Yixing noob questions
Hello internet tea friends,
I am the proud owner of a nice new yixing pot. It looks to be of high quality, there are no molding marks, I can see what looks like hand-made tooling marks on the inside and I bought it from a reputable source (Mandala). I boiled and seasoned it according to David Duckler’s “how to season an yixing” video on youtube. My questions are:
1) How do I clean the pot after brewing? I feel like putting water into the pot to rinse out the leaves takes away some of the seasoning I just put in… I scrape as many leaves as I can out but I always need a swish or two of water to get the remaining leaves out and I notice the inside of the pot smells like water afterwards instead of tea (Da Hong Pao for this one)
2) How many brew sessions can I expect before the pot stops absorbing so much of the flavor and starts equaling out or giving back? I’m on my 4th serious and meticulous brew/seasoning session and I can tell the pot is still really soaking up a lot of flavor.
I realize that all pots are different, and i’m in no real rush but I can’t help but wonder.
3) Any other tips or tricks? I’ve been brewing with the pot in a small bowl and always make sure to pour tea back onto the pot between every infusion. Basically, am I doing this right?
Thanks in advance!
Boil it for 10-30 minutes first.
It should smell like class and have nice carved brush marks on the inside if it is truly qyality.
As for the smell, you want it to smell like the kind of tea you are drinking out of it. It will take 2-3 MONTHS before it is truly seasoned. Leave the tea in it for a few days after brewing it.
Be patient and it will pay off. Just dont use other kinds of teas for that pot…put ONE kind of tea only.
Rinse only with hot water to get the leaves out. I will sometimes “cup” a yixing, i.e. leave the brewed leaves in and tip the spout into a cup.I don’t know if this will help as it allows the moisture out so that you may re-brew the leaves.
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