Wodui
Definition
The wet-piling fermentation step used to make shou (ripe) pu-erh, in which damp maocha is heaped and turned over weeks to accelerate microbial transformation. It mimics decades of natural aging in roughly 45 to 60 days.
Why it matters
Wodui was developed in the early 1970s at the Kunming Tea Factory as a way to deliver aged-tasting pu-erh on a commercial timescale. Sun-dried maocha is piled in large heaps, sprayed with water, covered with cloth, and turned periodically. Microbial activity raises the internal temperature of the pile, often above 50 degrees Celsius, driving rapid oxidative and microbial fermentation. The process radically transforms the chemistry of the leaf, breaking down catechins into theabrownins and other dark pigments, removing astringency and grassiness, and developing the characteristic earthy, woody, sometimes camphoraceous notes of shou pu-erh. The pile is monitored carefully because over-fermentation produces sour or muddy results while under-fermentation leaves harshness. Wodui is what separates shou (cooked, ripened) pu-erh from sheng (raw) pu-erh, which is left to age naturally over years or decades. Master fermenters in Menghai and Kunming are highly prized for their ability to coax clean, deep flavor from the pile.