fake yixing pots?

[jogrebe]

I've hear a bit of talk about there being fake yixing pot for sale out there and I'm starting to wonder if I might have one. I know that the yixing clay is supposed to absorb the flavor of the tea over time and I'm been brewing strong puerh with several rounds of new leaves for close to two months in mine and I don't think anything is happening with my pot. In fact I just conducted a little experiment when I brewed some silver needle white tea in it and it came out as a clean brew completely untainted by any puerh traces. Is this normal for a real yixing or a sign that its a fake?

[MarshalN]

It's really hard to say, especially since yours is only 2 months old. I know you brew a lot in it, but......

It also depends a lot on the density of the material, etc. Some clay is denser than others. There are lots of perfectly fine teapots that don't absorb taste. Taiwan, for example, produces clay pots that do not absorb any taste. It's just how they are.

[illium]

jo -

do you let the tea stay in the pot, and get cold?

you should, if you want it to retain the leave's oils.

hth,
troy

[Chip]

Jo, there are knock offs and then there are bad knock offs. The bad ones that I have seen look more like ceramic than clay and lack the fine details due to the ceramic molding process versus making a clay pot from a lump of clay. The differences are so noticable that if you have seen real yixing pots, you would know the difference instantly.
Then there are the more subtle knock offs. When I bought and sold yixing several years ago, I met with a Russian, named Boris...this is a true story...he was known as a man who could get anything. So I met with him and he said he could get say 1000 units for a couple bucks each...these were not yixing...I chose not to do business with Boris.
The potencial danger goes beyond simply not getting the real thing, but depending on the clay source, it may contain lead or who knows what else.
But if your pot is clay, whether or not it is yixing, it should absorb your tea and develop a natural patina. The ceramic may never absorb your tea.

[jogrebe]

I was talking with Illium about it over IM earlier tonight and he pointed out a few things that I could be doing that might be hindering the pot from absorbing the flavor of the tea. First I rarely bother warming the pot before I use it which can "open the pours of the clay" to better absorb the oils of the tea. Also I've been brewing English style instead of Gongfu style in the pot which also could be making a difference.

[hop_goblin]

Correct, with yixing it is most appropiate to brew gongfu style, either in a boat or a cha dao tray. When tea is made this way, the heat at the microscopic level expands the pores of the clay allowing them to be infused with tea oil. In addition, brewing in the gongfu cha style, tea is repeatedly poured over the tea pot ( outsided) and this process allows the pot to absorb the tea, and therefore, the tea pot recieves tea oil internally and externally. I do have one question however, did you season the pot by boiling it in water and tea for around an hour and half? ( 1 hr with just water and a susquent boil with tea preferrably the tea that will be dedicated to the pot) If not I recommend that you do. A friend of mine who's family has been drinking gongfu cha tea in yixing for generations stated that if you do not season the pot it does not allow it to season more over time. When the pots are made, dust from the clay or just plain dirt can fill the micro pores and will essentially become part of the pot by hardening in the pores. Boiling the pot is supposed to remove the dust and the tea oil that is produced from the boil will begin to fill the pores. (Its a physics concept, compounds want to stay together so to speak, so when tea oil already exsist on and in the pot, the tea oil from subsequent infusions will want to adhere to the oils that is already present.) What ever you do, do not rinse the pot with water after your done making tea. Allow the tea leaves to cool, and then add water at the appropiate temp again for one more last infusion and pour this out in a fair cup or bowl. Use this weak tea infusion to clean the inner pot ( of course once the leaves are removed) and the outer part of the pot. Allow to air dry upside down. If you continuously rinse the pot with water you're just removing the "goodness" I hope this helps. Cheers!

[Pondocus]

Being located in NZ, I am finding it nearly impossible to find a gong fu tea pot. I was wondering, as I'm not a bad hand at pottery, if it is possible to make a gong fu tea pot myself. Anyone know anything about this or have any links to resources about the making of said tea pots?
Thanks in advance,
-Pondocus.

[jogrebe]

Ok, I didn't bother formally seasoning the pot by boiling, because someone else told me that it wasn't necessary to do so because it would season naturally with time. Regardless the pot is a 400 ml monster which would be insane with gongfu brewing if I don't have a large group over at the time as I only fill it up around halfway when I'm brewing with it. Still in a way maybe this pot not seasoning might be a good thing so it could be used for other teas, although I'm not sure if I'd do that beyond maybe another silver needle experiment down the road.

Also I've decided that I should pick up gongfu brewing, but I decided to start with a gaiwan to keep things simpler, and after that maybe buy a few small yixing pots for gongfu brewing of favorite teas.

[Guest]

I wanted to pick up a small pot to try to see how I liked it before investing alot of $$.. Now I have no clue if the one I picked up is a real or fake one? I'm very confused was hoping that someone maybe able to help me I posted it on my blog
Eitehr way it's sort of neat being a monkey and on the zodiac chart I'm a monkey.... so maybe I have just another dust collector I don't know

[soapy]

I wanted to pick up a small pot to try to see how I liked it before investing alot of $$.. Now I have no clue if the one I picked up is a real or fake one? I'm very confused was hoping that someone maybe able to help me I posted it on my blog
Eitehr way it's sort of neat being a monkey and on the zodiac chart I'm a monkey.... so maybe I have just another dust collector I don't know



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