I just recently got a Yixing from Yellow Mountain Imports (http://www.ymimports.com) where I bought their Turtle style teapot. I just got it in but there is a scent to the pot that comes out in the tea infused in it. What's a good way to possibly clean out the pot to get rid of this scent?
By the way, the website has some nice tea items, though not many. The Yixing thermos is pretty cool. I had also gotten the Yixing set they have but that pot had no strong scent to it.
Jul 15th, '07, 01:04
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scruffmcgruff
Jul 15th, '07, 01:51
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You could try boiling it in a pot of water, that might work. If it doesn't, you can make a dilute bleach solution and soak it, but I'd get more information on the ratio of bleach to water before you try, unless you want your teapot to smell like bleach. (Chip, was it you who said you do this to clean your teaware?)
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Jul 15th, '07, 02:12
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Scruff, while I have done this, I usually use vinegar, I think it was Wehaley on the other forum. I have NEVER used bleach or vinegar with yixing though.scruffmcgruff wrote:You could try boiling it in a pot of water, that might work. If it doesn't, you can make a dilute bleach solution and soak it, but I'd get more information on the ratio of bleach to water before you try, unless you want your teapot to smell like bleach. (Chip, was it you who said you do this to clean your teaware?)
Baking soda solution might be better????
I saw the pot in question is painted, so I have reservations about immersing the pot in boiling water for more than one reason. First, the paint may fade or come off, second, I have no idea what is in the paint used. So, put it in boiling water, the paint's ingredients could become part of the interior of the pot. I simply would not want to assume the paint is safe. It is on the exterior of the pot and therefore may not be particularly safe. I assume nothing.
Jul 15th, '07, 12:44
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Good point... I didn't think about the paint.
Did your teapot have this smell before you started using it, or did it develop afterwards?
Did your teapot have this smell before you started using it, or did it develop afterwards?
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If you don't want to submerse the entire pot, you can try the "quick" seasoning method to see if it helps. Just throw the normal amount of tea in the pot and fill it with water, let it sit for 24 hours, drain and rinse a few times.
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Yeah, that may be a good backup plan if i can't scrub out the scent. I'll season out the scent! heh. Worth a try, at least. Problem is I was going to dedicate the pot to white tea, specifically silver needle...but I can just switch it to oolong instead, no problem.
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Yes I love Go. I have their slotted kaya set. Unfortunately I'm forced to play more online than in person (KGS and DGS). Sad, since I do not enjoy online play nearly as much as a real life game.
yixing + baking soda = headache
gah! well i tried washing out the pot with baking soda and hot water (the opening is too small to scrub inside). it didn't do too much about the smell, but the annoying thing is how the baking soda seemed to leech into the pot itself. now whenever the pot dries out completely, it SEEMS that baking soda appears from nowhere on the surface of the pot. i can even rub it off with powder remaining on my finger. i can then clean it off, and no powder is left visible on the pot...but when the pot completely dries again the powder magically reappears! very frustrating. though it seems after each successive cleaning there is less residue that forms....i think. strangely, i see no powder form on the inside of the pot when it dries, only the outside.
oh well, it was worth a try.
i'll just try seasoning it well. the smell only seems to be evident when i steep white tea anyways, because of the light taste of that tea, surely.
oh well, it was worth a try.
i'll just try seasoning it well. the smell only seems to be evident when i steep white tea anyways, because of the light taste of that tea, surely.
I would submerge the Yixing pot in clean water, boiling it, throw in some of the white tea you plan to use the pot with in the boiling water, let it contunue to boil for an hour or so, switch off the fire and leave the pot fully submerged in the tea for a night to cool down.
Hopefully this will remove the smell. White tea's aroma is not as dramatic as oolong teas to begin with, so I wonder if it will be good enough to remove or at least mask the smell.
Having said all that, though, white tea is usually better brewed in a gaiwan.
Hopefully this will remove the smell. White tea's aroma is not as dramatic as oolong teas to begin with, so I wonder if it will be good enough to remove or at least mask the smell.
Having said all that, though, white tea is usually better brewed in a gaiwan.