How To Brew Pu Erh Tea – Art Wheel Teaworks

The Traditional Chinese Method

This method of pu-erh tea brewing is complex, but also rewards the tea drinker with a cultural experience and deeper understanding of Chinese tea practices. We recommend this brewing method to people who are looking to further their tea knowledge and immerse themselves in tradition. It’s a method suited more for tea connoisseurs and experienced brewers. For the best results, you’ll need a yixing tea set.

Ingredients and Tools:

3-4 grams Pu-erh tea
Yixing brewing vessel with tea filter
Tea pitcher (also known as ‘cha hai’ or ‘gong dao bei’
Tea cups

Yixing Teapots & Gaiwans

The key to steeping a good cup of pu erh tea starts with picking suitable teaware. Both the gaiwans and Yixing teapots are excellent choices. They’re great to brew small portions of tea, spread over many steeps. This allows you to experience the multiple layers of flavor, instead of tasting the ‘average’ tea flavor by brewing in a large teapot.

How to Brew:

1. Rinse and warm the tea set using hot water. Simply pour the hot water into the tea pitcher, yixing pot, and tea cups. Swirl and discard the water.

2. Place tea leaves in the yixing teapot and pour a small amount of hot water on top. Use only enough water to cover the leaves. Swirl for 2 to 3 seconds and discard the water. Do not discard the wet tea leaves.

3. If you are brewing ripe pu-erh tea, repeat the rinse of the tea leaves once more. Raw pu-erh tea only needs to be rinsed once so skip to the next step if you are brewing raw pu-erh tea.

4. Fill the yixing teapot with hot water at 195 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Cover the yixing pot with the lid. Pour a small amount of hot water on the lid.

6. After 10 to 20 seconds, the water on the lid should be dry. Once the lid is dry, pour out the tea into the tea cups. Enjoy!

Pu-erh tea can be brewed for ten infusions or more using the traditional brewing method. For each additional infusion, add 5 to 10 seconds to the steeping time.

Source ; Thanks to SenchaTEABAR

How to Brew Loose Leaf Pu-Erh

If you are using loose leaf Pu-Erh you will definitely want to be careful about using just the right amount and also about getting all of the leaves out when you are finished steeping. Leaving the leaves in for too long will result in a poor flavor.

Fill your pan with fresh, filtered water and bring to a boil at 212◦F.
Pour excess boiling water into a tea cup to heat the cup then discard the water.
Add 1 teaspoon of loose leaves to your teapot and pour in approximately 8-10 ounces of boiling water.
Steep leaves for 5 minutes.
Place a basket strainer over the cup and pour the tea through the strainer to keep out leaves.
Remove the tea leaves from the pot before allowing the pot to sit any longer