Brewing in a kyusu

1. 01

   Measure the leaf

   4–6 g (for two)

   About two heaped teaspoons. When you want a stronger cup, change the amount of leaf rather than the steeping time — longer steeping adds astringency faster than it adds strength.

2. 02

   Bring the water to a full boil

   Take it to 100°C / 212°F first

   If the chlorine smell of your tap water bothers you, holding it at a boil for a few minutes helps. Even when you want cool water, boil it first and then let it come down.

3. 03

   Let it cool

   5–10°C (9–18°F) per vessel

   Pour it into the cups to cool. That warms the cups at the same time, so the tea stays hot longer once poured. How far it falls depends on the vessel, its temperature and the volume, so reaching gyokuro range takes several transfers, a pause, or a thermometer.

4. 04

   Pour into the pot

   Enough to submerge the leaf

   Cover the leaf completely. Don't shake the pot hard or press the leaf — that releases fine particles and clouds the cup, and deep-steamed tea especially wants a gentle hand. Put the lid on and leave it.

5. 05

   Wait

   60 seconds for sencha

   Two minutes for gyokuro; 30 seconds for hojicha, genmaicha and bancha. The time varies far more than anything else in this list. Don't move the pot while it steeps.

   Time it→
6. 06

   Pour it all out

   Down to the last drop

   With more than one cup, pour a little into each in turn and go back around, so they end up equally strong. Empty the pot completely — water left behind keeps extracting and turns the second infusion bitter.

7. 07

   Second infusion

   Hotter, 10–30 seconds

   The leaf is already open, so it gives up its flavor fast. Use hotter water and cut the time hard — steeping it as long as the first will usually come out astringent.

• It's bitter or astringent→
• It tastes thin and watery→
• The liquor is cloudy→
• The spout keeps clogging→
• The second infusion is bitter→

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