Hi!
When using pots that have a multi-hole filter, leaves sometimes block the holes during the infusion process, so that when I begin to pour the tea out it just slowly drips out, thus screwing up the infusion.
Are there any strategies to avoid this from happening? I usually make sure the holes are not blocked before pouring hot water into the pot. Other than that, I can't really control what happens to the leaves as the pot gets filled with water. Or can I?
You can clear the holes using the poker and / or by blowing into the spout. But once it's going, you're kind of screwed. Fix it after you manage to get all the water out.
Depending on the type of tea, you can do some things in advance to help reduce the likelihood of this happening.
If there are a lot of broken bits, I suggest you put the broken bits in first (if possible), and tap them towards the back, then put everything else on top. Or, if that's not possible, put everything in and then tap the pot lightly from the side to get the bits to fall to the bottom. Then make your first pour (your rinse or first brew) very slow and deliberate, and from a low height, so the leaves don't get disturbed (obviously, you can't do this AND a quick hard rinse to help open the leaves; you can only have one or the other). Then pour the rinse out pretty carefully too. Depending on how much leaf you use, by the second or third brew, the leaves should have expanded and the smaller bits will mostly stay where they are.
Depending on the type of tea, you can do some things in advance to help reduce the likelihood of this happening.
If there are a lot of broken bits, I suggest you put the broken bits in first (if possible), and tap them towards the back, then put everything else on top. Or, if that's not possible, put everything in and then tap the pot lightly from the side to get the bits to fall to the bottom. Then make your first pour (your rinse or first brew) very slow and deliberate, and from a low height, so the leaves don't get disturbed (obviously, you can't do this AND a quick hard rinse to help open the leaves; you can only have one or the other). Then pour the rinse out pretty carefully too. Depending on how much leaf you use, by the second or third brew, the leaves should have expanded and the smaller bits will mostly stay where they are.
Oct 7th, '08, 19:25
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I don't have a strong preference myself. I use single holed pots all the time, and they work pretty well for me, though once in a while, they do get clogged. And at least they're easy to unclog (blow into the spout or use the poker tool) compared to the other kinds of filters, were if you *do* get really tiny bits stuck in there, it's a lot harder to get out sometimes.
I do have some of those metal filter gizmos (anyone know any US vendors who sell these in small quantities), but they're really hard to get into the spouts, and I haven't really had that many problems with my 1 hole pots for the types of teas I usually use in them.
I do have some of those metal filter gizmos (anyone know any US vendors who sell these in small quantities), but they're really hard to get into the spouts, and I haven't really had that many problems with my 1 hole pots for the types of teas I usually use in them.
My ball filter pots don't clog, but there is always a little water that doesn't drain.
This doesn't deem to affect puerh much, but I understand leaving oolong leaves sitting in even a little water can lead to bitterness, so I don't use ball filtered pots for oolongs- I use one of my multi-hole pots or a gaiwan.
Anyone know if this is true or not?
This doesn't deem to affect puerh much, but I understand leaving oolong leaves sitting in even a little water can lead to bitterness, so I don't use ball filtered pots for oolongs- I use one of my multi-hole pots or a gaiwan.
Anyone know if this is true or not?
I find pretty much all pots will have some water that doesn't drain, unless you are very, very rigorous in shaking it all out at the end of your pour.
I also don't really understand how a tiny bit of water left in the pot can make the next entire pot bitter. The way I see it, theoretically, that can be adjusted by shortening the next steep.
I also don't really understand how a tiny bit of water left in the pot can make the next entire pot bitter. The way I see it, theoretically, that can be adjusted by shortening the next steep.
Toothpick might helpTrioxin wrote:Right after reading this post I brewed a pu-erh sample I'd received a while back and the leaves were so broken up it clogged the shit out of my pot. I personally just decided to throw the tea out. Took me about a half hour to unclog the spout.
I used it all the time when my single hole pots get clogged
I use a paperclip here at work sometimes (I don't have a set of tools here).betta wrote:Toothpick might helpTrioxin wrote:Right after reading this post I brewed a pu-erh sample I'd received a while back and the leaves were so broken up it clogged the shit out of my pot. I personally just decided to throw the tea out. Took me about a half hour to unclog the spout.
I used it all the time when my single hole pots get clogged
depending on the shape of the pot's spout, I might stick in a toothpick into the pot from inside, leaving one end slightly out of the spout toward inside pot.taitea wrote:I have a picker. But I'm more interested in prevention than a cure.
It creates more or less an effect like in the honeycomb filter where it's not flat against the pot body, so large leaves can neither stick properly on the spout's holes nor blocked the holes.
But if you have ruptured tea leaves, just forget about it.