iandol on thu 13 apr 00
------------------
Mr Merrill J. Fernando, founder of Dilmah Tea, has given me permission to
provide members of Clayart with his instructions for making tea. I hope this
adds to what has already been said and confirms what others members already =
know
through long association with this delightful beverage.
Draw fresh cold water or use spring water if your water is hard. Fill the =
kettle
with sufficient water, 220ml per cup, to brew the required number of =
servings.
Boil the water and, as the first bubbles appear, pour into a pre warmed =
ceramic,
china or porcelain pot containing one tea bag per person or into a mug with =
lid
containing one tea bag. For leaf tea use one spoonful of tea per person and =
one
for the pot. Stir gently after one minute and allow to steep for a further =
four
minutes. Now please enjoy the difference the taste of garden fresh, =
unblended
real Ceylon tea. For a light cup use 250ml of water and for a stronger cup =
use
190ml. Steep for four to five minutes in order to draw full therapeutic =
benefits
in tea. Never re-boil water. Always brew Dilmah tea in a teapot or in a tea =
mug
with a lid
My own preference is to scald the tea leaves. Prewarming prevents chilling =
of
the hot water. Fresh water is supposed to give a better flavour because it =
is
still aerated.
Mr Fernando has also suggested that Clayart Members who make tea pots might =
like
to send him photographs of their products. It his intention to commence a
promotion campaign and he is considering purchasing tea pots as prizes for =
some
sort of competition. He asked me to invite Clayart Members to participate by
supplying teapots which he would buy.
If you wish to have your work considered and your prices are reasonable, =
please
send all relevant information including your selling price, mentioning my
conversation, to the following e-mail address for the attention of Mr. =
Merrill
J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah at info=40dilmahtea.com or to the following =
snail
mail address, Mr. Merrill J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah, PO Box 1630, =
Columbo,
Sri Lanka.
I have asked Mr Fernando for further information relating to the scope and
logistics of this venture and briefly described the nature of our group.
Appropriate information will be posted to you as and when it is received. My
hope is that this may provide a continuing vehicle for members and friends =
to
exploit..
Ivor Lewis.
Intending to make plates and decorate them with computer assisted designs =
today.
Murray & Bacia Edelman on fri 14 apr 00
Hello, folks.
I was the one who started this thread and thanks to all for replies, both
on and
offline.
I do a lot of what Mr. Fernando suggests because I lived in London one
academic yr.
('74-75) and there was taught the tea gospel by all new friends and the
potters whom I interviewed (for articles for C.M.)
I still do that and am even enough of a snob to use tea leaves rather than
bags, but use a filtered (newly installed) water rather than buy spring water.
So, for all us purists!!
My reason for raising the subject at all was an upsetting mishap.
Most of the writers, and one of my daughters, use warm tapwater to heat the
pot.
I have always just used the freshly boiled water, spring or otherwise, as
suggested
by Mr. Fernando.
It was a newly fired guest in a friend's wood-firing kiln.
It didn't break into pieces as many surmised. It instead made a
"sickening" noise when I warmed it with newly boiled water, and the noise
was a crack near the bottom where the side joined the base, (I mostly
handbuild and the joints are neurotically blended). I checked for seepage
with cold
water as I couldn't see the crack, and of course it seeped all over a paper
towel.
Randy Becker, the kind highschool teacher who invites me to add a few
pieces to any of his wood or salt kilns, and I decided it was the clay.
The piece, of Continental's Hi-fire white stoneware, is listed as cone 7
to 10. The piece
was in a part of the kiln that reached cone 11. Randy suggests that some
of his pieces, even vases and not dealing with boiling water, can seep or
crack.
I am trying out some other clays for next week's firing, clays really
meant to deal
with at least cone 10.
As to Mr. Fernando's interest in buying teapots, bravo. But let me warn
any whose work he wants to buy: Shipping from U.S. to Australia or Sri
Lanka or N.Z. (as it was once
in my case) can fry your bank account. He also wants teapots with
"reasonable"
prices. Think twice.
Warm regards to all, esp. tea drinkers. And thanks, Ivor.
Bacia
At 01:32 PM 04/13/2000 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>------------------
>
>Mr Merrill J. Fernando, founder of Dilmah Tea, has given me permission to
>provide members of Clayart with his instructions for making tea. I hope this
>adds to what has already been said and confirms what others members already =
>know
>through long association with this delightful beverage.
>
>Draw fresh cold water or use spring water if your water is hard. Fill the =
>kettle
>with sufficient water, 220ml per cup, to brew the required number of =
>servings.
>
>Boil the water and, as the first bubbles appear, pour into a pre warmed =
>ceramic,
>china or porcelain pot containing one tea bag per person or into a mug with =
>lid
>containing one tea bag. For leaf tea use one spoonful of tea per person and =
>one
>for the pot. Stir gently after one minute and allow to steep for a further =
>four
>minutes. Now please enjoy the difference the taste of garden fresh, =
>unblended
>real Ceylon tea. For a light cup use 250ml of water and for a stronger cup =
>use
>190ml. Steep for four to five minutes in order to draw full therapeutic =
>benefits
>in tea. Never re-boil water. Always brew Dilmah tea in a teapot or in a tea =
>mug
>with a lid
>
>My own preference is to scald the tea leaves. Prewarming prevents chilling =
>of
>the hot water. Fresh water is supposed to give a better flavour because it =
>is
>still aerated.
>
>Mr Fernando has also suggested that Clayart Members who make tea pots might =
>like
>to send him photographs of their products. It his intention to commence a
>promotion campaign and he is considering purchasing tea pots as prizes for =
>some
>sort of competition. He asked me to invite Clayart Members to participate by
>supplying teapots which he would buy.
>
>If you wish to have your work considered and your prices are reasonable, =
>please
>send all relevant information including your selling price, mentioning my
>conversation, to the following e-mail address for the attention of Mr. =
>Merrill
>J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah at info=40dilmahtea.com or to the following =
>snail
>mail address, Mr. Merrill J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah, PO Box 1630, =
>Columbo,
>Sri Lanka.
>
>I have asked Mr Fernando for further information relating to the scope and
>logistics of this venture and briefly described the nature of our group.
>Appropriate information will be posted to you as and when it is received. My
>hope is that this may provide a continuing vehicle for members and friends =
>to
>exploit..
>
>Ivor Lewis.
>
>Intending to make plates and decorate them with computer assisted designs =
>today.
>
Bacia Edelman Madison, Wisconsin
http://www.mypots.com/bacia.htm
Tom Wirt/Betsy Price on sat 15 apr 00
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: Teapots. Brewing Tea and Promoting Teapot Makers.
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello, folks.
> It was a newly fired guest in a friend's wood-firing kiln.
> It didn't break into pieces as many surmised. It instead made a
> "sickening" noise when I warmed it with newly boiled water, and the noise
> was a crack near the bottom where the side joined the base, (I mostly
> handbuild and the joints are neurotically blended). I checked for seepage
> with cold
> water as I couldn't see the crack, and of course it seeped all over a
paper
> towel.
>
> The piece, of Continental's Hi-fire white stoneware, is listed as cone 7
> to 10. The piece
> was in a part of the kiln that reached cone 11. Randy suggests that some
Bacia...
Having once upon a time used Continental's Hi Fire Stoneware, I can assure
you that it develops significant cristobalite in firing to c 10 or 11. We
had many, many returns of cracked products over the 2 or so years I used it.
I have since changed to their tableware, which contains some kyanite which
helps with the problem. Of course, the excuse I got when I challenged them
re: the High Fire stoneware was that it was either my throwing, or that
because the clays are from the earth they vary greatly and whom can predict.
that clay is based on AP Green fireclay.
Try the tableware if you use their clays. I have it mixed without iron so
it gives a gray-white in reduction. We have taken it to cone 12 and refired
it. Have had it tested by Ron Roy and it shows almost no cristobalite.
tom Wirt
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