Second hand tetsubin blackening my tea

[fpenty]

Hello there,

I recently purchased a beautiful secondhand tetsubin from a flea market in Japan. However, it seems to be dying my tea black and little flecks of what must be rust appear in my tea. I followed advice online about how to clean it. I brewed green tea in it and let it sit for an hour or so. I then rinsed it out with boiling water a couple of times, and dried it with a cotton cloth. I dry it with a cloth after every use and store it with the lid off upside down.

Any advice on what could be causing this? Is my tetsubin perhaps irreparably damaged?

Many thanks,
Francesca

[SanzenOver]

Can you post photos? It would be helpful.

If it was rusty inside I would scour it well with steel wool. Better to get there loose rust off. It's also possible the blackening is due to residue from the green tea you brewed in it - simply rinsing it may not get it all out.

Hello there,

I recently purchased a beautiful secondhand tetsubin from a flea market in Japan. However, it seems to be dying my tea black and little flecks of what must be rust appear in my tea. I followed advice online about how to clean it. I brewed green tea in it and let it sit for an hour or so. I then rinsed it out with boiling water a couple of times, and dried it with a cotton cloth. I dry it with a cloth after every use and store it with the lid off upside down.

Any advice on what could be causing this? Is my tetsubin perhaps irreparably damaged?

Many thanks,
Francesca

[ehsan.giroux]

Hello there,

I recently purchased a beautiful secondhand tetsubin from a flea market in Japan. However, it seems to be dying my tea black and little flecks of what must be rust appear in my tea. I followed advice online about how to clean it. I brewed green tea in it and let it sit for an hour or so. I then rinsed it out with boiling water a couple of times, and dried it with a cotton cloth. I dry it with a cloth after every use and store it with the lid off upside down.

Any advice on what could be causing this? Is my tetsubin perhaps irreparably damaged?

Many thanks,
Francesca

Hey Francesca I recently had the same issues with my tetsubin. It's seems like rust is inevitable and just a natural part of a tetsubins life. That being said it can cause some issues left unchecked.
That being said upon my investigation to rid myself of rust based problems I reached out to a friend who has their own teaware business and even studied chado and teaware in Japan. They said to use use a natural straw brush to scrape off most of the rust and then rinses it with boiling water. Aparantly tetsubins have a coating during their crafting that prevents rust and with this method it it would keep it in tact. Id be skeptical about using steel wool for this reason. Also in terms of long term care and the prevention of rust heat dry your testubin. I leave mine empty over a tealight candle but I've seen people dry theirs on the stove. The heat causes all moisture to evaporate so you chances of rust will decrease. Also- use your tetsubin frequently! The more you use that bad boy the less likely rust will build up. If you want a link to what kind of brush it want specifications feel free to ask ! And good luck with your tetsubin

[SanzenOver]

It really depends on the extent of the rust whether a straw brush will be sufficient. While that might be enough for a kettle that's been in regular use, if it was procured at a flea market my guess is that the rust might be more significant.

The technique I learned in Taiwan for rehabilitating old tetsubin involved boiling with a cleaning solution (which they sell specifically for the purpose) and then scouring pretty aggressively, followed by boiling with green tea to neutralize any remaining rust. The cleaning solution actually removes the interior coating anyway, which is no problem if the kettle is cared for properly from then on.

As for drying after use, the best method I've used is simply emptying any remaining water while the kettle is still hot and removing the lid. The heat from the kettle will cause it to dry quite quickly.

Hello there,

I recently purchased a beautiful secondhand tetsubin from a flea market in Japan. However, it seems to be dying my tea black and little flecks of what must be rust appear in my tea. I followed advice online about how to clean it. I brewed green tea in it and let it sit for an hour or so. I then rinsed it out with boiling water a couple of times, and dried it with a cotton cloth. I dry it with a cloth after every use and store it with the lid off upside down.

Any advice on what could be causing this? Is my tetsubin perhaps irreparably damaged?

Many thanks,
Francesca

Hey Francesca I recently had the same issues with my tetsubin. It's seems like rust is inevitable and just a natural part of a tetsubins life. That being said it can cause some issues left unchecked.
That being said upon my investigation to rid myself of rust based problems I reached out to a friend who has their own teaware business and even studied chado and teaware in Japan. They said to use use a natural straw brush to scrape off most of the rust and then rinses it with boiling water. Aparantly tetsubins have a coating during their crafting that prevents rust and with this method it it would keep it in tact. Id be skeptical about using steel wool for this reason. Also in terms of long term care and the prevention of rust heat dry your testubin. I leave mine empty over a tealight candle but I've seen people dry theirs on the stove. The heat causes all moisture to evaporate so you chances of rust will decrease. Also- use your tetsubin frequently! The more you use that bad boy the less likely rust will build up. If you want a link to what kind of brush it want specifications feel free to ask ! And good luck with your tetsubin

[ehsan.giroux]

Hello there,

I recently purchased a beautiful secondhand tetsubin from a flea market in Japan. However, it seems to be dying my tea black and little flecks of what must be rust appear in my tea. I followed advice online about how to clean it. I brewed green tea in it and let it sit for an hour or so. I then rinsed it out with boiling water a couple of times, and dried it with a cotton cloth. I dry it with a cloth after every use and store it with the lid off upside down.

Any advice on what could be causing this? Is my tetsubin perhaps irreparably damaged?

Many thanks,
Francesca

Oh man brush didn't work eh? On the more natural route vinegar works amazingly to remove rust in 24 hours maybe you could soak the interior in vinegar and letting it sit then go in with the brush and boiling water then heat drying on the stove or in the oven.

I've delved a little into their crafting and a mixture of vinegear and green tea leaves are used in the process.

https://iwachu.co.jp/howto/
https://youtu.be/o6AuxztRkYM

Here are two links from the Japanese cast iron brand Iwachu both with information on the crafting and care of nambu tekki iron Ware. In the YouTube video @ 19:20 they explain some methods for upkeep. The web link goes directly to care and upkeep.

I have fair in your tetsubin and hope these help

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