Good Yixing Clay vs Bad. How does it impact brew quality?

[Janine]

I use the knotted "rope" tying pot handle to lid to prevent finger burn.

But I'm still more often to be found with a gaiwan so count me out for the rest of this discussion.

[edkrueger]

Simply stated, a finer pot makes a total difference.

As an anecdotal evidence a local tea shop has a crappy yixing that starts to make tea taste, well, like sand.

[chrl42]

To be frank, there certainly are differences between two.

Good clay doesn't smell, sparkle or earns patina better, lots of sand makes it breathe and absorbs foul odor, keep the leaf fresh and doesn't earn a blot.

Collectors call there are 3 types of clay, 泥(clay), 沙(sand) and Zhuni.

There are reasons why sand type is better than clay type.

Clay type, when they are fired low, they smell a lot and eat aroma. When they are fired high, they crack inside the kiln or not breathe.

Sand type is usually solid and fired high but still breathes.

Below is a typical sand type of pot (Zhou Jin Lin's)


What make up most of Ebay are clay types..

Zhuni is special powder-like clay and extremly delicate. So gets crystallized quickly and sparkles quickly. Its special nature enables to be said it has the greatest heat-keeping quality. Many owes to the highest amount of iron.

[Tead Off]

I should also add that if you can buy a pot in person, it beats buying a "better" pot online by a million miles...

Ya, but not everyone lives in China where you can march into teashop after teashop looking for the right pot. The internet is the only option.

You bring up a good point about many tea drinkers only being able to use the internet to buy a teapot. To this dilemma, I suggest the age old wisdom of finding someone online that you trust, that you ask questions and receive clear answers that give you no doubt of being given wrong information. This is not easy because most vendors really don't know what they are talking about and are just in the business of selling tea and teawares. For example, the idea that you can get real Zhu Ni (natural red clay teapots) without paying top, top, money is false. Many claim to have Zhu Ni teapots but they are not the real clay which has been gone for 30 years or so. Most modern Yixing pots are made out of clay mixed with iron oxides to give it the color of Zhu Ni. It is not Yixing Zhu Ni clay.

Knowing this, you can immediately weed out those who are knowledgeable from those that just want to sell you something. Unfortunately, most people can't afford to buy the 'best' Yixing pots.

[babalian]

Actually there are still some real Zhu Ni lingers up until recently in the Zhao Zhuang Shan regeion, but still these pots are not cheap

[Tead Off]

I've been told there are some workshops that have stored the original Zhu Ni clay. This would explain any new production claiming Zhu Ni and as you say, very expensive.

The other issue as I understand it is how the maker processes the clay. There are secret techniques hidden from others that will also affect the quality of the clay and how it kilns. I am definitely of the school of thought that believes there are big differences in the pots that one uses. However, there is pleasure in drinking tea in a variety of pots. And, let's not forget about the tea one uses! So many levels and choices.

[xuancheng]

I've been told there are some workshops that have stored the original Zhu Ni clay. This would explain any new production claiming Zhu Ni and as you say, very expensive.

When I was there I saw piles of ore everywhere just lying on the ground. There are also warehouses full of the stuff throughout the county. When Yixing artists were allowed to leave state monopoly factories and into business privately in the early 80s they were all given a certain amount of factory clay. Some got a lot of it, others less depending on connections. Many people did not take care of their ore. Having 2 tons of ore sitting around when you are trying to move across town is not convenient. Sometimes it was abandoned. Some people realized this early and were able to buy more than a lifetime's supply of original huanglong or other famous mine ore.

The other thing to remember about clay is that it is one of the worlds most common mineral deposits. Some clays are better than others for making tea, some clays are good for specific types of tea. But don't ever believe that "all the good clay is gone" or that "Yixing clay is the only good clay on the planet." With proper research and experience in clay processing it is quite possible that clay could be found in other parts of the world which could prove superior to Yixing clay.

[Tead Off]

xuancheng makes a very good point about clay. I have no doubt that there are clays from other parts of the world that would make good teapots provided they were processed with natural red clay, artistically rendered, and, fired in high temp kilns. The main reason why Zhu Ni clays are revered is exactly these points. All the elements come together in a teapot that can change the water, flavor, and, aroma, of tea to give the best cup possible.

Were the piles of clay that you saw Zhu Ni clay or just clay in general mined in the area? Big difference in the ultimate production of teapots. Brown, yellow, green clays are not going to give you the same result as far as flavor goes especially with Oolongs.

[leonacraig]

From what I am hearing from the artists of Yixing. The government closed one of the main mines 10 years ago, but let the word out beforehand. Then, everyone started to hoard the clay. There is still a mine open, and companies can apply to the government (guanxi) to do mining. In addition, the whole area of mountins around Yixing are potential places for new mines. It seems to be about politics and trying to create a sense of scarcity more than an actual one.

[Tead Off]

The scarcity of zhuni clay is not an illusion. If you take time to read the following, you can gain a better understanding of what Yixing is all about.

http://www.terebess.hu/english/yixing1.html

[leonacraig]

I've read that and many other things. I have talked to many artists, old and young, in Yixing. Leger de main is not illusion, it is simply making you look at the wrong thing, and believe in magic. The reality of scaricty is devisive, not a lack of rock in the ground. Indeed, some people will also tell you that the rocks are no longer being mined, while others will tell you that there are mines open, and all it takes is a proper application and the right connections. I even read about someone purchasing rare clay that was supposed to be out of existence for about 50 years. Then suddenly, with the right connections, it appeared. Talk to people who are in the know rather than reading old articles. Anytime my protege reads something, in a mgazine, blog, or newspaper, I ask her who wrote it, what is their motivation, and to check out other stories to see if it can be verified or not. In that manner, you can get real!

[Tead Off]

You can believe whatever you want to. I am not here to argue. Modern zhuni is not the same as the old stuff. The mines you speak of that were closed happened more than 10 years ago. The difference in clay becomes known when you brew tea in it.

[jackdaniel]

The scarcity of zhuni clay is not an illusion. If you take time to read the following, you can gain a better understanding of what Yixing is all about.

http://www.terebess.hu/english/yixing1.html

VERY informative! Thanks!

[teagenesis]

I'm going to to a test of how the taste of the tea from my cheap clay teapot differs from an equal brew in a gaiwan. I'm also going to taste water from the pot empty of tea before trying the tea brews. I want to see exactly how much my pot has been seasoned, and what, if any, negative or positive flavor it imparts to the taste.

To me, the fact that I can smell a hint of tea in the teapot after days of not using it, means that it is absorbing flavor positively. Who would say that high quality Yixing clay is not as good as some cheaper manufactured clay pot? However, there is NO reason to think your cheap clay pot isn't doing a good job--I say, FIND OUT.

Peace.

[tingjunkie]

Ah, October of '09... I was just getting in to serious tea back then.

I'm not reading back over this long thread, but the title would indicate good clay vs bad clay, not cheap vs expensive. Two different concepts that often overlap significantly, but not always. I salute your efforts to conduct your own testing and experiments! Good luck.