The reason why rock tea is precious is inseparable from its unique growth environment. However, the preciousness of rock tea lies not only in its growing environment, but also in the exquisite skills of its production process, from picking to production, each step embodies the thousands of years of wisdom accumulated by tea farmers. It is this persistence and inheritance of traditional skills that makes the taste of rock tea rich and layered. Therefore, Wuyi rock tea is also called the tea with the most complex process by some people.
1. Picking. The first process of rock tea production - tea green (fresh leaves) picking, which is an important factor in determining the quality of tea. Rock tea is mostly picked only once a year, and most often twice. This is an extremely delicate job, which requires tea farmers to accurately grasp the growth conditions of the tea trees and the weather conditions. The best time to pick is when the leaves are fully unfolded and in an open state, usually when the new shoots grow to 3 5 leaves, and the top leaves are 6 or 7 percent open, 2 or 4 leaves are picked, which is called "open surface picking".
The best picking standard for rock tea is the middle open surface, which can not only ensure the quality of the tea, but also ensure a certain yield. If the picked leaves are too coarse and old, such as picking with a large open surface, the tea strips made will appear coarse and loose, with many stems and pieces, and the production rate is low. On the contrary, if the picked leaves are too tender, such as picking with small open noodles, the moisture content of the leaves is high, the aroma of the tea will be insufficient, and it is easy to turn red during processing. If the raw materials are too tender, it is easy to form a "dead red" in the process of withering and greening, and the aroma of the tea will appear low, and the taste will become bitter.
In addition, the tea picking standards for different varieties are also slightly different. For example, cinnamon is mainly picked with small and medium-sized noodles, so that the tea leaves are more likely to exude a charming "fruity aroma". The harvesting of daffodils is mainly based on medium and large open noodles.
2. Withering. Withered, also known as inverted green, is simply a wilting state of fresh leaves after drying. In this process, the green tea loses some of its moisture and becomes soft. This link is not only a physical change process, but also a complex biochemical reaction process. As the water evaporates, the enzyme activity inside the tea leaves is stimulated, which promotes the transformation of the chemical components in the tea leaves, laying the foundation for the subsequent fermentation and roasting process.
There are two main ways of rock tea withering: natural withering and artificial withering: natural withering: the tea leaves are spread in a ventilated, breathable, cool and dry environment, and the natural temperature and humidity conditions are used for withering. This method can better retain the original taste of the tea, but it takes a long time. Artificial withering: By artificially controlling the temperature and humidity, the withering process of tea is accelerated. This method can shorten the tea making cycle, but it requires a high level of technology and equipment investment.
However, it should be noted that the degree of water loss is different in different mountain farms and different varieties of green tea. This is because the physiological properties and chemical composition of various tea leaves are different, so they need to be treated differently during the withering process. If not handled properly, it may lead to damage to the quality of the tea or even lose the value of the production altogether.
In order to ensure the quality of the tea, the tea masters will precisely control the wilting time, temperature and humidity according to the characteristics of the tea leaves. They look at the color, aroma and feel of the tea leaves to determine whether the withering is at its best. This requires a lot of experience and craftsmanship, and it is also a big challenge in rock tea making.
3. Be green. There are two main steps: shaking and drying. Shaking green is to shake the tea leaves to make the tea gradually ferment in friction and impact, and promote the chemical changes inside the tea leaves. Drying is to place the tea leaves in a well-ventilated place after shaking the green, so that the tea leaves can be dried naturally, which further promotes the fermentation process of the tea.
In the process of greening, tea farmers need to flexibly adjust the time and frequency of shaking and drying according to factors such as weather, temperature and humidity. In this way, we can ensure that the tea leaves are fermented in the best state and form the unique aroma and taste of rock tea.
Doing green has an important impact on the quality of rock tea. By making green, the tea polyphenols, amino acids and other components in the tea can be fully transformed, so that the rock tea has a unique rock aroma and charm. At the same time, the degree of fermentation during the greening process will also affect the taste and quality of the tea. Moderate fermentation can make the tea taste mellow and sweet, while excessive fermentation may lead to a decrease in the quality of the tea.
Fourth, the finale. Finishing is an important step in the tea-making process, mainly through the rapid processing of tea leaves at high temperatures, so that the enzymes in the tea stop acting, so as to fix the quality and flavor of the tea. In the process of making rock tea, finishing is a key process, the purpose of which is to prevent the qualitative change of tea in the subsequent processing and storage process by controlling the chemical reaction inside the tea leaves, and to ensure the quality and taste of the tea.
In the process of making rock tea, the finishing is usually carried out in a high-temperature and rapid manner. Specifically, the tea maker will put the fresh tea leaves into a hot pan and stir-fry them quickly at high temperatures to quickly evaporate the water in the tea leaves and at the same time inactivate the enzymes in the tea leaves. This process requires a lot of experience and skill on the part of the tea maker, as the timing and temperature of the tea will directly affect the quality of the tea.
The time and temperature control of finishing have an important impact on the quality of rock tea. If the finishing time is too long or the temperature is too high, it may lead to the loss of nutrients in the tea, and the taste of the tea will become bitter; If the greening time is too short or the temperature is too low, the enzymes in the tea may not be completely inactive, and the tea may undergo qualitative changes during the later storage process, affecting the quality and taste.
5. Kneading. The main purpose of this process is to evenly distribute the water in the tea through physical means, promote the transformation and fusion of the internal substances of the tea, so as to shape the quality of rock tea.
Put the finished tea leaves into the kneading machine, and gradually curl the tea leaves into strips during the rolling process by machine or manual means, so as to promote the water distribution and material transformation inside the tea leaves.
The kneading process has a decisive influence on the quality of rock tea. Through rolling, the water in the tea is evenly distributed, which is conducive to the transformation and fusion of the internal substances of the tea. At the same time, the curly strip tea formed during the rolling process not only increases the surface area of the tea leaves, makes the tea better contact with the air, is conducive to the later aging and quality improvement of the tea, but also makes the rock tea fully release its unique aroma and flavor when brewing.
6. Drying. The main purpose of the rock tea drying process is to dissipate the moisture in the tea leaves through roasting and drying, tighten the tea strips, and make the tea leaves dry enough. This not only maintains the stable quality of the tea, but also allows the tea to be stored for a long time without deterioration. During the drying process, the water in the tea leaves gradually evaporates, and the tea leaves become compact, which is conducive to subsequent processing and storage.
The drying process of rock tea mainly includes: 1. Preliminary drying: place the picked rock tea leaves in a well-ventilated place to let it naturally lose part of its moisture. This process generally lasts for several hours, allowing the tea leaves to initially reach a certain degree of dryness. 2. Roasting and drying: Put the preliminarily dried tea into a special roasting equipment, and further dry the tea by controlling the heat and time. During the roasting process, the water in the tea leaves gradually evaporates, the tea leaves are condensed into strips, the color is gradually deepened, and the aroma is gradually rich. 3. Foot dry treatment: After roasting and drying, the tea leaves need to be placed in a ventilated and dry place to make it reach a dry state. The time taken to dry the tea varies depending on factors such as the variety of tea and the humidity of the environment, and generally takes a few days to several weeks.
Seventh, the hair tea picking pile.
Mao tea picking refers to the process of selecting, classifying and stacking the hair tea after going through the processes of sunning, drying, shaking and frying in the process of rock tea in accordance with the standards of quality, size, and color. This process aims to improve the quality and taste of rock tea, laying the foundation for the subsequent refining process.
Steps and skills of picking up hair tea:
1. Observe the quality: First of all, the tea master will carefully observe the hair tea, and preliminarily judge the quality grade of the tea according to the color, aroma, taste and other characteristics of the tea.
2. Classification and selection: select the wool tea according to the quality, size, color and other standards, and separate the high-quality tea from the defective tea. In this process, the tea master needs to rely on his rich experience and keen senses to carefully select the tea leaves.
3. Stacking technology: The selected tea leaves need to be stacked according to certain rules. When stacking, attention should be paid to the thickness, tightness and ventilation of the tea to ensure that the tea can be fully fermented and transformed in the subsequent refining process.
8. Initial selection. The task of the initial selection is to remove the unqualified products and sundries in these tea leaves to ensure the smooth progress of the subsequent process. In the process of initial selection, tea farmers will rely on years of experience and keen eyes to carefully identify the large stems, yellow flakes and various sundries in the tea leaves. Large stems refer to the thick and long stems of the tea, which are not easily rolled into strips during subsequent processing, and will affect the overall taste of the tea. Yellow flakes refer to the yellowish, older leaves of the tea leaves, which are usually formed due to the lack of light or other environmental factors during the growth of the tea leaves. The sundries include tea branches, tea fruits, sand and gravel and other impurities, which need to be eliminated one by one in the initial selection.
Although the process of initial selection may seem simple, it actually requires a wealth of experience and exquisite craftsmanship of tea farmers. They need to accurately judge the quality and characteristics of tea in a short period of time, and use the tools in their hands to quickly remove these substandard products and sundries. This process is not only a test of the tea farmers' craftsmanship, but also a test of their sense of responsibility.
9. Sieving. The purpose of sieving is to sort the tea leaves according to different specifications and qualities for subsequent processing and packaging. After the initial selection and screening, the rock tea not only has a neater and more beautiful appearance, but also has a further improvement in quality.
During the sorting process, the tea master will make a decision based on the characteristics and needs of the tea leaves. Different hand sieves have different pore sizes and shapes, which are able to screen out tea leaves of different thicknesses and sizes. For example, a sieve with a larger pore size is used to screen out thicker tea leavesUse a sieve with a smaller pore size and a finer shape to get a more delicate and compact tea leaves.
10. Dustpan. Dusting, that is, the use of wind to screen and separate tea leaves. In the process of making rock tea, the dustpan is mainly used to separate the weight of the tea leaves, and remove non-tea inclusions, such as tea stems, tea powder, impurities, etc. By raising the dust, the purity of the tea can be ensured, and the quality and taste of the tea can be improved.
In practice, rock tea dusting requires an experienced tea master to do so. They need to flexibly adjust the wind size and dusting time according to the different volume of the sieve tea to ensure the purity and quality of the tea.
Ten. 1. Re-pick-up.
Dustpan cannot completely remove all tea pieces and tea stems, which requires manual resorting. In the process of re-sorting Mao tea, tea farmers will carefully distinguish each tea leaf with rich experience and keen eye, and pick out the tea pieces and tea stems that do not meet the requirements one by one. Although this process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, it is an indispensable step in ensuring the quality of rock tea. Through re-sorting, tea farmers are able to remove impurities from the tea leaves and ensure that the tea leaves meet the standards of rock tea.
In addition to removing impurities, re-sorting hair tea can also ensure the uniformity of the tea leaves. In the process of picking, tea farmers will classify the tea leaves according to factors such as size, shape and color.
Ten. Second, even the pile.
This process is usually carried out after the initial preparation of the tea leaves, and the purpose is to stack the teas in layers on the homogenizing table in order from coarse to fine. The purpose of this is to better control the quality and taste of the tea.
In the process of leveling the pile, the tea farmers will use a special leveling rake to rake vertically from the pile and turn it over. Through continuous turning and mixing, the tea can be evenly mixed, which not only ensures the consistent appearance of the tea, but also improves the intrinsic quality of the tea.
Ten. 3. Roasting.
Roasting is to roast rock tea under certain temperature and humidity conditions, so that the moisture, aroma and taste inside it can be fully volatilized and transformed. During the roasting process, tea farmers need to adjust the heat and time according to the quality of the tea and market demand to achieve the best roasting effect. Generally speaking, lightly roasted rock tea has a fresh taste and elegant aroma; The rock tea with heavier roasting has a mellow taste and a long charm.
The influence of rock tea roasting on quality is mainly manifested in the following aspects:
1. Aroma: Roasting can make the aroma of rock tea more intense and long-lasting, with a unique charcoal aroma and fruity aroma.
2. Taste: Roasting can enhance the taste of rock tea, making it more mellow and sweet.
3. Tea soup: Roasting can make the tea soup of rock tea clearer and more translucent, with a certain gloss.