A thin, watery cup means the water didn't get enough out of the leaf. The tempting fix is a longer steep, and for a Western cup that's right. For gongfu, the bigger lever is how much leaf is in the pot.
Gongfu: more leaf first
Gongfu strength comes mostly from how much leaf is in the pot, not from long steeps. More leaf with short steeps gives a fuller cup that lasts more rounds; little leaf with long steeps tends to taste flat and stewed at once.
- More leaf. Add about a gram per 100 ml. Gongfu strength comes mostly from how much leaf is in the pot, not from long steeps.
- Steep longer. Add 5 s to a gongfu steep, 30 s to a Western cup. More time pulls more flavour out of the same leaf.
- Hotter water. Go 5°C hotter, up to boiling. Oolongs, blacks and pu-erh need heat to open; cool water leaves them thin.
- Stretch the later steeps. Grow each steep a little more than the last. Leaf gives less every round; the increment has to keep up.
Greens, whites and yellows are the exception to "go hotter": cool water is part of what keeps them sweet. For them, skip the hotter water and go straight from more leaf, steep longer to stretch the later steeps.
Western: give it time
In a big pot with a little leaf, time does most of the work:
- Steep longer. Add 5 s to a gongfu steep, 30 s to a Western cup. More time pulls more flavour out of the same leaf.
- More leaf. Add about a gram per 100 ml. Gongfu strength comes mostly from how much leaf is in the pot, not from long steeps.
- Hotter water. Go 5°C hotter, up to boiling. Oolongs, blacks and pu-erh need heat to open; cool water leaves them thin.
How much leaf to start with
| Tea | Gongfu per 100 ml | 100 ml gaiwan | Western per 100 ml | 300 ml pot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 4 g | 4 g | 1 g | 3 g |
| White | 5 g | 5 g | 1.2 g | 3.5 g |
| Yellow | 4 g | 4 g | 1 g | 3 g |
| Oolong | 6 g | 6 g | 1.2 g | 3.5 g |
| Black | 5 g | 5 g | 1 g | 3 g |
| Sheng pu-erh | 7 g | 7 g | 1 g | 3 g |
| Shou pu-erh | 7 g | 7 g | 1 g | 3 g |
| Dark | 6 g | 6 g | 1 g | 3 g |
| Herbal | 3 g | 3 g | 1.5 g | 4.5 g |
More for every pot size in the gongfu ratio and steep times chart.
Weak later in the session?
If the first steeps were good and later ones fade, the leaf isn't the problem; the increment is. Leaf gives less every round; the increment has to keep up. Stretch each later steep a little more than the last, and when even a long steep tastes of little, the leaf is spent.
Check the water too
Very soft or distilled water can make any tea taste flat and empty. Filtered tap water or a soft spring water is a good middle. Read more in water matters.
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.