Pu'er tea is best brewed with Water at 100°C. Pu'er tea is made from Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried green tea, with high-quality raw materials and rich internal substances. It has the distinct characteristic of improving with age. Using boiling water at 100°C not only preserves the tea's vitality but also facilitates the release of its internal qualities, flavors, and aromas.
The Advantages of brewing Pu'er with Boiling Water:
It quickly extracts the tea flavor, allowing the aroma to volatilize and the effective components in the tea to steep out. For aged teas, brewing with boiling water can highlight their unique characteristics, such as the softness of Yiwu, the elegance of Bulang, or the boldness of Ban Zhang, which can be quickly discerned!
Additionally, cakes, bricks, and compressed teas made from coarser leaves are also well-suited to brewing with boiling water.
However, it's important to note that there can be differences in the boiling point of water in various regions, meaning that even when the water appears to be boiling, it may not reach a temperature of 100°C.
The Disadvantages of Brewing Pu'er with Boiling Water:
If the Pu'er being brewed is made from tender, high-grade buds, high-grade green cakes, or newer loose teas, too high a water temperature can cause excessive tannins to dissolve, resulting in bitterness.
Therefore, to brew these types of Pu'er teas well, one should use slightly cooler water and pour out the infusion quickly to avoid turning the delicate leaves into a “single-time” tea due to high temperatures.
If you want to brew directly after boiling the water, you can lower the water temperature by Pouring from a greater height.
The Water Temperature for Brewing Pu'er Tea:
The control of water temperature plays a crucial role in the expression of the tea's character. High temperatures help release the aroma and speed up the extraction of the tea flavor. However, they can also bring out bitterness and scald some high-grade teas. The ideal water temperature varies depending on the type of tea. For example, coarser cakes, bricks, compressed teas, and aged teas are suitable for brewing with boiling water; tender, high-grade bud teas (such as newer imperial Pu'er), and high-grade green cakes are better brewed with slightly cooler water. Avoid using high temperatures that could scald the delicate tea and turn it into “cooked tea.” When brewing some high-grade new green teas, in addition to cooling the water directly, you can also remove the lid or pour boiling water from a higher distance to reduce the water temperature, preventing the tea from becoming overly cooked and developing a “water-stewed” aroma.
Moreover, the altitude and atmospheric pressure in different regions affect the boiling point of water. For example, most areas in Yunnan are highlands where the boiling point of water is lower than in plains and coastal areas. The boiling water temperature here is generally around 94°C, suitable for brewing most ripe Pu'er teas. Beijing is a plain area but still has an elevation, and the boiling water temperature can range between 96°C and 98°C depending on the weather. Ripe Pu'er teas should be rinsed twice before brewing with boiling water, meaning water above 95°C is most suitable for brewing good Pu'er tea. For Pu'er “raw tea,” except for some exceptions, most can be brewed directly with boiling water.
Considerations When Brewing Pu'er Tea:
The water temperature for brewing Pu'er tea should be above 90°C for the aroma and flavor to be more pronounced. However, the water should not be repeatedly boiled, as repeated boiling leads to the precipitation of salts, which form white floating residues. As the water evaporates during boiling, each time it boils, the concentration of salts increases. These insoluble salts have a very poor taste and can react with the components of the tea, affecting the taste of the infusion. Some metal elements, like copper and Iron, increase in concentration in repeatedly boiled water, reacting with the tea polyphenols and spoiling the aroma. Moreover, water that has been repeatedly boiled contains nitrite, which, when ingested, forms carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body.