Grams per cup?

[Confuzius]

I've seen lots of mention in different threads talking about the amounts of loose leaf used to brew a cup of tea.

Do you actually measure/weigh it out, or is it more of just an approximation?

 

[Suzuki]

I've seen lots of mention in different threads talking about the amounts of loose leaf used to brew a cup of tea.

Do you actually measure/weigh it out, or is it more of just an approximation?

Some folks weigh it out, I eyeball it.

The amount of tea used varies widely with the type of tea (generally, you use less black tea than green tea per serving, with red/oolong teas somewhere in between depending on degree of fermentation.

Also, it depends on whether you use the "English" vs "Asian" methods.

The English method uses less tea and longer steep times (1 tsp per serving steeped anywhere from 2 - 4 minutes) and you generally only use the leaves for 1 or two infusions.

The Asian method uses a lot more leaves (in some cases, about 1/4 the volume of the brewing vessel (with pu'erh, people use between 4 and 8 grams in a 100ml brewing vessel) and then steep for much shorter periods - often 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the tea (with pu'erh, this can be as little as 5 - 10 seconds for the first infusions). Subsequent infusions are gradually increased and you can infuse a good green tea (oolong, pu'erh) several times (often 5 or more).

The more leaves you use, the shorter the infusion time - especialy for the first 2 - 3 infusions, as over-steeping will result in bitter tea and 5 seconds can make a huge difference.

Obviously, these are just rules of thumb, as there is lots of room for personal preferences - hope this helps.

 

[Confuzius]

I'm trying to keep up, heh.
Working my way through some teas that I got locally, I'm just waiting for someone to step up and offer a LetterK style "tea sampler".

 

[ouch]

I use the zen archer/Mexican cook method of timing.

 

[Scotto]

In my case, as an avid baker, a digital scale is a must. Works great for tea and coffee as well.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

You could definitely start with a scale to avoid making things too bitter. If you're brewing in a gaiwan, you could start with 5g of leaf in the bottom and see how that goes. Some teas might benefit from a wee bit more (6g?) if they're underpowered - feel your way around and see.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[sehrgut]

In my case, as an avid baker, a digital scale is a must. Works great for tea and coffee as well.

Digital scale?

My kitchen scale:

Yay for eBay!

 

[ouch]

Digital scale?

My kitchen scale:

Yay for eBay!

You're not using that for tea, bud.

 

[sehrgut]

Tea, flour, coffee, pretty much everything . . . I'm a biology grad student, so I'd rather have something that looks a little lab-esque . . . *grin*

 

[ouch]

You're not kidding anyone.

 

[TimmyBoston]

You're not using that for tea, bud.

Bud, yes. Tea, no.

 

[sehrgut]

Bud, yes. Tea, no.

Oh, now I get it! Sorry . . . I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes . . .

 

[ouch]

That explains the technical nature of your posts.

I hear that Scotto uses an analytical balance for his coffee.

 

[sehrgut]

*is insanely jealous*

 

[sehrgut]

Actually, when I ended up buying my Ohaus on eBay a few years ago, one of the other scales I was looking at was a '50s-era analytical chain balance (the precursor to digital analytical balances). It was usable and freshly-calibrated, but unfortunately someone else wanted it more than I did. *pouts*

 

[Ramaniac]

First I love loose tea. The proper way to do it is using a TEA spoon not a teaspoon. It has a longer handle and smaller bowl.
1. Boil you water
2. Pour into teapot that was in hot water (pour that out)
3. One for each cup and one for the pot.

Pour your tea in 2-4 minuets depending, through a strainer.

 

[expatCanuck]

In my case, as an avid baker, a digital scale is a must. Works great for tea and coffee as well.

Hmmm. I find that the scale I use for baking isn't sensitive/accurate enough for tea.

Admittedly, I'm in the 'weigh-it' camp 9 times out of 10.

4-4.5g per 10-12 fl oz. mug.

Maybe a little OCD, but I like the results.

I use the little 50g-100g escali scales for tea, and a 3kg myWeigh scale for baking.

...The proper way to do it is using a TEA spoon not a teaspoon....

A lot easier to get consistent results with a scale, IMVHO. Tea is so variable that you'd need to use different measures for different types.
- Richard

 

[ouch]

A lot easier to get consistent results with a scale, IMVHO. Tea is so variable that you'd need to use different measures for different types.
- Richard

I agree. A teaspoon of a rolled oolong may be too much, while two tablespoons of a fluffy pouchong may not be enough.

 

[Scotto]

You can get gram-accurate (or better) scales rather inexpensively nowadays. I use mine daily for all sorts of stuff.

 

[Confuzius]

You can get gram-accurate (or better) scales rather inexpensively nowadays. I use mine daily for all sorts of stuff.

I hear these guys can give you a deal on slightly used ones: