Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with changing the tea
used in Yixing pot. I want to take a pot that had been used with older
green puers and now use it for oolongs. It has not been used a lot and
it has no perceptible odor beyond a slightly musty clay smell. Can the
pot be boiled in water or the new tea for a period of time, as if you
were seasoning it? Would I be better off if I used it for roasted
oolongs rather than the floral ones?

As a side note, I see antique Yixing pots selling for thousands of
dollars, how does one know what type of tea that the pot was raised
on?


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

1. I would not do anything at all - why erase the hsitory of that pot? Why
try making everything lke life starts from teh scartch?
2. If the picture-perfecr spirit of the "Better Homes and Gardens" is too
strong in you, then its your history and individuality that has to be
preserved, not the pot's. In that case I would immerse the pot and the lid
in the 5% water solution of white synthetic vinegar for couple of days and
then in clean water for a week. make sure you use white vinegar, not wine -
based one. Less radical approach would be to immerse it in clean, slightly
salted (non-iodized, rock salt) water for several days changing water once a
day.

Sasha.

"Mike Petro" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with changing the tea
used in Yixing pot. I want to take a pot that had been used with older
green puers and now use it for oolongs. It has not been used a lot and
it has no perceptible odor beyond a slightly musty clay smell. Can the
pot be boiled in water or the new tea for a period of time, as if you
were seasoning it? Would I be better off if I used it for roasted
oolongs rather than the floral ones?

As a side note, I see antique Yixing pots selling for thousands of
dollars, how does one know what type of tea that the pot was raised
on?


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

1. I would not do anything at all - why erase the hsitory of that pot? Why
try making everything lke life starts from teh scartch?
2. If the picture-perfecr spirit of the "Better Homes and Gardens" is too
strong in you, then its your history and individuality that has to be
preserved, not the pot's. In that case I would immerse the pot and the lid
in the 5% water solution of white synthetic vinegar for couple of days and
then in clean water for a week. make sure you use white vinegar, not wine -
based one. Less radical approach would be to immerse it in clean, slightly
salted (non-iodized, rock salt) water for several days changing water once a
day.

Sasha.

"Mike Petro" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with changing the tea
used in Yixing pot. I want to take a pot that had been used with older
green puers and now use it for oolongs. It has not been used a lot and
it has no perceptible odor beyond a slightly musty clay smell. Can the
pot be boiled in water or the new tea for a period of time, as if you
were seasoning it? Would I be better off if I used it for roasted
oolongs rather than the floral ones?

As a side note, I see antique Yixing pots selling for thousands of
dollars, how does one know what type of tea that the pot was raised
on?


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

Actually I am trying to free up 2 pots to begin experimenting with
oolongs, one for light roasts and one for darks (I assume that's how
its done). And... I only have one virgin pot at the moment. I am not
really as much concerned about erasing the history of the slightly
used pot as I am about adulterating the oolong experience.

Mike

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 19:47:23 GMT, "Alex Chaihorsky"
cast caution to the wind and posted:

1. I would not do anything at all - why erase the hsitory of that pot? Why
try making everything lke life starts from teh scartch?
2. If the picture-perfecr spirit of the "Better Homes and Gardens" is too
strong in you, then its your history and individuality that has to be
preserved, not the pot's. In that case I would immerse the pot and the lid
in the 5% water solution of white synthetic vinegar for couple of days and
then in clean water for a week. make sure you use white vinegar, not wine -
based one. Less radical approach would be to immerse it in clean, slightly
salted (non-iodized, rock salt) water for several days changing water once a
day.

Sasha.

"Mike Petro" wrote in message
.. .
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with changing the tea
used in Yixing pot. I want to take a pot that had been used with older
green puers and now use it for oolongs. It has not been used a lot and
it has no perceptible odor beyond a slightly musty clay smell. Can the
pot be boiled in water or the new tea for a period of time, as if you
were seasoning it? Would I be better off if I used it for roasted
oolongs rather than the floral ones?

As a side note, I see antique Yixing pots selling for thousands of
dollars, how does one know what type of tea that the pot was raised
on?


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

Actually I am trying to free up 2 pots to begin experimenting with
oolongs, one for light roasts and one for darks (I assume that's how
its done). And... I only have one virgin pot at the moment. I am not
really as much concerned about erasing the history of the slightly
used pot as I am about adulterating the oolong experience.

Mike

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 19:47:23 GMT, "Alex Chaihorsky"
cast caution to the wind and posted:

1. I would not do anything at all - why erase the hsitory of that pot? Why
try making everything lke life starts from teh scartch?
2. If the picture-perfecr spirit of the "Better Homes and Gardens" is too
strong in you, then its your history and individuality that has to be
preserved, not the pot's. In that case I would immerse the pot and the lid
in the 5% water solution of white synthetic vinegar for couple of days and
then in clean water for a week. make sure you use white vinegar, not wine -
based one. Less radical approach would be to immerse it in clean, slightly
salted (non-iodized, rock salt) water for several days changing water once a
day.

Sasha.

"Mike Petro" wrote in message
.. .
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with changing the tea
used in Yixing pot. I want to take a pot that had been used with older
green puers and now use it for oolongs. It has not been used a lot and
it has no perceptible odor beyond a slightly musty clay smell. Can the
pot be boiled in water or the new tea for a period of time, as if you
were seasoning it? Would I be better off if I used it for roasted
oolongs rather than the floral ones?

As a side note, I see antique Yixing pots selling for thousands of
dollars, how does one know what type of tea that the pot was raised
on?


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

You might consider simply trying the pot with the oolongs you're
interested in and seeing how it fares. If that doesn't work to your
satisfaction here are a few methods that have worked for me.

1. Boil, boil, boil. Use distilled water (no residue and greater
solvent action). Make sure your pot is scrupulously clean.

2. Fill with activated carbon and leave to soak with distilled water.
Follow-up with method 1. Aquarium carbon is good enough for this
application (since the solvent is only water) but true filter carbon
is better. Apparently aquarium carbon can be made of some dodgy
materials.

3. After boiling the pot, try gently roasting the pot with the desired
tea. Fill the (dry) pot with tea leaves, wrap in aluminum foil, and
roast for an hour at around 200-250F. Remove from the heat and let
cool for a day before you unwrap it. This adds a lot of fragrance.

I shun the practice of boiling with tea as I won't soak my pot in
anything I wouldn't be willing to drink (with the exception of
activated carbon).

Cheers,

Cameron

Mike Petro wrote in message . ..
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with changing the tea
used in Yixing pot. I want to take a pot that had been used with older
green puers and now use it for oolongs. It has not been used a lot and
it has no perceptible odor beyond a slightly musty clay smell. Can the
pot be boiled in water or the new tea for a period of time, as if you
were seasoning it? Would I be better off if I used it for roasted
oolongs rather than the floral ones?

As a side note, I see antique Yixing pots selling for thousands of
dollars, how does one know what type of tea that the pot was raised
on?


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

Hi Cameron,

I am curious about your knowledge on carbon. I have a 150gal aquarium
and buy my carbon by the cubic foot. I would love to find a better
and/or more economical source. Can you point me to more data on carbon
and how to quantify quality? Since this is so OT maybe you could send
me an email, I tried sending to your email address but it appears to
not work.

Thanks,

Mike

2. Fill with activated carbon and leave to soak with distilled water.
Follow-up with method 1. Aquarium carbon is good enough for this
application (since the solvent is only water) but true filter carbon
is better. Apparently aquarium carbon can be made of some dodgy
materials.


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

Hi Cameron,

I am curious about your knowledge on carbon. I have a 150gal aquarium
and buy my carbon by the cubic foot. I would love to find a better
and/or more economical source. Can you point me to more data on carbon
and how to quantify quality? Since this is so OT maybe you could send
me an email, I tried sending to your email address but it appears to
not work.

Thanks,

Mike

2. Fill with activated carbon and leave to soak with distilled water.
Follow-up with method 1. Aquarium carbon is good enough for this
application (since the solvent is only water) but true filter carbon
is better. Apparently aquarium carbon can be made of some dodgy
materials.


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

Cameron 9/11/04


You might consider simply trying the pot with the oolongs you're
interested in and seeing how it fares. If that doesn't work to your
satisfaction here are a few methods that have worked for me.

Also, for comparison purposes, Mike, maybe try steeping the oolongs in a
porcelain gaiwan. That's a good idea when you try a new tea anyway; no
matter what you do to prepare your pot, it *will* somehow add its signature
to the tea you brew in it.

Michael

Mike,

I bought a pretty little yixing pot at a Chinese antique-ceramics dealer and
its interior was pretty musty and nasty-smelling, almost like stale cigarette
ash. I despaired of ever using it for tea, but a couple of boilings and a few
strong brews of inexpensive green oolongs (it was to become a light-oolong pot)
eventually got rid of the bad smells completely, and it smelled sweetly of
oolong after that.

At least until I dumbly brewd a dan cong in it, and now the pot has an aroma
somewhere between the two...still, it works fine for light oolongs and maybe
that scent will take over in time.

Pu-erh, I don't know, it can be pretty strong and distinctive...

Joe Kubera

Mike,

I bought a pretty little yixing pot at a Chinese antique-ceramics dealer and
its interior was pretty musty and nasty-smelling, almost like stale cigarette
ash. I despaired of ever using it for tea, but a couple of boilings and a few
strong brews of inexpensive green oolongs (it was to become a light-oolong pot)
eventually got rid of the bad smells completely, and it smelled sweetly of
oolong after that.

At least until I dumbly brewd a dan cong in it, and now the pot has an aroma
somewhere between the two...still, it works fine for light oolongs and maybe
that scent will take over in time.

Pu-erh, I don't know, it can be pretty strong and distinctive...

Joe Kubera

A cheap Yixing pot cannot be that expensive. A generic factory mold
with non purple clay and no chop mark about $10. I recently saw a
zisha set with rare 4 cups for $38.

Jim

(Cameron Lewis) wrote in message om...
You might consider simply trying the pot with the oolongs you're
interested in and seeing how it fares. If that doesn't work to your
satisfaction here are a few methods that have worked for me.
snipped off at the kneecaps

That's a good idea when you try a new tea anyway; no
matter what you do to prepare your pot, it *will* somehow add its signature
to the tea you brew in it.

I wholeheartedly agree, this has always been an internal struggle for
me. My Engineer side strives for repeatability and total control over
as many variables as possible, therefore choosing a porcelain pot. My
Adventurous side wants to experiment with cultural concepts and learn
from them, therefore my growing collection of zisha pots. Balance,
somewhere in between, is something that has always evaded me.....


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

It's really interesting, not to mention bemusing, how we operate from either
side of our brains, so to speak. Part of me wants to reserve a pot for each
type of tea, but another wants to just flow along, letting the tea color the
pot. So, what am I to do? I think when it comes to a tea you've spent say
16 USD per gram for, you want to make sure to taste it without the
influences of the pot's pre-history. But, with the common horde, it probably
doesn't make that much of a difference.

Mike, do you think that the one-pot-one-tea idea came from a time and a
place where and when the pot's master drank but one tea his whole life and
the pot followed suite? I wonder about that.

Michael


Mike 9/13/04


That's a good idea when you try a new tea anyway; no
matter what you do to prepare your pot, it *will* somehow add its signature
to the tea you brew in it.

I wholeheartedly agree, this has always been an internal struggle for
me. My Engineer side strives for repeatability and total control over
as many variables as possible, therefore choosing a porcelain pot. My
Adventurous side wants to experiment with cultural concepts and learn
from them, therefore my growing collection of zisha pots. Balance,
somewhere in between, is something that has always evaded me.....

It's really interesting, not to mention bemusing, how we operate from either
side of our brains, so to speak. Part of me wants to reserve a pot for each
type of tea, but another wants to just flow along, letting the tea color the
pot. So, what am I to do? I think when it comes to a tea you've spent say
16 USD per gram for, you want to make sure to taste it without the
influences of the pot's pre-history. But, with the common horde, it probably
doesn't make that much of a difference.

Mike, do you think that the one-pot-one-tea idea came from a time and a
place where and when the pot's master drank but one tea his whole life and
the pot followed suite? I wonder about that.

Michael


Mike 9/13/04


That's a good idea when you try a new tea anyway; no
matter what you do to prepare your pot, it *will* somehow add its signature
to the tea you brew in it.

I wholeheartedly agree, this has always been an internal struggle for
me. My Engineer side strives for repeatability and total control over
as many variables as possible, therefore choosing a porcelain pot. My
Adventurous side wants to experiment with cultural concepts and learn
from them, therefore my growing collection of zisha pots. Balance,
somewhere in between, is something that has always evaded me.....