No mold spots, just that fishy flavor which goes away if I leave it
out overnight. You can taste some next time we get together!

I actually find that leaving sheng morsels exposed to air sometimes
improves their flavor.

On May 24, 11:28 am, Phyll > wrote:
> On May 18, 10:04 pm, Danica > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I have some bricks of aged 1990 sheng puerh from Taiwan that I flaked
> > about six months ago and put in yixing ceramic containers to store.
> > One of the teas (a Menghai region large-leaf puerh) has taken on a
> > fishy smell, which goes away if I leave the tea out overnight before I
> > drink it.
>
> > My suspicion is that this is because of overactive microorganisms in
> > an environment without enough oxygen. However these are non-glazed
> > ceramic containers, which I thought would be appropriate for sheng
> > puerh tea because they breathe. I know that cooked puerh is best
> > stored in paper bags; now I'm wondering if that would be more
> > appropriate for flaked sheng as well--at least an amount for immediate
> > consumption.
>
> > I'm curious, what are your experiences with storing flaked sheng
> > puerh? Do you just keep it in a brick and flake off whatever you
> > need? If you flake it, what kind of containers do you use?
>
> > Looking forward to your responses.
>
> > Danica
>
> Hi Danica, does your 1990's sheng have any white dusting that could
> indicate mold or fungi from a previous humid storage condition? As
> far as I know, certain mold, fungi and bacteria release a fishy
> smell. I'm merely guessing, but it is possible that an enclosed
> environment accentuates this aroma more *if* they are present. And
> that letting the tea "breathe" before consumption -- which is
> practiced by some teaists -- reduces this aroma. My worthless 2 cents.