I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:

http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp

I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.

I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.

Square Peg > writes:

> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
>
> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
>
> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
>
> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.

If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
recent addition: Wanfu

On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:

>Square Peg > writes:
>
>> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
>>
>> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
>>
>> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
>> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
>> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
>> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
>>
>> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
>> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
>> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
>> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
>> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
>
>If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
>than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
>shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
>it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
>give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.

Increase the steep time by 10 seconds or so each time?

Square Peg > writes:

> On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
>
> >Square Peg > writes:
> >
> >> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
> >>
> >> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
> >>
> >> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
> >> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
> >> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
> >> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
> >>
> >> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
> >> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
> >> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
> >> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
> >> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
> >
> >If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
> >than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
> >shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
> >it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
> >give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.
>
> Increase the steep time by 10 seconds or so each time?

That sounds about right to me.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:

>Square Peg > writes:
>
>> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
>>
>> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
>>
>> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
>> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
>> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
>> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
>>
>> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
>> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
>> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
>> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
>> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
>
>If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
>than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
>shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
>it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
>give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.

When you say "much more leaf", what do you mean? Double? Triple? More?

I have been using 1.5g/cup (cup = 6 oz). What would you use for the
gongfu method?

Square Peg > writes:

> On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
>
> >Square Peg > writes:
> >
> >> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
> >>
> >> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
> >>
> >> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
> >> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
> >> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
> >> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
> >>
> >> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
> >> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
> >> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
> >> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
> >> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
> >
> >If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
> >than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
> >shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
> >it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
> >give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.
>
> When you say "much more leaf", what do you mean? Double? Triple? More?
>
> I have been using 1.5g/cup (cup = 6 oz). What would you use for the
> gongfu method?

Triple or quadruple, seriously. But I imagine you would need to
switch to a smaller brewing vessel; you're brewing multiple 6-oz. cups
at a time right now, aren't you? A gaiwan would be ideal for this.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On 01 Jun 2009 15:01:53 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:

>Square Peg > writes:
>
>> On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
>>
>> >Square Peg > writes:
>> >
>> >> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
>> >>
>> >> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
>> >>
>> >> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
>> >> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
>> >> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
>> >> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
>> >>
>> >> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
>> >> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
>> >> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
>> >> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
>> >> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
>> >
>> >If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
>> >than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
>> >shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
>> >it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
>> >give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.
>>
>> When you say "much more leaf", what do you mean? Double? Triple? More?
>>
>> I have been using 1.5g/cup (cup = 6 oz). What would you use for the
>> gongfu method?
>
>Triple or quadruple, seriously.

OK, I'll give it a try.

>But I imagine you would need to
>switch to a smaller brewing vessel; you're brewing multiple 6-oz. cups
>at a time right now, aren't you? A gaiwan would be ideal for this.

It depends. I have a small thermos (500 ml / 2.8 cups) and a large
thermos (1200 ml / 6.8 cups). I brew in an ingenuitea (~850 ml).

When I am experimenting, I use the small thermos. I have a mark on the
side of the ingenuitea that just fills the small thermos. I can make
several pots of 2-3 cups in a day.

Once I find a set of parameters I like, I make the large thermos and
drink from it for several hours. I fill the ingenuitea to the top,
then fill the thermos with hot water to get the right concentration.

For this experiment, I'd use the small thermos and just leave the
leaves in the ingenuitea in between pots.

Square Peg > writes:

> On 01 Jun 2009 15:01:53 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
>
> >Square Peg > writes:
> >
> >> On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
> >>
> >> >Square Peg > writes:
> >> >
> >> >> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
> >> >>
> >> >> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
> >> >>
> >> >> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
> >> >> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
> >> >> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
> >> >> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
> >> >>
> >> >> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
> >> >> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
> >> >> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
> >> >> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
> >> >> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
> >> >
> >> >If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
> >> >than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
> >> >shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
> >> >it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
> >> >give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.
> >>
> >> When you say "much more leaf", what do you mean? Double? Triple? More?
> >>
> >> I have been using 1.5g/cup (cup = 6 oz). What would you use for the
> >> gongfu method?
> >
> >Triple or quadruple, seriously.
>
> OK, I'll give it a try.
>
> >But I imagine you would need to
> >switch to a smaller brewing vessel; you're brewing multiple 6-oz. cups
> >at a time right now, aren't you? A gaiwan would be ideal for this.
>
> It depends. I have a small thermos (500 ml / 2.8 cups) and a large
> thermos (1200 ml / 6.8 cups). I brew in an ingenuitea (~850 ml).
>
> When I am experimenting, I use the small thermos. I have a mark on the
> side of the ingenuitea that just fills the small thermos. I can make
> several pots of 2-3 cups in a day.

Well, if you can drink 2-3 cups times 5 or 6 steeps...

> Once I find a set of parameters I like, I make the large thermos and
> drink from it for several hours. I fill the ingenuitea to the top,
> then fill the thermos with hot water to get the right concentration.

Don't you find that a tea like Darjeeling, with a tendency toward
astringency, can get nasty when kept in a thermos for hours?

> For this experiment, I'd use the small thermos and just leave the
> leaves in the ingenuitea in between pots.

Be sure you leave the lid off between steeps so the leaves don't
continue steaming and, in a sense, brewing. This is very important!

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On 02 Jun 2009 10:57:16 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:

>Square Peg > writes:
>
>> On 01 Jun 2009 15:01:53 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
>>
>> >Square Peg > writes:
>> >
>> >> On 28 May 2009 17:54:41 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >Square Peg > writes:
>> >> >
>> >> >> I bought 100g of this Darjeeling:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/ite...rom=search.asp
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I tried the recommended brewing parameters (2.25g/cup, 212°, 3:00).
>> >> >> Bitter, astringent, undrinkable. I tried various strengths all the way
>> >> >> down to just over 1g/cup and various steep times down to 1:00. The
>> >> >> best combination was 1.5g/cup, 212°, 2:00, but that was not that good.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I almost put it away for another day when I decided to try it at a
>> >> >> cooler temperature. I just tried a pot at 1.5 g/cup, 180°, 2:00. What
>> >> >> a difference. No bitterness, no aftertaste, and very little
>> >> >> astringency. This is still not a tea that will be one of my favorites,
>> >> >> but it's certainly drinkable. I'll do a bit more experimenting.
>> >> >
>> >> >If you want to experiment some more, you might want to try it hotter
>> >> >than 180F, maybe around 195 or 200, with much more leaf and *much*
>> >> >shorter steeps, starting at 10 or 15 seconds. In other words, treat
>> >> >it like an oolong using gongfu techniques. A good Darjeeling might
>> >> >give you 5 or 6 enjoyable steeps that way, each one different.
>> >>
>> >> When you say "much more leaf", what do you mean? Double? Triple? More?
>> >>
>> >> I have been using 1.5g/cup (cup = 6 oz). What would you use for the
>> >> gongfu method?
>> >
>> >Triple or quadruple, seriously.
>>
>> OK, I'll give it a try.
>>
>> >But I imagine you would need to
>> >switch to a smaller brewing vessel; you're brewing multiple 6-oz. cups
>> >at a time right now, aren't you? A gaiwan would be ideal for this.
>>
>> It depends. I have a small thermos (500 ml / 2.8 cups) and a large
>> thermos (1200 ml / 6.8 cups). I brew in an ingenuitea (~850 ml).
>>
>> When I am experimenting, I use the small thermos. I have a mark on the
>> side of the ingenuitea that just fills the small thermos. I can make
>> several pots of 2-3 cups in a day.
>
>Well, if you can drink 2-3 cups times 5 or 6 steeps...

I got through 4 steeps today. I had a day of desk work, so I brewed a
new pot about every 2-3 hours. Still, that was a lot of liquid. ;-)

>> Once I find a set of parameters I like, I make the large thermos and
>> drink from it for several hours. I fill the ingenuitea to the top,
>> then fill the thermos with hot water to get the right concentration.
>
>Don't you find that a tea like Darjeeling, with a tendency toward
>astringency, can get nasty when kept in a thermos for hours?

I hadn't. It hasn't sat in a thermos for more than a couple of hours
so far because I was still experimenting, so only brewed 2-3 cups,
which I usually finished fairly quickly. This is my first Darjeeling.
I had read that many found it an acquired taste, so I put off trying
it.

>> For this experiment, I'd use the small thermos and just leave the
>> leaves in the ingenuitea in between pots.
>
>Be sure you leave the lid off between steeps so the leaves don't
>continue steaming and, in a sense, brewing. This is very important!

Maybe this was part of the problem. Maybe not. The later pots were, if
anything, mostly milder.

I weighed 16.9 grams of the Darjeeling mentioned above into my
ingenuitea and added 500 ml of water at 200°. That works out to about
5 g/cup.

The first steep was for about 10 seconds. It was probably closer to
15-20 as it took about 5 seconds for the ingenuitea to drain into the
thermos. I left the wet leaves in the ingenuitea with the lid closed.
(I didn't get your warning until well after I started.)

Steep #1 tasted about like the pot I made at 1.5 g/cup at 180° for
2:00. There was no bitterness and only the slightest hint of
astringency.

Steep #2 was for about 20 seconds. This pot seemed a little bitter,
but not that different from #1.

Steep #3 was for about 30 seconds. I could not tell much difference
from #2.

Steep #4 was for about 40 seconds. This was the best of the 4 pots,
but still not a tea I would prefer. It was slightly milder.

I fear my palate is too unsophisticated to discern the subtleties
here. I have found that I am beginning to notice more nuances, but the
differences are subtle. I find the same thing with wine. I just can't
tell that much difference.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion. It was an interesting experiment.
I'll try it again when I have the time.

Is this something I can do with any tea or does it work best with
certain types?

Why stop at 180F? Except for old-style (more fermented) Darjeelings,
whose belated return to commerce is much appreciated, I find most teas
from this area too astringent - and lacking body to withstand mollifying
milk. Short-steep techniques help, but that's not how I like to drink
Indian teas.

In preparation for sultry summer, I've been extending previous
experiments with room-temperature brewing. One certainly gets a
different flavor profile, but it's often good. An illustrative example
is dan cong oolongs, which are nasty if over-steeped, unbalanced if
conventionally brewed at moderate temperatures, do nicely in gong-fu,
and also work well at room temperature. There seems to be a "valley of
death" in the tepid zone.

I've found much the same for greener Darjeelings, and am now
cool-brewing them regularly. Just load up a big gaiwan with 8-10 g of
leaf, and run it all day with steeps increasing from a minute to an hour
as it depletes. Every steep good, all different. Cool-fu?

A caveat: at least to my taste, any stale notes come through more
strongly under these conditions. I've been lightly re-roasting older
samples under an IR flood lamp just before brewing; this seems to help.

-DM

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:11 GMT, dogma_i > wrote:

>Why stop at 180F? Except for old-style (more fermented) Darjeelings,
>whose belated return to commerce is much appreciated, I find most teas
>from this area too astringent - and lacking body to withstand mollifying
>milk. Short-steep techniques help, but that's not how I like to drink
>Indian teas.
>
>In preparation for sultry summer, I've been extending previous
>experiments with room-temperature brewing. One certainly gets a
>different flavor profile, but it's often good. An illustrative example
>is dan cong oolongs, which are nasty if over-steeped, unbalanced if
>conventionally brewed at moderate temperatures, do nicely in gong-fu,
>and also work well at room temperature. There seems to be a "valley of
>death" in the tepid zone.
>
>I've found much the same for greener Darjeelings, and am now
>cool-brewing them regularly. Just load up a big gaiwan with 8-10 g of
>leaf, and run it all day with steeps increasing from a minute to an hour
>as it depletes. Every steep good, all different. Cool-fu?

What's a "big" gaiwan? 5 oz?

Do you then heat the tea or drink it at room temperature?

How is using a gaiwan different from using my ingenuitea with the same
parameters?

Square Peg > writes:

> [...Darjeeling with lots of leaf, multiple steeps...]
>
> Is this something I can do with any tea or does it work best with
> certain types?

It works better with some types than others, but I think any decent
tea will support multiple short steeps with a higher leaf-to-water
ratio than you'd use for a single long steep.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

dogma_i > writes:

> Why stop at 180F? Except for old-style (more fermented) Darjeelings,
> whose belated return to commerce is much appreciated, I find most teas
> from this area too astringent - and lacking body to withstand
> mollifying milk. Short-steep techniques help, but that's not how I
> like to drink Indian teas.
>
> In preparation for sultry summer, I've been extending previous
> experiments with room-temperature brewing. One certainly gets a
> different flavor profile, but it's often good. An illustrative example
> is dan cong oolongs, which are nasty if over-steeped, unbalanced if
> conventionally brewed at moderate temperatures, do nicely in gong-fu,
> and also work well at room temperature. There seems to be a "valley of
> death" in the tepid zone.
>
> I've found much the same for greener Darjeelings, and am now
> cool-brewing them regularly. Just load up a big gaiwan with 8-10 g of
> leaf, and run it all day with steeps increasing from a minute to an
> hour as it depletes. Every steep good, all different. Cool-fu?

Lengfu!

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Square Peg > writes:

> On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:11 GMT, dogma_i > wrote:
>
> >[...room-temp Darjeeling brewing for summer...]
>
> [...]
>
> Do you then heat the tea or drink it at room temperature?

I don't know what Dogma thinks, but when I brew tea at room temp (only
in the summer), I drink it that way.

> How is using a gaiwan different from using my ingenuitea with the same
> parameters?

Not at all. The faster pour you get from a gaiwan hardly matters when
each steep lasts minutes.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Square Peg wrote:
> What's a "big" gaiwan? 5 oz?

About 6 oz. It's one of those superb handcrafted Ming-era antiques
available at Kam Man in NYC for $2.95. (I had one of their fancier $3.95
ones, but gave it away.)

> Do you then heat the tea or drink it at room temperature?

RT. I'm partway into a crossover experiment with cold-brewing and
reheating, hot-brewing and cooling, and comparing with as-brewed in each
case. For a number of types, heating cool-brewed tea seems to make an
infusion that's inferior to both cold-cold and hot-hot. But maybe it's
just unfamiliarity.

> How is using a gaiwan different from using my ingenuitea with the same
> parameters?

Heck of a lot easier to clean. That's why I use a gaiwan, when a glass
pot would be so much more fun to watch.

-DM

On Jun 3, 10:38*am, dogma_i > wrote:
> About 6 oz. It's one of those superb handcrafted Ming-era antiques
> available at Kam Man in NYC for $2.95. (I had one of their fancier $3.95
> ones, but gave it away.)

Hey those are my favorite! I actually go back to my Kam Man special
(white/blue with "rice" pattern) more than any other tea vessel I own.
Big, cheap, not all that well made... and Perfect! It's special to me
and works fine.

On my way out the door this morning I cold-brewed some Earl Grey in a
travel mug and sipped it the whole ride in happily it steeped as I
drove and since time wasn't much of a factor it never got bad/bitter.
Got to work, added some hot water and had a nice warm cup too.

(and Square Peg, I totally and completely, fully even, will second the
Gaiwan > Ingenuitea sentiment. You simply cannot beat it for ease of
use, cleanup, visuals, and feel.)

- Dominic

I recently got glass gaiwan for $12. About 4oz, nice deep saucer, no
infuser. I could go broke buying $3 gaiwans.

Jim

On Jun 3, 8:38 am, dogma_i > wrote:
> About 6 oz. It's one of those superb handcrafted Ming-era antiques
> available at Kam Man in NYC for $2.95. (I had one of their fancier $3.95
> ones, but gave it away.)

On 03 Jun 2009 10:20:42 -0400, Lewis Perin > wrote:

>Square Peg > writes:
>
>> On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:11 GMT, dogma_i > wrote:
>>
>> >[...room-temp Darjeeling brewing for summer...]
>>
>> [...]
>>
>> Do you then heat the tea or drink it at room temperature?
>
>I don't know what Dogma thinks, but when I brew tea at room temp (only
>in the summer), I drink it that way.

Something new. I think of tea as hot or iced. Room temperature never
occurred to me. Now I have to try that. ;-)

>> How is using a gaiwan different from using my ingenuitea with the same
>> parameters?
>
>Not at all. The faster pour you get from a gaiwan hardly matters when
>each steep lasts minutes.

If I'm only doing 6 ounces, I bet my ingenuitea will be faster than a
gaiwan, less messy, and less chance of an accident.

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:38:20 GMT, dogma_i > wrote:

>Square Peg wrote:
>> What's a "big" gaiwan? 5 oz?
>
>About 6 oz. It's one of those superb handcrafted Ming-era antiques
>available at Kam Man in NYC for $2.95. (I had one of their fancier $3.95
>ones, but gave it away.)
>
>> Do you then heat the tea or drink it at room temperature?
>
>RT. I'm partway into a crossover experiment with cold-brewing and
>reheating, hot-brewing and cooling, and comparing with as-brewed in each
>case. For a number of types, heating cool-brewed tea seems to make an
>infusion that's inferior to both cold-cold and hot-hot. But maybe it's
>just unfamiliarity.

You find reheated tea inferior? I wonder what's going on there?

Lewis said that leaving tea (at least a Darjeeling) in a thermos for
hours would turn it bad. I haven't notice that, but maybe I'm just
undiscerning.

>> How is using a gaiwan different from using my ingenuitea with the same
>> parameters?
>
>Heck of a lot easier to clean. That's why I use a gaiwan, when a glass
>pot would be so much more fun to watch.

It's hard to imagine how it could be much easier. I just rinse the
ingenuitea 1-2 times and it's done.