Studies on Storage of Tea Leaves (Part 11)

Abstract

In order to develop the more compact storage equipment of plucked tea leaves, we examined a tall container equipment. In this examination, plucked tea leaves were preserved in tall container during a day by continuous aeration method. The limit of the piled tea leaves in the container was about 360 kg./m2. The position in which tea leaves were most compactly packed, situated at one-third part from bottom of the pile. When the atmospheric temperature was above 30°C, reddening of tea leaves was recognized during the storage and it occurred in the most compactly packed position at first. Reddening of tea leaves occurred not because there was no aeration in this position, but because the warmer air that was used for aeration, did not have enough faculty to disperse the respiratory heat of tea leaves. So the cooling equipment of the air was necessary, if the atmospheric temperature was above 30°C. When cooling equipment, in which the air was passed through the cooled water shower was used, the piled tea leaves was protected from withering during the storage.