DOUBLE PITCHER BREWING - Is it better than Gong Fu for Green Tea?

If you visit a China teahouse you will often see Green and Yellow Tea being brewed in open vessel glass. Sometimes, the Double Pitcher brewing method is used and I have heard many people say that it is better than Gaiwan brewing. Let's put this to the taste test and see which is the winner.

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*CORRECTION IN VIDEO
42:50 I say that this is 'THE' standard way for brewing Green Tea in China but what I meant was that this is 'A' standard way of brewing Green Tea in China. They will also use Grandpa and Gong Fu.

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[MeiLeaf]

CORRECTION
Watching this video back I note that a couple of times I state that this Double Pitcher method is THE' standard way for brewing Green Tea in China but what I really meant was that this is 'A' standard way of brewing Green Tea in China. They will also use Grandpa and Gong Fu and other methods.

[aidanm.]

I'm so glad I don't have to learn a new brewing method. Gongfucha forever! 🤣

[ocram]

I use my own double pitcher brewing method for this kind of teas and in my opinion the results are quite good as a Gong Fu style brewing. Just a couple of differences from your procedure in the video. I put a sort of lid over the pitcher during the brewing time and i pour the whole infusion. The reasons are quite obvious. Flavors do not dissipate, the most tastiest part of infusion does not remain in the pitcher and does not get ruined by over steeping. And i can smell the wet leaves. Time, water ratio, temperature are the same as yours.

[danielcheng]

I've never seen anyone or tea shop using the Double Pitcher method in Taiwan, but many elder teachers/professors in school like the Grandpa method. They like Grandpa method just for convenience and usually with very cheap tea. On the other hand, in some restaurants serve tea brewed in large closed tea pots for each table, and waiters will add hot water when they're empty (customer usually flip the lid on the pots to show it's empty). This is kind of like the Double Pitcher method but with the lid always closed.

[mindplays]

Alternative title: Roasting Double Pitcher Brewing for 45 minutes :D

[valerietomlin]

Seems you could get the pitcher brewing asthetic by using a clear glass gaiwan. I do most greens "low and slow": 75-80 degrees for a minute or so with a slightly higher (5-6 gr./100ml) leaf-to-water ratio. For me the low temp avoids bitterness and the extra leaves brings up the sweetness and vegetal notes. Heaven. 🙂

[codysmith]

Bi luo chun actually got me into true tea a few years ago when I was having stomach issues. I had no idea what tea I had and thanks to your green tea videos, I was able to identify it and now I'm sitting on roughly 10 kilos of good teas. Thanks for the healthy (mentally, physically and socially) addiction! #meileafaddictsanonymous

[beth.]

Really liked this demonstration, because I've run into similar problems when trying to do this with the Flute Brewer. Especially with Bi Luo Chun (any Bi Luo Chun), wich gets really astringent, when I leave it sitting in the water (at lower than 70C!). – I was going to suggest the Flute Brewer as a better option, but then you did this yourself. 😄 Up to now, I've found that most green teas do better in the gaiwan, but if you don't have that much time for a session, the Flute Brewer with leaf:water ration halfed and not much more than 1 minute steeping time to start is fine. And I pour all out between infusions and double the recommended time additions for the next infusion. – Anyway, the only tea, with which I've consistently preferred Grandpa Style over gaiwan brewing so far, is Yellow Tea. It seems to be too delicate for my taste buds so far. But I might try to up the leaf:water ratio with yellow teas next.

[benreeve]

I almost always prefer gongfu style, but I will occasionally use grandpa style if the tea I'm drinking has larger leaves or has very low harshness.

I agree with your assessment that the oxidation idea is a bit suspect. The extra brewing time of those remaining leaves must have at least as big an impact on flavor as the oxidation. My theory on why this method is common in shops is simply the time. You get through the experience in fewer infusions and less time so the store can move more tables. It's just more practical from a service perspective. That's my thought anyway.

[guillermolledowolkowicz]

Maybe it's because you selected these teas using the gong fu brewing. Maybe people think the double pitcher method is better when they brew the teas that they selected in a double pitcher tasting.

[leeennise.a]

i witnessed this today with a green sheng. leaving the leaves in air over the hours and multiple infusions, the aroma on the leaves went from roasted & grassy to dank and sweet. i imagine, if i had left the leaves in water, maybe the dankness won't have appeared

[florian]

Just tried double pitcher the first time ever with a yellow tea (Huang Ya), that I have felt it is lackig when brewed gong fu. I found it is super brisk, light and elegant. Double pitcher brings out FULL SPECTRUM sweetness and fruitiness (peach), warmth and promotes a beautiful hui gan. Definitely amazed with this method for this kind of tea. I have used a regular porcelain teapot 🫖 with the lid open and left in the water just as you did.. Haven't tried it with green tea but definitely will do! What are your thoughts about Double pitcher and yellow tea?

[TitleDS]

For green teas I normally use standard western style parameters, 5-6 minutes in a closed brewing device then decant all the liquid. I can get full flavor profile with more mellow mouthfeel from this approach. If I want to taste high bright aroma I will go for the primitive "Leaves in the bowl" method.

[CatBats]

Ever since you introduced me to gongfu I rarely do western unless on holiday or unless I’m a guest. Very interested in grandpa brewing but your right it’s less likely to be accurate unless you drain leaves completely which wouldn’t be grandpa brewing. I usually keep western brewing for more non traditional teas for example a tea called Vicky sponge cake which is Sri Lankan black tea with freeze dried raspberries and raspberry leaf or if it’s something like rooibos that would just mess up the gongfu decanter strainer.

[Viniter]

I have a glass gaiwan for my green teas. It's not very practical for high temperature brews but it's perfect for greens. Beautiful presentation and great taste.

[beth.]

I'd like to add, that sometimes I leave the tea leaves in the water for the very last infusions, so as to get the most out of them, but even then the resulting brews are quite watery. – An exception is, when I brew sheng at half gong fu ratio in the flute brewer, I usually leave the leaves in water after the 3rd steep, but I only do that when I have very little time (always a winner for that) or when I get a sheng that doesn't present high aromatics but shines more through sweetness and creaminess. Still, in those cases I have to go down very low in temperature and drink quickly or I'll get too much astringency. And meanwhile, I mostly just up the leaf:water ratio for gaiwan brewing or use a yixing pot.

[TheAminoamigo]

Now that I think about it, this double pitcher method seems reminiscent of the Japanese method of brewing tea. So to find out why it doesn't work so well, it may help to make comparisons. Japanese Chado tends to use less leaf, more water, cooler water, longer brewing time but _much finer leaves_. Perhaps the double pitcher method actually works best with very fine leaf like anji bai cha. It would be an interesting experiment to try this with sencha or gyokuro (but without retaining some tea on each infusion) to see if this indeed correct.

[Verilo]

I've been brewing chinese green teas gong fu style and then I've heard they are better brewed in grandpa style or in glass, left in water between infusions.
I tried few green teas that way and... I did not like it, I still think that gong fu is better.

[SUNGLD]

Flute Brewer should do the trick.
If you want to cool down faster i would try to skip pre-heating and leave the lid of.

[ArThePig]

I agree with you Don that double pitcher’s texture is dryer. I personally also prefer gongfu style. Especially bi luo chun defintely must be gongfu. Double pitcher ruins the taste and makes bi luo chun much more astringent.