Studies on Storage of Tea Leaves (Part 12)

Abstract

A double tray container equipment was examined for the storage of plucked tea leaves.Each 40 kg of fresh leaves was accumulated on a tray (0.4 m2) of duplicated tray made by iron net in a tall container and stored by discontinuous draught method at intervals of half an hour.The heights of piled leaves reduced to 70-80% of the original value after 6 hours storage. The lower the draught volume was supplied into the equipment, the larger the decrease of the height of piled leaves and the faster the velocity of wind in the intermediate phase of piled leaves. It was thought that the draught area in the sectional phase of piled leaves might become smaller on the condition of lower draught volume by compactly packing of piled leaves during the storage.When 0.011m3/sec of draught volume was supplied into the equipment containing 80kg of tea leaves, the leaf temperatures in piled leaves on each tray were kept below 25-27°C (the room temperature) for 15 hours and the degradation of tea quality made from this stored leaves was not recognized.