Gongfu brewing uses a lot of leaf in a small vessel, usually a gaiwan or a clay pot of 80 to 150 ml, and many short steeps instead of one long one. You taste the tea change from steep to steep.
A schedule is written as the first steep and the increment: "20 s, +5 s" means 20 seconds, then 25, 30 and so on. Leaf gives less each round, so later steeps have to be longer to keep up.
Steepbook's big number is the first steep, because that's what you change most when dialing in. The increment and how many steeps the session lasted sit underneath it.
Pour out every last drop each time. Water left on the leaf keeps steeping and makes the next cup bitter.
Words in this article
- Gongfu cha
- Brewing with a lot of leaf in a small pot and many short steeps.
- Increment
- How much longer each gongfu steep is than the one before.
More in Learn
- Leaf, heat and time
- Water temperature by tea
- Rinsing the leaf
- Water matters
- Freshness and storage
- The families of tea
- Dialing in a new tea
- Tea glossary
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.