Gongfu brewing is how much of China and Taiwan drinks oolong and pu-erh: a lot of leaf in a small pot, and a run of short steeps instead of one long one. Each steep tastes a little different, and a good tea keeps going for many rounds. You need a small vessel, a kettle and a way to time seconds.
- Leaf
- 6 g/100 ml
- Water
- 95°C
- First steep
- 20 s
- Each steep
- +5 s
- Steeps
- 7
The numbers above are the starting point for a rolled oolong. Other teas start elsewhere: see the gongfu ratio and steep times chart.
What you need
- A small vessel. A porcelain gaiwan or a small clay pot of 80 to 150 ml. A gaiwan is the easy start: porcelain holds no flavours, so one suits every tea.
- A pitcher and small cups. Pouring each steep into a pitcher first (a gong dao bei) gives every cup the same strength. A mug works if it's just you.
- Scales and a timer. Gongfu strength comes mostly from how much leaf is in the pot, so weigh it. Steeps are seconds long, so time them.
Step by step
- Warm everything. Fill the gaiwan and cups with hot water and pour it away. A warm pot keeps the steep at temperature.
- Weigh the leaf. About 6 g for every 100 ml the pot holds: 6 g in a 100 ml gaiwan. Lid on, give it a shake and smell the warm leaf.
- Rinse, if the tea needs it. Cover the leaf with water and pour it straight off. Rolled and compressed teas (oolong, sheng pu-erh, shou pu-erh, dark) wake up faster for it; greens, whites and most blacks don't need one.
- First steep: 20 s. Pour water at 95°C over the leaf, lid on, and start the clock when the pot is full.
- Pour out every drop. Tip the gaiwan right over the pitcher until it stops dripping. Water left on the leaf keeps steeping and makes the next cup bitter.
- Each steep a little longer. Add 5 s each time: 20 · 25 · 30 · 35 · 40 · 45 · 50 seconds. Leaf gives less every round, so the time has to keep up.
- Stop when it's spent. When a steep tastes of little even with more time, the session is done. A good oolong gives 7 or more.
When the cup isn't right
Change one thing at a time, by a small step, and note it. For a thin, weak session the first lever is more leaf, not longer steeps: see why is my tea weak?. For a harsh or drying one, steep shorter first, and cool the water for greens, whites and young sheng: see why is my tea bitter?.
Other teas, other numbers
Greens and whites want cooler water and fewer steeps; pu-erh wants boiling water, more leaf and flash steeps at first. The water temperature chart and the ratio and steep times chart have a starting point for every type. Common starting points, not rules. A vendor's own brewing notes for a tea come first, and your taste decides from there.
Steepbook is a free app that remembers the steep that worked for each tea, teaware and brew style. Have a look if that sounds useful.