I just received a celadon gaiwan from The Imperial Tea Court in San
Francisco and I'm pretty excited about it. So far I've brewed some Pi
Lo Chun and Tung Ting Jade Oolong in it. Both times I put enough tea
leaves in to uniformly cover the bottom in a relatively thin layer.
Probably about two teaspoons worth. The first infusion was a minute
long with both teas. I noticed that the first infusion tasted slightly
bitter, which is not something I'm used to with the other way I brew
tea (infuser basket in a mug for whatever time the instructions say).
The next couple infusions after the first however, are not bitter, but
not quite as flavorful as my normal brewing method. Should I adjust
the amount of tea leaves, the infusion time, or is this normal? I'm
completely new to gaiwans so any general advice would be helpful as
well.