My Tea Journey Begins: Exploring the Art of Aging and Reroasting

Hello tea lovers! 

I'm thrilled to embark on this new adventure, sharing my passion for tea and the exciting world of aging and reroasting. This blog will chronicle my journey as I experiment with different teas, refining techniques, and ultimately, offering unique and flavorful teas to you.

Reconnecting with My Roots:

Lately, I've been exploring other tea-related crafts – from tea oil soaps and incense to papermaking. While I love the creative possibilities these offer, I've realized that some of my original subscribers might be missing my focus on the simple art of tea drinking. I've been thinking a lot about how to bring those two worlds together: how to infuse my handcrafted approach into the tea itself.

Adding Creativity to the Cup:

My question became: how can I add a touch of creativity and handcraft to the tea experience, making it truly different? Aging tea, of course, is a craft in itself, one that I'm eager to develop further. With the aged teas I already have on hand – oolong, white, green, and Pu-erh – I see a path forward.

Here's a summary on tea roasting, extracting key facts and serving as a foundation for future discussion:

The Art of Re-roasting (or Re-waking):

Beyond aging, I'm exploring the art of re-roasting, or as I like to think of it, re-waking the tea. This process serves three crucial purposes:

1. Purification: Reroasting helps to drive off any excess moisture that might have accumulated during storage. It also helps to dissipate any unwanted smells or off-flavors that the tea may have absorbed from the storage environment, essentially "cleaning up" the tea.
2. Flavor Enhancement: The second purpose of re-roasting is to awaken the original flavors and aromas of the tea, bringing them to the forefront. It's about enhancing the inherent qualities of the tea, not masking them.
3. Shelf-Life Extension: By reducing moisture and eliminating potential contaminants, re-roasting can extend the shelf life of tea, allowing you to enjoy its optimal qualities for a longer period. This is particularly beneficial for delicate teas prone to spoilage.

Roasting Methods:

• Charcoal Roasting: Traditional method relying on the roaster's expertise to control temperature and time. Manual stirring ensures even heating, resulting in a unique sweetness (Gan甘).
• Electric Roasting Machine: Modern method using electronic controls for temperature and time. Automated, high-volume, consistent quality, but may lack the sweetness of charcoal roasting and can make tea harder to store long-term.
• Electric Heating Basket: Combines aspects of charcoal roasting and electric machines. Uses electric heating elements and a bamboo basket for heat distribution. Requires manual stirring but offers electronic temperature control. Quality falls between charcoal and electric machine roasting.

Different Roasting Techniques (Fire Levels):

• Gradual Heating: Incrementally increasing temperature to induce different chemical changes in the tea and stabilize quality. Suitable for Oolong, Jin Xuan, and high mountain teas.
• Cyclic Roasting: Repeated roasting at a consistent temperature, primarily to remove unwanted flavors. Suitable for black and green teas.
• Jump Roasting: Multiple roasts spaced months apart. Used for Tieguanyin Oolong to develop its characteristic rich and mellow flavor profile.

Other Key Points about roasting:

• Purpose of lower temperature (100°C and below) is to reduce moisture content in the processed tea leaves to 3-5% for better preservation.
• Optimal roasting temperature is between 100-120°C (212-248°F). Higher temperatures can scorch the leaves.

Aged and Roasted: A Unique Experience:

What can you expect from these aged and roasted teas? Imagine:

• Oolong: Aged oolongs can develop rich, mellow notes of dried fruit, honey, and spice. Reroasting can further enhance these flavors, adding a toasty warmth and depth.
• White Tea: While less common, aging white tea can soften its grassy notes and bring out subtle sweetness. Gentle roasting might add a delicate nuttiness.
• Green Tea: Aging green tea can mellow its vegetal character and develop intriguing savory notes. Careful roasting could add a touch of smokiness or toastiness.
• Pu-erh Tea: Pu-erh is renowned for its aging potential, developing earthy, woody, and sometimes sweet notes over time. Reroasting can further refine these flavors, creating a truly unique and complex cup.

The Journey Continues:

I'm at the beginning of this exciting journey, and I'm eager to share my discoveries with you. I'll be documenting my experiments with aging and reroasting, sharing tasting notes, and offering insights into the process. Stay tuned for updates, and join me as I explore the art of handcrafted tea! Feel free to comment!