Many people have the habit of Drinking Tea, and there are many types of Tea; Pu'er tea is one of them. The amount of tea used when brewing Pu'er can vary greatly depending on drinking habits, brewing methods, and the character of the specific tea. So what is the correct method to brew Pu'er tea bricks?

The Brewing Method for Pu'er Tea Bricks

1. Scooping the Tea: Use a tea knife to scoop an appropriate amount (5-10 grams) of Pu'er tea from compressed Pu'er forms (cakes, bricks, tuos, etc.).

2. Adding the Tea: Place the scooped Pu'er tea into a Gaiwan.

3. Rinsing the Tea: Pour boiling water into the gaiwan to steep the tea. This is known as the first infusion, which is generally not consumed but rather used to rinse off any dust and to awaken the tea leaves in the water.

4. Discarding the First Infusion: The first infusion should be quickly poured out of the cup to avoid over-extraction of the tea flavor.

5. Repeat the First Infusion: Repeat the actions of the first infusion; the second infusion is also for rinsing and not consumed.

6. The Third Infusion: Pour boiling water into the gaiwan again to steep the tea. This infusion is the first that will be consumed.

7. Pouring Out the Tea: After Steeping for a period of time according to your preference for the strength of the tea (the longer the steeping time, the stronger the tea), pour out the tea liquor into a pitcher or sharing cup. For the first three infusions, about 10 seconds is usually sufficient. A strainer can be placed on the pitcher to filter out any small tea fragments.

8. Serving and Enjoying the Tea: Pour the tea liquor from the pitcher into individual small cups for everyone to share and enjoy the Pu'er tea.

Brewing Techniques for Pu'er Tea

1. When brewing aged Pu'er, warm the teaware and utensils first. In addition to filling the teapot with hot water, you should also pour hot water over the outside of the teapot. The water from the teapot can also be used to warm the pitcher.

2. Before adding the dry tea to the teapot, ensure that the teapot is hot. If it's not hot enough, pour hot water over the outside of the teapot. Reheat the tea briefly, leaving a small gap in the lid to smell the aroma. By smelling the heated tea, you can judge whether the tea has any musty or dusty odors or if it's clean. If there's a slight musty odor, rinse the tea twice. If the mustiness is heavy, rinse it three times and assess the quality of the tea.

3. When brewing older raw or aged Pu'er, avoid using a forceful stream of water that might disturb the tea. If you use a forceful stream on aged Pu'er, the tea liquor may become cloudy. However, this can also depend greatly on the nature of the tea. When pouring water into the teapot, tilt the teapot and slowly pour the water over the tea so that it covers the leaves. The cleaner the tea, the shorter the rinse time needed. The tighter the compression, the longer the rinse time required. Thus, rinse the tea based on its characteristics.

4. After rinsing, smell the aroma. Good qualities of aged Pu'er include cleanliness, aroma, sweetness, richness, thickness, and smoothness. Thickness and smoothness cannot be detected by smell alone. During the first rinse, you can smell the lid to detect cleanliness, aroma, sweetness, and richness. Thickness and smoothness can only be experienced by tasting the tea. A Pu'er that is merely sweet is not necessarily a good Pu'er. An excellent Pu'er must possess all six qualities: cleanliness, aroma, sweetness, richness, thickness, and smoothness.