Green Tea Forum

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

I don't think this has been posted before, but I could be wrong. (In that case, sorry!) I just bought a new kyuusu, and I have noticed a fairly prominent clay taste (not that I eat clay, but you know what I mean) in the tea I've brewed in it. I've heard that this sort of thing is normal in yixing teapots due to the porous nature of the clay, so I would assume it is also normal in porous kyuusu, but has anyone else noticed this? If so, how long does it usually take for the clay taste to go away? Thanks!

Chip · Posted: Jan 25, 2007 4:23 pm Post subject:

...hmmm, I guess you could do what you do for yixing teapots...it may do the trick. Try putting it in a large pot of very hot water overnight and pour the water out of the teapot repeatedly...unless it is ornate then I would not do that. But the taste you are experiencing shouldn't last forever...or too much longer...

I have never eaten clay or dirt Laughing

...or had a kyuusu that gives off a clay taste. Good luck!!!

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

So after following your instructions, I found that there was still a clay taste in my tea. So, I made myself some white tea in a gaiwan and, "Hmm... that's funny, this tastes like clay too..." So, my lack of experience in eating clay actually caused me to misdiagnose the problem-- it was actually my electric kettle that was harboring some strange taste. (Moral of the story... eat more clay)

Anyway, I don't use my kettle for anything but filtered or bottled water (Not the horrible tap water here-- you can smell it when you turn on the faucet), and I have instructed my roommates to do the same. Could this be the dreaded scale I have heard so much about? The taste is very mineral-like and bitter, and I suppose there are some stains on the bottom of my kettle (I had just assumed it was a result of it being metal). I guess I'll try a dilute vinegar solution to see if that works.

Chip · Posted: Jan 26, 2007 9:23 am Post subject:

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

The heating element you say? Definitely scale then, as that is actually the only place where I have deposits in my kettle. I wouldn't say it's white, it's more of a very light gray/brown, but your comment about the heating element makes it pretty clear that it's scale. That and it doesn't really taste like iron (not that I eat a lot of rust or elemental iron, aside from what's in my food or course).

Thanks again Chip!

Chip · Posted: Jan 26, 2007 11:13 am Post subject:

...you are welcome! Try vinegar to get ride of it. It sounds like you have some iron or something else also mixed in with it.

But scale really messes with tea flavor.

Jeff · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 6

Tokoname Teapot Large Brown
I've actually noticed the very same thing in my large Tokoname Teapot. Had never seen anyone mention it before. Thought I was crazy. I use large teapots for serving multiple infusions of sencha and gyokuro for 3-4 people and have noticed this most frequently when I allow the second+ infusions to brew a bit long. Seems to pick up the clay taste the longer the pot contains water. And it seems to pick it up sooner with the higher water temps for brewing sencha. So you're not alone. Laughing