I could use a little help brewing Gyokuro
Hey, a while back I bought some gyokuro, and it seems like every time I make it, it comes out wrong. The package says to brew 1.2 grams of leaf for each ounce of water at 140 degrees for two minutes. I have a timer and an electric kettle, so it’s not temperature or oversteeping that is the problem. But I’m having trouble figuring out how much leaf I should be using. Typically I’d be using a teapot that holds just over a litre, from 1100 to 1200 ml depending on how much I fill it. How much tea should I be using, measured in even teaspoons?
I’m not sure how expensive your gyokuro is but is there any way you can use a smaller brewing vessel? My gyokuro brewing vessels are at most 100ml. You will be using a LOT of gyokuro for that much water. 1.2 grams of gyokuro is about a rounded half of a teaspoon.
I do have a smaller porcelain teapot, although I’m unsure how much it holds, but I could probably figure that out. I generally use a breville 1 touch, probably the best hannukah gift I’ve ever received. It does make a huge amount of tea, but I drink a lot of tea so it works out.
That’s a nice gift.
I think this might help you: http://www.o-cha.com/brewing-gyokuro.htm
If you don’t have a small enough teapot, how about using a small liquid measuring cup?
When you drink a champagne, isn’t it more natural to use the correct glass for such an expensive drink?
Likewise, gyuokuro is one the most expensive Japanese teas. I don’t see myself drinking one liter of it on one sitting.
To drink it the traditional way you need very little water. My gyoukuro cups are 20 ml (1.5 oz) and I use 4 grams of tea at 140F for 2 minutes.
The O-cha guide linked above is a really good place to start. I generally use a little less leaf and a bit shorter of a steep to get results that taste good to me, but I would suggest start there and then experiment.
Use a small brewing vessel and small cups, so that you’re not using up lots of expensive leaf as you figure out what works for you. You can generally get several really good steeps out of gyokuro. It can also be incredibly high in caffeine, so a large pot might not be a desirable quantity.
The Breville sounds like an amazing tool, but maybe not the right one for making gyokuro.
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