JPS6215168B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing tea leaves, and particularly to a method for manufacturing bancha leaves that can produce high quality bancha at low cost and with high efficiency.

Traditionally, when manufacturing bancha in a tea factory that has large continuous machinery for manufacturing sencha,
The general tea manufacturing method was to use large continuous machines for the production of sencha and perform almost the same processing as for sencha production, but each of the large continuous machines had a furnace for generating hot air. Each machine is equipped with an attached machine, and when these machines are operated continuously to process bancha, a large amount of fuel is required, similar to when processing sencha, and the processing efficiency, labor, and quality of bancha are also inferior. However, as a method for producing bancha, which is commercially available at a lower price than sencha, the manufacturing and processing costs are too high and it is difficult to obtain bancha that meets the tastes of consumers.

In general, sencha that has not been subjected to finishing processes such as sorting or pasteurization is called aracha. Ordinary aracha is produced by subjecting fresh leaves to the following treatments and using large continuous machinery for sencha production. be done.

That is, as shown in Figure 1 of the attached drawing, the freshly picked leaves were first stirred in steamer A with steam at around 100°C ejected from boiler B for around 30 seconds to undergo steaming treatment. After that, it is cooled in a cooler C.

Next, it is fed into the first roughing machine D, where it receives hot air of around 90℃ sent from the first furnace E, and is subjected to kneading and leaf-pulling effects by kneading and leaf grinding, and then into the second roughing machine F. They are then transferred to the mill, where they are subjected to the same rolling and rolling action while being exposed to hot air from the second furnace G as described above, and when the weight loss reaches approximately 50% due to the decrease in moisture, they are taken out and then transferred to the rolling machine H. After being subjected to rolling action by applying rolling pressure, it is heated by gas furnace I.
It is kneaded and dried in a medium kneading machine J that is supplied with hot air at 60° to 70°C, and when the weight loss reaches around 70%, it is taken out.Then, it is fed into a fine kneading machine K, where it is shaped and dried, reducing the weight loss. When it reaches about 75%, it is transferred to the dryer L, where it receives hot air from the furnace M, and finally reaches 85%.
The weight is reduced by a certain amount, and rough tea for sencha is obtained.

Therefore, the conventional method of producing rough tea for bancha is as follows:
As explained at the beginning, the general method was to operate the large-scale continuous mechanical equipment for producing Sencha and perform processing similar to the manufacturing process of rough tea for Sencha.

That is, as in the above-mentioned crude tea production process, first steaming is performed in steamer A, cooling is performed in cooler C, and then
A first rough rolling machine D and a second rough rolling machine F are used to perform rolling and leaf wiping, respectively, and then a rolling action is performed using a rolling machine H, and then a rolling process is carried out using a medium rolling machine J. The tea was then transferred to a dryer L for drying, and the final result was crude tea for bancha, which was reduced in weight by about 90%.

However, this conventional bancha manufacturing method requires many processing steps as mentioned above, so approximately 300 kg of fresh leaves are processed per day (product name: When using Terada type 60K line equipment). This is the limit, and processing of bancha takes time and is inefficient, and at least one worker must be assigned to each machine: steamer A, coarse miller D, F, medium miller J, and dryer L. In addition, these machines require hot air generating furnaces E, G, etc., such as heavy oil burners or gas burners, respectively.
Since the I and M are installed and operated, a huge amount of fuel has to be consumed, and an excessive amount of money is wasted along with the electricity charges associated with the operation of each machine.

In addition, these series of tea-making machines had to be operated all year round, which significantly shortened the service life of the machines and caused severe wear and tear on the expensive machines, raising the possibility that the machines would have to be replaced after a short period of time. .

Furthermore, compared to fresh leaves for sencha, raw leaves for bancha generally have stem trees mixed in, and are often harder and have less water content. In almost the same way, the rolling process was forced, which resulted in the formation of loose leaves that tended to turn into powdered tea, resulting in a poor yield of rough tea after processing, resulting in a decrease in volume and processing yield. At the same time, the finished product had a serious drawback in that it had poor color and luster, and was inferior in taste and aroma.

In this way, although the conventional method of producing bancha had various problems as mentioned above, it has been improved because of the convenience of being able to process it using the large continuous machinery used for producing sencha. However, without solving these problems, the general tea manufacturing method was to process bancha using the above-mentioned mechanical devices.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances and to eliminate these drawbacks. This system cleverly operates only one machine to produce bancha, which greatly reduces fuel consumption compared to conventional methods, making processing cheaper, and also greatly shortening processing time. The purpose is to provide a method for manufacturing bancha that is highly efficient, has a high product yield after processing, and can easily process bancha that meets the tastes of consumers with good color, aroma, and taste. be.

The following drawings No. 2 to 4 are attached with an embodiment of the present invention.
This will be explained using figures.

The steamer A, boiler B, cooler C, first rougher D, furnace E, and second rougher F shown in the drawing are the conventional large-scale continuous mechanical equipment for producing green tea (product name: Terada type 60K line equipment) mentioned above. A dryer main body 1 of an appropriate shape with an open upper surface is disposed adjacent to or isolated from any one of the furnaces constituting the continuous mechanical device, for example, the furnace E of the heavy oil burner type. Inside the main body 1, a porous partition 2 made of a net-like material with a mesh that prevents tea leaves from falling, or a perforated plate with many holes, etc. is installed. (tea leaves) drying room 3
However, a wind tunnel chamber 4 is formed in the lower part.

The wind tunnel chamber 4 of the dryer main body 1 is communicated with the furnace E through a cylindrical connecting air passage 5.
Hot air is now being pumped in from the The connecting air passage 5 is provided with a hot air temperature sensor S, a thermometer T, and a hot air gate valve 6. By switching the gate valve 6, the connecting air passage 5 is opened and closed, supplying hot air to the wind tunnel chamber 4 side. It's starting to force a halt. 7
is a gate valve provided in the connecting air passage from the furnace E to the first roughing machine D, and the gate valve 7 switches between supplying and stopping the hot air to the first roughing machine D side.

8 is a leaf feeder adjacent to the cooler C,
The tip opening 9 of the leaf feed cylinder 9 connected to the leaf feeder 8
A is located above the drying chamber 3 of the dryer main body 1, and tea leaves are dropped into the drying chamber 3 from the tip opening 9a of the leaf feeding cylinder 9 and are accommodated therein.

As described above, the drying device and the leaf feeding device are constructed, and the gate valve 6 of the furnace E is opened, and the gate valve 7 is opened to send in hot air from the wind tunnel chamber 4 of the dryer main body 1. By following the steps below, you can efficiently obtain high-quality rough tea for bancha without loose leaves.

That is, the fresh leaves that are sequentially fed into the steamer A undergo steam heat treatment in the steamer A, are cooled in the cooler C, and then are transported by wind inside the leaf feeder cylinder 9 by the leaf feeder 8, and are The drying chamber 3 is opened one after another from the tip opening 9a.
They are dropped into the middle of the tank and are sequentially subjected to hot air drying. It takes about 2 hours to steam 400 kg of fresh leaves, but when about 400 kg of steamed leaves can be stored in the drying chamber 3, the feeding of fresh leaves to the steamer A is stopped.

Once the steamed leaves are dropped into the drying chamber 3, the steamed leaves are uniformly spread one after another to a thickness of about 40 cm using an appropriate means, and transferred from the furnace E to the wind tunnel chamber 4 for 70 minutes.
When hot air in the range of 100°C to 100°C, for example about 80°C, is sent, about 400 kg of steamed leaves are exposed to the hot air from a position corresponding to the back of the wind tunnel chamber 4 without being subjected to any rolling action. They will then be dried in sequence.

After the steamed leaves are subjected to hot air drying in the drying room, more than 90% of the moisture can be removed in about 2 hours (when using the Terada-style 60K Line First Roughing Machine Furnace), and the leaves crumble into powder. In its raw state, it changes color and dries to a dark brown color with the characteristic aroma of bancha, producing a glossy rough tea.

Note that the steamed leaves at the front side of the wind tunnel chamber 4 tend to dry slightly more slowly, so they are replaced with the steamed leaves at the back side, which tends to dry faster, so that hot air treatment is uniform throughout. to make rough tea with a uniform degree of dryness.

In addition, it takes about 2 hours to steam about 400 kg of fresh leaves, so by the time the steaming process is finished, the steamed tea initially stored in the drying chamber 3 will have almost finished as rough tea. It is preferable to stack the tea leaves high at a position close to the back of the wind tunnel chamber 4, and keep them warm so that they can be finished as completely dry brown tea.

In this way, after the steamed leaves are dropped into the drying chamber 3 and dried with hot air for about 2 hours, the steamed leaves will become brownish as described above, so in about 4 hours, the weight will be approximately 400 kg. It is possible to process a small amount of fresh leaves into rough tea, and if this is done 2 to 3 times a day, about 800 to 1200 kg of fresh leaves can be processed, making it much more efficient than conventional methods. This means that it can be processed.

Furthermore, since only one furnace is operated, there is an advantage that the amount of heat consumed is significantly reduced and the cost of heat is reduced.

The crude tea finished in this way is processed into bancha using a hoji machine and shipped according to demand, as in the past, but as mentioned above, high-quality coarse tea that does not crumble into powder is used. Naturally, it has become possible to easily supply bancha that is of good quality and meets the tastes of consumers.

As described in detail above, the tea manufacturing method of the present invention includes a large continuous mechanical device for producing sencha tea, which is equipped with a drying device for finishing drying rough tea for bancha, and this drying device is connected to the continuous mechanical device. By connecting it to any one of the furnaces and using a partial treatment process device of the continuous mechanical device, the fresh leaves are steam-treated in steam, cooled with a cooler, and then stored in a drying chamber, By blowing hot air from the floor of the drying chamber to dry the steamed leaves stored in the chamber, it has become possible to process high-quality rough tea for bancha with high efficiency, making it possible to replace conventional tea manufacturing methods. It has the following advantages:

In other words, in the conventional system, the steamed leaves were processed using large continuous machinery for making sencha tea, subjected to various rolling processes, and then dried, making it possible to process approximately 300 kg per day. However, the product of the present invention can be finished in about 4 hours by drying without any intermediate finishing.
It is possible to process 400 kg of tea leaves, approximately 800 to 1200 kg per day, into rough tea, greatly reducing processing time and significantly improving work efficiency. Additionally, in the past, at least two workers were required to supervise the intermediate rolling process, and at least four workers were required during the processing of bancha.
Up to 5 workers were required, but with the present invention, it is only necessary to deploy one worker to each of the steamer and dryer, and two workers are sufficient to handle the process, reducing labor. . In addition, in conventional systems, most of the large continuous machinery for producing sencha tea was operated for long periods of time to produce rough tea, resulting in enormous electricity costs and furnace fuel costs associated with machine operation. Now, by using only one furnace among these continuous mechanical devices, it is possible to efficiently finish rough brown rice in a short period of time, which greatly reduces the electricity and fuel costs mentioned above and contributes greatly to resource conservation. At the same time, processing costs can be reduced, and the economic effect is tremendous.

In addition, the raw tea obtained after processing can be finished in its raw state, with almost no loose leaves as seen in the past, resulting in a high product yield and high yield, as well as good taste, color, and aroma. We can produce quality tea.

Furthermore, since large-scale continuous machinery for sencha production must be stopped during bancha production, these machines do not wear out and have a long service life. It becomes possible to use it. Further, the bancha finish drying apparatus of the present invention can be installed in an existing tea factory having a large-scale continuous machine for producing sencha with a reduced space and a simple layout. Furthermore, by selectively using one expensive furnace for processing green tea and for processing bancha in order to make effective use of it, many effects can be achieved as described above.

In addition, if the drying chamber 3 is bent in the shape of a square as shown in Fig. 5 as the main body of the dryer, a storage storage area 10 for rough tea for finished bancha can be created in less space.
This is effective in terms of work efficiency. In this case, if the blower fan 11 is provided near the bend, it is possible to effectively dry a position corresponding to the back of the bend (it is convenient to use this position as a heat-retaining drying room).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the child-like lattice member 12 on the top surface of the porous partition body 2 can be removably installed, or the lattice member 12 can be formed of a pipe member 13 with holes as shown in FIG. By doing so, while preventing the steamed leaves stored in the drying chamber 3 from adhering to each other and preventing compression, the steamed leaves are appropriately agitated by the hot air blown up from the wind tunnel chamber 4 through the porous partition 2, and the drying time is reduced. It can be finished into rough tea within a short period of time.

Furthermore, if the main body of the dryer is structured into a trolley 14 divided into three sections as shown in Figure 8, it will be easy to change the position of the steamed leaves depending on the degree of drying (initial drying, intermediate drying, heat-retaining drying). Transportation of rough tea after processing,
In addition, the work efficiency can be further improved in taking out. In this case, if the side wall of the trolley 14 is configured to be openable and trapezoidal, it is easy to take out the rough tea after processing, and the steamed leaves on the side wall are evenly dried.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the invention,
Figure 1 is a side view showing the conventional crude tea production process, Figure 2
The figure is a side view of a main part equipped with the apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the main part, and FIGS. 5 to 8 show other embodiments. A...Steamer, C...Cooler, D...First roughing machine, E...Furnace, 1...Dryer body, 2...Porous partition, 3...Drying room, 4...Wind tunnel chamber, 5... Connecting air path, 6, 7... Gate valve, 8... Leaf feeder, 9... Leaf feeding cylinder.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 Fresh leaves are steam-treated in a steamer, cooled in a cooler, and then stored in a drying chamber, and hot air is blown from the floor of the drying chamber to dry the steamed leaves stored in the chamber. A method of manufacturing tea leaves that can be made into coarse tea. 2. The tea manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the rough tea finished in the drying chamber is for bancha. 3. The tea manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the hot air blown into the drying chamber has a temperature of 70° to 100°C.