Crackling Sound with Hot Water

[ken1shi]

I normally use my zini teapot for roasted tie guan yin. But recently during a tea session, I heard some crackling sound. I found out it was coming from my yixing teapot. Everytime I put in hot water it would make these little bubble crackling sound, it still goes after a few infusion. I am curious if this is normal. There is no cracks or any opening in the teapot that leaks or drips. Can anyone fill me in on the crackling noise. I hope nothing bad is happening to my precious yixing teapot, I dare say it must have took some experienced potter to make such a beautiful ribbed teapot.

[kyarazen]

I normally use my cherry blossom ribbed zini teapot for roasted tie guan yin. But recently during a tea session, I heard some crackling sound. I found out it was coming from my yixing teapot. Everytime I put in hot water it would make these little bubble crackling sound, it still goes after a few infusion. I am curious if this is normal. There is no cracks or any opening in the teapot that leaks or drips. Can anyone fill me in on the crackling noise. I hope nothing bad is happening to my precious yixing teapot, I dare say it must have took some experienced potter to make such a beautiful ribbed teapot.

buzzing bubbly sound or cracking sound?

if its from the bubbling its normal.. material has certain porosity

[mganz42]

Yeah I've heard that it's a good test of how porous the clay is. Most high-fired clays won't make that sound, but if it's really porous it will make that noise as the clay absorbs the hot water.

[bonescwa]

I've heard a weird little hissing sound out of some of my pots that I can only attribute to steam coming out of the top hole? Is it like a whistle/hiss that bubbles?

[AdamMY]

To be safe warm the pot up in your hands before adding the boiling water, and if possible maybe hit it with a bit of water that is half way to boiling or so just so there is less of a thermal shock. Yixing teapots, and especially very thin ones have been known to crack from thermal shock when hit with boiling water when cool. I am guessing it is some sort of thermal expansion noise, however I can not say if it is necessarily bad.

[ken1shi]

The pot's crackling noise sounds like like releasing of bubbles popping or tapping. After a few infusions the crackling noise seems to slow down and then gradually disappear. But I don't see any bubbles at all, my teapot is fairly thin with little gaps inside since it is handmade.

[ken1shi]

I found some info here:
http://oolongdragon.com/determining-aut ... g-teapots/

5. If one pours very hot water into a Yixing teapot, it would emit sounds similar to that of cracking clay.

So I assume its perfectly fine.

[Tead Off]

I found some info here:
http://oolongdragon.com/determining-aut ... g-teapots/

5. If one pours very hot water into a Yixing teapot, it would emit sounds similar to that of cracking clay.

So I assume its perfectly fine.

In 3 decades of using Yixing teapots, many different ones, I've never encountered this. The only think I've noticed that could be related is that at times, after pouring boiling water into the pot, the lid will bob up and down for a very short time.

[kyarazen]

The pot's crackling noise sounds like like releasing of bubbles popping or tapping. After a few infusions the crackling noise seems to slow down and then gradually disappear. But I don't see any bubbles at all, my teapot is fairly thin with little gaps inside since it is handmade.

its like the sound of "bzZzZzzzZzzzzZZZzzzzzzz" a gentle quiet sound?

its very very normal. easily any pots i have you can see/hear this phenomena happening. a bit lesser for hongni, more for other more porous clays

[the_economist]

Concur with Kyarazen. It happens especially with my Chaozhou pot.

[fdrx]

One of my three yixing pots definitely emits a sound of cracking clay when i pour very hot water to wash/warm it [EDIT: i realize i'm talking about something else...sorry]. But this pot has a crack and it's probably the reason why it does it even if the sound comes from inside the pot. On the picture it's obvious but it's less obvious with the eyes, it depends on the light.

by the way, someone knows what is going to happen with this crack in the future? is it bad? It's been like that since two years, maybe less, it's only getting more obvious because of the patina... i hope. It's a surface crack but it's also slightly longer than it appears on the picture.

[devilducklings]

That happens to the very first zini pot i have, on mine it sounds a bit like soda fizzing, loud enough.
it scared me and i tought i cracked it by pouring boiling water directly.
Then i notice this happens even with cold water, out of curiosity i fill it with water and use a flaslight to see inside.
I saw 1mm bubbles coming out of a micro hole (the hole is invisible), the bubbles gone after a couple of minutes, the pot never leaks though.
I dont know if this is normal for a (supposed) half handmade pot.

[Tead Off]

The pot's crackling noise sounds like like releasing of bubbles popping or tapping. After a few infusions the crackling noise seems to slow down and then gradually disappear. But I don't see any bubbles at all, my teapot is fairly thin with little gaps inside since it is handmade.

its like the sound of "bzZzZzzzZzzzzZZZzzzzzzz" a gentle quiet sound?

its very very normal. easily any pots i have you can see/hear this phenomena happening. a bit lesser for hongni, more for other more porous clays

I'm not making any judgement on what this is, but if it were normal, why would none of the dozens of Yixing pots I've used ever done it? I've never heard the sounds that the OP describes. Fascinating.

[William]

I've never heard the sounds that the OP describes.

Me too.

[kyarazen]

I'm not making any judgement on what this is, but if it were normal, why would none of the dozens of Yixing pots I've used ever done it? I've never heard the sounds that the OP describes. Fascinating.

no idea why you dont observe it, 3 decades of yixing, who can dare say anything against that?

it can be narrowed down to several probabilities
1) your pots really do not bubble, there is no air trapped inside the clay, and probably suggest not so porous
2) you have used your pot for 20-30 years, the tea stains have saturated most of the pores
3) i'm imagining things
4) maybe... the pots i happen to use for brewing are not yixing?!