STAGES | Objectives | Methods | Machinery and Facilities | Changes Produced |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 WEIGHING | Raw material enters the scale in order to be weighed | Manual unloading, in large quantities and automatic unloading, in bulk | Scale capacity 25 tn., Size: 2,8 mts wide x 7,50 mts long Manufactured by: ARCURI | |
2 WITHERING | Partial dehydration of shoots to make them malleable for cutting. Chemical changes. | Shoots enter the storage container. Air exposure under natural or monitored conditions (8hours). The withering bed is loaded. (4hours). Total duration 12 to 18 hours. | Container: masonry with drilled hard wooden floor so that air can circulate, either naturally or in a controlled manner. Size: 15mts x 12,50 mts x 1mts high; 185 m2, with ventilation activated by 6 fans powered by 2HP, 1400 RPM engines.
Continuous mechanical withering bed featuring 5 parts. Total size: 35,5 mts long x 4,20 mts wide, each part is 7,10mts long x 4,20 mts wide x 0,45 mts high, each part having a scatterer. Has 5 turbines with 5HP engines each. | Reduction in humidity by approximately 55-58%; increase in caffeine, soluble sugar and aminoacids; changes in the ratio of organic acids and the activity of enzymes in shoots and leaves. |
3 MILLING | Rupture and distortion of tea shoots, to enable enzyme and substrate contact. | Mechanical process for tearing up, cutting, crushing, rupturing and twisting. | Bronze tooth Rotorvane | Shoots are cut and twisted; cellular compounds are mixed and the oxidation process begins. |
4 FERMENTATION | Chemical changes in leaf compounds, due to oxidation or enzymatic browning. (fermentation). | Exposure to air, during 1 to 2 hours, under controlled temperature (25-30° C) and humidity (90-100%) conditions. | Fermentation in continuous metallic belt fermentation, manufactured by TIME, 9 mts long x 1,97 mts wide, it has 4 31/4 HP turbines and a levelling device powered by an engine with a gearbox. Metallic belt to load drying furnace, 1,97 mts wide x 3,80 mts long. | The color changes from green to light-brownish; polyphenols oxidize and condense. |
5 DRYING | Stops enzymatic browning (fermentation) and dehydrate product to preserve quality in storage. | Exposure to a draft of hot air for about 25-30 minutes inside a drying area, with entry temperature into furnace of about 90-105° C and a temperature of 50-55° C when removed from furnace. | Conventional tea drying place, 6,60 mts long x 2mts wide, 4 floors with 240 trays with a levelling device. Heat turbine for drying furnace powered by a 15HP engine. | Humidity is reduced by approximately 3 to 4%; the product acquires its typical appearance and color. A part of the sugar content is caramelized and polyphenols are epimerized. |
6 CLEANING AND SORTING | Dust and fiber are eliminated; sorted into grades or types. | Dry “twig” tea is broken, shredded, sorted out, mixed and packaged. 20 min. | Mechanical breaking machine. Electrostatic shredder. Mechanical sorter. | Classification of this batch according to size in different grades or types. |