Monday TeaDay 4/11/11 Would you rather

[Chip]

Greetings and salutations TeaFriends. Welcome to another TeaDay. We hope you will stop in and share what is on your mind and in your cup with us.

Over the weekend we discussed how many teas we have tried in the first quarter of 2011. You can still vote and discuss the weekend's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Would you rather ... if you had to "crossbrew," brew in a Yixing, Kyusu, Glass/Porcelain, Gaiwan, English, or other. Cross brew meaning brewing a tea in a vessel not native to that tea. Please share.

We are all looking forward to crossbrewing and sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone. Bottoms up.

[gargoylekitty]

A gaiwan or glass, the only two things I currently would crossbrew with.

Having some bi lou chun in a moment.

[Nenugal]

A gaiwan or glass, the only two things I currently would crossbrew with.

+1

[karmaplace]

I think porcelain and glass are the most neutral brewing vessels. I have enough different kinds of vessels that I can usually find a match for different teas, but if I'm really at a loss, I bring out the porcelain.

I had a delicious bowl of tenkei tori matcha this morning, a couple of cups of sayamakaori sencha, and I'm now drinking down some Irish breakfast at work.

[Chasm]

When in doubt, gaiwan.

Porcelain, because except in rare cases, I just don't like brewing in glass.

[tortoise]

My answer is based on experience versus the hypothetical. I brewed a kagoshima sencha in a shui pin yixing exclusively for a calendar year with very nice effect. I don't know what kind of clay the pot is made from, but it's slip-cast. The pouring mechanics, though long, are very good; excellent lid fit too. Of course, when I realized I was "doing it wrong" I discontinued the practice and bought myself a proper kyusu. The tea didn't taste better in the yixing, but it definitely did not taste badly either. With only the one sencha brewing in it, I'd say the tea was done fine service.

From a hypothetical standpoint, I'd rather brew just about anything in a kyusu because of the ergonomic handle design. Just makes everything easier. But I guess the neutral porcelain makes a good argument as well.

I'm having a big ol' malty assam this morning with cream and sugar. Picking up a teamasters order at the post office asap...

[Elovitz]

+1

tortoise wrote: I'd rather brew just about anything in a kyusu because of the ergonomic handle design. Just makes everything easier.

I crossbrew in the morning, especially when I'm at my clumsiest and most sleep-deprived. Two of them are glazed so I brew anything in them since there's no harm in contaminating the kyusu. The third one is strictly reserved for senchas. Also dropping a gaiwan or setting up the tea table for my yixings at my computer desk is a risk I'm not willing to take.

I found myself becoming more strict about using proper vessels for different teas though.

Assam to start, moving onto a fukamushi sencha in a new Hagi I acquired

[olivierco]

Porcelain houhin.

Ujibashi san no ma this evening.

[Chip]

Tough call ... I come up with these questions and more times than not have a hard time answering them.

There was a time that I would have easily said kyusu. So I will go with this, but it would not be a good kyusu!!! Hopefully a glazed one.

Began the TD with Aoi from O-Cha. This is a very agreeable and easy to brew sencha. When I say this, I would usually add a statement like, "it is not exciting or lacks a lot of flavor." However not so with this one. Very good and enjoyable in every respect.

Next up ...

[brlarson]

Porcelain houhin.

+1

Porcelain would be essential and I would also reach for a hohin.

I ordered a new kyusu last week and it arrived today. Just tested it and it is sweet, and it's the perfect size for me for daily sencha.



About the crack that appeared in my xiao hong ni pot, Sebastien is going to send me some clay and tell me how to `fix' it. Chip I assume this will be like your suggested Hagi cornstarch fix. Hopefully I will be able to get a little more life out of it.

Ban Tian Yao with breakfast, and sencha maruyama just for the heck of it.

[Chip]

About the crack that appeared in my xiao hong ni pot, Sebastien is going to send me some clay and tell me how to `fix' it. Chip I assume this will be like your suggested Hagi cornstarch fix. Hopefully I will be able to get a little more life out of it.

Kool, I have been looking seriously at Yoshiki kyusu-s for quite some time. In Yoshiki's pieces, I really like the shape, texture and the stunning effect of the combination of reduction and oxygen firing!

I just have never pulled the trigger. I hope you enjoy this one!

And good luck with the treatment of your xiao hong ni pot.

[olivierco]

I ordered a new kyusu last week and it arrived today. Just tested it and it is sweet, and it's the perfect size for me for daily sencha.

Which size is it?

[Chip]

I ordered a new kyusu last week and it arrived today. Just tested it and it is sweet, and it's the perfect size for me for daily sencha.

Which size is it?

This was one issue that prevented me from pulling the trigger, a lot of them are larger, though I see smaller ones hitting the market more and more.

[brlarson]

Which size is it?

It is about 200ml, so it will easily brew a 5.5 oz serving of sencha.
I know that you brew 3 ounces at a time, but for daily sencha I need more than that and this size is perfect.

[brlarson]

I have been looking seriously at Yoshiki kyusu-s for quite some time... I just have never pulled the trigger...

If you held this pot in your hand then I don't think you could resist the urge any longer:-)

And good luck with the treatment of your xiao hong ni pot.

Thanks. I'll let you know how it works out.