Set up the brew
Prepare tea, a gaiwan or pot, cups, hot water and optionally a fairness pitcher and scale. Start around 5g per 100ml, then change for leaf density, roast, age and personal taste.
Method, step by step
Warm the vessel if desired, add leaf, smell it, then pour water evenly. Decant completely after a short infusion. Repeat while adding a few seconds only when the cup becomes light; tightly compressed tea may need a brief rinse or slower first infusion.
How to adjust by taste
If bitter or drying, shorten time, reduce leaf or lower temperature for delicate tea. If hollow, use more leaf or hotter water before simply extending every infusion. Change one variable at a time.
Practical guidance
For a medium-roast oolong, try 6g in a 100ml gaiwan at 95°C: 15, 15, 20, 25 and 35 seconds, then extend by taste.
Identification and caution
There is no single authentic gongfu formula. Chaozhou, Wuyi, Taiwan and modern tasting practices differ; parameters should serve the tea and drinker.