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Brewing Red Tea is quite simple, but most people worry so much about ceremony, length of brewing and water temperatures that they forget to enjoy the tea. Of course the other factors are important, but you must remember that it’s all about the tea. Both the brewing times and water temperature are for reference. Everyone’s taste is different and you may find that you prefer your tea to be a bit stronger, or weaker. An excellent rule of thumb when brewing Red Tea is that if it tastes good to you, then it is brewed properly.
Brew the tea the way that tastes best to you. You will find as you continue to drink tea that your tastes will have changed. This is normal. In the beginning you will worry about the technical aspects of tea, but as time goes on, you will find that you no longer think of them and just brew tea by feel. So relax, take a deep breath and enjoy tea.
The Tea
Like most things in life, when it comes to Chinese Tea, you get what you pay for. When it comes to purchasing tea, get the best you can find because the differences between cheap and expensive teas are huge.
Water
Often overlooked, water is crucial to bringing out the best flavors and aromas of your Red Tea. For brewing Red Tea it is recommended that you do not use tap or mineral water, the minerals and additives will alter the taste of the tea. The best water for brewing Red Tea is spring or filtered water. In the China's ancient past, people would travel for days to get water from a particular spring or well and many teas had water sources that were well known as being the best for a particular type of tea. If you are using an electric tea pot to heat your water it is important that you do not just let it run on automatic. The constant reheating of the water will also alter the taste of the tea you are drinking. Water should be taken as seriously as the leaves and tea ware.
Tea ware
There are many different utensils used in brewing Red Tea and which one you use is totally up to you. Originally leaves were taken fresh from the tea and then thrown into a pot of boiling water. Over the centuries, the process has been refined and today's tea ceremonies and brewing techniques are much more complex, but brewing a simple cup of tea, without ceremony is also possible.
Gaiwan: In the Qing Dynasty, the Gaiwan was invented for brewing and drinking Green Tea, but recently the Gaiwan has become popular for brewing other types of tea. A Gaiwan is a large lidded cup which sits on a saucer. The leaves are put directly into the cup and hot water is added. The drinker then pours the tea into a small tea pitcher, or directly into teacups.
Teapot: Many people prefer to use a teapot to brew their Red Tea. This way is very traditional and normally a Yixing or porcelain teapot is used. This way of brewing tea is ideal because you can simply pour the tea out to stop the brewing process. Normally the teapots are smaller than English teapots because the leaves are left in the pot and if filled with water, the tea can become bitter. Some modern teapots have filters in them so that you can remove the leaves to stop the brewing process.
Brewing the Tea
For a 12oz teapot, it is recommended that 2 Tablespoons (4 grams) of Red Tea is used. The water you brew your tea with should be just around 212 degrees Fahrenheit and the tea should be brews from under one minute to 2 minutes.
Use of a Thermometer
Many people prefer to use a thermometer to ensure the water temperature is correct. Of course using a thermometer will give you a much more accurate reading, but will take away from the freedom and enjoyment one should feel when enjoying tea. The choice is, of course, entirely yours and you should do what is most comfortable to you.
Why is the water temperature so important?
White, Yellow, and Green Teas become bitter if brewed with high water temperatures, but Red Tea requires very hot water. The water you use should be freshly boiled to bring out the wonderful flavors of your Red Tea.
Brewing Times Each tea is slightly different when it comes to brewing time. Because of the robust flavors of many Red Teas, some brew extremely quickly and you may find it easy to overbrew your tea. The best rule of thumb is to begin with a smaller amount of leaves and a quicker brew until you find what works best for you.
The Steps for Brewing Red Tea
1) First you must select the type of vessel in which you wish to brew your tea.
2) Rinse the vessel with hot water to remove dust and heat it.
3) Add the leaves and pour the water over the tea leaves. It is best to pour the hot water in from a higher elevation than the cup so that the leaves can swirl in the water, which ensures that the leaves are equally brewed.
4) Wait for the leaves to brew for less than 2 minutes. Adjust to meet your own tastes.
5) Enjoy the tea.
