This year's tea market is particularly cold, so cold that I wanted to cancel the Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation plan made in spring. However, after much discussion with several partners in the fermentation, they were all very excited. The raw material payment has been made, and the tea farmers have verbally reserved the dry tea. There's no way around it; we have to proceed.
Lao Ban Zhang tea farmer's outbound record and bank account
Detailed raw material information: May-June 2018 Lao Ban Zhang mixed harvest of large and small tree raw tea
Raw material weight: 140 kg
Fermentation process goal: ripe tea with the feel of aged raw tea, preserving as much as possible the charm of Lao Ban Zhang raw tea
Raw material payment date: July 14, 2018
Fermentation watering date: August 9, 2018
Fermentation pile start date: August 25, 2018
Total fermentation time: 17 days
Close-up of raw material
Pile resting time: August 26 - September 15, 2018
Total resting time: 21 days
Total time from watering to completion of resting: 38 days
Fermentation degree: less than 60% ripe
Weight after resting and bagging: 110 kg
Loss: (140-108)/140 = 21.4%
Yield rate: 78.6%
Taste Evaluation:
The tea soup is bright red, full-bodied, with strong Lao Ban Zhang charm and a distinct aged raw tea feel.
It can be said that the fermentation achieved the predetermined goal. Of course, we look forward to everyone's feedback.
Fermentation Record:
(Complete copy from my WeChat Moments, WeChat ID: ynwuse, not a single word changed. All text and images are true records. Welcome to discuss and exchange.)
After piling the tea on the 304 fermentation platform
Watering on the 304 fermentation platform at Houyue factory
Day 1 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Today the weather in Menghai is very good, sunny, a good day for fermenting ripe tea. Watered yesterday, today the tea is soft and thoroughly moist, feels smooth like silk, and smells fresh and fragrant, but not pungent.
2018.8.09
Day 2 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The tea looks similar to yesterday, little change. The pile temperature has risen to 43°C. The tea aroma is starting to become turbid. Fermentation is the process of aroma turning from clear to turbid. Overall, it's going smoothly.
2018.8.10
Day 3 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The surface of the Lao Ban Zhang pile looks similar to yesterday. Digging inside, white fungus has appeared, and the temperature has reached 53°C. Fermentation is proceeding smoothly!
2018.8.11
Day 4 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The pile temperature is 51°C, slightly lower than yesterday. White fungus is more abundant than yesterday. The aroma is not as pungent as yesterday, gradually turning from turbid to clear.
2018.8.12
Active fermentation fungus
Day 5 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The pile temperature is 49°C. The pile smell is stronger, and fungus is everywhere.
2018.8.13
Day 6 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Perhaps too many people came to see and frequently turned the pile, so the temperature couldn't rise. We turned the pile once temporarily yesterday. Today the temperature is sufficient: 58°C! The aroma turns to vinegar-like. Fermentation is proceeding smoothly without danger.
2018.8.14
Pile temperature 60°C
Day 7 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Today the pile temperature reached 60°C. The fungus is thriving, and the aroma is turning slightly wine-like, still very pleasant to smell. So far, the fermentation is going very smoothly. We will provide samples at half price as soon as we start the pile. Welcome to follow!
2018.8.15
Day 8 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The pile temperature is still good, nearly 60°C. The white fermentation fungus is highly active and still fills the entire pile. The aroma seems to have more ripe tea fragrance, a slight wine aroma mixed with ripe tea fragrance, very pleasant.
2018.8.16
Day 9 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The pile temperature is relatively high, 63°C. The white fermentation fungus is still very active, and the aroma is similar to yesterday.
2018.8.17
Day 10 of fermentation
Day 10 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The fermentation temperature is slightly lower than yesterday, 62°C. The fungus is starting to decline, and the aroma has a faint camphor fragrance. It is expected to turn the pile tomorrow. Fermentation is proceeding smoothly.
2018.8.18
Manual pile turning
Day 11 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Entering the 11th day of Lao Ban Zhang fermentation, today we break up the clumps and turn the pile. Ripe tea fermentation is piled; the temperature and humidity of the pile cause the tea to clump. Our Houyue Lao Ban Zhang fermentation uses manual clump breaking, all for a good Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea.
2018.8.19
Day 12 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Yesterday was the second pile turning. Today the temperature reached 65°C, which is high, so we need to be more cautious. The fermentation pile has a slight wine aroma, with a faint camphor fragrance mixed with wine aroma, very pleasant.
2018.8.20
Day 13 of fermentation, pile temperature 68°C
Day 13 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
The fermentation fungus is all white, indicating good tea quality! The pile temperature is higher, 68°C. It's impressive that a small pile can reach such a high temperature. The ripe tea fragrance in the pile is getting stronger, mixed with camphor fragrance, still pleasant. Except for controlling the temperature not to be too high, there are few uncertainties at this stage. Let's look forward to this being a good Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea!
2018.8.21
Day 14 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Today the pile temperature is 61°C, down quite a bit. The ripe tea fragrance is more obvious than yesterday. The four pictures starting from the third are tea taken from the middle of the pile for tasting. The tasting result shows very obvious Lao Ban Zhang characteristics, especially the unique charm of Lao Ban Zhang raw tea. The claim that Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea is not good can be refuted. You can look at the tea leaves; they appear quite active. It's still semi-finished, and the leaves are slightly green.
2018.8.22
Day 15 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
This afternoon we turned the pile. Before turning, the pile temperature was 63°C, and the ripe tea fragrance was stronger. The pile turning is completely manual, using hands to break up the tea clumps one by one. The workload is large, but the loss is small, fewer tea heads, and the strips of ripe tea will be more complete after fermentation.
2018.8.23
Day 16 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Yesterday we turned the pile. Today the pile temperature is 66°C. I often say that tea should be made ripe; whether raw tea, ripe tea, black tea, or white tea, it should be made thoroughly ripe and complete, so that the tea soup tastes smooth and the body feels comfortable. The ripeness of ripe tea must be linked to temperature. As for how many degrees are needed to be ripe, I am still learning and will determine it later. But it is certain that the pile must reach above 60°C and maintain it for a period. This time, our Lao Ban Zhang fermented ripe tea has no problem with ripeness. Let's look forward to other surprises.
2018.8.24
Day 17 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation.
Today the pile temperature is 64°C, and the fermentation degree is about 60%. We start the pile and begin resting. The fermentation stage is over. Next is resting, which takes 2-3 weeks to complete.
Today I drank two infusions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Both were surprising: the soup is sweet, with obvious Lao Ban Zhang characteristics, long aftertaste... very pleasant!
2018.8.25
Day 18 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation (Day 1 of resting).
Yesterday we started the pile; today is the first day of resting. Resting takes about 2-3 weeks. This process is very critical: the temperature must not be too high or too low, and drying must not be too fast or too slow. If not done well, it may become sour, dry, astringent, or lose activity. Since our Lao Ban Zhang pile currently has no pile smell or off-odors, we don't worry about that, but we must be careful about other aspects.
On the first day of resting, the temperature is still around 50°C. It's raining in Menghai, so humidity is high; this temperature is still good.
From now on, we may not broadcast daily. Welcome to continue following our Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation. We will share any updates promptly.
2018.8.26
Resting pile
Day 24 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation (Day 7 of resting).
Resting is letting the fermentation pile dry in an orderly manner.
Today is the 7th day of resting. The temperature is 33°C, and the moisture content of the pile is about 15%. The surface of the rough ripe tea still has a slight white frost.
Today I opened a brew. The tea soup is basically clear, with almost no pile smell. The soup is smooth, with a cool sweetness that is very pleasant. The charm of Lao Ban Zhang raw tea is well preserved, very captivating...
Samples should be distributed around the 10th. Welcome to follow!
2018.9.1
Day 31 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation (Day 14 of resting).
The moisture content of the pile tea is estimated at about 12%. The stems are already hard and can be easily broken. In another 3-5 days, it can be bagged. At that time, I will post the last fermentation record.
The taste is fragrant, moist, thick, and smooth, with a slightly stronger flavor than last time.
This time, focus on the soup color. See Figure 8, in order from left to right, top to bottom, a total of 20 infusions' soup colors. The 21st image is the combined soup color. The first 7 infusions are 15 seconds, the 8th to 12th are 30 seconds, the 13th and 14th are 60 seconds, the 15th to 19th are 120 seconds, and the 20th is 180 seconds.
Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea samples can be sent before the 20th of this month. Now you can pay to reserve. Scan the code to pay 100 yuan, and we will send 20 grams of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea sample via SF Express with free shipping, plus two other Houyue ripe tea samples as gifts. Welcome to request!
2018.9.8
Bagging
Day 38 of Lao Ban Zhang ripe tea fermentation (Day 21 of resting).
This is the last record of this Lao Ban Zhang fermentation. The moisture content is about 12%, and it has been bagged. Generally, after bagging, it will dry completely in a few weeks. When completely dry, the moisture is 7-8%. It's better to press into cakes after a few months.
Many people participated in this tasting, and there were various opinions. Most affirmed the tea quality, and most believed it has the feel of Lao Ban Zhang aged raw tea.
However, many questioned such light fermentation. Personally, I think the most important thing is that ripe tea is made ripe, with a smooth soup that doesn't harm the body. If the raw material is good, light fermentation can be used to maintain the tea's strength and retain the taste and charm of raw tea.
If you want to know more, please scan the code to pay 100 yuan. Around the 20th, we will send 20 grams of tea sample via SF Express. I also hope you can give me your feedback.
2018.9.15
Tasting record:
The tea soup is bright red, full-bodied, with strong Lao Ban Zhang charm and a distinct aged raw tea feel.
Outer packaging
Cake surface
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This article is original. Reproduction must not delete this statement. The article and images are original. Author: Lü Jianfeng, WeChat ID: 673998, working at 51 Pu-erh Net, initiator of Houyue Crowdfunding Tea.
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