My kyusu has become a leaf dam

[Breath-Breakfast]

Question or objective: faster clean pour without changing tea
Tea category: Japanese green tea
Exact product: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha
Vendor: Cedar Cup Tea
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
Cultivar, if known: Saemidori
Harvest season/year: spring 2026
Processing or roast: deep-steamed sencha
Cake/batch number, if relevant: cake/lot noted above where applicable; otherwise N/A
Purchase/opening date: purchased 2026-05-30; opened 2026-07-06
Storage since purchase: refrigerated sealed pouch; portion warmed before opening
Style: Japanese
Vessel: Tokoname kyusu
Vessel material: glazed interior clay
Nominal and actual filled capacity: 220 ml nominal / 180 ml filled
Filter or strainer: fine stainless obi-ami
Kettle: stovetop kettle + thermometer
Vessel preheated: no
Dry leaf weight: 6.0 g
Water volume: 180 ml
Water temperature: 68°C
Water source or mineral profile: soft bottled water, 35 ppm
Rinse: 5-10 s where noted by the recipe; otherwise none
Infusion schedule: 55 s, 15 s, 30 s
Agitation: none
Was each infusion completely decanted?: attempted full decant; pour slows badly
Aroma: sweet grass
Sweetness: high
Bitterness: low
Astringency: medium
Body/texture: thick
Flavour: spinach, sweet pea
Aftertaste: good once poured
Number of satisfying infusions: 3
Exact problem: fine leaves clog the filter and the pour stretches past a minute
Desired result: faster clean pour without changing tea
Variable changed: pour angle
Previous value: normal tilt
New value: shallower tilt
Result: helped a little but still stalls
Dry-leaf photograph: available in the author’s notes; not embedded in this archive
Liquor photograph: available in the author’s notes; not embedded in this archive
Wet-leaf photograph: available in the author’s notes; not embedded in this archive
Video if pouring or drainage is relevant: pour/drainage video described in the post; not embedded in this archive

I have reached the stage where changing three things at once is only producing new kinds of confusion. The cup is giving me fine leaves clog the filter and the pour stretches past a minute. The last controlled change was pour angle: normal tilt to shallower tilt, and helped a little but still stalls. I would like the next test to be one variable only. If you have brewed this exact tea, or something genuinely comparable in a similar vessel, that would be especially useful.

My target is simple: faster clean pour without changing tea. I am not looking for a new shopping list unless the equipment is actually the problem.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Tested solution
Direct recommendation: reduce agitation and avoid swirling before the pour.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha / Japanese green tea in a setup close to Tokoname kyusu.
Evidence: firsthand test by the questioner on River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha.
Change: reduce agitation and avoid swirling before the pour.
Expected effect: less screen blockage and a steadier pour.
Observed result: helped a little but still stalls.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Ringside And Rescue]

Same tea/batch
Direct recommendation: use 5 g instead of 6 g.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha / Japanese green tea in a setup close to Tokoname kyusu.
Evidence: firsthand use of the same River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha in a closely matched setup.
Change: use 5 g instead of 6 g.
Expected effect: faster drainage with slightly lighter body.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Casefile Yoga]

Comparable tea
Direct recommendation: start the pour decisively rather than feathering it.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha / Japanese green tea in a setup close to Tokoname kyusu.
Evidence: firsthand use of a comparable Japanese green tea with similar parameters.
Change: start the pour decisively rather than feathering it.
Expected effect: shorter total pour time and more even extraction.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: Water chemistry may change the result, so I would not generalize this to every city.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: reduce agitation and avoid swirling before the pour.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha / Japanese green tea in a setup close to Tokoname kyusu.
Evidence: side-by-side or repeated one-variable test.
Change: reduce agitation and avoid swirling before the pour.
Expected effect: less screen blockage and a steadier pour.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: Water chemistry may change the result, so I would not generalize this to every city.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Ringside And Rescue]

Comparable tea
Direct recommendation: use 5 g instead of 6 g.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha / Japanese green tea in a setup close to Tokoname kyusu.
Evidence: firsthand experience with Japanese green tea in a different vessel.
Change: use 5 g instead of 6 g.
Expected effect: faster drainage with slightly lighter body.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: Water chemistry may change the result, so I would not generalize this to every city.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Professional experience
Direct recommendation: start the pour decisively rather than feathering it.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 fukamushi sencha / Japanese green tea in a setup close to Tokoname kyusu.
Evidence: general brewing principle consistent with repeated tests; not this exact batch.
Change: start the pour decisively rather than feathering it.
Expected effect: shorter total pour time and more even extraction.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: Water chemistry may change the result, so I would not generalize this to every city.
Commercial relationship: none.

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