Hi all:

I thought I'd throw a couple of questions out the

Question 1: When I make tea gung-fu style, I usually pour from a Yixing teapot
into a Yixing pitcher. I have a different teapot for each style of tea I
drink. Do people also segregate the pitchers?

Question 2: I like gung-fu style tea but often lack the time to coax a tea thru
8+ steepings. I was wondering who else has this problem & whether anyone has
tried a partial gung-fu method, i.e., use somewhat less tea and somewhat longer
steeping times in an attempt to yield fewer good steeps?

Thanks

--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance

1/11/04


Hi all:

I thought I'd throw a couple of questions out the

Question 1: When I make tea gung-fu style, I usually pour from a Yixing
teapot
into a Yixing pitcher. I have a different teapot for each style of tea I
drink. Do people also segregate the pitchers?

Question 2: I like gung-fu style tea but often lack the time to coax a tea
thru
8+ steepings. I was wondering who else has this problem & whether anyone has
tried a partial gung-fu method, i.e., use somewhat less tea and somewhat
longer
steeping times in an attempt to yield fewer good steeps?

Thanks

--Tom


Tom,

Yeah, time and tide wait for no man. I just gungfu until I stop, whether it
be 3, 4, 9, 10...steeps. I do however sometimes do a modified gungfu by
using my Dutch glass cup with infuser and lots of leaf. The cup is 8ish
ounces. I drink right from the cup. Any port in a storm.

I use a glass pitcher, so I don't dedicate pitchers as I do teapots. I have
other pitchers, but none of them are unglazed clay. (I just don't like the
forms of the unglazed clay pitchers sold for the purpose.)

Michael

rown (Tom) wrote in message ...
Hi all:

I thought I'd throw a couple of questions out the

Question 1: When I make tea gung-fu style, I usually pour from a Yixing teapot
into a Yixing pitcher. I have a different teapot for each style of tea I
drink. Do people also segregate the pitchers?

Question 2: I like gung-fu style tea but often lack the time to coax a tea thru
8+ steepings. I was wondering who else has this problem & whether anyone has
tried a partial gung-fu method, i.e., use somewhat less tea and somewhat longer
steeping times in an attempt to yield fewer good steeps?

Thanks

As to question 1: I'd use at least three different pitchers. One for
puer, one for black teas (though I might use the puer pitcher with
yunnans), and one for green/oolong/white teas. It would be ideal to
have one pitcher for each pot, but fiscal reality and storage issues
tend to intrude. Using the same pitcher for dark puer and white tea
would probably be a disaster. I just use porcelain now, quite
frankly.

And for question 2: I've tried doing a partial gongfu method such as
you describe but haven't been able to replicate a pure gongfu
experience by adjusting temp (lower) and steep times. The resultant
product, when I don't ruin it by leaving it too long, is to real
gongfu as an americano is to espresso (some of the same character but
greatly attenuated.

rown (Tom) writes:

Hi all:

[...]

Question 2: I like gung-fu style tea but often lack the time to coax
a tea thru 8+ steepings. I was wondering who else has this problem
& whether anyone has tried a partial gung-fu method, i.e., use
somewhat less tea and somewhat longer steeping times in an attempt
to yield fewer good steeps?

Sure; I often brew oolongs with a moderate amount of leaf and get 3 or
4 good longer-than-gongfu steeps. You probably shouldn't call it gong
fu, though. I've even had good results sometimes with very little
leaf and a single long steep. Maybe that's reverse gong fu?

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

(Cameron Lewis) wrote in message om...
rown (Tom) wrote in message ...
Hi all:

I thought I'd throw a couple of questions out the

Question 1: When I make tea gung-fu style, I usually pour from a Yixing teapot
into a Yixing pitcher. I have a different teapot for each style of tea I
drink. Do people also segregate the pitchers?

Question 2: I like gung-fu style tea but often lack the time to coax a tea thru
8+ steepings. I was wondering who else has this problem & whether anyone has
tried a partial gung-fu method, i.e., use somewhat less tea and somewhat longer
steeping times in an attempt to yield fewer good steeps?

Thanks

As to question 1: I'd use at least three different pitchers. One for
puer, one for black teas (though I might use the puer pitcher with
yunnans), and one for green/oolong/white teas. It would be ideal to
have one pitcher for each pot, but fiscal reality and storage issues
tend to intrude. Using the same pitcher for dark puer and white tea
would probably be a disaster. I just use porcelain now, quite
frankly.

And for question 2: I've tried doing a partial gongfu method such as
you describe but haven't been able to replicate a pure gongfu
experience by adjusting temp (lower) and steep times. The resultant
product, when I don't ruin it by leaving it too long, is to real
gongfu as an americano is to espresso (some of the same character but
greatly attenuated.


Hey Tom,

Here is what my suggestion is.

Question #1:
Reply:

Bottom line it is always best to use one specific teapot for one tea.
However, that is not reality for most, good Yixing teapots can be
expensive so having a teapot for every kind of tea is not reasonable
or practical. I say by now know what your favorite tea is focus on
different size and shape teapots for this tea and use a Gai Wan or a
porcelain teapot for less frequent and new arrival teas. They do make
small Gung Fu size porcelain teapots for this reason. (I realized
just now this was not your questions but I spent the time to write
that so I am leaving it LOL)

(Now on to your real question)
Most tea distributors in China use a Gay Wan I personally do not care
for them because it is easy to burn your fingers and messy. As for a
pitcher, are you referring to a Reserve pot? If so porcelain is the
way to go IMO. As for me I drink mainly Puerh and Dan Cong so I have
a ton of teapots for these type of teas and I use one for the main pot
and a slightly larger one for the reserve pot this is a great way to
treat two pots at once. Bottom line use porcelain unless you have two
pots for the same tea then use one as a reserve pot and the other as
the cooking pot.

Question #2:

Ok, this is a good one. What I do when I am in a Rush and just do not
have time is, pack a larger teapot full of tea and make one big pot
maybe two and then put into a big coffee cup and head out. You see
making Gun Fu tea is not about really making it in a small pot. It is
all about tasting the teas change in flavor over five or six pots and
the stronger flavor in general. There is no way to achieve this if
you are in a rush unless you want to walk into work clinching eight
coffee cups of tea. This might get you an interview with your company
EAP (Employee assistants Program, in other words the shrink). One big
pot full of tea and one big coffee cup will work fine.

Lewis 1/19/04

rown (Tom) writes:

Hi all:

[...]

Question 2: I like gung-fu style tea but often lack the time to coax
a tea thru 8+ steepings. I was wondering who else has this problem
& whether anyone has tried a partial gung-fu method, i.e., use
somewhat less tea and somewhat longer steeping times in an attempt
to yield fewer good steeps?

Sure; I often brew oolongs with a moderate amount of leaf and get 3 or
4 good longer-than-gongfu steeps. You probably shouldn't call it gong
fu, though. I've even had good results sometimes with very little
leaf and a single long steep. Maybe that's reverse gong fu?

/Lew


If you brew it with care and attention, it's gung fu.
If you (skillfully) kick it across a room, it's kung fu.
Hmmm.

But seriously folks, when I use my little clay pot, it's gung fu to me.

Michael

"Lewis Perin" wrote in message
news
Sure; I often brew oolongs with a moderate amount of leaf and get 3 or
4 good longer-than-gongfu steeps. You probably shouldn't call it gong
fu, though. I've even had good results sometimes with very little
leaf and a single long steep. Maybe that's reverse gong fu?


I believe the technical term is "uf gnog" - please try to be precise on this
newsgroup.

"Dog Ma 1" (reply w/o spam) writes:

"Lewis Perin" wrote in message
news
Sure; I often brew oolongs with a moderate amount of leaf and get 3 or
4 good longer-than-gongfu steeps. You probably shouldn't call it gong
fu, though. I've even had good results sometimes with very little
leaf and a single long steep. Maybe that's reverse gong fu?


I believe the technical term is "uf gnog" - please try to be precise on this
newsgroup.

Uf! I stand corrected.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Lewis 1/20/04

"Dog Ma 1" (reply w/o spam) writes:

"Lewis Perin" wrote in message
news
Sure; I often brew oolongs with a moderate amount of leaf and get 3 or
4 good longer-than-gongfu steeps. You probably shouldn't call it gong
fu, though. I've even had good results sometimes with very little
leaf and a single long steep. Maybe that's reverse gong fu?


I believe the technical term is "uf gnog" - please try to be precise on this
newsgroup.

Uf! I stand corrected.

As well you should.

I have often deployed the uf gnog technique by way of practice. Those among
you who have found it in your hearts to forgive me for breaking expensive
gaiwan lids can only imagine what I have done to tasting and aroma cups as I
gracelessly flip them over in the classic manner of Brooklyn. I have been
told from other sources however that spills and breakage are more tolerable
in uf gnog than gung fu. Others are in a better position to comment.

I'm drinking a Wulong from Big Apple this morning and find it absolutely
charming. On another note, I've been brewing my gung fu tea purposely
stronger than I usually do, and to good effect. (Maybe that wasn't on
another note.)

Michael