Jul 23rd, '08, 09:02
Posts: 56
Joined: Jul 16th, '08, 09:39
Location: Brighton, England
by lastcoyote » Jul 23rd, '08, 09:02
new boy here
just wanted to ask the wiser ones of you here if it's possible to re-season a clay teapot? so if i have say a new yixing pot that i've decided to use for pu-erh and so go through the routine of boiling it in water and then boiling again in some pu-erh and leaving to soak over night etc.. can i then later down the line think..actually i want to use this pot for oolong now. and then go through the same seasoning process as above but with some oolong tea?
i'm guessing its not ideal. especially after using it for one type of tea for a long period of time. let us know your thoughts...
I've just read that "Bubbles should not be permitted to be formed in the teapot". in relation to yixing teapots during gongfu style brewing.
why would this be a bad thing? and how would it happen?
reason why it caught my attention was that i think i noticed a bubble form out of the small hole in the top of my clay pot when trying some pu-erh for the first time the other week.
thanks in advance people...
Jul 23rd, '08, 09:28
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
Location: Trapped inside a bamboo tong!
by hop_goblin » Jul 23rd, '08, 09:28
Just go a head and use the pot as is. I don't think it will affect the tea any. No need to re-season. I know this is against popular belief, but I dont think the season process makes enough of a discernable difference.
As for bubbles, they form when you first poor the water into the pot. I believe they are the protiens reacting with the water. For the most part, the bubbles are very astringent and you want to skim them off with your tea pot lid as they float to the top so your brew will taste better.
Jul 23rd, '08, 09:34
Posts: 56
Joined: Jul 16th, '08, 09:39
Location: Brighton, England
by lastcoyote » Jul 23rd, '08, 09:34
ummm yeah like i said i wanted to ask the 'wiser' ones here... hahaha only kidding hopgoblin. you certainly fit the bill.
so you don't feel that the clay takes on the flavour of the tea enough to spoil a different tea? as you say..that does seem against what i've read before. always good to have different opinions though.
interesting about the bubbles. i'll skim them out next time i brew. thanks.
Jul 23rd, '08, 23:30
Posts: 242
Joined: Jul 3rd, '08, 18:29
Location: Ontario, Canada
by orguz » Jul 23rd, '08, 23:30
I use a clay pot that has brewed all teas in my collection, a couple of boiling water rinses of the pot after a G.F session should do the trick. This pot of mine will brew a raw pu erh, a heavily roasted oolong, a gao shan oolong, and an oriental beauty consecutively without any carry over of flavours. I get to serious at times worrying about a pot having left over characteristics from other teas brewed in it previously just steep it.
Jul 24th, '08, 00:05
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
Location: Trapped inside a bamboo tong!
by hop_goblin » Jul 24th, '08, 00:05
lastcoyote wrote:ummm yeah like i said i wanted to ask the 'wiser' ones here... hahaha only kidding hopgoblin. you certainly fit the bill.
so you don't feel that the clay takes on the flavour of the tea enough to spoil a different tea? as you say..that does seem against what i've read before. always good to have different opinions though.
interesting about the bubbles. i'll skim them out next time i brew. thanks.
I know that they say don't mix the teas in the Yixing. I honestly think that this may have been true when Yixing clay was tender. Unfortnately, most of these clays have become depleted. What we have today is generally industrial type stuff. Unless it is flavored or smoked teas I wouldnt worry about it. I have one particular pot that I brew everything and anything for the last 2 years. No contamination yet.
