Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste is
dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
Export.

Ozzy

My 2 cents:

1. Water no hotter than 160
2. Put PiLoChun In water, not water in PLC. Do NOT wash the tea.
Put 3/4 of hot water in your yixing teapot and gently put the tea on the
surface of the water. Close the lid.
Pour off a little bit every 30 sec and taste. That will allow you to develop
a 'scale" of extraction. usually 1 min is plenty for the first brew and
15-3- sec for the next one. Try to disturb the leaves in the teapot when you
pour more water in it as little as possible. many tricks can be used.
Improvise. But putting leaves in water rather than the usual way - water in
leaves for the first time is critical because the leaves are at their most
fragile when they are dry.

Sasha.


"Ozzy" > wrote in message
. 97.142...
> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste
> is
> dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
> proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
> Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
> Export.
>
> Ozzy

I obviously meant "try NOT to disturb leaves as much as possible"...

Sorry,

Sasha.


"Alex Chaihorsky" > wrote in message
m...
> My 2 cents:
>
> 1. Water no hotter than 160
> 2. Put PiLoChun In water, not water in PLC. Do NOT wash the tea.
> Put 3/4 of hot water in your yixing teapot and gently put the tea on the
> surface of the water. Close the lid.
> Pour off a little bit every 30 sec and taste. That will allow you to
> develop a 'scale" of extraction. usually 1 min is plenty for the first
> brew and 15-3- sec for the next one. Try to disturb the leaves in the
> teapot when you pour more water in it as little as possible. many tricks
> can be used. Improvise. But putting leaves in water rather than the usual
> way - water in leaves for the first time is critical because the leaves
> are at their most fragile when they are dry.
>
> Sasha.
>
>
> "Ozzy" > wrote in message
> . 97.142...
>> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste
>> is
>> dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
>> proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
>> Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
>> Export.
>>
>> Ozzy
>
>

Hi Ozzy,

Bi Luo Chun in a can comprises its quality...you never know how long the tea
has been in the can!

Danny


"Ozzy" > wrote in message
. 97.142...
> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste
> is
> dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
> proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
> Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
> Export.
>
> Ozzy

"samarkand" > wrote in
:

> Hi Ozzy,
>
> Bi Luo Chun in a can comprises its quality...you never know how long
> the tea has been in the can!
>
> Danny
>
>
> "Ozzy" > wrote in message
> . 97.142...
>> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown.

"samarkand" > wrote in
:

> Hi Ozzy,
>
> Bi Luo Chun in a can comprises its quality...you never know how long
> the tea has been in the can!
>
> Danny
>

Hi Danny,

By "tightly sealed tin" I meant a metal cannister with two seals, inner
and outer -- and tight cellophane on the outside, for good measure.
Thought this was in the neighborhood of the ideal storage container for
tea.

But no, there is nothing like a date that I can read anywhere, so it could
have been sitting in there for quite a number of years for all I know to
the contrary.

Ozzy

"Alex Chaihorsky" > wrote in
m:

> I obviously meant "try NOT to disturb leaves as much as possible"...
>
> Sorry,
>
> Sasha.

Thanks much for the detailed instructions, Sasha. Always meant to get a
yixing pot, anyway.

Ozzy

7.14210/17/05


> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste is
> dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
> proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
> Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
> Export.
>
> Ozzy


Ozzy,

Next spring spring up to The Tea Gallery at 131 Allen Street (just north of
Bowery) and try theirs. It's not cheap, but it's the best I've drunk. It is
possible of course that BLC is simply not your style.

Michael

.14210/18/05


> "Alex Chaihorsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>> I obviously meant "try NOT to disturb leaves as much as possible"...
>>
>> Sorry,
>>
>> Sasha.
>
> Thanks much for the detailed instructions, Sasha. Always meant to get a
> yixing pot, anyway.
>
> Ozzy


I recommend a gaiwan for BLC, not an YiXing pot. I do have one very small
YiXing pot for delicate greens, but most of the YXP's are not going to treat
your green teas well. Besides, a good BLC is absolutely beautiful swimming
around in the water. You won't miss the display if you brew in a gaiwan.

Michael

Jiangsu is the province for PLC. You said in a later post it is a
doubled sealed tin. It is fresh as the day it was packed. All I can
find are the bags which aren't nitrogen sealed. There are some good
posts from the past on brewing and taste. I don't know what you mean
by disappointing. It is an understated tea in the sense there is more
nuance than taste similar to Lung Ching. I drink mine at warm
temperature. It is a graded tea so in Chinese terms you pay more for
whatever arbitrary quality. Everyone claims their's is the Spring
flush. I think this tea needs to breath when brewing. I don't skimp
with the leaves and use boiling water with 500ml water. I let brew at
least three minutes and don't plan on using the leaves again. It is a
gentle tea for reflection not planning.

Jim

Ozzy wrote:
> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste is
> dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
> proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
> Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
> Export.
>
> Ozzy

Space 10/18/05


> Jiangsu is the province for PLC. You said in a later post it is a
> doubled sealed tin. It is fresh as the day it was packed. All I can
> find are the bags which aren't nitrogen sealed. There are some good
> posts from the past on brewing and taste. I don't know what you mean
> by disappointing. It is an understated tea in the sense there is more
> nuance than taste similar to Lung Ching. I drink mine at warm
> temperature. It is a graded tea so in Chinese terms you pay more for
> whatever arbitrary quality. Everyone claims their's is the Spring
> flush. I think this tea needs to breath when brewing. I don't skimp
> with the leaves and use boiling water with 500ml water. I let brew at
> least three minutes and don't plan on using the leaves again. It is a
> gentle tea for reflection not planning.

Jim,

Are you saying that you brew it at boiling temperature, but wait for it to
cool down before you drink it? Have you considered brewing at a far lower
temperature just as an experiment? I think you might get a very different
experience out of it. I find that really fine PLC gives more by way of
nuance when brewed at a lower temperature.

Michael

Michael Plant > wrote in
:

....
> I recommend a gaiwan for BLC, not an YiXing pot. I do have one very
> small YiXing pot for delicate greens, but most of the YXP's are not
> going to treat your green teas well. Besides, a good BLC is absolutely
> beautiful swimming around in the water. You won't miss the display if
> you brew in a gaiwan.
>
> Michael
>

I've read about the display, but so far I've had to forgo it as I've been
brewing in an opaque, earthenware pint mug using a steel strainer (which is
saved for later infusions). I suppose this admission makes me a barbarian
but there it is: convenience, esp. when brewing for one.

However, I suspect that this brewing method yields a tea which was in some
cases not all it could be. I presume a gaiwian pot is a translucent or
transparent ceramic...

Most of the Japanese teapots (which I'm draw to artistically) do come with
steel meshes. Is this because Japanese green tea can easily stand such
treatment, or is it just a time saver -- not having to clean the leaves out
the pot when done or changing teas?

Ozzy

Michael Plant > wrote in
:
....
> Ozzy,
>
> Next spring spring up to The Tea Gallery at 131 Allen Street (just
> north of Bowery) and try theirs. It's not cheap, but it's the best I've
> drunk. It is possible of course that BLC is simply not your style.
>
> Michael

Thanks for the brick-and-mortar location, Michael. Perhaps PLC is not my
cuppa, but I should try at least one more.

Ozzy

"Space Cowboy" > wrote in
oups.com:

> Jiangsu is the province for PLC. You said in a later post it is a
> doubled sealed tin. It is fresh as the day it was packed. All I can
> find are the bags which aren't nitrogen sealed. There are some good
> posts from the past on brewing and taste. I don't know what you mean
> by disappointing. It is an understated tea in the sense there is more
> nuance than taste similar to Lung Ching. I drink mine at warm
> temperature. It is a graded tea so in Chinese terms you pay more for
> whatever arbitrary quality. Everyone claims their's is the Spring
> flush. I think this tea needs to breath when brewing. I don't skimp
> with the leaves and use boiling water with 500ml water. I let brew at
> least three minutes and don't plan on using the leaves again. It is a
> gentle tea for reflection not planning.
>
> Jim

Perhaps my taste is simply not developed enough for PLC; it is my
individual response to flavors, after all. But I don't skimp on the
leaves of any tea -- I tend to prefer strong tastes, esp. when brewing for
one. Maybe this inborn preference bars my full enjoyment of PLC.

I am having better (i.e. more to my taste) results using an infusing time
of around three min. Maybe next batch I'll have the patience to let the
water cool some more.

[Michael].
>> I recommend a gaiwan for BLC, not an YiXing pot. I do have one very
>> small YiXing pot for delicate greens, but most of the YXP's are not
>> going to treat your green teas well. Besides, a good BLC is absolutely
>> beautiful swimming around in the water. You won't miss the display if
>> you brew in a gaiwan.
>>
>> Michael
>>
>
[Ozzy]
> I've read about the display, but so far I've had to forgo it as I've been
> brewing in an opaque, earthenware pint mug using a steel strainer (which is
> saved for later infusions). I suppose this admission makes me a barbarian
> but there it is: convenience, esp. when brewing for one.

[Michael]
Not at all. It just suggests that the look of the thing is secondary for you
at best.

[Ozzy]
> However, I suspect that this brewing method yields a tea which was in some
> cases not all it could be. I presume a gaiwian pot is a translucent or
> transparent ceramic...

[Michael]
No, not at all necessarily. It's just that its interior wall will be white
or some manner of off-white, and the leaves will look beautiful against it.
>
[Ozzy]
> Most of the Japanese teapots (which I'm draw to artistically) do come with
> steel meshes. Is this because Japanese green tea can easily stand such
> treatment, or is it just a time saver -- not having to clean the leaves out
> the pot when done or changing teas?

[Michael yet again]
Time saver. The Japanese are basically barbarians when it comes to tea.
That's why they give no thought to the extraordinary beauty of
extraordinarily tea leaves, using very dark clay kyusus, for example.

Ozzy > wrote:
> Got 100g in a well sealed tin from from NYC's Chinatown. To me the taste is
> dissappointing -- before I write it off, maybe I'm not infusing it at the
> proper temp or time. I'd appreciate any advice from the group on this.
> Also, maybe it wasn't the best quality -- Jiangsu Native Produce Import &
> Export.

First, as others have said, temperature really is important. To my
taste, plc is even more susceptible to being ruined by hot water than
most other Chinese greens. I suggest 160 - 180 F temperatures (two to
four parts boiling water, respectively, to one part tap temp. [50
degree] water).

Second, it is so fine and delicate that it goes stale very fast. I'm
drinking and enjoying year-old longjin right now, but I won't buy blc
except in the spring (make sure they aren't dumping last year's) and
only in small amounts.

I would be astonished if even the local tea khans could tell the
difference between tea-first and water-first steeping. We should do a
double-blind study along the lines of Ronald Fisher's famous
experiment concerning tea-first vs. milk-first in black tea.

Last, there's a great anecdote concerning China's longest-serving
emperor (kind of; his grandson abdicated so as not to break his
record), especially interesting because as a Manchu he was considered
a barbarian by the literati of the time:

"Sometime in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century while on
an inspection of his realm, Emperor Kang Xi visited the Lake Taihu
area in Zhejiang province and his host, the governor of Jiangsu,
presented him with this tea. Striking the Emperor as a tea of purity
he asked the name. "Astounding Fragrance" was his host's reply. The
Emperor, with disdain, replied that such a name for this treasure was
vulgar and an insult. Ordering the unused leaves brought for his
examination, the Emperor declared that a more fitting name would be
Green Snail Spring because the rolled shape looked like a snail shell.
The original name is most popular, however.

Peach, apricot and plum trees are planted among the bushes. When
these fruit trees bloom, the tender spouts and buds of tea absorb the
aromas to be passed on to those who drink their infusion. The name is
now known all over the world, for this is one of China's famous rare
teas. Its home is two mountains known as East and West Dongting which
poke up out of Taihu, the great lake not far west of Shanghai, and
where the garden city of Suzhou is located. One mountain is an island
in the lake and the other a peninsula. The water evaporating from the
lake keeps them overhung with clouds and mist, thus the young leaves
stay moist. The prime time to pick the tea leaves is during the Pure
Brightness festival when the buds are jade-green tinged with white.
Bi Luo Chun is picked during the spring until April when the spring
rains begin. Only one leaf and the bud are plucked. Harvesting is
done completely by hand and great skill is required to roll and fire
the leaves. Bi Luo Chun was selected as the offering of local
government to the emperor in Qing Dynasty."

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."
We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter
"Ozzy" > wrote in message
. 97.142...
> Michael Plant > wrote in
> :
>
> ...
>> I recommend a gaiwan for BLC, not an YiXing pot. I do have one very
>> small YiXing pot for delicate greens, but most of the YXP's are not
>> going to treat your green teas well. Besides, a good BLC is absolutely
>> beautiful swimming around in the water. You won't miss the display if
>> you brew in a gaiwan.
>>
>> Michael
>>
>
> I've read about the display, but so far I've had to forgo it as I've been
> brewing in an opaque, earthenware pint mug using a steel strainer (which
> is
> saved for later infusions). I suppose this admission makes me a barbarian
> but there it is: convenience, esp. when brewing for one.
>
> However, I suspect that this brewing method yields a tea which was in some
> cases not all it could be. I presume a gaiwian pot is a translucent or
> transparent ceramic...

snip
>
> Ozzy

Ozzy, this is what I do. I take a very clean clear glass jar (I've been
washing them for recycling, and I put it throught the dishwasher and make
sure it's clean, I choose one that is aesthetically pleasing to me. Jam and
jelly jars and penut butter jars are nice). If it's a pint or so (I also
use pint canning jars) then I measure out my green tea (Chinese green in
this case...I use a larger quart canning jar for Japanese greens because I
don't get expensive ones and I like to make a lot of that, brew it, and then
transfer it strained into an eartheware red teapot I have that I love). For
a pint I usually use about four grams.

I heat the water, I pour hot water into the jar (hot as in the temp I'm
going to brew, around 170 or so, again Chinese greens here) and let the jar
heat, then I dump the water out of the jar, add my tea to the hot jar, cover
the top of the jar with a plate and let it sit for a few seconds (purely
aesthetic, I like to smell the leaves as the are heated that way). Then I
measure out hot water into a measuring cup and check the temp. This is one
spot in my method where I could be having problems, since the water going
into the measuring cup will cool down some just by heat transferance to the
glass...if I am very thorough I will preheat the measuring cup too (I use
the measuring cup because it has a pour spout, any cup or container large
enough to hold the water and having a large enough opening to put a
thermometer in will work).

When the water is the right temp I pour it into my jar with the tea leaves,
let brew for about 45 second or maybe a little more (to taste as they say)
and then pour the tea through a strainer into another (for me) glass
drinking jar. Stops the steeping, I get to see the dance of the leaves and
the color of the liquid, and I also didn't have to buy a bunch of tea
equipment from elsewhere. I like being able to reuse a perfectly good
steeping vessel that would otherwise be thrown away, and each one can be
different. I agree with Michael, a yixing would most likely hold the heat in
too close and stew your tea leaves. Another nice thing about brewing openly
in a container and then straining into another is it lets the leaves move
freely so they steep better.

Melinda

In article >,
"Melinda" > wrote:

> I like being able to reuse a perfectly good
> steeping vessel that would otherwise be thrown away, and each one can be
> different.

I've always felt that greens do better in glass anyway - that is,
many greens do. There are some which I prefer to steep in clay,
such as long jing and silver needle, but that is strictly an
aesthetic preference and may have nothing to do with the
final result. Funny how one develops little rituals with tea -
but that's part of the deal, I think. Make it your own.
Tea allows for that - encourages it, even.

Michael,

At my altitude water boils at 202F. I use glass pot for brewing and
glass cup for drinking which radiates heat so a good compromise for
greens. I brew for taste and not nuance. I think volume,weight,time
is more important than temperature. If a guest prefers a warm cup they
can let it cool down. If they prefer a hot cup they can drink sooner.
They have no choice if I choose the temperature. My local tea shoppe
has received negative comments from sealevel visitors because the water
isn't hot enough. I know for a fact I can't drink any tea at 212F.
I'd have to twiddle my thumbs till 200F or add cream. I'll wait.

Jim

Michael Plant wrote:
> Space 10/18/05
>
>
> > I think this tea needs to breath when brewing. I don't skimp
> > with the leaves and use boiling water with 500ml water. I let brew at
> > least three minutes and don't plan on using the leaves again. It is a
> > gentle tea for reflection not planning.
>
> Jim,
>
> Are you saying that you brew it at boiling temperature, but wait for it to
> cool down before you drink it? Have you considered brewing at a far lower
> temperature just as an experiment? I think you might get a very different
> experience out of it. I find that really fine PLC gives more by way of
> nuance when brewed at a lower temperature.
>
> Michael

Space 10/21/05


> Michael,
>
> At my altitude water boils at 202F. I use glass pot for brewing and
> glass cup for drinking which radiates heat so a good compromise for
> greens. I brew for taste and not nuance. I think volume,weight,time
> is more important than temperature. If a guest prefers a warm cup they
> can let it cool down. If they prefer a hot cup they can drink sooner.
> They have no choice if I choose the temperature. My local tea shoppe
> has received negative comments from sealevel visitors because the water
> isn't hot enough. I know for a fact I can't drink any tea at 212F.
> I'd have to twiddle my thumbs till 200F or add cream. I'll wait.
>
> Jim


OK. I see what you mean. But, I was suggesting possible adjustments in the
actual brewing temperature, not the drinking temperature. You say you "brew
for taste and not nuance," but what do you mean here? Isn't "nuance" part
of the taste experience? Anyway, the bottom line: Whatever floats your tea
boat.

Michael

I think almost any tea has a given taste. That is the taste which is
independent of any brewing parameter or brewing style within reason.
When I say nuance or note it is a taste that is only present by certain
brewing conditions. The term has been consistently used in this group
to mean a certain temperature or a multiple infusion. My POV is the
first cup is the best. I don't see much value if a note or nuance is
present and the taste is gone. I know oolongs don't absolutely require
boiling temperature or that blacks require much time in the pot or that
whites can stew. I drink too much tea too really worry about the fine
points of each if any. When traveling in the mountainous West you can
usually find the health food store with jars of tea in almost any town.
I came across an interesting oolong which obviously had been in the
jar too long because not much olfactory smell but subsequently good in
a cup. It was on a bottom shelf, out of the way, like someone was
saving the good stuff for themself. It was light broadleaf like SowMee
but darker. It wasn' expensive at $20/lb but 4oz was almost the whole
jar. A pleasant find for a different style of oolong.

Jim

Michael Plant wrote:
> Space 10/21/05
>
>
> > Michael,
> >
> > At my altitude water boils at 202F. I use glass pot for brewing and
> > glass cup for drinking which radiates heat so a good compromise for
> > greens. I brew for taste and not nuance. I think volume,weight,time
> > is more important than temperature. If a guest prefers a warm cup they
> > can let it cool down. If they prefer a hot cup they can drink sooner.
> > They have no choice if I choose the temperature. My local tea shoppe
> > has received negative comments from sealevel visitors because the water
> > isn't hot enough. I know for a fact I can't drink any tea at 212F.
> > I'd have to twiddle my thumbs till 200F or add cream. I'll wait.
> >
> > Jim
>
>
> OK. I see what you mean. But, I was suggesting possible adjustments in the
> actual brewing temperature, not the drinking temperature. You say you "brew
> for taste and not nuance," but what do you mean here? Isn't "nuance" part
> of the taste experience? Anyway, the bottom line: Whatever floats your tea
> boat.
>
> Michael