. If I had to start over, I'd probably just get a beginner's set from Purple Cloud like the other anon suggested.
>>15878210
Try brewing it for shorter infusions. That may help reduce some of the astringency which you are opposed to. Alternatively, embrace it and brew longer.

where to buy tiny ass yixing teapots that arent fake as shit?

>>15878963
Check the pastebin, there is an entire section of vendors under
Want to buy a clay teapot.
I just ordered one from essence of tea that was a pretty good deal. Mud and leaves and purple cloud tea house (the ones from Lin Hanpeng) also habe some good ones

>>15878963
If you don't know much about yixing i would recommended one of these two, same size, same type of clay that wont mute the flavor of your tea much.
This one has a single hole, so it's easier to clog if you brew tea with lots of broken leaves, it also typically empties faster.
https://essenceoftea.com/products/120ml-fang-xia-hongni-shui-ping-yixing-teapot
The second pot has a multi hole filter before the spot, less likey to clog but maybe a bit slower pour.
https://purplecloudteahouse.com/collections/yixing-pottery/products/zhuni-shuiping-yixing-teapot-120ml

I got some mint.
What should I do with it?

>>15879503
Moroccan mint tea, it needs fresh mint so it's perfect
Also dry it, you can cut all those stalks half way down and it will grow back it a few weeks, spread it out on some newspaper and it will grow back in a few weeks.

>>15880082
alright, moroccan mint tea it is
thanks for the tip

I think my pumidor is finally stabilized. It's been at 54% for a while now. Maybe a few percentage points higher than i was shooting for but it still should be well within the safe zone. I have all the tea cakes in plastic bags, so I'm going to open the bags and see if they still need to suck up any moisture.

>>15880194
Assuming this outside, just be aware mints are aggressive and spread freely. And most tisanes/herbal teas can be improved with mint.

How much do you guys filter your water? I purchased some bamboo charcoal the other day because I
heard that it would be a suitable replacement for a brita pitcher. Purchased around 6 sticks and the
directions said "one for a bottle, two for a carafe" Two seemed to MAYBE have an effect but I wasn't
entirely convinced so I pushed the brink by sticking all six charcoal sticks into the bottom of my brita
filtration pitcher so I could definitively identify a distinction. Now I'm no professional water/tea taster and
I didn't even do any blind tests, but the tea that this brita+charcoal water brewed seems to be really
thick in body, but also a little clouded (flat?) in taste. Could it be that perhaps my water is too soft now?

How much filtering does tea water need, /tea/? Is there a balance to be struck? Has anyone here ran experiments with this kind of thing?

>>15881302
you want the water to have some minerals so it isn't flat but not so much that its sharp or metallic
youll want more minerals for heavier (black, roasted oolong etc) teas and less for lighter teas (like white or green)

also look up information about your water supply, a lot of tap water in america has chemicals leaking into it, the water where i used to live was slightly radioactive from industrial chemicals and

New tea pets arrived. Along with five 5g samples of the maker/sellers family grown tea (1 yancha,1 black, 3 oolong (1 roasted)

What you lads think? Also picture doesn't show it, but the bathing chick has some huge bazongas. Really humongous tatas

>>15881914
Tea is from Anxi, Fujian. If you lads were curious. Except the yancha which is from wuyi

>>15881914
Is it actually relaxing to have a tea pet, or is it just an 'aesthetics' sort of thing? I don't have any, but it seems like fun. Not sure if I could find one to my taste, though. Are there any comfy flat booba qt tea pets?

>>15881923
gonna drink the black tea first. called Beautiful spring. Leaves are full and unbroken, minimal dust and even less snapped leaves

Smell ever so slightly roasted while dry, however the most noticeable scent is a fruity one. Reminds me of candied cherries or cherry jam at times, and apple pie filling at others. strange

10 sec wash, 90 c, 5g to 100ml, 10 sec brew, adding 5 secs each time

Wet leaf smells much more heavily roasted than dry, Cherry scents have been completed buried by the cinnamon and roasted apple aromas. Neat. Though I can barely detect the cherryish scent if I dig my nose into the leaf.

Poured the wash into the lady's bath.

Now for the first steeps tasting notes

Oddly the scent of the wet leaf gained a caramel note to it, along with a twinge I know to acompany roasted oolongs. still smells like apple pie beneath these changes

Tea liquor, very lovely slightly red hued gold. Standard black tea there

Gentle mouth feel, silken thin. And it takes it smells. Refeshing, fresh apples, with hints of cinnamon and other spice that lingers upon the tongue

Straight up feels like I bit into a homemade apple pie. Very, very tasty. Might order more of it, because my god is it decadent

Will add notes if it changes drastically in later steeps.

>>15881972
I find they add a certain comfort to the session, and it gives me something to do with my washes besides drink or pour them off. It makes me happy to pour tea over them and watch them steam and drip with tea. Its cute in a way

And unfortunately, I haven't found any flat booba qt tea pets, and the shop I got my THICC one at sold out, cause I got the last one.

I like to put the tea leaves in the pot directly and let them sit with the water. Makes the last cup extremely strong.

>>15858343
Always the tea picker, never the tea drinker

>>15882006
Sounds like quite the pleasant tea. I haven't had any teas that possess such emphasized fruit/dessert notes as you've suggested aside from a bit of honey. I'm usually hesitant to try blacks since I've had trouble dealing with their effects on my gastric system, but this description seems appealing. Which store did this sample come from?
>I find they add a certain comfort to the session, and it gives me something to do with my washes besides drink or pour them off.
That does sound nice. Though, I have a Pyrex basin I use instead of a tray, so maybe it wouldn't really work.

>>15860223
3 minutes in the microwave gives me ~85 C

>>15882086
I found the store I got these samples from while I was browsing etsy for tea pets and stumbled across the booba.

It's called LuckyJoyTeaStore and you can find it on etsy. Can't link cause 4chan thinks that's spam. The tea I am drinking now is still in stock btw

Lads even gave me a hand written note thanking me for my purchase, and telling me they'll soon open a website separate from etsy. It also came with full contact information. Which is cool

>>15882105
Seems pretty, I found their main website just by searching their name. Their teas seem to go for quite the pretty penny, though. Beautiful Spring is $16/28g (https://www.luckyjoytea.com/product-page/beautiful-spring-black-tea).). I'm sure they have some real prime stock if they're charging that much for their teas. Your other samples will surely be delightful.

>>15882105
Also do be aware I am getting these sweet/ fruity flavors because I am brewing the tea the gong fu method. Makes a world of a difference

>>15882123
I am really excited to try the other four samples. Never had Yancha before, so I'm curious how it will taste

https://www.etsy.com/listing/965567844/47-inches-vintage-wood-white-wooden?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=tea+pet&ref=sc_gallery-2-2&plkey=e7a7e6ef4d54e61084908841a94b1644e3895ab0%3A965567844&frs=1&cns=1

I have found. Another booba

My order from Yunnan sourcing just arrived. I'm so excited I literally pee peed a little in my pants.

>>15881302
Did you rise and soak thr charcoal thoroughly before adding it to your water pitcher? You might be getting some essence of charcoal dust in your water

>>15882556
What did you get mr piss pants?

>>15881972
Tea pets add to the ritual, if you are into that aspect of tea brewing its a fun addition

>>15882165
Wow, the shape of the breasts and lay of the hair is lovely with this. I quite like to see the variety of these beyond the typical mini animal pieces. I don't plan to get a tea pet yet, but maybe I will sometime later this year when I am in a more welcome place. It really does seem like a fun little experience to include our processes either way.
>>15882569
I do enjoy the ritual aspect quite a fair bit. Rather, spending the time to carefully yet fluidly prepare my infusions and focus on the characteristics of my teas has been an effective way of centering myself and alleviating stress. I don't hear people discuss the ritualistic manner often, but I think it is one of the top reasons to brew tea in this way. I just finished a session, and it was a nice way to tune in.

>>15882006
>flat booba qt tea pets
Wait do anime bitches tea pets exist?

>>15881914
I would water the babe every single time and never the carp.

Brewed a 2009 Xiaguan 8653 sheng from King Tea Mall today. I'm still learning how to work with shengs, but this was still a valuable learning experience for me (as many have been lately). I performed multiple adjustment experiments with this one, so I wrote a bit more than I typically prefer to. Here are my notes:
_________
5g/205F/10s

Dry leaf smells of an aged molasses and very subtle smoke. Brewed leaf develops these two qualities towards a deep sour-sweet aroma, and possibly some vegetal character (especially on the gaiwan lid).

Medium thickness and astringency, low bitterness. Rich, somewhat sour entrance, with a hint of a prickly, bittersweet tobacco on the finish. I'm left with an odd, very light 'buzz' sensation on my tongue that feels pleasant. Testing an infusion at 200F resulted in a less rich, equally bitter brew. Brewing at 205F/25~30s did not heighten the finish bitterness, but rounded it and prolonged its sustain quite noticeably. Another accidental brew of over 2m resulted in a surprising richness, with a balanced sour bitterness that seems somewhat vegetal.

This tea seems to ride all over, being initially sweet, then blending from sour to a light bitterness on the finish, and back to sweet after a while. I personally enjoyed the gentle brew of 205F/10s the most. It takes a few infusions to really start to understand this one, but it is an interesting and enjoyable experience once you do. I wouldn't say it is my favorite sheng, but I like it enough to drink it again in the future.

Dammit. I tried out a Russian caravan loose leaf sample from Upton and it was very flavorful. Even more than the teabags I have. Is the difference just loose leaves?
Explain.

>>15883299
Bags are lowest-tier and since you aren't sifting through the leaves, they can get away with putting subpar product in it. I still drink bag tea though since it's cheap.

>>15883299
>russian caravan from upton
Good choice anon

>>15882847
I can't decide how i feel about that one. I find it a bit rough on the guts sometimes but i generally like the flavor. Another decade of ageing probably wouldn't hurt it. The leaf is still fairly green.

>>15882836
I poured her bath water on the carp when the session was done. So at least he has that going for him

>>15883461
>I can't decide how i feel about that one.
I'm feeling similarly. All of your statements coincide with mine; it isn't bad, but it is a bit polarizing. I still appreciated it and had some reasons to like it, but did find it somewhat confusing. I'm pleased to try new teas and learn about what I like and dislike either way, though.
>>15883299
Bags are filled with low quality dust almost all of the time because it is less costly for them to produce and allows for more rapid infusion (which bagged tea drinkers want). However, this results in less/depth of flavor and fragrance, as well as higher bitterness in my experience, almost across the board. Ironically, it does not cost much to get some starter teas and a gaiwan+cups, and in that light, can be a bit cheaper or around the same cost of buying bagged teas while providing more servings in the long run.

Ahhhhh hurry the fuck up EMS ahhhhhhghg

>>15883964
I can tell from your post that you drank puer.

>>15883973
I'm trying to quit okay, i have mostly oolong on the way (and more puer)

any tips on making ice tea? or any flavors to add?

>>15884687
I recommend leaving your tea submerged in liquid within a metal or thick glass flask in the refrigerator overnight. Most people brew it hot and then chill it, but I think that is the wrong way to go. Cold-brewed tea is, in my opinion, the ideal base for "ice tea", just because it is so smooth and clean in flavor every time. As for flavors, I never really added much besides cinnamon and stevia wheb I used to dunk sencha tea bags overnight.

>>15882836
Disregard bitches, water the carp.

Should I try lapsang souchong? Where2cop?

>>15884941
Do you like smoke flavor? Some lapsang is super smokey, some is more smooth or even not smoked at all. I think yunnan sourcing has a lightly smoked one. Upton tea has both a heavily and lightly smoked versions.
If you want to get more into the fancy black tea aspects of it and aren't that worried about the smoke ebay guy has a 20 kinds of lapsang sampler pack. He also has a bunch of individual 100g portions of the different kinds he carries if you look around his store.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/China-black-tea-Xiao-Zhong-Set-of-15-kinds-of-Lapsang-Souchong/303666584447?hash=item46b3f05b7f:g:5~wAAOSwWttfR2Sf

Does anyone else have a hard time finishing off samples?
Especially when i get a sample of a fairly expensive tea i never want to drink it because i feel like i should save it for a special occasion or something. I know it's dumb but I'm slowly accumulating samples and i need to force myself to drink them.

>>15885183
ebay guy has the best stuff? That's bizarrely affordable.

>>15885207
Instead of thinking about the costs of your teas, perhaps you might instead think about the mood you are in, and which tea you'd prefer to have to match that. Disregard all concepts of money and focus on the interest. Alternatively, consider the concept of wasted value. It is wasted if you do not use them, as they may eventually lessen in quality (unless fermented), and you will likely never trade the samples. Thus, the economic ideal is to take advantage of what you have while you have it.

>Two sugars and half milk, please.

>>15857927
Matcha green or just regular green tea?

>>15863188
Wait... I've been leaving my bags and leaves in for 10 plus minutes for years. Sometimes even reusing bags

>>15886099
They're different, and there are so many other kinds of green tea besides.

>>15877975
>Precision is nice, helps you learn the basics, but once you learn, just run it off instinct.
Pic related, applies to anything in life, any crafts, skills etc.

Waiting for that 2021 tea to drop

Has anyone tried earlgrey with some bourbon in it? How does it taste?

Kingteamall has 2021 greens in. I'm far from a greens expert but i liked the dragonswell he had last year.

>>15888184
I don't really like booze it hot tea, it really emphasizes the alcohol and makes it burn. Other people seem to like it.

>>15858343
Thanks for the tea fren.

Any good fruity tasting teas. No flavoring i just want something that tastes like mango.

>>15890199
Some Yunnan and Fujian black teas are fruity. :-)

>>15886299
im not the bud you replied to but it was pretty amazing to me when i got into tea realizing that there were practically hundreds of types of just green tea
that being said idk why i barely ever drink it though i mostly stick to white and puer

Drinking the 2007 Pin Xiang Bu Lang Shan Raw Tuo
man this thing goes for a lot of steeps. I'm not entirely sure how to describe the flavor, but it's pretty good.
It's pretty densely compressed is my biggest issue, but somehow it didn't make a lot of fine tea particles and it's very easy to use in my gaiwan without half it spilling into the filter or taking 15 seconds to pour with a tight lid filtering like with some puerh.
It's also has a bit too many stems for my liking, but I got this for free so I'll let it slide.

>>15868395
Use boiling
you can push liu bao, and should
ideally use a pot, you kinda wanna treat it like shou
you can also overleaf, and should

>>15871052
bring a thermos of boiled water
then just grandpa brew the whole day in a mug

add more tea when it gets too weak for you

>>15877847
err
anywhere?
taobao, any vendor you find online, look for ones with a wide rim and ideally use a thin walled one
otherwise, just use a porcelain pot, no point using a thick walled larged gaiwan when you can just use a porcelain pot / glazed pot

Always buy 2 of the same gaiwan
very easy to break

>>15891403
Thanks for the notes. Would you advise going to even 212F instead of 205F? I don't have much left of that liu bao, and only have a gaiwan to work with, but I'll give it a shot with everything I have next time.

>>15891458
always boiling with liu bao
make it as hot as you can
so ideally, use a pot as well

What is the best morning tea for the spring/summer?

>>15892122
Fresh green tea if you have it

What Chinese green teas should i try this spring other than long jing and bi lo chun?

>>15890868
Man the names of some of these teas just sound like shit posts sometimes.
Yea i had the bing wang cho phu hung
Anyway i liked that tea. Did you try to separate thr leaves before brewing (at least into smaller chunks) or did you just use a big piece? That was one of the only teas ive tried where it was so compacted that it didn't quite open on it's own during brewing.
Did you notice any storage flavors? Musty, sort of wet flavour?
I remembered liking it but it's been a few years. Those tuos used to be $20 which was a pretty good deal.

>>15892681
I kinda tried to chip it from a chunk but it was so compressed that I basically got it in very small chunks from having to try to find a way to break into it without violently breaking it apart and generating tons of dust.
It doesn't really have any weird flavors, I am not very versed in raws, I've had more ripes, so I am not good at knowing what they should taste like. I'll probably actually drink it for notes next time I try it, I didn't go into this thinking about doing it as a tasting session but more just to drink tea.
Pic related.

im just like uncle iroh xd

>>15892736
Looks like it opened up pretty well. I remember it being a nice tea. Enough wet storage to take the edge off and really smooth it out. Not much of any storage flavor. Very easy to drink.

>>15892899
No sleepy time
Not ginger lemon
Close, but not quite there

Tea method question: do you guys keep the lid on your brewing vessel while you dont have water in it? i used to always keep it off in between because i saw some video where they said to let it breathe in between infusions but lately ive been keeping it on and ive noticed stronger infusions
idk if its because it keeps the vessel warmer or what but id like to hear your input

>>15893133
i only take it off for green teas as they seem like the most likely to overheat and don't have as much of aroma to lose. for other teas i keep the lid on.

>>15893133
Leave it off for delicate green teas that you don't want to get too hot. Leave it on for teas that can take the heat, especially fermented teas, dark teas etc.

>>15893174
>>15893176
Interesting, seems to make sense

does anyone have much experience using ginseng or other herbs in their tea?
what are your favorite types of herbs and where do you source them? sometimes I wonder how it would be if i found a bit of dried ginseng chunks that I could throw in my teapot

I reuse previously boiled water, bongfags. Suck my circumcized dick

>>15893247
For most herbs check out mountain rose herbs but don't buy their regular tea plant tea (it's not great) and i think they only carry (expensive) wild ginseng. For ginseng there are lots of american ginseng farms that sell direct and you can get a lot of it for not much money if you are okay with bits and pieces. I get my American ginseng from a jar behind the counter at my local asian market, i use pruning shears to cut it into chunks and then steep the chunks in freshly boiled water for 10-15 minutes. Then the ginseng is soft, you can either mince it with a sharp knife a nd resteep or just eat the pieces. I probably use about .15 to .25 grams for one brew.
If you want red asian ginseng you can take your chances with stuff from china or you can buy the government certified stuff from korea. It comes in big metal cans and the lower grades are somewhat affordable, look around on ebay and you should be able to get a small can for $40 or so.
Something like this listing
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Korean-6-Years-Red-Ginseng-First-Grade-5-6-Roots-37-5g-1-3oz-Saponin-Panax/321379864354

>>15893262
my kettle hold enough for 10 steeps, thats 10 reboils, reboiling doesn't affect the taste of the water and almost all dissolved O2 gets released on the 1st boil anyway
2/10 no skid mark, wouldn't drink.

>>15893369
I just boil some water and use a thermos to keep it hot for my steeps
surprising how well it keeps it hot

>>15893394
I enjoyed gongfu brewing so much more once i started using a thermos. It makes it so much less effort and you don't have to reboil for at least a couple hours. Plus it lets me brew wherever i want in the house, i don't have to stay chained to an outlet i can plug my kettle into.

>>15893619
kettle next to my desk, literally in arms reach of where i sit at my pc. noise canceling headphones are a life saver

What teas go great with almond milk? Caffeinated and non caffeinated.

>>15893654
Black tea, either english breakfast or a chinese dianhong.
Not sure about herbal. Maybe something like roasted dandelion root, or roasted barley.

>>15893701
I used black pu-erh chinese tea with it and it was alright but i feel like i was missing some of the flavors. wondering if i should add sweetener or not.

>>15893133
I always take it off, as I usually prefer that my leaves don't roast without infusing. The only exception is when I've warmed the gaiwan initially, and want to smell the unbrewed leaf more easily (hot water into cup -> remove water -> drop in dry leaf and cover with lid -> remove lid and more easily capture leaf aroma before brewing. There may be reasons to leave it on, but I find this works for every tea, so I just do it this way each time.

>>15893619
God, its such a nice day outside I wish I had somewhere to go with someone where I could just take a fresh thermos or two out and sip tea enjoying the weather

>Tfw make several infusions of a pleasant aged sheng to enjoy in peace, then do a simple 15m fitness follow-along on YT while your dwelling has the AC turned on.
Is there anything more comfy than sipping tea and getting some light exercise in, anons? I even chipped one of my few serving cups earlier today, and am not bothered because I'm so relaxed now.

>>15893725
It's up to you, I'm not really a big malk fan.

>>15894316
Sounds comfy anon. Try burning some incense as well, nag champa or something sandalwood. Really helps to relax.

>>15857927
new thread
>>15894438
>>15894438
>>15894438

>>15894414
Sounds delightful, though I have asthma and might be worried about how the smell may affect my nearby teas. I'm probably going to make a fun aged sheng cold brew tonight and try it tomorrow or in two days though, so that should be relaxing and relieving in these increasingly hot days as well.
>Tfw no anon to join me in making and assessing a cold brew, though.