As a qualified tea brewer, brewing the first brew well is a basic professional quality.
However, the first brew of rock tea is not highly valued in the system of rock tea, because the appreciation of rock tea is multidimensional, requiring not only the variety and craftsmanship, but also the mountain scenery, undoubtedly a comprehensive competition of strength.
The taste of rock tea is quite niche in the vast tea world. To make more people like Wuyi rock tea, it is very important to make the first bubble of rock tea good; Just like when we first tasted rock tea at a certain tea shop N years ago, the first brew was bitter and astringent, so we advised against it.
Although life and death cannot be determined at first glance, it is still necessary for beginners to leave a good first impression; For top-quality tea, brewing the first brew well is the icing on the cake; This is especially true on the sales end, if you don’t start well, it will be difficult to catch the attention of customers again.
Actually, making good rock tea is like upgrading and fighting monsters. In the first stage, you can first follow the formula and seek stability; In the rising stage, after brewing more tea, it is time to develop the ability to observe and brew tea.
01 Beginner stage: Open book exam for beginners
Based on our experience of drinking tea soup with more salt than you have eaten, share a universal formula for making good rock tea without making mistakes in the first brew.
Among the three elements of brewing tea, water temperature is an important one. As we all know, boiling the skin is the best way to brew rock tea. High temperature can not only stimulate the aroma, but also fully release the essence. However, occasionally one may make mistakes and remember to “boil the water” and check frequently; For children’s shoes with high temperature requirements, boiling water in a sand pot can be used to maintain high temperature.
Ware is the father of tea and water is the mother of tea, so making a good rock tea ware is as important as water. At the beginning stage, we first introduced the 10 yuan bowl covering with a few hands in Mount Wuyi, which is very fragrant, easy to use, moderately thin and thick, and doesn’t hurt when we fall.
The water injection of rock tea can be high or low, depending on the tea. High infusion is beneficial for stimulating the aroma and layering of rock tea, while heavy roasted rock tea is more suitable for low infusion to balance the rich and mellow taste.
Wet the tea leaves when pouring water, allowing them to fully blend with the water, and the soaking time for the first infusion is also crucial. As a novice player, it is safer to fast in and out without sitting in a cup.
When the water overflows the tea surface, there will be many foam coming out, and brushing off the foam is also the hidden skill of making the first bubble. The foam of rock tea is that the tea itself contains tea saponins, and the second is that the finely broken tea will cut the water surface under the action of force to form a foam. The former contains bitterness, the latter brings dust, and both have “smell”, thus affecting the clarity of aroma and purity of taste.
02 Advanced stage: Recognizing tea and brewing tea
The richness of rock tea varieties, the complexity of craftsmanship, and the subtleties of the mountain fields have created a diverse scene of rock tea blooming in various styles. To brew the unique personality of rock tea, one must take the brewing process to the next level, highlighting its strengths and avoiding its weaknesses. The first brew will be full of color, and “tea recognition” can be regarded as our good helper.
First, let’s take a look at the amount of tea:
During the loose tea period, the amount of tea used is determined by the capacity, while during the tea bag period, the amount of tea added determines the capacity. Therefore, for rock tea to have a good opening, the ratio of tea to water is very important. With a large amount of tea, a small cup with a lid is prone to bitterness, while a large cup with a smaller lid and a smaller tea volume makes it difficult to express the thickness of the tea soup.
Rock tea of different weights
Taking the common 8.3g/brew as an example, the matching standard lid bowl is 110cc, which translates to a 1:13 tea to water ratio. However, it is not uncommon to see 9g and 10g/brew in the market. The unequal amount of tea determines the capacity of the lid bowl, and the corresponding capacity of the tea utensil can be calculated based on a 1:13 tea to water ratio.
Tea utensils with different capacities
Looking at the roasting process again:
The roasting degree of rock tea is divided into three levels: light, medium, and sufficient. Before brewing tea, it is important to understand the roasting degree in order to decide how to brew the first brew. If it is a rock tea with a lighter roasting degree, the first brew can be brewed for about 10 seconds to express the lively and refreshing flavor of the tea soup.
Medium heat tea can be brewed with appropriate steeping time, with the first steeping time controlled at 20 seconds, to increase the fullness and thickness of the taste.
For tea that has just been roasted and has a high degree of heat, the water temperature can be slightly lowered and brewed in a purple clay pot to utilize its adsorption properties and reduce the heat.
Looking at the old and new again:
At the tea table, the frequency of new tea appearing can be said to be full, but occasionally an old tea is taken out to adjust the taste. The key to making a good first brew of old tea is to choose the right time and the right time; In the new tea period, rock tea is mainly made of porcelain with high degree of sintering, while old tea and purple clay are the best partners, and their materials can better express the warm and moist temperament of old tea.
In addition, dry tea should be sniffed after warming the pot to check if the storage is in place, and to decide whether to drink or discard the first brew. The soaking time for the first brew should be fast rather than slow
Take another look at the link:
The uniformity of rock tea strips is mostly good, but it is inevitable that some dry tea may be crushed due to storage or “bottom stock” reasons, resulting in many broken tea sections and a fast dissolution rate.
In the case of a large amount of broken tea, it is better to shorten the first steeping time and pour it out immediately. It is also not recommended to use a purple clay teapot for brewing, as the water outlet is prone to blockage, which can affect the concentration of the tea soup.
The first sip is a warm-up for the taste buds and a prelude to gradually entering a better state. There is no need to elaborate on soaking the first sip well. Therefore, we need to learn how to read tea and brew tea, develop the ability to see and solve problems, and treat every brew as the first brew.