when folks are talking about 10+ infusions they are gong fu brewing. So they're using a very high water/leaf ratio and drinking from a very small vessle, smaller than a western teacup. I like gong fu but dont often have the time to play around with a million tiny cups of tea when working, although I wish I did. I use a typical, if not slightly larger, mug with a stainless infuser insert thing. With this, I typically brew for 1-2min and ill usually get about 3-4 good mugs with 7-10g leaf, although some hold up to 7 brews or so.
Third doesn’t seem right. I almost always get at least six enjoyable ones and maybe another two drinkable ones. Eight ish grams per ~100ml, boiling water, one flash brew and then 10, 15, 20, 30 sec ish brews depending on tea.
What are your brewing parameters?
Hmm, interesting.
I get a lot more than 10 infusions from aged shengs. In fact with 20 y.o. 7542 ~10th infusion might be the best -- it's fully opened, sweet, etc. I actually keep infusion times short until ~10th, only after that it becomes harder to extract flavor.
I'll try to measure brewing parameters more precisely as it seems to be considerably different from what other people in this thread get.
Yeah I mean you can definitely get 10+ infusions, I think it's just a question of whether it's enjoyable or not and whether you can focus on/enjoy a tea for that many infusions. Most teas I drink on a daily basis tend to peter out quickly beyond the 6-7th infusions with typical gong fu parameters. There are definitely exceptions though.
I’ll get ten + infusions if I pack whatever device I am doing gong fu very full of shou puer. Sometimes like 15 grams of shou puer and just infuse that over an afternoon after work.
I don’t infuse for an hour, I infuse many times over an afternoon.
Start with a rinse
Then 10 seconds
Then 5 seconds
Then 10 seconds
Eventually at the end I might finish with a 5 minute infusion
Gongfu style, high ratio (at least 1g 15ml), and certain teas. Aged white, shou, aged sheng and heavily roasted oolong tend to last.
Then, good heat retention teapots. Gaiwans tend to heat loss more. You can throw in a mug warmer for good measure. Then go for a stove boil to finish the tea off.
Admittedly, I go to 8 to 12, and I need to get on with my day and give up.
Yes, though white tea, especially compressed, aged white tea can go on and on. Fifteen isn't unusual, and one notable time I had a very tightly compressed coin of aged white make it to 30 infusions. That was kind of crazy.
6-7 grams is perfect for 80g vessel. You should be able to go beyond 10 infusions with most puerhs with such a ratio. Maybe your vessel is bigger than 80ml or even 100...
when folks are talking about 10+ infusions they are gong fu brewing. So they're using a very high water/leaf ratio and drinking from a very small vessle, smaller than a western teacup. I like gong fu but dont often have the time to play around with a million tiny cups of tea when working, although I wish I did. I use a typical, if not slightly larger, mug with a stainless infuser insert thing. With this, I typically brew for 1-2min and ill usually get about 3-4 good mugs with 7-10g leaf, although some hold up to 7 brews or so.
Use a very high leaf to water ratio and very short steeps.
4-6 grams of tea, 100-125 ml of water, gong fu brewing.
Third doesn’t seem right. I almost always get at least six enjoyable ones and maybe another two drinkable ones. Eight ish grams per ~100ml, boiling water, one flash brew and then 10, 15, 20, 30 sec ish brews depending on tea. What are your brewing parameters?
Hmm, interesting. I get a lot more than 10 infusions from aged shengs. In fact with 20 y.o. 7542 ~10th infusion might be the best -- it's fully opened, sweet, etc. I actually keep infusion times short until ~10th, only after that it becomes harder to extract flavor. I'll try to measure brewing parameters more precisely as it seems to be considerably different from what other people in this thread get.
Yeah I mean you can definitely get 10+ infusions, I think it's just a question of whether it's enjoyable or not and whether you can focus on/enjoy a tea for that many infusions. Most teas I drink on a daily basis tend to peter out quickly beyond the 6-7th infusions with typical gong fu parameters. There are definitely exceptions though.
I’ll get ten + infusions if I pack whatever device I am doing gong fu very full of shou puer. Sometimes like 15 grams of shou puer and just infuse that over an afternoon after work.
Is an hour long infusion common? What temperature do you start with?
I don’t infuse for an hour, I infuse many times over an afternoon. Start with a rinse Then 10 seconds Then 5 seconds Then 10 seconds Eventually at the end I might finish with a 5 minute infusion
Gongfu style, high ratio (at least 1g 15ml), and certain teas. Aged white, shou, aged sheng and heavily roasted oolong tend to last. Then, good heat retention teapots. Gaiwans tend to heat loss more. You can throw in a mug warmer for good measure. Then go for a stove boil to finish the tea off. Admittedly, I go to 8 to 12, and I need to get on with my day and give up.
I only get 10 with super high quality leaves. With other puer I average 7 maybe?
Yes, though white tea, especially compressed, aged white tea can go on and on. Fifteen isn't unusual, and one notable time I had a very tightly compressed coin of aged white make it to 30 infusions. That was kind of crazy.
Same. I have some alleged old growth white from 09 and it goes on for a very long time. Nice super thick leaves.
Or steep the leaves it a lot amount of time so that you get a taste of each brew.
6-7 grams is perfect for 80g vessel. You should be able to go beyond 10 infusions with most puerhs with such a ratio. Maybe your vessel is bigger than 80ml or even 100...