Does it make sense to dedicate Kyusus to specific Senchas?

[Chip]

Does the tea tasted better after the wash ?

Yes, I think so. Once I had smelled and tasted the water from the used kyusus, I could detect this taste in the tea. It was not as apparent as in the water, since it was masked by the tea's flavor, but it was there nonetheless.
After the cleaning, this "bad" taste wasn't there, and therefore the taste of the tea was better.

I also think the tea (and water) tasted better with the new, unused shiboridashi in comparison with the used kyusus.
I also didn't clean both kyusus at the same time. I cleaned one, then compared. The clean one performed better, in my opinion.

You guys can go ahead and taste the water from kyusus that you've been using with sencha for months. Pour hot water in there, close the lid, let it sit for a minute, pour the water in a cup, smell it and taste it. Do you really like it? Compare with a new pot if you have one at hand.

I'm not speaking of the "iron taste" that comes from the clay by the way. I'm speaking of a kind of "foul" smell and taste that seems to come from whatever accumulates on the surface of the teapot's inside.

This is not too far from my experience with my first kyusu many moons ago. I used it for just about every tea I was drinking ... all greens, whites, and oolong.

After many many uses, every tea had an odd sweet commonality that was more annoying than enhancing. Thorough cleaning did help, but this was more extreme I guess and had gotten into the clay, so cleaning helped a lot but did not eradicate it. Though I did not do the baking soda thing.

[Stentor]

I have a couple more questions if you don't mind

What kind of kyusu was it claywise ?
Did you rinse it with boiling water after use, or just hot water ?

No problem

Reduction fired tokoname (both of them).
One of the is in this picture:

The other one is a larger one, same clay, same potter (Sekiryu).

After I thoroughly removed all leaf particles with water and a toothbrush, I rinsed it with boiling water. I let this boiling water sit for about a minute, then poured it out and let the kyusu dry with the lid off.

[David R.]

It looks as if I am using the same method you are to rinse your pot. I guess it means japanese teas do not season clay teapots very well. It would be a first, but japanese people like to have their own different way, don't they ?

Chip, I don't know about baking soda, but dental tablets work wonder even with clay teapots. It looks (and smell) crazy at first, but it is worth a shot. After rinsing and baths, the smell completely vanishes.

[fire_snake]

If you boil that setsudo kyusu, please don't tell me about. I'll have anxiety all day.

I'll bet you are excited. Those are gorgeous vessels. Enjoy them, and may they both outlive you.

No, I didn't boil the kyusus. Frankly, I wouldn't dream of doing that. The whole affair on the video seemed suspect at best, and downright harmful to the pot at worst. Which is why I asked to make sure.

Yes, these are beautiful vessels and I'm more than happy with them! I wanted to make sure I get good ones - not many - but a couple of good ones to start with and probably keep using as my go-to pots. I figure it's worth it because these will indeed be in my care for a many years - possibly a lifetime, and when the times comes I will probably like to keep them in the family and pass them down.

They aren't $1000 vintage pots, but they have been made with care and attention by artists that by all accounts love their craft. And it shows. That's what's most important to me. I chose reputable vendors based on everyone's kind advice here. And I must say the service was as great as the products. First rate. The way each piece was packaged - that alone sold me on future purchases. Kohei especially, gave me the kind of personalized service I didn't expect. With Toru Yoshikawa (ArtisticNippon) as well, I was impressed. I had placed my order and an hour later he confirmed everything and we were done. But I guess I made it easy, knowing what I wanted going in.

I just rinsed out the black Shoryu kyusu with warm spring water and it's just drying in the sun by the window at the moment. The clay filter looks like quite a work of technical precision. I might take it for a trial run tonight with a little Fukamushi Yame Sencha (gokujo.)

Thanks for all the support,

Christian

[Ambrose]

Wow im late to this thread, all seems to be well. Congratulations on the new pots I once read on here dont know who it was "if its green kyusu sing, if its brown kyusu frown"

[Stentor]

I started a new thread on the subject of cleaning kyusus here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=15446

It may be appropriate to move some of the posts in this thread over there. Your call, Chip.

It was not my intention to steal your thread, Fire_snake, I hope you did not mind the discussion.

[Chip]

It may be appropriate to move some of the posts in this thread over there. Your call, Chip.

I could, but then those posts would be before you OP. Unless I put one of your posts from here first and add the content from your OP to it ...

I will take a look in a bit.