{"id":900314,"date":"2026-10-25T17:34:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T09:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sandao.com\/how-to-brew-keemun-black-tea\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T17:34:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T09:34:46","slug":"how-to-brew-keemun-black-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sandao.com\/de\/how-to-brew-keemun-black-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Brew Keemun Black Tea: Gaiwan and Mug Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For a first gaiwan session, try 3 g of Keemun in about 100\u2013120 ml of water at 90\u00b0C (194\u00b0F), then decant after roughly 10 seconds.<\/strong> This is a starting point for short infusions, not a universal recipe. Smaller Gongfu leaf pieces can release flavor quickly; larger leaves and a larger mug may need more time.<\/p>\n

The useful habit is simple: measure the leaves, know the vessel’s working capacity and separate the finished tea from the leaves. The three methods below follow the brewing sequence in the source photographs.<\/p>\n

A starting recipe you can adjust<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Vessel<\/th>\nLeaves and water<\/th>\nFirst infusion<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Small gaiwan<\/td>\n3 g \/ 100\u2013120 ml; around 90\u00b0C \/ 194\u00b0F<\/td>\nAbout 10 seconds, then drain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small gravity brewer<\/td>\n3\u20135 g \/ 120\u2013180 ml brewing chamber; around 90\u00b0C \/ 194\u00b0F<\/td>\nStart short, around 10\u201320 seconds; release fully<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Everyday infuser mug<\/td>\n2\u20133 g \/ 250 ml; 90\u201395\u00b0C \/ 194\u2013203\u00b0F<\/td>\nTry 2 minutes, taste, then remove the basket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

These are practical trial recipes. A mug with twice the water and half the leaf concentration will not behave like a gaiwan. Use the maker’s directions when supplied, then adjust for your cup and your taste.<\/p>\n

Method 1: gaiwan brewing<\/h2>\n

Warm the vessel and measure the tea<\/h3>\n

Rinse the gaiwan, pitcher and cups with hot water, then discard that water. Warm porcelain helps you begin at a more predictable temperature. Handle the hot lid and rim carefully.<\/p>\n

\"Warm
Warm the gaiwan before adding tea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Add about 3 g of tea. A small scale is more reliable than a teaspoon because a curled Xiangluo and a fine Gongfu tea occupy different volumes.<\/p>\n

\"Measure
Measure the dry leaves before brewing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Add water, then decant completely<\/h3>\n

Pour in water around 90\u00b0C. Begin timing as the leaves meet the water. For the first trial, pour out after about 10 seconds; remember that the time it takes to empty the gaiwan adds to the total contact time.<\/p>\n

\"Pour
Pour hot water into the gaiwan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Decant
Decant the gaiwan into a sharing pitcher.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Drain into a sharing pitcher, then serve. Keeping leaves out of the finished tea prevents the last cup from becoming much stronger than the first. On later infusions, add time gradually, perhaps 5\u201310 seconds at a time, guided by taste rather than a fixed number of pours.<\/p>\n

\"Pour
Pour an even serving from the pitcher.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Method 2: a gravity brewer<\/h2>\n

A gravity brewer holds tea in an inner chamber and releases it when you press a control. Check the chamber’s capacity before copying a recipe intended for the whole outer cup.<\/p>\n

Add loose tea to the inner chamber, then pour in the hot water. With 3\u20135 g in a small chamber, start with a short steep. Press the release control as soon as the tea reaches the strength you want.<\/p>\n

\"Add
Add loose tea to the inner chamber of a gravity brewer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Add
Add hot water to the brewing chamber.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Use
Use the release control to drain the infusion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wait for the infusion to drain, then pour it into a drinking cup. If the release is slow or clogged, the leaves keep steeping; clear and clean the brewer before the next session.<\/p>\n

\"Serve
Serve the drained tea in a separate cup.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Method 3: a mug with a removable infuser<\/h2>\n

For an ordinary 250 ml mug, try 2\u20133 g rather than copying a concentrated gaiwan dose. Put the leaves in the basket, add 90\u201395\u00b0C water and taste after about 2 minutes. Extend the steep if needed, then lift the basket out.<\/p>\n

\"Add
Add tea to the removable basket of an infuser mug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Pour
Pour hot water over the tea in the basket.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lift
Lift the infuser basket to end the steep.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The original photo sequence uses a larger dose for short, repeated infusions. Either approach can work; the ratio and steeping time need to agree. Rest the basket on a clean lid or saucer, away from the drinking tea.<\/p>\n

\"Keep
Keep the basket separate from the finished infusion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If the tea is bitter, thin or slow to open<\/h2>\n