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Mar 18th, '13, 20:24
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How long until a pot is dry?

by Muadeeb » Mar 18th, '13, 20:24

I'm on a roll with the noob questions today, so here's another one that's been on my mind- How long does it take for a pot to dry enough before you can put the lid back on?

I leave the lids off my pots after I rinse them out so that they can dry. But what is "dry"? Due to the porous nature of clay, some water gets absorbed into the pot, but is it dry when I can't see that wet/dry interface inside the pot anymore? Or should I leave it off for a certain amount of extra time to be sure? I haven't noticed any off smells in my pots so I think I'm doing OK, but I appeal to the collective wisdom of my fellow TC'ers.

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Mar 18th, '13, 20:31
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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Chip » Mar 18th, '13, 20:31

This really depends on the type of pot and type of clay and firing.

For most pots that are not glazed (unless clay is crackled or porous ... such as Hagi), I endeavor to do final rinses with VERY HOT water which will speed up the complete drying. I want the clay as HOT as possible.

I usually leave the lid off for a couple days, better safe then sorry! I will also place the pot with the spout either turning straight up or down to facilitate its draining and drying ... all kinds of "nasties" can lurk back there if not completely dried ... and this can either be a one time goof up or a cumulative effect.

And if placing into a box or similar, some recommendations go as long as a week.

This may be TMI ... but hard to simply give a number since many factors come into play.

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Mar 18th, '13, 20:41
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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Muadeeb » Mar 18th, '13, 20:41

I should have known that there are parameters for even this. I live in a semi-arid climate, so things seem to dry quickly here. I leave them on a shelf or my desk, none of my pots are fancy enough to come in a box.

Fro the record, I use a hot rinse too, usually just what's left over in the hot water thermos after I'm done drinking. I leave it in there to fully heat before I dump, shake, and rest. The pot, not me. :D

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Mar 18th, '13, 20:51
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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by TIM » Mar 18th, '13, 20:51

Muadeeb wrote:I should have known that there are parameters for even this. I live in a semi-arid climate, so things seem to dry quickly here. I leave them on a shelf or my desk, none of my pots are fancy enough to come in a box.

Fro the record, I use a hot rinse too, usually just what's left over in the hot water thermos after I'm done drinking. I leave it in there to fully heat before I dump, shake, and rest. The pot, not me. :D
Have you try using boiling water to rinse and leave the hot water for at least a couple of mins before emptying?

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Muadeeb » Mar 18th, '13, 20:57

TIM wrote:
Have you try using boiling water to rinse and leave the hot water for at least a couple of mins before emptying?
I do get it hot before I dump the water. My question is more about if the pot is fully dry once I don't see any evidence of water inside. Or is there enough water trapped in the clay that I should leave the lid off longer to evaporate some unseen water.

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Mar 18th, '13, 21:03
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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Chip » Mar 18th, '13, 21:03

... more likely hiding in the spout and behind that screen and other less ventilated areas ... also the build up of residue in the spout will hold onto water longer than clay ... most likely.

Again, it depends also on the clay. Hagi can hold unseen water for up to a week ... so they say.

Some nasty things come out of spouts if you ever clean one :lol: .

However, being in a semi arid environment works in your favor.

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by TIM » Mar 18th, '13, 21:05

Muadeeb wrote:
TIM wrote:
Have you try using boiling water to rinse and leave the hot water for at least a couple of mins before emptying?
I do get it hot before I dump the water. My question is more about if the pot is fully dry once I don't see any evidence of water inside. Or is there enough water trapped in the clay that I should leave the lid off longer to evaporate some unseen water.
This was taught by my Yixing collector:
Boiling water rinse, it will clean and kill most bacteria inside. Also will heat up the clay enough to evaporate most of the moisture, forcing moisture which might be trapped inside the clay. The heat will smoothen the oil that creates the patina so you can puff them more evently with dark spots.

Just my experience and I'm no expert. This method will usually dry the pot and ready to store within half an hr.

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Muadeeb » Mar 18th, '13, 21:09

TIM wrote: Just my experience and I'm no expert. This method will usually dry the pot and ready to store within half an hr.
Good to know I'm on the right track.

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Chip » Mar 18th, '13, 21:15

Hm, on this point Tim and I would disagree. But we use different types of pots, clays, etc. :idea:

On a Kyusu, I notice moisture in the spout sometimes 8 hours or more later ... even after using the hot water method. This is not generally visible.

I prefer to err on the safe side. :mrgreen:

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by debunix » Mar 18th, '13, 22:14

I try to rinse in very hot water--easy if the kettle still has some in it, but I won't reheat the kettle just for the rinse, and use warm tap water if I have to. Then I leave the pot draining overnight, as close as I can get it to spout-down. Then return the pots to their storage--which for most is on a shelf/ledge open to air. I'm far enough from the coast that mold is not a big problem here.

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Maneki Neko » Mar 19th, '13, 04:36

What kind of 'nasties' can build up in there Chip? :shock: Are there tea connoisseur bacteria?

I always put my Banko back in the cupboard when I can't see any wet spots anymore. Due to the hot weather this summer that was quite soon most of the time.

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Chip » Mar 19th, '13, 10:54

Maneki Neko wrote:What kind of 'nasties' can build up in there Chip? :shock: Are there tea connoisseur bacteria?
Gollum wrote:Nasty little Hobbitsies hide in there!!! :evil:

:mrgreen:

Since I am rather proactive in preventing such things, I have not witnessed such nasty things. And I hope I never do. But certainly mold is a possibility, especially if you have built up a layer of adhesions in the spout (which I usually do ... I realllly need to get out my ultra tiny bottle brush and scrub out some spouts). O_O

Obviously ultra hot water rinsing and tea will deal with most things, but if you put it in a cabinet or box for a while while still wet ... especially in the spout ... you may have a nasty discovery when you get it out.

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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by wyardley » Mar 19th, '13, 13:04

Use the hottest water possible to rinse, which will make it evaporate more quickly.

But I usually leave my pots open for 2-3 days (with the pot and lid both facing up) before replacing the lid, even in a dry place like Southern California.

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Mar 19th, '13, 13:55
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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by futurebird » Mar 19th, '13, 13:55


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Re: How long until a pot is dry?

by Muadeeb » Mar 19th, '13, 14:32

futurebird wrote:http://www.teakingdom.com/Teaware/Yixin ... e.tpl.html

with that one my guess is never... or even worse...

Image

from: http://gullible-gulliblestravels.blogsp ... ry_10.html
That first one is kinda clever, but that second one would require some practice to learn how much water it can really hold. And eventually, how much mold you can stand.

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