How to Brew Ripe Tea: Deep Red, Never Stuffy
Ripe pu'er is pu'er that has gone through wodui fermentation, with a deep red liquor, a mellow mouthfeel, and very little bitterness or astringency. It's the first pu'er many people fall in love with. Ripe pu'er is easy to brew, but it has its own temperament: the pile taste needs to clear, the temperature needs to be high enough, and it mustn't be left to stew. Master these three things and you'll brew a pot that's "deep red, never stuffy."
Basic Parameters for Ripe Pu'er
| Item | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Teaware | Yixing pot, thick-walled porcelain gaiwan, glass teapot |
| Leaf | 6–7 g in a 110 ml gaiwan; 8–10 g in a 150 ml pot |
| Water temperature | 100°C, boiling |
| Rinse | 2–3 times, about 5 seconds each |
| Infusions 1–3 | 10–15 seconds |
| Infusions 4–6 | 15–20 seconds |
| Infusion 7 onward | Add 10 seconds each |
How Many Rinses for Ripe Tea?
We suggest rinsing ripe pu'er 2–3 times, 1–2 more than raw tea, for two reasons: first, tea after wodui sometimes carries a "pile taste" like straw or damp earth, and an extra rinse helps that smell dissipate; second, ripe pu'er is tightly pressed with plenty of fines, and an extra rinse helps the leaves unfurl and gives a cleaner liquor.
The key to rinsing is speed: pour it off after about 5 seconds each time. Rinse too many times or too long and good flavor goes down the drain too. For new ripe tea with a heavy pile taste, rather than rinsing hard, pry it open and let it rest somewhere ventilated for a few weeks. Details are in Rinsing and Awakening Tea.
Why It Has to Be Boiling Water
Ripe pu'er's aroma and sweetness need high heat to come out; when the water isn't hot enough, the liquor tastes thin and the pile taste doesn't clear easily. Don't skip warming the cups and pot, and when pouring, you can use a high, fixed-point pour onto the leaves to make them tumble.
What If It's Too Strong?
Ripe pu'er releases flavor quickly and the liquor darkens fast, so the most common mistake is brewing it too strong. Fixes:
- This infusion: add a little hot water to the fairness pitcher and dilute it to the strength you like.
- The next infusion: don't add time, or even cut 3–5 seconds, pouring off as soon as it's filled.
- The whole pot: if you used too much leaf, use 1–2 grams less next time, or switch to a larger pot.
Liquor color is a great guide: good ripe pu'er has a deep red, clear liquor like a ruby; if it's so dark no light gets through, it's too strong.
Avoiding a Stuffy Taste
A "stuffy" taste in ripe pu'er usually comes from two things: liquor not fully drained, or brewed liquor left sitting in the pot. Drain fully after every infusion, and pour any liquor you can't finish into the fairness pitcher rather than back into the pot. If you take a break partway through, open the lid to let the leaves breathe.
Which Pot Suits Ripe Pu'er?
- Yixing pot: the classic pairing. It holds heat well and has tiny pores in its walls, making ripe pu'er full and rounded. A pot dedicated to ripe pu'er becomes a pleasure to use over time. For clays and shapes, read Yixing Clays and Pot Shapes.
- Jianshui purple pottery pot: a local Yunnan clay pot that also holds heat well and suits ripe pu'er nicely.
- Thick-walled porcelain gaiwan: doesn't absorb smells, convenient for comparing different ripe pu'er.
- Glass teapot: lets you enjoy the bright red liquor; it cools faster, so lengthen the first few infusions slightly.
Other Ways to Brew Ripe Pu'er
Ripe pu'er is low in bitterness and astringency, which makes it the most forgiving pu'er to "just brew":
- Mug: 3–4 grams in 300 ml, steep 2–3 minutes, then strain.
- Thermos steeping: 3–5 grams in 500 ml, steep 3–5 minutes and pour out. See Thermos Brewing.
- Boiling: 5–8 grams with 800–1,000 ml of water, simmered over low heat for 3–5 minutes.
- Milk tea: brew it strong and add milk. See Pu'er Milk Tea.
Ripe Pu'er at Different Fermentation Levels
Lightly fermented ripe pu'er has a bright red liquor leaning orange, with a bit of raw tea's liveliness, and you can pour off faster, following raw tea's rhythm; heavily fermented ripe pu'er has a dark liquor and releases flavor extremely fast, so 5–8 seconds is enough for the first few infusions. Fermentation levels are explained in Fermentation Levels in Ripe Pu'er.
Ripe Pu'er's Aroma and Liquor Color
Good ripe pu'er, once brewed, commonly shows aged, jujube, woody, and glutinous (nuo) aromas, with a deep red, clear liquor. If newly made ripe pu'er still carries a faint pile taste, it clears after a few more infusions or after the tea has been pried open and left for a while. When brewing, hold the fairness pitcher up to the light; a clear, bright red is the most beautiful. For aroma vocabulary, see Terms: Pile Taste, Nuo Aroma, Sweet Aroma, Caramel.
FAQ
How should ripe tea be brewed? Boiling water at 100°C, 6–7 grams in a 110 ml gaiwan, rinse 2–3 times, 10–15 seconds for the first 3 infusions, then lengthen with each infusion.
How many rinses for ripe tea? 2–3, about 5 seconds each; new ripe tea with a heavy pile taste can be pried open and rested for a few weeks first.
What if ripe tea is brewed too strong? Dilute it with hot water and don't add time for the next infusion; use 1–2 grams less tea next time.
Which pot suits ripe tea? Yixing pots and Jianshui purple pottery pots are the classics, and thick-walled porcelain gaiwans and glass teapots work well too.