HOW TO BREW TEA - PRACTICAL STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL

[@TS-eo9uf]

"Tea should not be about digital scales" - I got a good chuckle coming from the coffee space, where everything is grind size, bean:water ratio, and obsessively staring at the scale! 🤣

[@michaelfranciotti3900]

I actually dove into the world of espresso recently. Been binge watching tons videos over the past 2 months (mainly Hofmann and Hedrick ofc). I also had a similar reaction lol.

[@marcjacobson757]

This channel has completely revolutionized my experience of tea. Thanks so much for these amazing videos.

[@rishabhsinha4765]

I sense this being a slippery slope from wanting to step up from a bowl to amassing every gaiwan out there haha. Lovely video

[@blueredyns7392]

I had been drinking loose-leaf tea off and on, wishing it was better, and then in a last stitch effort to rekindle my love of tea, I found Mei Leaf and Don and Celine. Needless to say, it's been life changing, and I rarely go a few days without sitting down and having a session. Thank for the past three years of gong fu joy!

[@athenosadamson9713]

This how I used to brew tea back in high school! Very nostalgic, it brings me back.

[@jasonblack4208]

Why did you stop? Its never too late

[@athenosadamson9713]

Jason Black Love doing strict, ceremonial Gong Fu Brewing every now and then.

[@CaryCotterman]

I've been brewing loose-leaf tea for thirty years (often incorrectly), and I'm learning a lot from your videos that is improving my tea experience. You are the professor of my University of Tea. Thanks!

[@finneh6145]

In case you're searching for something specific :) 0:00 Introduction 0:40 Single Bowl Brewing 2:05 Single Bowl, g/100ml ratio 2:15 Single Bowl, Temperature 4:30 Single Bowl, Pouring 4:55 Single Bowl, Infusion 5:50 Single Bowl, Drinking 7:35 Simple Gong Fu 8:05 Simple Gong Fu, g/100ml ratio 8:10 Simple Gong Fu, Temperature (same as bowl brewing) 9:30 Simple Gong Fu, Pour and cover 10:30 Simple Gong Fu, Straining 11:30 Simple Gong Fu, Drinking 12:15 Simple Gong Fu, additional info 13:00 Introducing a Gaiwan 14:10 Gaiwan, Rinse 15:10 Gaiwan, Pur and cover 15:50 Gaiwan, Straining 16:15 Gaiwan, Drinking 16:30 Brewing for multiple persons 17:20 Multi-person, Rinse 18:30 Multi-person, Pour and cover 19:15 Multi-person, Straining 19:35 Multi-Person, Serving 19:45 Multi-Person, Drinking 20:00 Final thoughts

[@loganvararok8710]

I ruined a couple of great teas trying to brew gong fu with a gaiwan and no experience, and this „back to the basics“ was really what I was missing, thanks!

[@robinwallin1050]

Hey Don (and Celine). Thank you for all the tea wisdom and knowledge that you share! Answering your call for more topics. Since tea is 99% water, maybe a video on water itself? Quality, difference in hardness, viscosity, etc. Spring, tap, bottled, etc.

[@ayw481]

For a couple of months I started my gongfu tea journey with a rice bowl and a lid. Even before that, I brewed tea with two glasses and also a strainer. Now I have a gaiwan, which is more convenient and gives me a better experience, but the function is the same: to brew some delicious tea! So there's no excuse for not brewing gong fu lol

[@celticlass8573]

Don introduced me to loose-leaf tea (and gong fu) in early 2019. I'd tried making loose-leaf tea and found it very acidic, but wondered if loose-leaf perhaps needed to be brewed differently than a tea bag would. Immediately I found this channel, and a new tea head was born (well, I was one already, but I'm MUCH more than I used to be!). The difference in the resulting brewed tea, using the exact same tea I'd tried earlier, was incredible. I don't have any tea ware yet, I haven't found anything I like enough to purchase (I have a very small kitchen, so it needs to be something I really love, since I'll just have the one set), but I've been doing gong-fu using the weight/time/temp chart Don put out, which is on the door to my fridge. I even bought a kettle which could be set to different temperatures for different types of tea, after watching his video on that subject. After learning how to brew properly, I discovered that not only is there an enormous amount of different teas to choose from (it was pretty shocking when I learned about that), but I'd always thought I didn't like green tea. Turns out I didn't like sh*t green tea lol. I'd found it very harsh on my palate, and I thought green tea was just like that, but boy was I wrong. Anyway, my (rambling) point is that I still do gong-fu with just a porcelain cup, and steeper/strainer similar to what Mei Leaf sells, though not nearly as nice, that I got at a thrift store locally. Eventually I will have a proper pot (that's my main goal), but for now, it's still use-what-I-have, and my tea is delicious. :)

[@nicholas389]

Gaiwans are affordable : ))

[@AmbidextrousCrafter]

I just started with loose leaf tea 2 years ago but was too scared to brew gong fu style so I have been brewing western style using a French press and now I feel ready and brave enough to try gong fu. Today I started with the grandpa style brewing method and a thermos to hold the water and so far so good. The tea definitely tastes a lot better compared to western style brewing. Now I’m on the hunt for a gaiwan.

[@celticlass8573]

@@nicholas389 They are, but they're not sold around here (one was, which I purchased, and it had no thermal insulation so when I picked it up I burned the heck out of my fingers). A small pot is now what I've set my sights on. :)

[@celticlass8573]

@@AmbidextrousCrafter It's pretty crazy what a flavour and texture difference there is, when doing Gong Fu!

[@Epiidevvy]

I was like "there's no way he's saying 'duck shit'" then I looked at the description 🤣 🤣 🤣

[@levigriffin5553]

I have some, and it’s delicious!

[@aidanm.5461]

Don: "I'm not going to make things excessively complicated." // Me: *cries in geek*

[@SethiestSeth]

8:46 you're welcome

[@kiraPh1234k]

Brewed my first whole leaf tea (some dragonwell) using gong fu style today. Best tea of my life :) can't wait for more, going to buy my first gaiwan tomorrow!

[@fidli]

I started on 2 bowls brewing without equipment. I used fork instead of strainer :D Totally works

[@ooSLEEPWALKERoo]

Thanks for the video. I'm already deep in the gong fu gang for years, but that's how i started experimenting with tea and now I have something to show to interested but innocent friends.

[@herrys6752]

so many tea in our tradition, from very simple tea leaf, tea leat mix with some herbs, lemon grass, "secang wood", cinnamon, ginger, jasmine, rose, or other certain flowers.

[@Apollo440]

The most simple, bowl method, was not known to me and strangely - surprised me the most with those intricate details. Like blowing away the leaves being not a chore, but rather a part of the ritual. Or that the water temperature has to be lower for this method.

[@shawhit8155]

What a great video. Three years later and you're still helping us newbies. Thank you. :)))

[@robertchandler587]

I love his emphasis on just chill and relaxed and on the experience of the actual tea

[@jakef.7126]

Currently trying the grandpa brewing style for the first time. I saw it for the first time in relationship with the Chinese police inviting people for a "cup of tea". I also saw this brewing method in Taiwanese, Chinese and Hong Kong films, but mainly in Taiwanese films.

[@GilbertBarrierLaDanseduSilence]

Funny coincidence we published the same type of video at the same time. That's a good thing to have more content like this to make it easier for everyone wishing to start this journey. Gong fu cha can really bring a Zen element to our daily life

[@teaandphysics3846]

The second version of brewing you showed is exactly how i used to brew tea before i bought my gong fu tea eqipment. Nostalgic :)

[@jellocubez7]

We've just moved into our first house and for months we've been brewing out of a silicone oxo measuring cup, pouring through a kitchen siev into an enamel mug for portioning. We've finally upgraded to a famille rose set we got in Chinatown but are excited to start collecting more!

[@olejakob9216]

Now THATS my style of gongfu! I live in a college-like situation but this I can definitely do! Can’t wait to try it !

[@Heeevs]

I wanted to learn more about tea because I haven’t had tea like this before. Glad I found someone so passionate about it and such a good teacher! Keep up the good work

[@herrys6752]

our tea tradition every morning, afternoon or if any guest come to our house is, just put some leaf tea and brew it for minutes then pour the tea into a cup. It can be served with sugar or not.

[@normalisgone]

I've been loving my Gong Fu tea tray, but something about the simplicity of this is super appealing!!

[@sameleg]

I just found out about this channel about 1 month ago, and I immediately interested in tea. i love the way don express how he feels. thanks don. I wish I could taste high quality tea haha

[@brokemage1395]

He has a website that has a whole lot of tea. You can get some samples for around $10 at most. Meileaf.com.

[@aimeedacosta6864]

I love the way he describes the tea after smelling it.

[@supersonicyou]

Love this video. Sometimes people forget that different teas (and with different quality) need different methods to get the best of them. I sometimes love to throw some mid quality oxidized buds in a cup and drink them with breakfast. Super easy, cheap and delicious :)

[@CalebMush]

I've been using a french press. Built in strainer; perfect.

[@georgebowman1060]

I appreciate this video and the different sections for different occasions. I'm ordering my set soon 🙂. When I get it, you know what, I''ll post it right here haha.

[@kathywestcott9742]

Loved the simplicity of your tea tutorial thanks for sharing

[@pip5528]

Even seasoned Gong Fu teaheads need a refresher!

[@overratedprogrammer]

I use arch btw

[@aimeedacosta6864]

I can not wait to start investing in gongfu, but first I feel I need to watch more of your videos!! I want to know exactly what I am doing first; with this channel I will be well equipped.

[@MichaelOKC]

Thank you for this video!!! I don't know how I stumbled upon this channel but I am glad I did. I'm a life long coffee drinker, been drinking it since I was very young... I never really cared for tea, but I have only had name brand bagged tea. Being a 'coffe snob', I realize that I haven't Truly "Tried Tea" and I Am using this channel to guide me on my new adventure!

[@agskater1914]

This was very refreshing, thank you Mei Leaf

[@iareburgman]

Awesome video. New to the channel but this is great stuff. Love your approach and advice to use feel to enjoy tea brewing and drinking! I had doing a similar version of gong fu with oolong for a few years but this is really like opening the door into a whole new world of tea enjoyment. Cheers

[@mean-honey]

I started brewing in my little french press, works totaly fine, but then my brother gave me a gaiwan, which just felt a bit more authentic and injoyable.

[@catria.kirby369]

OMG thank you I been watching your videos with anxiety about the equipment... YES I'M ENJOYING SOME TEA FOR SLEEP TONIGHT!!! *totally rinsing lol*

[@mrmoose6765]

I just use a french press and grandpa brew it with the press, pumping it to increase the surface area of the tea leaves against the water. It brews it fast and efficiently and you can get the full range of flavor/bitterness from it with no leaf bits in your mouth as long as you have a good screen in your press.

[@robertdavis1783]

Good content. Tutorial videos that cover something start to finish like this are good.

[@unbdld42]

Thank you Don!

[@Jerry_9997]

When I was firstly trying loose leaf tea, I was using only two mugs and little kitchen sieve. 😂 And one bigger more resistant mug to boil water on the stove, because I didn´t wnat to use the plastic electric kettle. It was some Vietnamese green tea from local Vietnamese convenience store. It probably wasn´t much quality, because we are not much tea-country. Then I have bought cast-iron kettle and Tie Guan Yin, I didn´t know about Gong Fu yet. I don´t know, but I still use watches or stopwatch, maybe I am to much westerner and want to do it accurately.

[@guidoferri8683]

I was just looking for a video like this in your channel

[@jswagg193]

Thanks so much for this video! I've been wanting to move on from western brewing for a while. I'm using the bowl method for my teapot that has a filter in the spout. Eventually I will move on to Gong Fu!

[@TheStrataminor]

I have to admit I have never heard anyone speak about tea before like this! Is it just me, or is Chinese tea really addictive and makes you feel happy?

[@dennisjohansson5716]

Awesome learning more about teas!

[@-queensteatable6302]

I respect your passion for the tea, and I like your channel too!

[@warrencanonigo]

I am loving my tea more coz of u

[@Apollo440]

I remember seeing two V-shaped (the walls not being 100% vertical) glasses being put on top of each other, in order for the tea leaves from the bottom glass not to pass through, when pouring tea from it. This would be an variation of the second method, presented in this video, minus the strainer.

[@FulcrumGhost]

I loved this

[@muhammadrezadestianto2911]

Thank you for the knowledge! I'm from Indonesia and I hope that in the future there will be an Indonesian subtitle. thank you!

[@maksspiga1106]

:D the light sabre of gong fu brewing! :D... yes, this is a great metaphor. (...now I feel like I'm a jedi :D)

[@gediminaskontrimas7992]

Extremely interesting. Thank you very much.

[@adamfroman7983]

Just awesome videos only! Thanks so much!

[@lucazanotta7349]

Very, very good video. ☺️🙏☺️

[@Contessamy]

Hmmm Interesting video, I really dig it!! Thank you for the video, Don. I suppose tea is essentially a bowl of water with tea leaf in. Philosophy strikes again!

[@sorv5790]

Just tried my hand at Gong Fu brewing today, thanks to your videos. I have a beautiful clay gaiwan, perfect for dark oolongs and shou pu ehr. I did a western style vs Gong Fu and oh my gosh... I feel enlightened. Thank you for this wonderful channel!

[@AjniraBloom]

Thank you Don, great to know if you want tea in a jiffy.

[@miehiiep]

Amen

[@alexair1737]

Thx for the video. It's a good one for me as a true-tea-ambassador. By the way, where is the plate from? I love it!

[@MeiLeaf]

Charity shop purchase by Celine's mother.

[@freestyleliving4145]

I love the way gong food tea taste and you're getting more nutrition from using more leaves but I hate having to make it 10 × 2 do all that I was curious the amount of nutrition and caffeine is fiend in just 2 or 3 infusions compared to 1 or 2 Western style for 3 minutes I want the most amount of nutrition and strength in the tea Obviously there's more in the one where you use 3 times more leaves but I don't want to take the time to do this is there a hybrid way where you could brew a minute to a minute too a 1/2 with high leaves

[@jacobgrisham268]

Hello! I live roughly half of the year in a place where I don’t/cannot have access to a scale (am there currently) and was wondering if you or anyone here in the comments knew what a rough conversion from grams to teaspoons for the types would be, or a rough guideline for how much to use in that measurement? I know teas weigh different amounts and this is not ideal but even a super rough example would be great! Thank you For all the tea content! You are facilitating a new addiction

[@jackcorsobarbiere-it7645]

1 little spoon 5g, 1 full glass 250 ml

[@jacobgrisham268]

@@jackcorsobarbiere-it7645 thank you!

[@cheyneturbyfill4727]

At the introduction of your video you show to use around 2-3 gram of leaf for brewing solo. Do you increase that amount for the number of friends that you are sharing with?

[@lucreziasalvatore21]

Hello! I love you videos and you passion about tea! I was just thinking that it would be great if you could write the name of the equipment :) That would be lovely! Thanks for sharing your videos and your knowledge! Lulu

[@TheStrataminor]

Is GongFu tea brewing really better for flavour? I am new to Chinese teas (I lived in Japan and my Japanese wife's father is a Tea Ceremony Master...lol)...but love Chinese tea is amazing....I am in love! Love this channel!!

[@X4XP11]

Waaaaaaay better than western style. You will feel that you have discovered tea for the first time in your life. But make sure you buy high quality loose leaf tea in the beginning to get the real experience.

[@denisdraxler8231]

0:42 Your Pai Mu Tan from/with the special bags?

[@Daniel-dl6cu]

How would you measure out the tea and the water? Do you use teaspoons? What are your tricks?

[@cyrilmadrid1]

One thing is what temperature to brew. But what about what temperature is best to drink it ?

[@Keyboard12850]

Am I the only one who use gong dao bei for solo brewing? xD I'ts convenient to me because I can do more brews at once and see nice colour nicely. Tea is also chilled faster to drink right away after brew. It add nice feeling to drinking, too. It's nice to pour from it to your cup 2/3 times before you do next steep. Btw I have teatray (water catcher) but I use sink for rinsed tea. I have it just to easier transform teaware and tea set looks nice on it. It also helps when wate will go next to the cup/gaiwan etc

[@grimcze]

I need to make tea and enjoy drinking beverage. I really don't enjoy tea like this. So how i get all what is in tea leaves like that.

[@felixbrandau4751]

That’s minimalism. : )

[@danylokozynets9364]

Fork should be super good enough to play a strainer!

[@mynameisnia]

It's 2 AM here.. and I want to brew a tea.

[@sandanceagle]

Thank you for this video! I loved all the information! Do you have any suggestions about how to keep the water on the right temperature between the infusions? Thermos? Cast iron teapots? I do have an electric kettle with a "hold temperature" feature but sadly it's in the kitchen and I usually brew my tea in the dining room. Any ideas? Thank you!

[@AmbidextrousCrafter]

A thermos or any vacuum insulated water bottle should do the trick and keep the water temperature the same for at least 4 hours provided of course you seal the lid back on after every pour.

[@sandanceagle]

@@AmbidextrousCrafter thank you!!

[@ChickenJoseph]

That transition in the beginning 👀

[@iamadamoi]

Is there any difference in brewing with the tea wares from porcelain and clay?also, is it affecting the quality of the brewing?

[@MeiLeaf]

Oh yes, a big difference and we have done some in depth videos on this subject including an hour video last week if you want to l dive deeper.

[@stephanieolesco2814]

For multiple reinfusions, do you have to multiply the extra time with the number of infusions and add that to your basic steeping time? For example, by the third infusion, 20sec (basic time) + 2x10sec. Or do you just have to do 20sec + 10sec?

[@MeiLeaf]

Third infusion would be 20 sec plus 2x10sec = 40secs. So the first infusion is 20 and then add 10 secs for the 2nd infusion, another 10 secs for the next infusion etc. So 20, 30, 40, 50, 60..... These are starting guidelines and are very crude so adapt according to your tastes.

[@stephanieolesco2814]

@@MeiLeaf Thank you very much for the information! Love your videos :)

[@Serpenzeye]

If I am at higher altitude and my boiling point is 106°, do I have to adjust everything else by about 6°? For example: the green yellow tea is recommended at 175°F, Which is going to be closer to a boiling point at my altitude. So should I actually heat the water to a lower temperature because my boiling point is that 106° instead of 112°?

[@MeiLeaf]

You should follow the same temperatures but it just means that you won't be able to achieve the suggested temps for teas that like really hot water. You can extend the time to compensate a little

[@tropicalfruit4571]

I noticed that people only lift the gaiwan without its pod. I never watched any videos on how to use a gaiwan before I got one and so I assumed you lift the gaiwan with the pod so that you can grab it on top and bottom without burning yourself and not spilling tea all over. I could do it the... I guess proper way, but a gaiwan full of tea feels heavy so I have to press down on it really hard so that it doesn't fall out of my hands and it's not very enjoyable to worry if I will break the gaiwan or not when I make my tea. This all just bring 1 question to mind: what the hell is this pod for? I guess some gaiwans come without it but most of them have a pod and it seems useless if you're not picking it up when pouring tea.

[@THK142]

You can use the saucer when drinking directly from the Gaiwan, traditional style. It also symbolizes Earth in contrast to the lid that symbolizes Heaven. I let you find out what the cup symbolize. I like having a saucer when using large Gaiwan and doing the dubble reverse hamburger grip. This grip also allows children to use normal size Gaiwan. Tldr use the saucer however you find it useful.

[@sherallvernon9490]

Hey Don I just tried the long jing tea and I wanted to tell you does it have like a thickness to it and for me I think I got more like a fish smell then the type of Aromas that you had made mention and I was just wondering if I maybe did something wrong or what side your take on that.

[@askialuna7717]

If it smells and tastes fishy, this is usually an indicator that the tea is bad, probably incorrectly stored due to too much moisture.

[@lntate]

Does this process also work for tisanes?

[@lukisIVIII]

that's how I started out before I bought my first gaiwan, two bowls and a saucer :D

[@KuruGDI]

In this video we will take you through brewing tea step by step and guide you on your first steps of your tea journey, First you take a bowl. Second you take the _duck shit oolong_ Perfect introduction for a novice xD

[@lisajoseph5817]

Phew, this makes me feel better about the box of Chinese tea samples a friend sent me. Would you believe I brewed my first oolong in a Pyrex measuring cup? ;)

[@alabalala]

what do you suggest for making about 500ml of tea for the whole day in one brewing without using too much tea? Basically being efficient and fast..

[@GoldfinchWoman]

if you infuse 5g, say, of a nice oolong tea with 100 ml you can infuse it five times, into the the same vessel (your thermos) and it's very tasty.

[@TheLPfunnTV]

The only thaught i had after taking my first sip with the two bowl strainer combo was "I have been drinking tea wrong my entire life"

[@sylphossylphos6604]

How do you measure the weight of the tea? My balance is not precise enough to tell me when something is 2 g

[@dum2371]

Then you would have to buy a more precise scale... not much else you can do

[@elith6930]

Hey Don, is it not necessary to preheat the bowl like with the gaiwan?

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes I did mention that I advise preheating the bowl and I actually had done before shooting.

[@Vyruz64]

2:01 "Right, BO-"

[@smilebot484]

I rarely rinse. The first infusion reveals a lot about the tea. If it's like an aged puer I will rinse.

[@FaceEatingOwl]

Yeah I like the first infusion too. It seems a waste of aromatics etc :) If the tea is dusty or whatever I tend to rinse it in cold water first, just to clean it without losing any flavour.

[@laikeatlim8261]

Cool!

[@scyth2]

I've got to try this! But first I need to track down some of that duck shit oolong.

[@chongliu1715]

Do you guys ship to Canada ?

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes we ship worldwide

[@jeffreyrider8383]

TELL ME WHO SELLS THE TOP LOOSE LEAF TEA

[@fjdkfdfjdf33]

i don't have a small bowl in my home.

[@anitapaulsen3282]

I don't drink tea every day. How can this method work for me?

[@X4XP11]

As it’s shown in the video. Follow the steps.

[@anitapaulsen3282]

I forgot to add I can only drink about one cup of tea once a week or so. It's a health problem thing. So gong fu brewing would be wasteful for me as I wouldn't be able to save the wet tea leaves for a whole week until I can infuse them again. But perhaps I could use half the amount of leaves Don uses and just 50 ml of water. At least I could infuse the tea 4x to get a cups worth. Hmm.........🤔

[@X4XP11]

@@anitapaulsen3282 yes you can do that and actually that’s what Don recommends on his tea packets. Leave weight in grams is given per 100ml so for a 50ml of water use half the amount of leaves and keep water temperature and brewing time same. A western cup size is around 240ml, so you can do 5 infusions (usually for green tea). Some teas can give you up to 12 infusions like puerh. Then either give the remaining infusions to someone else or just throw it away. Mei leaf has Solo brewing gaiwan for a size of 60ml which fits 50ml of water up to the lid which is perfect for you. meileaf.com/teaware/tiny-gaiwan/

[@anitapaulsen3282]

@@X4XP11 Perfect, I'll do that then, thank you.

[@IMA93-21]

Did he say duck shit oolong? 🤔