The same environmental conditions for ageing puerh are the same for
ageing cheese even down to the caves in France if you want the good
stuff. I think the tobacco and dairy industry could make a gourmet
puerh if they wanted. The processes are similar except for the staple.
A leaf is a leaf and fermentation is fermentation (not oxidation). I
wrap my cakes in cheesecloth to allow them to breath and reduce direct
exposure to elements. I think the optimum condition for storing puerh
is the same as loose tea dry,dark,cool such as my basement in Western
US. I think the best environmental controll would be the use of a
humidor. Our professional baseball team started using one last year to
keep the balls from drying out so they wouldn't fly out of the park.
Statistics have shown it works. Here is a tip: If the wrapper on your
puerh cracks or breaks when removed then I'd guess the cake is at least
5 years old.

Jim

Alex Chaihorsky wrote:
> Actually if I understood my Chinese sources right, it is good to have
puerhs
> moved for a short time to a less dry places, so they absorb some
moisture
> and then back to drier (but never too dry) environment. That way it
> "breathes" and the bacteria not die out from drying out.
> Remember - there are very few really dry places in China. I know that
the
> teas that I have here in Nevada are too dry and do not age well.
> It looks like the famous "caves" work real well in Chinese humid
climate and
> not that well in drier zones. France is not too dry, anyway, so you
may be
> in a good place to age puers without extra effort. But even then,
moving it
> from place with less humidity to drier places ripen them better. The
best
> way to age puers, however, is to have a really knowledgeable Chinese
trader
> to take a look and smell them once -twice a year and follow his
> recommendations.
>
> Sasha..