How to brew shou puerh gongfu style

Leaf and water

Good range for the water: 95–100 °C (203–212 °F). Other vessel sizes: 5 g of leaf for every 100 ml.

Infusion times

1. Rinse10s
2. #18s
3. #210s
4. #312s
5. #415s
6. #520s
7. #628s
8. #740s
9. #855s
10. #975s
11. #10100s

Times are in seconds, counted from when the vessel is full. After infusion 10, add 20 seconds for each new one. In the app, "Softer" and "Stronger" make all the times shorter or longer.

How to brew it

1. Heat the water to 98 °C (208 °F).
2. Pour hot water into the empty vessel and the cups to warm them. Pour it out.
3. Put in 5 g of leaf for a 100 ml vessel, or 7.5 g for 150 ml.
4. Rinse: fill the vessel, wait 10 seconds, pour the water out. Do not drink the rinse.
5. First infusion: fill the vessel, wait 8 seconds, then pour all of the tea into a pitcher or the cups.
6. Go on with the next infusion times from the list. Pour out all of the tea each time.

Tips

• Fresh shou can smell of the wet pile. A second rinse clears it quickly.
• Break a cake or brick into small chunks with a tea pick. Try not to crush the leaf into dust: dust makes a muddy, heavy cup.
• Pour out every last drop at the end of each infusion. Leaf that sits in tea keeps brewing and the next cup gets too strong.
• Too strong? Make the next infusion a few seconds shorter. Too thin? Make it a few seconds longer.
• Bring the water back to the right heat between infusions. Shou likes it close to boiling the whole session.
• Keep going while the tea still has taste. After the list, add 20 seconds for each new infusion.

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