Kikumaru help/Yutaka Midori

[Mary R]

This is in response to a response Salsero made to a post of mine on the "To be opened on Christmas day" thread.

Nice picx, Mary. Thanks for sharing them. That Yutaka Midori is fine stuff, but it took me a few tries and some guidance from the IM bunch to get it right.

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's tending to go a little bitter with me, but I have a feeling it's because I'm having kyusu problems. I tried it once in my tetsubin and the results were much better. With this tea and with a fukamushi, midway through a pour, tea starts to come out of the lid! The problem was lessened with a larger leaf sencha, but still not absent. Actually, it'll do that with plain water if I increase the angle of my pour too rapidly.

It's a little frustrating, actually...

Anyone else who has the kikumaru: have you noticed this? Am I going crazy? Argh!

[Salsero]

Maybe the problem is too much guidance from grandpa Chip.

At this point I think my main problem with the Yutaka Midori was that I was using too cool a temperature. I really like the Chinese greens and most senchas with the initial brew at 150° to 165° F because I think I get a fuller, nuttier, more mellow broth, esp with the Chinese greens. That technique backfired for me, however, with the Yutaka Midori. What I got was a very fishy/marine taste and a little unpleasant metallic feel. Using a little higher temp, however, in a preheated pot, as suggested by Chip in the IM, evened out the flavors beautifully.

Maybe your tetsubin conserves the temperature better than the Kinky pot.

[Chip]

Ahhh, grasshoppas, you are not yet ready to go out into the world.

I think what is happening, Mary, is because your pour is slowed by the clogging of the screen (thus the brew is coming out of the top), maybe it is brewing too long...maybe.

The YM has a tendency to clog up the sasame screen, hmmm, and even my stainless steel screen, at the base of the spout. I think the ss screen works better for this tea because it is larger. But I also tend to pour a little slower, thus clogging the screen less, slowly increasing the angle of pouring.

I also pause after pouring about half, straighten the kyusu, and give it a few gentle swirls, thus knocking the finer particles back ino the brew and clearing the screen. (some kyusu, I must place a finger over the spout opening to brevent tea from squirting out. Then continue pouring. This is even done in Japan.

This sencha has finer particles than the previous years harvest.

Master this technique, and you will be ready for anything the world throws at you.

Did I just say all that. I have OCD issues.

OHHHH, I do this with the Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha on the second steep and 3rd. And this really turns the brew extra green. This technique not only clears the screen, but suspends very fine particles that then pass through the screen and into the brew giving it an intensity and incredible color.

[Salsero]

OCD or Tea Junkie, I'm not sure which, but the directions are worth imparting. I have not been having clogging problems with my corset style pot from O-Cha as it is tall and has a large SS screen, but I will bear your words of wisdom in mind for the inevitable day when I need them.

[brandon]

I have had no such problems with bad pours on the kikumaru, but my pouring technique is pretty similar to Chip's. If you are going for a short (30-45 seconds) steep on the 2nd infusion of this fuka, note the length of the pour because it will become significant.

[Space Samurai]

I haven't had the YM yet, so keep that in mind, but I haven't had any problems with the kikumaru. Not with clogging or tea coming out the top. Some of my pots may leak from the lid if I increase the angle too fast, but that was quickly rectified with a little practice, getting to know the nuances of each pot's personality, if you will. I guess that's not really helpful.

[Chip]

This I believe is more of a Yutaka Midori issue and NOT the kyusu issue. I have had this occur almost exclusively with the YM while using a stainless steel screen which is more forgiving, and I think it would happen easily in combination with the sasame screen.

LOL, I broke in my kikumaru today, I am sure because of this discussion...well in addition to a particular TeaChat issue. I needed a cheering up.

But is was an asamushi cha, so, no probs of course. It is a delight to use!!!

[Ed]

Yutaka Midori is not my favorite, but I did find that it needed higher temp to bring out a little more flavor, as Chip said.

[scruffmcgruff]

Pouring slowly just might help with your pouring problem, as I would think this way the "sediment" layer of leaves just sits there and doesn't get so stirred up/ in the way. Also, though it may have been due to other factors too, I found that the taste of my brewed sencha improved quite a bit when I adopted a slower tilting of my pot.

[Ed]

Yeah, pouring is sort of an art form. I pour 20 or 30 ml at a time and tilt back to stir the pot a bit.

I think these pouring issues are what led to the design of obi-ami screens. They may not be as cute to look at as a sasame, but I think they really do serve their purpose very well. I don't know which is better, but I have no complaints with the obi-ami style.

[Chip]

True that, Ed!