well, just a simple experiment any of you can do at home, after bicarbonating and chlorinating a pot, washing it and boiling it till odourless etc, the first few brews of tea will taste pretty hard, and only becoming better after several uses.
usage of strong oxidizing agents temporarily alters the surface oxidation state, surface properties (i.e. tea stains do end up blocking pot porosity), removing metal ions, etc.
Jun 5th, '14, 22:45
Posts: 1051
Joined: Jul 7th, '07, 01:37
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Portland, OR
Contact:
ABx
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
What exactly is the experiment?kyarazen wrote:well, just a simple experiment any of you can do at home, after bicarbonating and chlorinating a pot, washing it and boiling it till odourless etc, the first few brews of tea will taste pretty hard, and only becoming better after several uses.
usage of strong oxidizing agents temporarily alters the surface oxidation state, surface properties (i.e. tea stains do end up blocking pot porosity), removing metal ions, etc.
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
to bleach and bicarbonate a pot, and then see if you can detect the difference in the brew and how it changes after use. if the pot is slightly lower fired, the tea will become a little flat on the aroma too, until the pot becomes seasoned againABx wrote:What exactly is the experiment?kyarazen wrote:well, just a simple experiment any of you can do at home, after bicarbonating and chlorinating a pot, washing it and boiling it till odourless etc, the first few brews of tea will taste pretty hard, and only becoming better after several uses.
usage of strong oxidizing agents temporarily alters the surface oxidation state, surface properties (i.e. tea stains do end up blocking pot porosity), removing metal ions, etc.
Aug 3rd, '14, 12:48
Posts: 81
Joined: Jul 17th, '14, 02:31
Location: the Philippines
Contact:
Se7en8ight
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
Hi All,
Noob here
I found myself in the same situation a few weeks back -- staring into a pot brimming with mold -- i too had left tea leaves in it. This is actually how i found teachat. I was looking for ways how experts clean their pots.
I worried too about ingesting bleach (I realize I inhale more chlorine from a 5 minute shower but it was psychological for me more than anything, also the only bleach I could find was scented
), tasting baking soda, or smelling vinegar in my teapot (I did this once and it took forever to get rid of).
Anyway so the good thing is that I remembered my good friend Hydrogen Peroxide! The great thing about Hydrogen Peroxide is that it will get absorbed into the clays pores and destroy surface and embedded parts of the mold plus mold spores! AND! it will naturally decompose into water and oxygen after it has done its job! It won't only kill molds but also bacteria and will even denature viruses! safe and effective!
So i filled my teapot with hydrogen peroxide let it sit for a few minutes. Then chucked my teapot in boiling water to rinse
Incidentally most mold and their spores are obliterated well below boiling point of water so really boiling it is all that you need to do... but I wasn't taking any chances.
My two cents
78
Noob here
I found myself in the same situation a few weeks back -- staring into a pot brimming with mold -- i too had left tea leaves in it. This is actually how i found teachat. I was looking for ways how experts clean their pots.
I worried too about ingesting bleach (I realize I inhale more chlorine from a 5 minute shower but it was psychological for me more than anything, also the only bleach I could find was scented
), tasting baking soda, or smelling vinegar in my teapot (I did this once and it took forever to get rid of).Anyway so the good thing is that I remembered my good friend Hydrogen Peroxide! The great thing about Hydrogen Peroxide is that it will get absorbed into the clays pores and destroy surface and embedded parts of the mold plus mold spores! AND! it will naturally decompose into water and oxygen after it has done its job! It won't only kill molds but also bacteria and will even denature viruses!
safe and effective!So i filled my teapot with hydrogen peroxide let it sit for a few minutes. Then chucked my teapot in boiling water to rinse
Incidentally most mold and their spores are obliterated well below boiling point of water so really boiling it is all that you need to do... but I wasn't taking any chances.
My two cents
78
Aug 3rd, '14, 12:58
Posts: 5896
Joined: Jan 10th, '10, 16:04
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:
debunix
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
Why not simply bake the pot? Put it in a cold oven, heat to 400 degrees F for half an hour, turn it off, let it cool entirely to room temperature.
It's not close to kiln heat, shouldn't hurt the ceramic, and it's definitely going to kill anything in the pot.
A self-cleaning oven cycle (about 700 degrees F might be even more efficient, to basically break down and vaporize everything.
It's not close to kiln heat, shouldn't hurt the ceramic, and it's definitely going to kill anything in the pot.
A self-cleaning oven cycle (about 700 degrees F might be even more efficient, to basically break down and vaporize everything.
Aug 3rd, '14, 23:56
Posts: 81
Joined: Jul 17th, '14, 02:31
Location: the Philippines
Contact:
Se7en8ight
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
I don't have an oven but there is a corner drugstore down the street. My hydrogen peroxide is your ovendebunix wrote:Why not simply bake the pot? Put it in a cold oven, heat to 400 degrees F for half an hour, turn it off, let it cool entirely to room temperature.
It's not close to kiln heat, shouldn't hurt the ceramic, and it's definitely going to kill anything in the pot.
A self-cleaning oven cycle (about 700 degrees F might be even more efficient, to basically break down and vaporize everything.
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
How long does one have to leave tea leaves for them to mold? I've never had this experience.
Aug 4th, '14, 02:00
Posts: 5896
Joined: Jan 10th, '10, 16:04
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:
debunix
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
I've only seen it once, when I forgot leaves from a session, and the pot recovered with baking soda and boiling water--it did not need baking. But as long as I hit the leaves with boiling water at least once a day I've had no trouble.
Aug 4th, '14, 02:01
Posts: 81
Joined: Jul 17th, '14, 02:31
Location: the Philippines
Contact:
Se7en8ight
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
It was 4 days for me... I'd been exceptionally busy and I thought I had emptied and rinsed the pot.
And during our monsoon season so humidity was insane!
And during our monsoon season so humidity was insane!
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
Well, that makes sense then. I think it is a little too dry here for that to be a huge problem for me. I would say I'd try it and find out for myself, but that might be biting off more than I'm willing to chew. I don't think I've ever left anything in a pot longer than overnight, and I don't generally like to do that. Luckily, I live in a tiny place and am constantly passing my pots.
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
it would be a great method if the oven's clean and well used. i bake my lab wares to sterilize them sometimes.debunix wrote:Why not simply bake the pot? Put it in a cold oven, heat to 400 degrees F for half an hour, turn it off, let it cool entirely to room temperature.
It's not close to kiln heat, shouldn't hurt the ceramic, and it's definitely going to kill anything in the pot.
A self-cleaning oven cycle (about 700 degrees F might be even more efficient, to basically break down and vaporize everything.
my home oven's a little greasy, tend to have a bit of smell here and there, and it would be interesting to have some roast chicken oil stuck and absorbed into the pot
Aug 5th, '14, 01:56
Posts: 81
Joined: Jul 17th, '14, 02:31
Location: the Philippines
Contact:
Se7en8ight
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
oh... speaking of lab ware, I wonder if putting it in an autoclave would crack the pots? prolly not eh? I mean if glass wont then surely ceramic wouldn't either!kyarazen wrote:it would be a great method if the oven's clean and well used. i bake my lab wares to sterilize them sometimes.debunix wrote:Why not simply bake the pot? Put it in a cold oven, heat to 400 degrees F for half an hour, turn it off, let it cool entirely to room temperature.
It's not close to kiln heat, shouldn't hurt the ceramic, and it's definitely going to kill anything in the pot.
A self-cleaning oven cycle (about 700 degrees F might be even more efficient, to basically break down and vaporize everything.
my home oven's a little greasy, tend to have a bit of smell here and there, and it would be interesting to have some roast chicken oil stuck and absorbed into the pot
78
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
nope it should not crack in an autoclave at all. that could be a good way to sterilize a pot if you know of a clean autoclave. those that i use are swimming with bugs (before they are killed) and other unpalatable smellsSe7en8ight wrote: oh... speaking of lab ware, I wonder if putting it in an autoclave would crack the pots? prolly not eh? I mean if glass wont then surely ceramic wouldn't either!
78
you can consider using a pressure cooker though.
Aug 5th, '14, 04:55
Posts: 81
Joined: Jul 17th, '14, 02:31
Location: the Philippines
Contact:
Se7en8ight
Re: Is this Yixing teapot ruined?
oooohhh... another good option... ok, My germaphobic side is showing. I should stop now otherwise i'll think of pressure cooking everything I own!