Brewing PU-ERH - Why I only use 3 grams of tea

You will hear a lot about what is the correct ratio to use when brewing Pu-erh tea, while there is no perfect ratio, there is a best place to start to learn about the natural abundance of each tea.
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[@rinsedrinker4293]

That is a good way to evaluate the quality of a tea. And one that I will try to use more often.
But the taste is just one small part in the appreciation of pu erh.
Furthermore, I would disagree with your statement that one cannot determine the abundance and quality of a tea when using 5-6 g.
I personally have tried different leaf to water ratios (even 3 g/100 ml) and found myself gravitating towards higher amounts of tea.
I still can recognize complexity, variety and nuances in the taste and can appreciate the texture, mouthfeel, aftertaste, qi etc. of a good tea and identify lower quality tea.
Strength and potency can be great characteristics of pu erh as well and a quality marker if you want to age it.

[@gsutherland3614]

i generally prefer pouring hot water directly into the dent of a tuocha, and then drinking directly from that...

[@cyuan603]

😂

[@Ermans8]

I had the same experience and reached the same conclusions. Raw puerh 3 or 3,5g in a 60ml gaiwan, 6 to 7g in a 120ml teapot. I found to get the most of the layers and complexity of the teas with this ratios.
At the moment I'm not even using the pitcher during solo 60ml sessions.
If you are also studing the effect of the tea on the body during meditation, getting use to large quantities can alter your tollerance and push you to have always more in order to feel it the same way.
It can become an expensive loopy trap.
The finer the drinker, the lesser the amount.

[@jujuvonpinega]

I like this very much and came to this conclusion naturally over the years. However, I apply it to all kinds of tea. It has a lot of benefits and amongst them it allows me to enjoy high quality tea on a regular basis. Thanks again for sharing this perspective. It is quite rare to find someone talking about this.

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Thanks for watching and sharing. Tea is a beautiful journey with many things to discover along the way. Hopefully more will share on their experiences

[@wildebeestwright]

I hear you mentioning 3g over and over, but you don’t give the ratio. What’s the volume of that gaiwan? Are you saying 3g/100ml? Because that is very different from 3g in a smaller vessel.
Thanks for all the high-level content you’re offering in these videos. I just discovered your channel and I’ve been really enjoying it.

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Hi @wildebeestwright, Thanks for watching! True I tend not to use exact ratios for all tea, so I haven't not mentioned it, but great question. Most of the gaiwans I use are 100ml (+/- 10ml), then I will adjust more or less water (ie 70-100ml), temp and steep time until I find that teas best combination, all while using 3 grams as the base line. Here is a good video that dives deeper: th-cam.com/video/myoxm2iwohQ/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared

[@AdrienZabat]

Tasting through strength is surely an acquired skill ! While I think that western flash steeping makes tea way too thin and simple, longer brews and higher amounts of tea (5-7g/100) makes for a really rich and complex experience.

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Thanks for sharing. It does greatly depend on the quality of the raw material of the tea. Not all tea does well with small amounts of tea but it is a good test of the raw material

[@LL-bl8hd]

You make some good points.

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Thanks for watching

[@SimpleSlyman]

Interesting observations

[@Dumpsterhuggies]

I like to use a 1 to 15 ratio because I like good strong tea, and yes, it gets a couple more steepings than a lower ratio. I don't know what you are talking about with loss of subtle flavors, because I can taste the subtleties too. That makes sense because more tea means more of all flavors in it. I think less makes the taste too faint, especially for shou puerh. I don't get the idea that it's some kind of crutch for bad tea or something, if it's not good tea then more tea is just more mediocre taste. The lowest I tend to go for most tea is 1 to 20 when I feel like 1 to 15 is too much of a good thing, I haven't come across any puerh where that's the case.

[@janemisa7225]

Do you drink puehr tea daily? when do you usally take it (time of the day)? Binge watching your vids right now😊 please do continue to make more vids

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Yes, I drink Pu-erh daily. Raw in warmer weather and ripe is colder weather and depending on the tea the time will change I choose to drink it. Thank you for watching and your support

[@eriirumor9401]

Thanks a lot for your lesson . I think I got your message which corresponding with some of my issues. The most exciting is point is direction of research . With use of measure we can develop further exploration of spirit and character of this magic drink.

[@theodoreschultz4685]

Do you have an opinion on the amount for Shou?

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

I willl typically use a larger amount for ripe depending on the age. I would start with 4 grams then increase to taste

[@gavingibson3504]

it would be very helpful if you would mention what the teas are you are drinking. As a western consumer, the connection to tea and where it comes from is not nearly as deep and developed as it is for someone with your intimate experience. When I drink and judge teas for quality, the only markers i have to use are the teas i've been told are good from western geared vendors, and although I have the ability to judge whether I like a tea or not, it is hard for me to know that the teas i am being sold are what they say they are, or represent a high quality Raw Puerh. I am always questioning whether my experience of what a quality puerh is, is flawed by mislabeled teas and my experience being so disconnected from the product. I wonder if my version of a quality puerh is really just an average tea experience compared to something you may have access too.

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Hi Gavin, thanks for sharing and watching. As my channel is mostly for educational purposes, I avoid mentioning certain tea brands or providing company endorsements, as I do not want that to be the focus of the videos.
I do agree with you, it can be quite hard to be a consumer here in the west and is a buyer beware market. Asking the right questions and asking the right information is important.
Many have expressed the same concerns as you, which is one of the reasons I created my Patreon to do exactly that. Where I get into the details of which teas I am drinking and where find and purchase them. (Patreon link in video description)

[@Prueba_Te]

Great topic! Just an idea for another: use pitcher or not? Do you lose flavor/aroma doing it or it adds to the experience in a different way apart from convenience?

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Thank you for watching and your suggestion. I will often use a pitcher when determining the quality of the tea at first as it can hold the aroma of the tea. Then there after you can remove the pitcher once you are more familiar with the tea. Though I will often always use a pitcher on more premium raw puerh to enjoy the beauty of their aroma.

[@TheEftelingFan]

You mention "3 grams" a lot, but I don't think I caught what the actual ratio of tea to water is that you use. Do you mean 3 grams per 100 ml?
Personally I gravitate to between 4 and 5 g/100 ml (sometimes a bit more), but I usually use a tiny 60/70 ml gaiwan (so only 3-ish grams) otherwise it's way too much tea for me at once.
Definitely going to try some lower ratios (in a slightly bigger gaiwan) to experiment :)

[@mk30b25]

I use 3 grams because I use a 50ml pot. Sad solo drinker.

[@JeffreyMcIntosh]

Or maybe it’s just a moment of solo meditation 😄thanks for watching