/tea/ General

Is yunnansourcing.us the same as ordering from yunnansourcing.com?

>>8858958
.us ships from Oregon and .com ships from China
same company though

>>8858958
>>8858983
this. but .com has more variety and you can buy more in bulk. Shipping sucks from .com cuz obviously it takes longer/more expensive to ship from China vs. Oregon if your in the US.

has anyone tried the Taiwan sourcing? I'm looking for good bang for buck Taiwan oolong source and Japanese greens.

It took me like an hour to make my after dinner tea:
>Boil kettle
>Waiting for water to cool
>Forget and it's too cold
>Fuck
>Do this another 3 times

>>8858924
just drank some dank ass cheap puerh from aliexpress
pure glory i tell you

should i buy hojicha at ¥10 per gram
what does it taste like

File: fast and bulbous.jpg (188KB, 1017x688px) Image search: [Google]

188KB, 1017x688px

>>8858924
>Green tea is going to help you lose weight
>Green tea is going to keep you up if you drink it before bed
>Start using teabags
>Do buy tea from Teavana
>If you aren't using teabags, start leaving it in the cup after it's done brewing
>Start using boiling water
>START USING TEABAGS

File: img.jpg (487KB, 1600x1200px) Image search: [Google]

487KB, 1600x1200px

It wasn't that great for 260€/kg desu. I didn't know Indonesia made tea.
First time I've seen leaves that huge though.

I'm autistic enough to have bought this to make my tea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz2-tKUdzNk

>>8860015
Christ, Anon. Was it at least worth it?

>>8860015
what the fuck
also autism would probably lead you to gong fu style brewing instead, so at least you're normal

Has anyone ever tried tea from the azores?

>>8859088
Jesus fuck mate, never let your water reach the boiling point.

>>8859887
That's an ikea spoon, not a leaf, mate.

Can I buy a cheap grader somewhere? I have a lot of meh-quality tea and at least want to get rid of the dust/fannings from it. Also for whatever reason, would grading it (the time spent outside of the tin) fuck the flavor?

>>8859088
>Boil kettle

Jesus Christ, how long did that take? I can't imagine the smell.

What's a nice small glass teapot with an infuser inside?

File: 0123[2].jpg (89KB, 800x600px) Image search: [Google]

89KB, 800x600px

>be a landlord
>take in foreign exchange students from Asia/mid-east
>they all invariably drink tea
>they all end up leaving behind half used stacks of loose leaf when they're gone
>mfw I've not had to buy tea in over four years

>>8860996
I use this one.

http://a.co/0vupP8x

>>8860634
I'd guess the flavor would be fine as long as you're not leaving the tea out for days at a time

>>8861034
wtf
why would you do this

File: wp_ss_20151203_0001.png (348KB, 480x800px) Image search: [Google]

348KB, 480x800px

>>8861528
>why would you do this?
What are you talking about, free tea, thats fuckin sweet

>>8861528
>why would you do this
most decent-quality tea can easily be steeped multiple times, especially if it's not black

>>8860119
I've had it, its a nice standard indian style broken leaf black tea, never had the green one but quality should be around the same ballpark.
I've also had white tea from there, from a different estate than the usual gorreana one and that was worlds better, hand picked and whatnot, its only avaliable in lisbon though afaik

>>8859088
how much weed was served at dinner?

https://www.reddit.com/r/teasales/
https://www.reddit.com/r/tea/
for your tea loving ways when 4chan fails

Is there such thing as getting "tea drunk" and "body feel"s or is it just placebo/marketing

>>8863195
I've drunk a whole lot of tea on many occasions and I have no idea what 'tea drunk' is supposed to mean.

Jin xuan is so much better gongfu'd
Why aren't you gongfuing yours

>>8864154
Can I just use my regular teapot and brew the tea for 30 secs?

>>8864219
gongfu is the technique, so yes you can

>>8864225
do you have a tea set
can i just use two mugs one for steeping and one for drinking

>>8864219
I do gongfu with a mug, a thermos, and a strainer

>>8864229
it works

>>8863227
doesn't it have to do with the type of tea? it's usually raw puerhs that ppl report getting tea drunk from.

>>8864232
This. I use a libre mug and a regular coffee mug for the same effect. I MUCH prefer using my gaiwan though.

>>8860147
Why not? Does it affect the tea in some way? My kettle doesn't have temp control, just an on/off switch. I usually let it boil, pour the water, and wait for the water to cool, thinking the mug as well as the water will be at temperature that way.
>>8862042
None, I was watching a documentary and kept losing track of time.

>>8859088
Just cold steep it, no fuss over heat

>>8864490
>>8863195
What is tea drunk
I drink tea and I've been drunk but I've never been tea drunk
please explain this dankery

What is going on when my gongfu brews, which otherwise came out great, taste slightly but noticeably bitter?

>>8863195
>>8864490
>>8866165
Sometimes I get to a point after drinking a lot of raw puerh where the headache and physical relaxation mix together into a general happy feeling. I always figured that was what getting tea drunk is because I only get there after drinking raw puerh and a lot of it. I believe it because something something microbes.

>>8866256
Maybe you oversteeped too long? Gong fu infusions have to be short because of the large amount of leaf:water ratio, so every second counts.

>>8866281
very scientifical

>>8866165
I would say I've gotten it from high quality sencha before, where it actually gave me giggles after drinking it. It's not a well defined thing, but a lot of people describe it as specifically different from just a caffeine buzz.

>>8859088
You dont have an instant read thermometer to just temp the water?

>>8863195
idk but I feel high as shit after drinking tea

music sounds better

it's so much easier to concentrate on things

File: Panda Shit.png (261KB, 379x291px) Image search: [Google]

261KB, 379x291px

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJWwcbhkrbA

Why are teafags so disgusting?

>>8866650

Is this an actual thing? I once had some green tea at a cafe while we were with a group and shared the pot with a friend.
We both looked up at each at the same time and were both feeling the same super pleasant feeling.

It was a pretty good time in our lives so I'm thinking it may have just tipped the general good feelings we were having over into euphoria or something. I didn't get it again though.

How long should puer be gongfu'd for? 15 seconds a good starting point for golden needle?

>>8859088

I know this feel.

>boil water
>wait for everything to settle
>its now 90, not 95c
>repeat

>>8867858
I first infusion or two I start pouring immediately.

>>8860015

Bruh

Proper Gong Fu is at least twice as autistic

You chose the wrong route..

>>8863195

I would rather describe it as a mild high, like smoking leads and stems. It's mostly placebo, but not exclusively. I could not describe it to you on a chemical level because I'm not a native speaker, sorry.

>>8867884
I went for 15 seconds with 7g and 125ml boiling, it's only just strong enough. Does it depend on the puer itself?

Who's
>smoked tea
here?

Lapsang Suchong is comfy as fuck during winter.

What kind of water should I use for brewing tea?

>>8868005
soft water is generally good but you can find plenty of more detailed info if you google it

FUCK.

My kyusu is cracked. I even picked it up when I was in Japan.

File: pepe2.jpg (20KB, 306x306px) Image search: [Google]

20KB, 306x306px

>>8867101

File: expansion pak.jpg (28KB, 378x434px) Image search: [Google]

28KB, 378x434px

>>8867927
You can DO that??

>>8867896
There us definitely room for upping the leaf water ratio of you want it stronger. I often use 7g for 90ml or more of I get a big chunk that I dont feel like breaking up

>>8864727
It depends on what kind of tea you're brewing. Black and herbal tea (or tisane, same thing, fuck off tisane guy) should be brewed at boiling, but anything else should be a bit lower than that.

It's really not that hard. Got a thermometer? Most tea comes with directions. 170-175 for 1-2 minutes or something like that. Follow it, your tea will improve immensely.

File: Teeli Medium.jpg (62KB, 1037x931px) Image search: [Google]

62KB, 1037x931px

Anyone has any experience on these mug filter things?

>>8868490
it's what 13 year olds do to feel cool

>>8868490
It's a worthless high though.

>>8866281
more like heavy metals in your tea bro

>>8868921

I have one of those and it works great.

>>8868490
hell yeah
http://www.ebay.com/itm/yunnan-puerh-tea-cigarettes-Hot-Sale-top-grade-no-tobacco-no-nicotine-puer-tea-/152361837285

>>8868921
I have the one you posted and have no complaints.

File: v00939.jpg (5KB, 325x325px) Image search: [Google]

5KB, 325x325px

>>8868921
Is there any alternative that even comes close to it?

>Fits in cup
>Ears keep it from getting submerged entirely
>Space for tea to expand
>Bottom plate to keep counter free from spillage
>Cheap
>Easy to clean

I absolutely hate things like pic related.
>Can't get corners sealed properly
>Leaves float around in your mug afterwards
>Can't put it down on the counter, must put it in a sink or separate plate

File: Tea-Maker-Cup.jpg (77KB, 1000x1000px) Image search: [Google]

77KB, 1000x1000px

>>8869100
>the perfect tea brewer doesn't exi–

File: accessoire-lightbox-gaiwan.jpg (255KB, 578x506px) Image search: [Google]

255KB, 578x506px

>>8869100
>>8869202
bitches

>>8869202
What am I looking at here?

A tea brewer which empties into your drinking mug below? By the thickness of the flow it would be very little steeped before being empty.

>>8869229
It only releases the tea when place atop the mug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFokIpdmlAU

>>8869219
because I only want 4oz of tea at a time
kys fucking weeb

>Once had the perfect porcelain tea cup
>Wide and big
>Big handle for my gross fingers
>Hand made by someone I know
>Beautifully colored in white and latte colors with highlights
>Then my roommate breaks of the handle by letting a plate fall on it in the dish drying shelf
>Tried to glue it but the heat from tea and dishing makes it impossible for the glue to stay over time
>Found a suitable replacement but one tier below
>My mother drops it and it breaks apart
>Tried finding a new mug for years both online and in stores
>Nothing even comes close to what I once had
>Settled on double chambered glass mugs I can replace at any time

It's just not the same.

>>8869232
Looks neat but a mug filter does the same job with less to dish.

>>8869251
>>Tried to glue it but the heat from tea and dishing makes it impossible for the glue to stay over time

Glued properly and allowed to cure it'd be good as new, you could run it through a dishwasher just fine.

Given you and your family's ineptitude I suggest you stick to steel camping mugs.

>>8868131
do that weeb repair method where you show off the crack

>>8869251
Why not commission another from your friend?

>>8869380
She moved away and stopped clay crafting entirely.

>>8869358
NO, STOP.
The only reason to come here instead of reddit is to not have that faggot suggesting kintsugi every time someone mentions breaking some sort of teaware, IT IS NOT WORTH IT UNLESS IT'S AN ACTUALLY VALUABLE ITEM, plus it usually looks like shit

File: thermos.jpg (18KB, 520x520px) Image search: [Google]

18KB, 520x520px

I drink my tea out of this so I can make a bunch and keep it hot for a while, explain to me why this is wrong.

>>8869444
Unless you keep the leaves inside the thermos the entire time and drink as is I don't think anyone will argue.

>>8869471
Nah, but I need to get a better tea ball or tea pot with a filter because a tiny portion of the leaves seep out.

Any of you try ephedra/Mormon tea ?

File: 1434033247607.png (119KB, 360x340px) Image search: [Google]

119KB, 360x340px

Anyone else getting serious dry lips from drinking hot gongfu tea throughout the day?

>>8869693
drink water my man

>>8869699
but I do. and tea is water, right?

File: benis.jpg (133KB, 1143x967px) Image search: [Google]

133KB, 1143x967px

>>8868921
yeah but get the metal ones, they can be found in a lot of places. they're great. I got mine with a sweet double walled glass mug but I fucking broke it, however it fits perfectly in my borosilicate mug. the lid helps too, keeps shit warm or can be used as a tray for the filter.

>>8869701
yea but there's other shit in there too, just like how salt water will dehydrate you because of the high concentration of salt. well actually i don't know if it's the same
some teas that are tannin-heavy dry my mouth out like crazy. you can steep it shorter or dilute it more to reduce that kind of dryness
if the dryness is caused by drinking it while it's too hot then just blow some air on it to cool it down i guess

>>8869693
I don't get dry lips but my mouth usually starts getting kinda dry after the second or third cup.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Kung-Fu-Tea-set-Include-1-Pot-1-Cup-High-quality-elegant-gaiwan-Beautiful-and-easy/32400464967.html

Is it a good idea to get this for gongfu? Seems pretty cheap and neat.

>>8869843
I personally prefer a normal gaiwan but that will be fine

>>8869843
yummy lead glaze from China

>>8869874
>drinking the sweat of a chinese plant

>>8869874
What, is this actually a thing?

>>8869900
it is when you're buying direct from China with no regulation oversight

>>8869915
I don't get it, is lead glazing something I should worry about and is all the other teaware not glazed with lead?

>>8869394
>i dont have a sense of aesthetics

>>8869949
its a meme made by flyover afraid of everything

>>8869949
don't worry goy, the kind Chinese gentleman on alibaba who will ship you this fine piece of cut-rate ceramicware as a "gift" thus skirting any food safety regulations and which you will drink out of daily uses only the finest materials and never do anything to hurt you!

>>8869972
Is it? I don't want to die of lead poisoning.

>>8869978
What if a buy a regular porcelain gaiwan from an online tea shop that's not aliexpress then? Would that be safe?

>>8870011
no
if you're afraid of lead glaze then just buy unglazed
simple

>>8870033
Even regular clay can have lead contamination.

Better stick with cast iron only plebbus maximus

Is there a tea other than black tea that doesn't taste like warm water?

>>8870062
adjust your brew parameters nigga
learn gongfu

>>8870062
gong fu

File: 180g-2015-fresh-market-China-Anhui-Roasted-Barley-tea-Featured-Damai-Cha-South-Korean-popular-health.jpg (116KB, 600x600px) Image search: [Google]

116KB, 600x600px

>>8870062
besides stuff from the actual tea thread? assuming your tastebuds are broken and you've tried all variations of regular tea plants, red ""tea"" and various other herbal ""teas"" taste pretty good, I personally like korean roasted barley ""tea""

>>8870062
pu'erh
roasted/smoked oolongs
dragonwell
shou mei
hojicha

Is it normal for a dong ding to start tasting very weak after the 4th infusion at 7g/125ml? I start out with 25 seconds, adding 5 seconds each steep.

>>8870073
>hojicha
is this any good
what's it taste like

>>8870064
what do you mean, brewing it longer?
>>8870065
seems like an awful amount of work for a cup of tea.
>>8870069
I've only ever tried shitty teabag tea. I started drinking tea to wean off from coffee, but I haven't found anything that has the same amount of flavour.

>>8870073
I'll look for those

>>8870091
it's pretty fucking simple

>buy quality tea
>read instructions on how to brew a certain type of tea
>brew the tea

there, was that so hard?

>>8870091
just like coffee, you need to get your parameters and fine autism right to get a good cup. work on your tea to water ratio, temperature, and brew time.

>>8870073
for some reason dragon well always taste like sencha to me
>>8870091
>teabag
why is always like this

File: Dormammu.jpg (36KB, 240x320px) Image search: [Google]

36KB, 240x320px

If tea tastes absolutely horrid to me, how can I enjoy it without adding enough sugar and other things to the point where I might as well not be drinking tea?

>>8870164
>If tea tastes absolutely horrid to me
you are doing something wrong, let me guess boiling water and teabags

>>8870170
>>8870164
Also possible you just don't like the taste of the teas you've tried. Not everyone will like every food and drink.

>>8870170

Those and loose leaf, various keurig thingys. >>8870177
Hmm not even an acquired taste?

>>8870062
The only tea that tastes like warm water is white tea, what are you doing wrong?

How much oolong should I put in a gaiwan? Is one teaspoon fine?

>>8870253
Get a scale nigga

>>8870253
eyeball it
tea farmers don't autistically weigh out every single gram of tea nor measure out x amount of water

>>8870353
They've been doing it for a ton of time though, if you are starting balled oolongs can be a bit deceiving and a cheap scale from ali is <5$

>>8859105
I'm actually curious which seller you got it from. The Asian grocery here is overpriced and understocked, and I never know when they're really opened, and the only place that actually sold pu erh tea in cakes closed.

>>8870353
>everything I don't like is autism

Cool.

>>8870651
from here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1269947
10/10 never received anything bad from them and ship fast.

File: Selection_007.png (67KB, 1226x488px) Image search: [Google]

67KB, 1226x488px

>>8870776
what the fresh hell is this

>>8870776
>wherein the eastern jew discovers my rhodesian firefighting online exchange
wheres my cut

>>8870893
exactly what does it says, to cover shipping to some distant shithole i suppose
>>8870937
what

I didn't see anything in the pastebin about matcha. I just bought 1 oz of Gekirei brand matcha from Amazon because it had a deal running and the review were good. I know brewing it isn't complicated but I was wondering if anybody here had input on types of matcha or whether they prefer regular green tea, etc.

File: Barry's tea.jpg (356KB, 1600x1600px) Image search: [Google]

356KB, 1600x1600px

>not drinking Barry's golden blend with a couple chocolate digestives

Fucking plebs

>>8871203
Matcha is about on the same leve as an espresso. Not something you have that often.

Also, you can really taste the difference in shitty matcha and ceremony grade matcha.

Don't even get me started on matcha meant for cooking, don't even bother trying to drink it.

>>8871203
Check oolongowl's blog, has a ton on matcha

>>8871516
what if there's pesticides in the matcha

>>8871566
Less bug proteins

who /ceramics/ here

working on some chawans and yunomi, and I'm gonna try to get to a teapot soon.

>>8870164
tea has many varieties that can taste very different, it's statistically unlikely you'll hate all of them
>>8870091
>>8870062
stop drinking shit tea. most teabag green teas are even worse than teabag black teas.
if you want a strong flavour try a good lapsang and pu-erh

File: download (2).jpg (9KB, 275x183px) Image search: [Google]

9KB, 275x183px

anyone else down with matcha? i recently have mostly switched honestly because drinking green tea makes me have to pee so often its not even worth it, the amount i have to go is actually bothersome enough i stopped even though i loved it but i got some matcha for my ex gf to take in the morning to 'lose weight (she read to take green tea pills, i just got her some matcha instead because i could cap it out myself and know exactly whats in it, plus the extra health benefits of consuming the leaf whole), but i started to get a taste for it (i like bitter and earthy) and now i drink it almost every day.

the coolest thing about matcha is the way the caffeine effects me. with coffee or espresso i get sweaty and twitchy from the caffeine, even tea if i drink enough this happens and as i said i have to pee so often its not even worth doing (only green tea really) but with this stuff it takes like 30 mins to kick in and the caffeine high (it is a drug, thats what it is) is super mellow and lasts for much longer, plus doing it perfectly every time is easy (i use a scale) so i can decide exactly how much i would like.

anyone have any brands they love? the shit is so expensive its hard to just try around when most brands costs 30$ for 1 oz (~15 doses the way i make it) although my most recent purchase was for 6 oz for like $40 but this seems to good to be true and i know that freshness is important. anyone into the stuff and want to teach about what brands to buy and which to stay away from?

>>8868490
He meant drinking tea that has been smoked you fucking rednecks.

>>8872177
>lose weight (she read to take green tea pills
kek
tell her to eat better and exercise more

also get your thyroid checked regarding the caffeine sensitivity

What's everyone's favourite YS puers?

>>8871526
Thanks, I have plenty of reading to do now.
>>8871516
Thanks for the tips!

>>8872800
2005 Nan Jian "Silver Pekoe" Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuo; my first (second) pu-erh
$15/100g
>This is Nan Jian's "Silver Pekoe" (银毫) tippy grade raw tuo cha blend. It's tippy, which with age has given it a sweet, and fruity character. On the other side, it's got a strong meaty sheng bitter and astringent punch that with 12 years of age feels just right.
Didn't really taste all that bitter nor dry and I used high leaf/water ratio and was honestly probably oversteeping it early on. Smelled kinda earthy before steeping. After steeping smelled smoky at first, like a Lapsang Souchong (which I thought it actually was and they were trying to rip me off or some shit idk). Transitioned into some kind of mellow woody flavor, with a faint fruity aroma, and turned bright and slightly sweet at the end. It made me take two massive shits during and after trying it. Got kinda tea drunk after the first cup even though that's probably placebo. I'm not sure if it's worth it for the flavor alone but being able to evoke massive dumps on command is pretty cool

My actual first experience with pu-erh was some random young ripe of unknown origin from Upton Tea Imports. It smelled something like cat piss and I found some non-tea debris in the tin so I just threw it out desu.

>>8869444
go home chris

Any electric temperature variable kettle recommendations? I've been using a stove top kettle and thermometer for a while now. A temperature variable one sounds really convenient and I need to stay autistic about brewing tea.

>>8858924
I have never bought tea from teavana. What is the issue? Is it that they are now owned by starbucks?

>>8873725
I use a kitchenaid one.

http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/-[KEK1522OB]-401871/KEK1522OB/

>>8873734
I got one of these, i actually bought it because it had KEK in the model number.
It's a pretty good kettle, fast, looks good, makes a nice 'ping' sound, but the variable temp slider is a bit hit and miss. I find the temp gauge on the side is reliable though.

What do people make of what-cha's shu xian cakes, I've had two grades of it and the aftertaste is amazingly creamy but before that it barely has any taste at all. I've brewed it western 2-4 minutes, 7g, 90°

>>8873727
I dunno. Shop wherever you like desu

>>8874243
is that a book or a box

>>8874243
Please resize your pictures next time. Even when phoneposting it's easy.

Anyone here had any experience with Yerba Mate? I recently found a place that sells it and it's fucking delicious. Apparently more caffeine than regular tea but less than coffee, but it's sort of slow release so it doesn't hit you all at once.

>The leaves of the rainforest mate tree naturally contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxidants. In fact, The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society in 1964 concluded "it is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to mate in nutritional value" and that yerba mate contains "practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life."

Did I get meme'd? I mean it's as cheap as regular loose leaf here and I really dig the taste so I don't care, but I'm just curious if any of you guys have tried it.

>tfw i have hand tremors
>want fancy handle-less cups but its either be scalded at the touch when moving it around before it's cooled down enough or use a saucer like a normal person but risk a 20% chance of dropping it each time

why live?

>>8875312
bendy straw
lean forward to use it

>>8873727
Get this one.
>>8860015

>>8875306
I've had it almost every single day for the last three years. Very nice stimulation when you have it the traditional way (use much more leaves than for tea and drink through a bombilla).

>>8873850
should i buy from what-cha if i'm in the US

>>8875312
look for something double walled, you can hold them hot without worry

>>8867760
You should drink some of my kopi luwak.

How should I sip my tea?

>>8875696
remember to stick out your pinky

>>8875696
Not with your mouth obviously

>>8875696
at near boiling with a straw

>>8875391
>bombilla
I've never heard of this. Will take a look into it, thanks anon! What is the stimulation like?

File: 1280px-Straw_mate.jpg (296KB, 1280x960px) Image search: [Google]

296KB, 1280x960px

>>8876248
pretty nice if you can find the prostate

puer tea high is real boys

>>8868895
He wrote he let it cool a bit after it had boiled.

I make it the same way. It's fine. If I'm in a rush I sometimes add cold water to bring it to the right temperature. It works fine.

File: tea filters.jpg (131KB, 1000x1000px) Image search: [Google]

131KB, 1000x1000px

>>8868921
I have it and it's great. It can sometimes be slightly cumbersome though, in which case I just use this option (pic related).

Is 5g of Pu'erh tea too much for a small gaiwan?
It comes in these really hard pellets so it would be very difficult to use only a part of it.

>>8878014
>small gaiwan
how small are we talking?
but yeah, even if it's super small like 50-60ml it should be ok, just compensate with the brew time

>>8878029
When I use 3g of TGY, about 70ml comes out of the gaiwan, so it's probably quite a lot more than 70 ml.
How short should the brew time be? Something like 30s for the first one and 15s after that one?

File: tapir-baby.jpg (22KB, 375x280px) Image search: [Google]

22KB, 375x280px

my latest Mei Leaf YouTube Poop, if anyone is interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e_YAH8NWtI

>>8878073
It really depends how compressed it is, given it is a mini tuo I assume it is high compression, give it like 1 or 2 rinses of like 30s to loosen it, then shorten the steeps to like 10s when it's a bit more separated, then go by feel like you should have been since the beginning

>>8878338
Thanks, I'll do that.

>>8875312
Double walled stainless is the master race choice.

coffee ? tea

Why is there so much non-tea crap in packages/cakes of pu-erh? In other forms of tea I find hardly anything other than the tea itself.

>>8878014
>puer
>pellets
wait what

>>8878854
>>8878014
He probably means a compressed brick. You can just break it apart with a knife.

>>8875306
>yerba mate
>look it up
>some kind of starter pack for 40€ with a nutbowl(?) and some kind of 3 stage filtration metal thing

Can't I just filter it like any other tea?

So I got some silver needle from a local tea place and gave it a try. Is there something I'm missing? I had always heard it tastes sweet, now obviously I don't expect it to taste like raw sugar, but to me it tastes kinda grassy, tasting sorta like how fresh cut wheat smells, if that makes sense. Is this how it's supposed to taste?

Complete tea noob here who wants to try whole leaf tea or whatever, always knew teabag were a meme.

Do I need a teapot or can I just get some kinda filter for my tea like
>>8868921?

Also what's a good online source in uk? And good starter teas?

Much appreciated!

>>8879696
Wheaty taste is right, seems to be the taste for last seasons silver needle.

Also, it needs to steep for like ten minutes.

My tea doesn't taste like anything. I use a tablespoon of tea, 300ml of water and steeped for about 3 and a half minutes.

Does my tea just suck? What's going on?

>>8879835
I let it steep for like three or four minutes. Wouldn't it become bitter after 10 minutes?

>>8879848
Possible errors include:
Too little steeping
Too much steeping
Incorrect water temperature
Mishandling of tea leaves
Stale tea
Herbal tea
White tea

tl;dr more information is required

A few years ago in China I had this really nice tea that was dark and sweet and they served it in these little cups. I know that's not much to go on but any idea what kinda tea that night have been?

>>8879853
Nah, as long as you keep the temperature at around 75degrees, it'll be fine.

>>8878014
5g is a good standard amount of pu. If you're dealing with ripe/shu (if you aren't sure, you probably are), you can even go harder without issue. Start smaller with raw puer, it can get overwhelmingly bitter if you overdo it.

>>8879571
>Can't I just filter it like any other tea?
Yep. You can do it the traditional way, but it is just fine to use it with a teapot or filter bag or what have you.

>>8879696
Silver needle tastes like nothing, with hints of something. If it's not doing much for you, try playing around with brewing parameters- usually white teas handle high heat much better than greens. Might make for a good iced tea, too. It's of course possible you got a poorly aged or inferior tea, or that silver needle just doesn't pack the oomph you're after.

>>8879785
It really depends what sort of experience you're after. You can get a gaiwan for cheap, and that's basically all you need for gongfu brewing; that's definitely the way to go if you want to get the most out of loose Chinese teas. But if you would prefer big mugs of English-style black tea with milk and sugar, or if you're really drawn to Japanese greens or something, just spring for a teapot with a filter, something along the lines of this:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiware-Stainless-Infuser-Borosilicate-Stovetop/dp/B00ZOLU1VI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493641935&sr=8-3&keywords=glass+tea+pot+with+filter
As for UK-based tea sources, I highly recommend What-Cha, especially for beginners. Mei Leaf is another well-regarded British source; I haven't ordered from them and can't speak from experience, but they seem like a good local option (they also have oodles of nice YouTube vids, esp. for newbies). As for starter teas, I would suggest a silver needle, a Wuyi oolong like Da Hong Pao, and perhaps a ripe puer if you're feeling adventurous. You can get decent versions of all those without spending much, and it's a good overview of some of the great stuff out there that's not represented in the West.

>>8880006
I feel much less lost now, thanks anon!

>>8879950

oolong is my guess, but you're right, that's very little information to go on.

>>8874374
It's tea

>>8875227
How

>>8879856
It's black tea I got at a bulk barn, sold as "orange pekoe."

I let the boiling water cool for about a minute before pouring it into my pot.

>>8880314
Could just be stale tea then. Generic orange pekoe should brew up fairly strong. Try using more leaf or a longer steep.

>>8880314
>>8880562
Oh, and warm the pot first, but you can use water right off of the boil either way.

>>8880577
>warm the pot first
why/how?

>>8880587
Because a cool pot can lower the temperature of the water you pour in it. Pre-warming it means a more consistent temperature for brewing. Just rinse it out with some of the boiled water before you add your tea. You might not really need to depending on what kind of teapot it is.

>>8879571
>Can't I just filter it like any other tea?

I've literally just been throwing my loose leaf yerba into a metal filter and brewing it like a regular tea.

Interested to see what all this other stuff is about though.

>>8880587
If you add hot water to a vessel at room temperature, the water will be cooled by the colder vessel. By heating up the pot beforehand, you get a more constant brewing temperature. At least, this is what I believe.

I've also heard of pouring hot water over the pot beforehand, but I think the reasoning behind it wasn't mainly to affect the brewing temperature, but to keep the tea hot over time.

>>8875391
>the traditional way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZEsz0Id30M

Like this? I've never seen a method like this before, now I gotta know how it tastes.

>>8880006
Yes it's a ripe puer tea, that comes in these 5g pressed bricks, I think it's fairly low quality.
So should I break it down with a knife or should I just add water and let it slowly fall apart as it soaks up the hot water?

>>8881099
found a vid of a guy brewing one, even though it's shend the process is the same
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilaXoZk9iUQ

>>8881099
5g should be good for 100-140 ml pot/gaiwan.
Rinse it 15 secs and discard the liquor. Let it sit a minute or so with the lid on and it will steam itself loose. Then you're ready to brew.

>>8881237
>>8881345
So I rinced it 30 seconds twice and it went quite well.
I should have probably waited a bit longer between rincing it though.

>>8882177
Also, I have this other pu erh tea and it smells slightly of kerosene. You know, the stuff you put in an oil lantern.
Anyone notice a similar smell in their pu erh tea?

File: JPEG_20170501_093719.jpg (1MB, 2988x3984px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 2988x3984px

>>8868921
Yeah they are great. I personally upgraded to one of these though ( mine was from David's tea) you can steep it and you just put it on top of a mug and it drains.

Only thing that sucks is cleaning is kind of sucky and mine is getting old, but it's honestly a great investment. Also teapots with a strainer are pretty prime

>>8882575
Sometimes on the wet leaf, mostly get that from high roast oolongs but ive found it in pu

>>8882575
Menthol/camphor

ok /tea/ i shipped a kamjove kettle from china. all i need now is an autistic gong fu set. any recs? i dont want mr. chen from aliexpress to cuck me with his poisonous teaware

>>8876248
lasts longer than coffee and is additionally quite relaxing
>>8879571
of course you can, but a bombilla is pretty handy
no special cup is needed though the palo santo and calebasa ones impact the flavor a bit
>>8880720
it generally has a pretty strong taste, depends a lot on the variety though

yerba mate is yummy.
however it does not miraculously cause you to lose weight, or cure balding, or cure cancer, or cure diabetes, or grant eternal youth. nor is it a substitute for food, despite what my addict friend seems to believe. its just a yummy naturally caffinated herb.

>>8885915
you're generally pretty safe when it comes to glazed teaware from china unless its old lead paint isnt common anymore, any cheap gaiwan from ali will do, yunnan sourcing sells some cheap ones too, not really worth it considering the shipping but if you are ordering tea anyway it's a nice deal, my usual one is their plain white 100ml one

>>8881237
why is he pouring it onto little statues of animals

>>8886076
They're hungry

Is Darjeeling any good?

>>8875306
Yes, it's great, I even drink it more often than tea. Green Yerba Mate is quite nice too, and I sometimes like to drink it mixed with herbs and other stuff.
Also I would recommend preparing it the traditional way.

File: f604a7937f2792c9893612e997055c7c.png (25KB, 491x498px) Image search: [Google]

25KB, 491x498px

first actualy tea, let's see if it's worth the autism

>>8888940
>paying more for shipping than for the tea
order some more and more varied stuff cause you just ordered two oolongs of seemingly very similar taste

>>8888940
You should probably start with flavoured tea, regular green, oolong and white are all acquired tastes.

>>8889034
tea's free, I'm paying for shippin senpai
>>8889136
I will later, right now I just want to sea if real loose leave is that much better than teabags.

>>8889136
kys dude

>>8888220
I had some today for the first time but it turned out kinda bitter.

How am I supposed to brew it? I used about 5gr of tea for 100ml, was that too much?

>>8889302
You don't really brew darjeeling gongfu style.
Take 1.2g/100ml and brew it for 3-5 minutes.
It might need sugar and milk though if it's not a very good tea.

>>8889564
Thanks. Can I brew other black teas gongfu style or it is mostly for oolong?

>>8890593
experiment
we don't know your palate
we don't know what you can sense or not
we don't know what you like or not

bumperino

>>8859073
bumping for reccs

>>8890593
you can gongfu any tea, but puerhs and oolongs are the most ideal because they can be resteeped for much longer with a stronger flavor. I personally always gongfu puerhs/oolongs, but on the weekend I might gongfu a nice black or green tea. like someone else said it's up to you.

File: fuck you.png (29KB, 126x180px) Image search: [Google]

29KB, 126x180px

reminder if you drink anything else you're weeaboo trash

How would I go about making iced tea out of lapsang souchong?
Should I brew it normally then stick it in the fridge over night?
Should I cold brew it? If so, how?
I've never made iced tea before.

>>8892071
brew normally to extract more flavor i would think
you could do both methods too if you want a really strong base

>>8892079
Do I have to do anything differently for upping the quantity (since I'll probably make like a jug if it turns out well)?
Like changing the ratio in any way?

Any tea autists know what kind the he'll is actually in a thai tea?

I know it says there is only tea and food coloring on the ingredients, but I swear that taste isn't natural. Is the food coloring flavored? I hear traditionally it's oolong tea, but I've never managed to get oolong tea to taste like thai tea mix.

>>8892085
I've never actually made loose leaf iced tea so I don't know, but I would guess you'd need a larger amount of loose leaf (especially if you're cold brewing only) because of the limited extraction, because the low temperature would subdue the aroma, and because you might be adding other ingredients that could overpower the tea. And if it ends up too bitter you could just add some more sugar to fix it. If you add too little tea it might just end up tasting like colorful ice water

>>8892129
Alright, thanks.

>>8892107
>Thai Tea is is made from strongly-brewed black tea, often spiced with ingredients such as star anise, crushed tamarind, cardamom, and occasionally others as well (often making this beverage a favorite among masala chai tea fans). This brew is then sweetened with sugar and condensed milk, and served over iced.

>>8892023
>proud of being a flyover

>>8858924
Here's a more up-to-date pastebin for the next thread.
https://pastebin.com/4ZEuMwBJ

>>8893828
Like the changes, the store list needs a bit updating/revising(dragonteahouse for example sells a ton of cheap fakes so its nice to keep an eye out), when I first made it I was a still new to the whole thing.
The pu storage chapter is a bit rough but there are a lot of different methods different people swear by so I understand it's hard making it super accurate while being short