My passion and love for tea was put into storage for a while, due to family duties.... And now, I am back for a little air.
Here is where my passion hibernate during the past few months.
Storage and aging tea is a very time consuming hobby, little less work then habanos. But still, at least twice a month I have to peep at them. Making sure no mold or anything intruding there sleep.
I keep them in 60-75 humidity and around 40-72 F. No sun and no wind. Just basement storage in North America.
For refine aging at least 3 years up (top pic.)
1. Clean tub, aired for a week and line with bamboo for another week covered.
2. Putting moist bamboo in the tub and cover, until meter reads 65-70. Take a week to stabilize.
3. Put Treasure in. Cover and read meter in 3 days. until meter reads 65-70. Sealed and forget about it.
For normal aging, immediate consummation (bottom pic.)
Leave in basement with mild and low air current (open window once a week). Control with humidifier.
Love the NY weather. So dry and cool in most basement, except summer time.
Will see how these treasure age in 3 years.
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4 comments:
Thanks for sharing these details of storage. Makes my mouth water!
Happy to see you again !
I am really not sure that moist bamboo in a covered tub is a good idea, I even fear it could be dangerous for your cakes and destroy them... They must breathe and especially not be in contact with something artificialy damp, so take care !
A day I tried to add humidity with a humidifier for violin or cello, Maître Tseng (from La Maison des Trois Thés, Paris) told me that it's the worst thing to do. My 20-30 aged cakes might have been killed for ever...
Philippe
LA GALETTE DE THÉ
So.... how are the cakes doing under those conditions?
Thanks Philippe for the concern. Of course anyone will worry about moisture + aging. But locate is more a factor in aging tea. NY have such a dry climate, ranging from 2o's to 50's normally. Not including heating in the winter. From my experience, too dry will certainly affect the taste of the tea. More or less dryness might "kill" them then wetness.
Based on the proper way of aging cigars. 65-70 humidity. I learn that moisture in moderation is necessary. Keeping them in this atmosphere is experience combining labour of love. If I am in Hong Kong or S.E Asia, of course I will switch my humidifier to a dehumidifier.
The key is, as long as you do not put the moisten bamboo leaves (or whatever means to maintain moisture) at the same time with the tea. Just give the bamboo a week to stabilize in the tub, then add the tea into it. They should be fine. Time and patient is the key here. I sometime have to stabilize the tub for 2 weeks before I can even put anything in it. For cigar, I have to stabilize my humidors for half a month before I can think of transferring them....
Hope this make sense and you will be rewarded with some fine details from the little treasure.
All in all, if you are planning to consume them in a year, Don't border! But if you are saving them to last a long time. Refining tech. is the key with proper sealing.
This is easy already, comparing aging oolong! My goodness!! I guess Marshain just got hook by this well kept secret.
Cheers -T
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