Overseasoned yixing - have I ruined this pot?

[cloud]

Hoping some of the experts can chime in here.

I found a blog that had an interesting way to season a yixing pot.

After the ususal boil & soak, pour out the water and boil again, this time adding in tea leaves. Leave over night.

Well I had the bright idea to try this with shou pu erh.

The pot has changed from the classic orange to a deep purple/brown which looks cool, but unfortunately the tea doesn't taste right. Shorter steep times help, but still doesn't taste as good as the same tea from my glazed pot.

Do you think the pot is salvageable? Or has it become an expensive paper weight?

[bonescwa]

Well, that's your shu pot now. You have to give it some time and try different shus in it. Reboil it if you don't like what it's doing. I doubt that you ruined the pot by overseasoning, I think that's probably not possible. It might be the pot itself not being suitable for shu. Size/shape/clay type?

[cloud]

No idea what kind of clay. I'd have to ask my friend. But it was the typical orange-ish colour you see on clay pots, possibly hong ni, now it's turned very dark from the pu. Sorry I'm not more descriptive, perhaps someone can identify it from the seal?

It is 250ml in size. I will probably get a second, smaller pot for shou/shu anyway.

[bonescwa]

Unless it got moldy inside from leaving wet leaves in it too long, I don't see how soaking a pot in water and tea leaves will damage it in anyway. Unless it's some really fishy nasty shu but you say you like the tea when brewed in glazed pots.

[tingjunkie]

Just for curiosity's sake, reboil in clean water for an hour or so and post a new photo. I'm wondering how the color could have changed that much?

[Poseidon]

Very cool pot shape! i like that a lot. I would reboil and maybe do a baking soda paste if its horrible, if not use it and it will mellow out.

[jayinhk]

What does the pot smell like?

[devilducklings]

Out of curiosity, do you perhaps still have picture of it in its original color?
I am amazed how a boil in shu could change its color so much, i cant recognized any trace of orangish/reddish hongni on my monitor.

[yalokinh]

250 is pretty large, everyone's opinion is different when it comes to size, but my sweet spot is right around 75 ml

[cloud]

Just for curiosity's sake, reboil in clean water for an hour or so and post a new photo. I'm wondering how the color could have changed that much?

I was pretty surprised the next day when I saw it!

Used about 200g of leaves, boiled and then left overnight. The clay completely changed colour as if it had been dyed like a piece of white cloth. Didn't think to take a "before" picture, Devilducklings.

Jayinhk, there is a smell , but hard to describe. Clay definitely, mixed with strong pu erh perhaps?

Poseidon, is baking soda okay to use with clay?

[steanze]

200g of leaves!!!

[BW85]

200g of leaves!!!

No kidding! And No wonder!
I usually us 3 to 6 grams when priming a pot

[tingjunkie]

LOL! I was wondering if something like that caused it. I'm surprised 200g of leaf still fit in the cooking pot when it had opened up. Hope you saved the liquor for when your computer printer runs out of ink.

[theredbaron]

I always wonder why people here are so obsessed with "seasoning" a tea pot, boiling it and whatever other supposedly magic formula before using it for the first time.

It is completely unnecessary.

A pot seasons over time. Which tea will suit any particular pot best you will find out over time. Experiment with different teas, and after some time you will find out which tea will shine with whatever pot, and which tea won't.

I can only repeat: unnecessary. Just clean the pot with boiling water. Put some tea in it, steep it and let it stay for a little while - until the water cooled down. Clean it, and start using it normally. That's it. No need to use any baking soda, unless it's an old and very dirty pot you need to clean. When you switch teas, no need to use baking soda - soon the ghost from the former teas will be gone.

Just take it easy with you tea pots. Pots will season over time. Inevitably.

[kyarazen]

I always wonder why people here are so obsessed with "seasoning" a tea pot, boiling it and whatever other supposedly magic formula before using it for the first time.

It is completely unnecessary.

A pot seasons over time. Which tea will suit any particular pot best you will find out over time. Experiment with different teas, and after some time you will find out which tea will shine with whatever pot, and which tea won't.

I can only repeat: unnecessary. Just clean the pot with boiling water. Put some tea in it, steep it and let it stay for a little while - until the water cooled down. Clean it, and start using it normally. That's it. No need to use any baking soda, unless it's an old and very dirty pot you need to clean. When you switch teas, no need to use baking soda - soon the ghost from the former teas will be gone.

Just take it easy with you tea pots. Pots will season over time. Inevitably.

some pots season in just a few uses.. some take many months up to years to develop the same glow