Green Tea Forum

gotheanine · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 30 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

I just tried making some gyokuro, and im confused with the results...
I used three tablespoons of leaf for 12 oz of water at 145 degrees on the first infusion. Brewed it for 2 and a half minutes. The result was a very pale, only slightly green colored tea.....And the taste wasn't terrible, but i cannot believe that this is the true gyokuro experience...It just isn't very full-bodied or rich, and there is so much leaf in the mixture! I did a second infusion with the temp at 155 degrees and the result was a bit greener and richer tasting, but i still feel like im doing this wrong.... Is this common for gyokuro to have a paler green color? The leaves are VERY green when they expand, but it seems watery......Maybe the sencha that i normally brew is just a richer greener color than gyokuro? Help please!

okimasa · Posted: Jul 10, 2008 11:25 am Post subject:

You're a little on the hot side at 145F. About 130F would be better. Also, you probably need more leaf. You need four or five tablespoons for 12 oz.

If you still don't have good results, you may have low quality tea. Gyokuro tends to be more expensive then Sencha, so if you paid less then $25 (for like 100g bag) chances are you have a low quality Gyokuro or its just old.

Chip · Posted: Jul 10, 2008 8:02 pm Post subject:

A good rule of thumb is a gram of gyokuro per ounce of water...simple to remember! Of course to use this, you need a digital scale.

I tend to go as little higher in the amount of leaf, but for gyokuro I only brew 3-5 ounces at a time.

It is critical to preheat everything when making gyokuro...did you preheat your pot and cups?

britt · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 175

I brew gyokuro in very small amounts of 1.5 ounces. I use 1/2 tablespoon, which comes out to 4 tablespoons per 12 ounces.

I think you will have better control with smaller batches, and if you mess up you won't waste as much. Also, gyokuro when brewed correctly should have a stronger, richer taste than sencha and it will have a very thick, heavier consistency. It may be more suitable to drinking, and appreciating it, in small quantities. I brew sencha in quantities between 6 and 12 ounces, but gyokuro only in quantities of less than 2 ounces. Many tea sets made specifically for gyokuro have cups as small as 1 ounce each.

Chip · Posted: Jul 11, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject:

Today, Britt, I brewed 2 ounce steeps...went with 2 grams per ounce (4 grams)...wow, really rich. I loved it. I really like the small steeps for gyokuro I think...makes it feel really special in every way.

Oni · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 194

That is why I spent so much money on a houhin set so I can brew multiple infusions, now I am enjoying a kuradashi gyokuro from maiko, and it has a wonderful deep grassy aroma (an aquired taste of the kuradashi) some people I have shared this, loved it very much, I have compared new gyokuro (super high quality), something like a shincha gyokuro, and now this kuradashi, the new is honey sweet and it lacks the grassy aroma, it is more vegetal, but only lasts 4 steeps, the mature gyokuro maintains the aroma for more than 5 steeps, I liked them both, this is why some producers do not age their gyokuro 6 month, they sell it right away, everything is on the taste buds of the tea enthusiasts.