Mylar bag vs pumidor in a desert apartment

[Roomtone]

Question or objective: see whether added humidity is worth maintenance
Tea category: puer storage comparison
Exact product: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake
Vendor: Cloudstep Tea
Origin: Lincang, Yunnan
Cultivar, if known: assamica
Harvest season/year: 2022
Processing or roast: raw puer cake
Cake/batch number, if relevant: cake/lot noted above where applicable; otherwise N/A
Purchase/opening date: purchased 2026-06-20; opened 2026-08-22
Storage since purchase: as described in the storage experiment below; temperature/RH logged where relevant
Style: gongfu testing
Vessel: 100 ml gaiwan
Vessel material: porcelain
Nominal and actual filled capacity: 90 ml filled
Filter or strainer: lid gap
Kettle: standard electric kettle + thermometer
Vessel preheated: yes
Dry leaf weight: 6 g
Water volume: 90 ml
Water temperature: 96°C
Water source or mineral profile: filtered tap water, Arizona
Rinse: 5-10 s where noted by the recipe; otherwise none
Infusion schedule: 8/10/12/18/30 s
Agitation: none
Was each infusion completely decanted?: yes
Aroma: mylar brighter; pumidor rounder
Sweetness: similar
Bitterness: similar
Astringency: pumidor lower
Body/texture: pumidor fuller
Flavour: apricot, hay
Aftertaste: similar
Number of satisfying infusions: 8
Exact problem: dry-climate storage comparison over nine months
Desired result: see whether added humidity is worth maintenance
Variable changed: storage system
Previous value: sealed Mylar
New value: 65% RH pumidor
Result: pumidor tea softened faster but picked up a faint shared-storage aroma
Dry-leaf photograph: not attached yet
Liquor photograph: not attached yet
Wet-leaf photograph: not attached yet
Video if pouring or drainage is relevant: not relevant

This is a dated storage note rather than a declaration that I have solved aging. The comparison is storage system: sealed Mylar versus 65% RH pumidor. pumidor tea softened faster but picked up a faint shared-storage aroma.

Climate and measurement matter here. If your storage is in a different humidity range, please label it. Failure reports are useful too; I would rather know what went wrong than build a shrine to survivorship bias.

[Heat 74]

Long-term report
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with 65% RH pumidor.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: measured storage in a similar climate.
Change: repeat the session with 65% RH pumidor.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward see whether added humidity is worth maintenance if that variable is causal.
Observed result: pumidor tea softened faster but picked up a faint shared-storage aroma.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Roomtone]

Long-term report
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: repeated sessions over time.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: pumidor tea softened faster but picked up a faint shared-storage aroma.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Heat 74]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: side-by-side or repeated one-variable test.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Roomtone]

Comparable tea
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with 65% RH pumidor.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: firsthand use of a comparable puer storage comparison with similar parameters.
Change: repeat the session with 65% RH pumidor.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward see whether added humidity is worth maintenance if that variable is causal.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Heat 74]

Inference
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: inference from the posted parameters, not a test of this exact tea.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Roomtone]

My contribution is that two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake sounds like a tea and also a minor railway station.

[Heat 74]

Inference
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with 65% RH pumidor.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: inference from the posted parameters, not a test of this exact tea.
Change: repeat the session with 65% RH pumidor.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward see whether added humidity is worth maintenance if that variable is causal.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Roomtone]

My contribution is that two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake sounds like a tea and also a minor railway station.

[Heat 74]

Inference
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: two halves of the same 2022 sheng cake / puer storage comparison in a setup close to 100 ml gaiwan.
Evidence: inference from the posted parameters, not a test of this exact tea.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

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