The challenge in brewing Pu'er Tea lies in its vast variety and ever-changing characteristics. Each time you brew Pu'er, the shape, age, and features seem different. This is the nature of Pu'er tea. To brew it well, you need to understand these factors:
Newly Produced Sheng Pu'er (Raw)
In terms of nature, newly produced Sheng Pu'er is similar to Green Tea. When brewing, avoid a cooked or over-steeped flavor by using slightly lower water temperature and a quick pour-off. The key is to grasp the characteristics of the raw materials, such as the tea tree variety, region, age of the trees, and the ecosystem.
In principle, teas with strong flavors require slightly cooler water and shorter steeping times, while those with lighter flavors are the opposite.
Newly Produced Shou Pu'er (Ripe)
Compared to older teas, new Shou Pu'er often has some less desirable qualities, like a murky Infusion, an impure aroma, and a less refined taste, along with off-flavors like the “pile” smell and strong bitterness. Since the water-soluble compounds in new Shou Pu'er dissolve quickly, you should aim to highlight its strengths and minimize its weaknesses by using high-temperature rinses to remove unwanted flavors, slightly cooler water for brewing, and a faster brewing pace to avoid bitterness and a thick, sauce-like consistency.
Brewing and tasting new teas from strong to weak to tasteless can help determine their storage potential and judge whether they have the potential to improve.
Aged Sheng Pu'er and Aged Shou Pu'er
Aged teas generally require high-temperature rinses and brewing. Relatively speaking, the amount of aged Sheng Pu'er used should be less than that of aged Shou Pu'er, and the water temperature for brewing the latter should be slightly higher. For many aged Sheng Pu'ers, opening the lid between infusions to let the leaves cool down slightly before the next brew can produce a different experience—give it a try.
Over time, some aged teas may develop off-flavors due to improper storage. You can try to mitigate this by using high temperatures and multiple rinses. Brewing with a purple clay pot also helps correct these flavors.
Tightness and Compactness of the Leaves
Generally, tightly compressed and heavier teas require smaller amounts of leaf and slightly higher water temperatures. Higher temperatures help awaken the tea. Once tightly compressed teas start to open up, their compounds dissolve quickly, so use less leaf.
When brewing tightly compressed and aged teas, control the brewing rhythm. Typically, start with a slower initial rinse and then a quick pour-off. After a few quick pours, slow down the pace and give the tea a rest. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find another great cup of tea in your hands.
Coarseness and Fineness
Finer Pu'er teas, like palace-grade Pu'er, don't hold up to multiple infusions and can be brewed using the “root retention method,” where not all the tea liquor is poured out to maintain flavor stability. Control the water temperature to avoid over-extraction, especially avoiding high temperatures and multiple long rinses that can cause unnecessary loss of valuable compounds, diminishing both the taste and drinking value.
Coarser and older teas require much more leaf and longer brewing times. High-temperature brewing or even boiling can be used.
Level of Fermentation
Heavily fermented teas have milder flavors and require boiling water and longer steeping times. Conversely, teas with less fermentation should be poured off quickly, otherwise, the infusion will be overly concentrated and unpalatable.
Uniformity and Size of Leaves
Finely broken teas dissolve faster and require quicker pour-offs.
Storage Conditions
Teas made from good raw materials, processed well, and stored properly are the easiest to brew. They are pleasant no matter how you brew them. If there are slight storage issues, like a slight off-flavor, increase the number of rinses. However, if the tea has deteriorated due to poor storage, even the most expensive tea loses its value for drinking.
Amount of Tea Used
This is a relative matter, depending on the drinker's preferences, the number of people, and the size of the brewing vessel. Generally, use less Sheng Pu'er compared to Shou Pu'er, less new tea compared to aged tea, and less fine tea compared to coarser tea. For particularly coarse tea, simply add more tea and continue brewing. There's no need to be overly cautious when deciding on the amount of tea to use.