Teaware and Gyokuro

[Noonie]

I usually brew Gyokuro in a glazed Houhin. The Houhin is about 120ml. The material may be ceramic or porcelain. I use about 7g of leaf and 100ml of water (with the small houhin it's pretty crammed in there).

For the second time now I've used an unglazed red clay kyusu to brew Gyokuro. I use a little more leaf and water as the kyusu is much larger (300ml).

I find the tea much smoother and it has a more pleasant after taste. It's a little harsh in the houhin. Does this have something to do with the unglazed clay, or perhaps the larger size of the kyusu, or both?

Thanks

[AdamMY]

Are you using the same temperature of water in both? Are both vessels pre-heated?

The clay could smooth things out slightly, but a lot of it is also knowing your vessels. If it is harsh as in astringent, try letting the water cool a hair more when using the Houhin. It could be that the vessel retains heat better than the kyusu and as such the tea is being brewed a bit too hot.

[Alex]

The porcelain should taste crisper/sharper but certainly not harsh. Clay will usually have a rounding or smoothing effect. The water temp may be slightly different in the different vessels resulting in a different experience as well. I agree with Adam.

[Tead Off]

The porcelain should taste crisper/sharper but certainly not harsh. Clay will usually have a rounding or smoothing effect. The water temp may be slightly different in the different vessels resulting in a different experience as well. I agree with Adam.

It depends on the kind of porcelain you are using. The Korean potters that I sell both use unrefined porcelain which still contains iron and other minerals. They are also unglazed on the inside so you get the effect of real porcelain clay. The overglazed porcelain vessels that are commonly sold in China and Japan cannot match the tea-making effects of vessels using unglazed/unrefined porcelain. For Japanese teas, the unglazed porcelains are excellent, especially for gyokuro and sencha, bringing out both the higher notes and deepening the body. The huigan is extended along with the mouth-feel.