A small mistake can undo years of careful effort. How could a Pu'er Tea cake, costing several thousand yuan, be ruined by a quartz light?

Last week, a tea enthusiast shared a failed storage experience with us. Let's call him Old Li. Although somewhat vain, Old Li genuinely loves Pu'er tea and would often visit the tea room to enjoy some tea and chat, all in good spirits.

A few years ago, he made some money from stock trading and decided to invest it in brand-name Pu'er teas with potential for appreciation. After careful selection, he found a bargain on a batch of brand-name tea and decided to store them carefully, waiting for their value to increase over time.

1. The Unexpected Spoilage of Lao Banzhang

However, due to his lack of knowledge about home storage, he ruined tens of thousands of yuan worth of aged tea during last year's rainy season. This batch, however, he handled with great care, placing only one cake in the living room while storing the rest properly at home.

Old Li even placed this cake of tea in a display cabinet in the living room, covered with glass and away from the balcony's light.

After buying it, Old Li would invite friends over every now and then to enjoy tea together, subtly showing off his prized possession. His friends, aware of his personality, would humor him, and he always enjoyed these gatherings.

But after a few weeks, Old Li came to the tea room looking gloomy. When asked what was wrong, he explained that a distinguished guest had visited his home and wanted to see the cake of tea. To his dismay, Old Li discovered that there was something wrong with the tea cake, but he didn't know the cause. He wanted to investigate the issue with me.

We brewed the tea and found that compared to before, the color of the tea soup was distinctly redder, the aftertaste significantly reduced, the aroma much weaker, and the overall character of the tea much less vibrant.

Guessing that there might have been an error in how Old Li stored the tea, I asked him to recall everything carefully to identify where things went wrong.

Old Li was puzzled: “I followed all the storage advice you gave me, except that my display cabinet is different from yours—it uses a quartz light for illumination…”

2. The Quartz Light Causes a Sun-Dried Flavor

The problem lies with the quartz light.

After the sun-drying process, Pu'er tea should not be exposed to direct light. This is because compounds like propanal and pentene in the tea leaves react with light, producing a scent similar to sun-wilted cabbage, commonly referred to as a “sun-dried” flavor.

Exposure to direct light causes Pu'er tea to lose its unique taste and freshness, resulting in a sour flavor. In the case of this expensive Lao Banzhang, the infrared and ultraviolet rays emitted by the quartz lamp in the cabinet were the culprits behind the damage to the tea's intrinsic quality.

Exposure to household lighting raises the local temperature, causing the tea to decompose and losing much of its essential components.

3. Choosing Containers for Pu'er Tea

After hearing Old Li's story, everyone must realize the importance of knowing how to store Pu'er tea at home. In reality, Pu'er tea doesn't require much space; the challenge lies in selecting the right container.

Unopened cases of Pu'er tea should remain sealed. If you need to access them for tasting, you can choose from paper boxes, Ceramic jars, or clay pots. Avoid using airtight plastic containers or porcelain jars.

Among various options, paper boxes take up little space, are easy to find, breathable, dustproof, and moisture-resistant, and are very inexpensive. They are the most recommended outer packaging for Pu'er tea, especially when used in conjunction with other inner containers.

For more details, refer to this article: Clean, Avoid Light, Moisture-Proof, Odorless: How to Store Pu'er Tea Best?

4. Two Principles for Storing Tea

Previously, some tea enthusiasts asked if it's okay to store Pu'er tea in a storage cabinet or on a balcony. Considering ventilation and airtightness, such environments are prone to changes and may develop unwanted odors, which I do not recommend.

There are two principles for storing Pu'er tea that sound simple but are sometimes overlooked: cleanliness and odorlessness, and avoiding light with minimal ventilation.

Especially regarding odorlessness, Pu'er tea has a strong ability to absorb odors. If you have pets or someone recently injured themselves and is using ointments or bruise oils, you must keep your Pu'er tea away from these odors.

If possible, designate a separate room for storing Pu'er tea. With a dedicated home storage area, use a smart hygrometer connected to your phone to monitor conditions. This will greatly reduce the chances of spoiling the tea.

5. Ventilation Tips for Home Storage

There has been a popular belief that ventilation provides sufficient oxygen for microorganisms. However, Pu'er tea requires only a small amount of oxygen, which isn't significant. The primary purpose of ventilation is to balance indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity levels.

When indoor temperatures and humidity are too high or if there are unwanted odors, it's necessary to ventilate the tea. The timing of ventilation should be flexible depending on the season. During autumn and winter, when air humidity is low, cross-ventilation is appropriate.

In summer, when temperatures are higher, exchange-style ventilation is recommended—opening only windows or doors to prevent excessive air flow, which can affect the internal transformation of the tea.

Lastly, regarding humidity, avoid ventilating during rainy days or immediately after sunny weather. For tea enthusiasts in southern regions, during periods of high humidity like the rainy season, dehumidifiers or quicklime can be used to absorb excess moisture.