Tea processing system in a plant :
The first step in making a tea manufacturing business plan is to understand the step-by-step process of manufacturing tea.
Step 1 – Withering
Withering is a process in which leaves are plucked and then dried to reduce the moisture content. Usually, the moisture content in the leaves is 73 to 84%, which must be reduced to 50-70% by weight. The traditional method of drying involves spreading the leaves on a metal mesh in a trough. Alternatively, the leaves are spread on perforated drums for drying – this is called drum withering. Another method is through continuous withering, where the leaves are passed through hot air on moving conveyor belts.
Modern techniques help reduce the withering time but can also reduce the quality. Therefore, careful monitoring and controlled temperature during this process will result in high-quality withered leaves.
Step 2 – Sifting of green leaves
The process of sifting eliminates any waste material that makes its way to the factory with the leaves. This could be sand, gravel, dust, and small stones. Sifting cleans the leaves and makes them ready for the next step.
Step 3 – Conditioning
Conditioning is an essential process before sending the leaves for CTC processing. For this step, the leaf shredder and rotor vane are used in combination. The leaves are shredded into small pieces. The output capacity of the rotor vane and shredder must match that of the dryer and the CTC processor.
Step 4 – Maceration
Maceration is the process of sending the leaves for rolling. This is a key step in tea manufacturing, and there are two ways of doing it:
Traditional process – The leaves are passed through the roller, where they are twisted and broken down into small particles. These particles get oxidised when they come in contact with atmospheric oxygen. This oxidation is essential for the perfect aroma and texture of the final product. A lot of heat is generated due to friction, and this has to be controlled. The next step is the second sifting. This is done to separate the coarsely and finely twisted leaves. The fine leaves are processed further while the coarse ones are sent back to the roller.
CTC tea processing – The CTC machine does all the crushing, breaking, and rolling of curling leaves. Hence, it saves a lot of time and energy. A proper oxidation process is a must for good-quality black tea.
After maceration, the leaves become ready for oxidation and are immediately spread on the continuous fermenting machine. Oxidation takes place under controlled humidity and temperature.
Step 5 – Drying
After oxidation, the leaves are put into the driers to bring down the moisture content to 3%. Hot air is blown through the fan, and oxidation is stopped completely.
Step 6 – Sorting
Once dried, the product is sent to the sifter for sorting. Tea is generally sold in 4 sizes, i.e., whole leaf, broken, fanning, and dust, and their sizes range between 2cm to just 0.5 mm. After sorting, it is packed and sent for distribution.
