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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by BioHorn » Jan 24th, '13, 02:05

edkrueger wrote:
BioHorn wrote:water
...
Of course it is water...er, condensation. Same thing, right?

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Math » Jan 24th, '13, 11:11

Evan Draper wrote:
Math wrote:firmly hit the pot a few times against the table
You're going to give poor Marshal a heart attack.
Hahaha, yes, sorry I think I had that one coming. :lol:

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by the_economist » Jan 24th, '13, 12:54

Nothing wrong with banging pots on tables, although I usually do it with a piece of cloth under it, and relatively gently. Not so much to unclog the single hole but to settle the leaves. It feels good to knock leaves into place :D

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by wyardley » Jan 24th, '13, 13:18

I think tapping on an open palm (being mindful of any rings, etc.), is probably safer.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Chip » Jan 24th, '13, 13:22

wyardley wrote:I think tapping on an open palm (being mindful of any rings, etc.), is probably safer.
+1, which is what I also do to dislodge leaves when dumping for cleaning (if a couple shakes do not do the job).

There is also the alternate Bagua method, smashing Yixing pot with a hammer which is guaranteed to remove the leaves from the spout. :twisted:

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by BioHorn » Jan 24th, '13, 19:01

wyardley wrote:I think tapping on an open palm (being mindful of any rings, etc.), is probably safer.
I chipped the spout of a Zen8Teapot with my wedding ring. That was a cheap lesson.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Alucard » Jan 12th, '14, 01:17

I tried a single hole yixing pot today and it got clogged fairly often with rolled oolong. I do a quick rinse and let sit for a minute then 30 sec for the first infusion. The leaves were not fully opened and completely clogged the spout. I gave up on it and went back to the gaiwan. I guess I'll need to stick to a flat or round filter.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Tead Off » Jan 12th, '14, 05:32

Alucard wrote:I tried a single hole yixing pot today and it got clogged fairly often with rolled oolong. I do a quick rinse and let sit for a minute then 30 sec for the first infusion. The leaves were not fully opened and completely clogged the spout. I gave up on it and went back to the gaiwan. I guess I'll need to stick to a flat or round filter.
I use many pots with a single hole for many different kinds of tea. Depending on the tea, there can be some minor clogging. This is easily alleviated with one of the tea tools that come with the inexpensive sets, or using a simple toothpick. After a couple of brews, the pot usually stays free of clogging for the rest of the session. Occasionally, a teapot will become very stubborn and clog repeatedly. The solution is to use a different tea with it. For me, this is a minor inconvenience if the pot is worth brewing in. When you know your pots, you will know exactly what to do to either prevent or minimize this. Many of the great old Yixing pots are single holed. It would be a shame not to be able to enjoy those.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by theredbaron » Jan 12th, '14, 08:26

Tead Off wrote: Many of the great old Yixing pots are single holed. It would be a shame not to be able to enjoy those.

All of my Yixing pots are single holed.
I prefer them that way.
As to clogging - happens at times, especially with tighter rolled oolongs. But as many have stated - a simple pinching tool does the job. No need to buy one, just use a pocket knife, a piece of bamboo or wood, and whittle your own.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Alucard » Jan 12th, '14, 11:02

I can unclog just fine but I'm left with overbrewed tea. You're right that once the leaves expand it does not clog. This with other issues like dripping from the lid some thing fierce, a cracked handle at the base (likely from shipping), and later in the day i dropped the lid and now has a small chip :(, makes using this pot frustrating to use rather than relaxing and enjoyable. At a $120 lesson I'll need to be more selective with my next pot, but it's hard when buying off the internet. Sorry for a bit of venting here.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Tead Off » Jan 12th, '14, 11:27

Yes, it can be frustrating buying on the internet. Knowing how to ask the right questions can help. Trying to achieve perfection is not easy even if you are able to inspect a teapot before you buy it. In most cases, it is not possible to brew tea before you buy so there is always the chance that something can bug you about how the teapot performs.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by the_economist » Jan 12th, '14, 16:16

I find that many pots with good clay are single hole. Unless you want to be stuck using modern clay or restrict yourself substantially from pots with good clay, I would try to get used to single hole teapots. Put in a 10 cent filter if you need to.

Can we see a picture of the crack? Most pots have lines/flakes here and there due to touch-up clay, most are just cosmetic. A real crack would make the pot quite unusable but it sounds like you still can pour.

As to lid fit, I think one get around is to pour gently rather than tilting the pot abruptly to a large angle. Even if it does dribble, its usually not an issue with brewing (that's what tea trays are for, catching drips). My own pots almost all drip at least a little from the lid if I pour too quickly, particularly the pots that I think are from before the 90s. I usually pour slowly and let the first bit of tea flow down the spout before the pour stream forms properly.
[see point 2 on Marshaln's post here: http://www.marshaln.com/2014/01/things- ... that-dont/]

Again, if these things matter that much, you're probably going to be stuck using modern pots with modern clays. Even into the 90s, a yixing pot with great workmanship would cost quite a lot more than $120, whereas if you buy brand spanking new pots, many of them will have 'perfect lid fit' and 'no drip' for not very much money, but not very good clay.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Alucard » Jan 12th, '14, 16:28

the_economist wrote:I find that many pots with good clay are single hole. Unless you want to be stuck using modern clay or restrict yourself substantially from pots with good clay, I would try to get used to single hole teapots. Put in a 10 cent filter if you need to.

Can we see a picture of the crack? Most pots have lines/flakes here and there due to touch-up clay, most are just cosmetic. A real crack would make the pot quite unusable but it sounds like you still can pour.

As to lid fit, I think one get around is to pour gently rather than tilting the pot abruptly to a large angle. Even if it does dribble, its usually not an issue with brewing (that's what tea trays are for, catching drips). My own pots almost all drip at least a little from the lid if I pour too quickly, particularly the pots that I think are from before the 90s. I usually pour slowly and let the first bit of tea flow down the spout before the pour stream forms properly.
[see point 2 on Marshaln's post here: http://www.marshaln.com/2014/01/things- ... that-dont/]

Again, if these things matter that much, you're probably going to be stuck using modern pots with modern clays. Even into the 90s, a yixing pot with great workmanship would cost quite a lot more than $120, whereas if you buy brand spanking new pots, many of them will have 'perfect lid fit' and 'no drip' for not very much money, but not very good clay.
I have a few emails back and forth with the vendor regarding the leaking (lid fit) and he said the same as you. My concern is not a few drops but having it trickle out of the lid, leaving ~10% of the brew in a puddle on the counter and the rest in the cup. When i pour very slow (low angle) the brew runs down the neck of the spout and causes even more tea to be wasted. Certainly I could have the wrong expectations at using such a pot, but I find it unpleasant to use. I'm not expecting perfection but I think this could be an exception. Please let me know if this heavy leaking is expected from older yixing pots so that I dont make the same mistake twice. Thanks.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by the_economist » Jan 12th, '14, 16:33

In my experience it is. 10% isn't very much, generally I pour off the first bit of my brews in any case (the bit sitting in the spout is supposedly weaker than the rest so I don't mind that it gets 'leaked off' the way you describe). Most people in Asia would brew with a tea table or tea tray because drips are to be expected.

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Re: Ways to keep single hole yixing from getting clogged?

by Alucard » Jan 12th, '14, 16:37

the_economist wrote:In my experience it is. 10% isn't very much, generally I pour off the first bit of my brews in any case (the bit sitting in the spout is supposedly weaker than the rest so I don't mind that it gets 'leaked off' the way you describe). Most people in Asia would brew with a tea table or tea tray because drips are to be expected.
Thanks for the reply. Looks like it's me and not the pot. :shock:

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