On Jul 3, 8:52*pm, "Dominic T." > wrote:
> On Jul 3, 6:28 pm, Rainy > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I usually make oolongs in a regular way,
> > using a large 3-cup pot and 1-2 steeps, in
> > fact, mostly just one steep, exactly like
> > I prepare greens and whites. It's far more
> > convenient for me because my kitchen
> > is not very suitable for elaborate gong-fuing
> > and even if I use an electric kettle the whole
> > thing takes a long time, about an hour, give
> > or take.
>
> > When I do oolongs in a regular way, though,
> > I feel a little like I'm wasting part of their
> > potential, especially with more expensive
> > oolongs.
>
> > Does everybody use gong-fu to prepare
> > oolongs, for the most part? What's the
> > split for you? If you do gong-fu daily or
> > almost daily, do you get used to it so
> > much that it becomes much quicker
> > and easier?
>
> I used to handle it the way you are now, but I slowly (kicking and
> screaming) learned to change. My second step was to the three-piece
> ceramic tea infuser mugs which I thought was as far as I'd go, but I
> was wrong. I learned that a gaiwan is actually easier to use daily and
> that you get through more infusions which can be some of the best

I did use gaiwan many, many times but I think
part of the problem is that I have to use
electric kettle (zojirushi 2.2L) and tea made
with electric heating has a different taste and
I experimented many times with this but it
always tastes flatter to me than gas-range
heated water. It's most pronounced with
greens and whites, which are 80% of teas
I drink.

Soon I will get a portable burner and I will
try to do gong-fu with that, maybe it will
taste better to me.

In regard to multiple infusions, it depends
on whether it's pu-erh or oolong. With
pu-erhs, first ~6 infusions don't taste good
to me - too muddy and harsh, even with
some good puerhs. Infusions ~7,8,9,10 taste
really great. With oolongs there isn't that
much difference, but later infusions do taste
better. So far, the difference vs. regular
method of brewing isn't big enough to go
through the hassle.

I don't want to make impression that I just
started gong-fu - I began maybe around 5
years ago and did about 50-60 gong-fu
preparations over the years using either
gaiwans or small pots. I count both
methods as gong-fu although with pots
it's more official.

> which would go wasted otherwise. It may not be full-on gong-fu, but it
> is a great way to handle it. The other benefit is that while it may
> not be full of grace and pomp/circumstance or truly slow and
> methodical, it does actually slow me down enough and is a great stress
> relief and break to my day which is highly welcomed. It becomes

That's another interesting point - I find that I can
slow down better if I make a large pot and sit
down and drink it slowly and deliberately.
With gong-fu I have to constantly bother
about making another infusion and keeping track
of time.

I'm also very sensitive to stale taste of leaf. If a
gaiwan or zisha pot are filled with expanded leaf
to the top, it doesn't go stale for a fairly
long time, but then I end up with too much tea
and have to forego the last, best infusions. If
a gaiwan is not filled to the top, and I let it stand
for ~15 minutes without making a new infusion,
I can feel that it starts to get a very tiny almost
imperceptible stale aftertaste.

I think part of it is that I'm so used to taste of
good greens and whites as they're made in
big pot, a somewhat different taste of gaiwan
infusions, whether for greens, whites or oolongs,
feels a bit wrong to me.

I did try once to do gaiwan only tea for a few
weeks, but I only had medium-grade oolongs
from Ten Ren. They are good for the price
and availability but obviously not top grade
tea... -ak

> quicker and informal though which is nice because it seems like it
> would be a hassle at first, the tough part now is forcing myself to
> slow down properly when I *do* have the time.
>
> - Dominic