Leaf-to-Water Ratio: How Much Tea to Use
The question we're asked most when brewing pu'er is, "How many grams should I use?" Leaf amount is the first variable in brewing. Get it right and water temperature and time are easy to adjust; get it wrong and every fix afterward is a bit of a stretch.
Start with a Ratio
It's easiest to think of leaf amount as a "leaf : water" ratio. A few common reference points:
| Situation | Leaf-to-water ratio | In a 110 ml gaiwan, about |
|---|---|---|
| Gongfu brewing, savoring slowly | 1:15–1:20 | 5.5–7.5 g |
| Everyday large cup in Yunnan tea country | 1:40–1:45 | 2.5–3 g |
| Sensory evaluation | 1:50 | About 2.2 g |
Gongfu brewing uses more leaf and shorter times, following the changes infusion by infusion; large-cup brewing uses less leaf and longer times, one cup to the end. Tea tasters evaluating pu'er use 1:50, for example 3 grams to 150 ml or 5 grams to 250 ml; the internationally used ISO 3103 tea evaluation method also uses 2 grams per 100 ml, likewise 1:50. Evaluation aims for fair comparison, and there's no need to copy it for everyday drinking.
Conversions for Different Vessels
| Vessel | Capacity | Suggested leaf |
|---|---|---|
| Gaiwan | 110 ml | 5–6 g everyday, 7–8 g for savoring |
| Gaiwan | 150 ml | 6–7 g everyday, 8–10 g for savoring |
| Small Yixing teapot | 150–180 ml | 7–9 g raw, 8–10 g ripe |
| Mug | 300 ml | 3–4 g, steep 2–3 minutes |
| Thermos | 500 ml | 3–5 g, remember to keep the leaves separate |
| Large teapot | 1,000 ml | 6–8 g |
An 8-gram dragon pearl falls right in the range for a 110–150 ml gaiwan, so there's no need to weigh dragon pearls; one pearl is one session. See How to Brew Dragon Pearls.
Measuring Without a Scale
A small electronic scale accurate to 0.1 gram costs just a few hundred NT dollars and is the most accurate option. When you don't have one, you can estimate like this:
- Look at the bottom of the gaiwan: pried cake tea spread over the bottom of a 110 ml gaiwan in a single layer, so you can barely see the porcelain, is about 5–7 grams.
- Use your palm: with your hand open, a piece of pried tea about the size of your thumb tip is mostly 3–5 grams. This method has a wide margin of error, so adjust after the first infusion.
- Look at the volume of loose tea: loose ripe pu'er is denser, about 3–4 grams per level teaspoon; loose raw pu'er has fluffier leaves, only about 2 grams for the same spoonful.
Don't worry about the estimate. One sip of the first infusion tells you: if it's too strong, shorten the time; if too weak, lengthen it. You can correct from the second infusion on.
What Happens with More Tea?
With more leaf, the liquor gets strong quickly, bitterness and astringency become more noticeable, and steeping times have to be very short. Many longtime tea drinkers like "lots of leaf, quick pours": a bit more tea, pouring off at about 5 seconds each time, for a thick liquor with concentrated aroma that isn't too bitter. Beginners doing this can get flustered, so start from the middle of the range.
Conversely, with too little tea, the first few infusions are fine, but after four or five it's too weak to hold up, and you end up lengthening the time again and again, with thin liquor in the later infusions.
Adjusting for Raw, Ripe, Young, and Aged
- Young raw tea: bitterness and astringency are more noticeable, so use the low end of the range.
- Ripe pu'er: low bitterness, quick to release flavor, so the middle of the range is fine; heavily fermented ripe tea brews very quickly, and too much leaf easily makes it too strong.
- Aged raw tea: settled in taste, so use a bit more leaf to let the aged aroma come through.
- Tea with lots of broken leaf: releases flavor quickly, so use a little less or pour off faster.
- Tightly compressed tea: dragon pearls and iron cakes release flavor slowly in the first few infusions, so use the usual amount and steep a little longer.
One Person, Two People, a Whole Table
A 110 ml gaiwan pours about 90–100 ml per infusion, enough for 2–3 30 ml tasting cups. With more people, rather than adding more leaf, switch to a larger pot; for 4–5 people, use a pot of 200 ml or more, with 10–12 grams of leaf in proportion.
Note Down Your Own Number
After a few sessions, write down "this tea, this gaiwan, this many grams tastes best." For example: one Bingdao dragon pearl in a 120 ml gaiwan, or 7 grams of loose ripe pu'er in a 110 ml gaiwan. Next time you brew the same tea, start from that number and skip the trial and error. If you get a new gaiwan, just convert once based on its capacity.
FAQ
How many grams of pu'er should I use? In a 110 ml gaiwan, 5–6 grams for everyday and 7–8 grams for savoring; in a 150 ml gaiwan, 6–10 grams. One 8-gram dragon pearl is exactly one session.
What if I don't have a scale? Pried tea covering the bottom of a 110 ml gaiwan in one layer is about 5–7 grams; after the first infusion, adjust the strength with time.
What if I've used too much tea? Shorten the steeping time to about 5 seconds, or switch to a larger vessel for the next infusion; no need to pick out leaves.
How much for a mug? 3–4 grams in a 300 ml mug, steeped 2–3 minutes before straining out the leaves.
What ratio do tea tasters use? For evaluating pu'er, 1:50, for example 3 grams to 150 ml or 5 grams to 250 ml, much lighter than everyday brewing.