It's cool here!!! Yeah!!! We're lovin' this.
Trip Start
Aug 24, 2008
1
67
116
Trip End
Aug 01, 2009
Devikulam, Kerala, India
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Devikulam Tuesday Feb. 24
After an omelette and toast breakfast we met Kumar, our jeep driver who was to be taking us to a tea plantation and factory. The jeep looked O.K., at least better than the ones we rode in in Vietnam. There were flaps to close the doors if we get cold but that wouldn't be necessary, the day was already warming up nicely. We were cold in our room last night. We had two nice fleece blankets, but the room was about 14 degrees C this morning. We are currently enjoying the cool weather, and Becca's hands are improving. She developed bumps on them in the heat of Fort Cochin - where sweat was a mnute by minute reality in the 90% humidity. It hasn't rained since January, but that was just a little shower.
We had to hold on during the jeep ride. With no seat belts to hold us in place, we swayed back and forth as we snaked our way up the mountainside on roads at times wide enough for one vehicle only. The road was smooth and paved so despite the curves and width our speed was fast. I noticed that our speed maintained a steady pace of 22Km/hour, no matter how fast we were going-even when we stopped and after twelve minutes of travelling we stopped at a lookout spot which was overlooking a valley and tea as far as the eye can see. When I was getting back into the jeep on the opposite side, I noticed the ten cm flap of loose rubber on the rear tire and how the tire had been retreaded, although that is a misnomer because there was no tread on it, just a rather thick layer of rubber. We were told that the only way to get to the tea factory at Kolukkumalai was to take a jeep because no other vehicle would be able to negotiate the roads. The road didn't get bumpy until after we passed through the plantation gate and paid 50 rupees ($1.22) for the privilege. The scenery was amazing and unfortunately none of the two hundred photos we took today can possibly show the colours, or the depth, or the steepness both of the land that the tea grows on or the roads.
The road is over 100 years old and consisted originally of large rocks placed side by side with progressively smaller rocks on top with a layer of gravel to finish it off. Now by way of discouraging visitors - the gradual washing away of the lighter upper layers by monsoon rains have not been repaired. Rajish, our home stay owner told us that they can get 40cm of rain per day during the monsoon! Even the large base layer of rocks have moved around to such an extent that 5Km/hour is as fast as the driver could go. Even at that pace, our arms became tired and hands became stiff from holding on so tightly. The worst swaying back and forth was caused by holes or missing rocks and differences in the surface of at least 30cm. The road here was single lane, and as we were still winding our way upwards on mountain switchbacks, we were relieved that we did not meet any vehicles coming down. It took us an hour to get up to the Kolukkumalai tea factory, and our first job was to drink a cup of milk tea. We paid 150 rupees ($3.66) for a private tour of the factory. Because of a lack of rain the factory is in production every other day, and we happened to arrive on a day that there is no production, although we were able to see leaves in the withering process and there was enough tea around for us to see the different machines working.
The first part of the process of course is the hand picking of the tea leaves. After the leaves come to the factory there is a seven step process. This factory produces tea by the 'Orthodox' method which is more time consuming and requires more labour. The other method, the 'crush-tear-curl' method is faster, but less desirable quality wise and it employs less people.
Step one: Withering: the leaves lose their moisture in large troughs which have air flowing from the bottom up. They need to wither 50%.
Step two: Rolling: The leaves fall into large round bins which rotate quickly and roll the leaves so that the juices spread a thin film of the surface to start the chemical reaction needed to make black tea.
Step three: Fermentation: the real term here is 'oxidation', but fermentation is the word used freely in the tea manufacture industry. This process which takes two to three hours requires the tea to be laid on a concrete floor and leads to the colour of tea. The room must be kept cool. The sign says that "A clean bacteria free cement floor is preferred to be an excellent surface for fermentation" - we walked on that floor, so I can tell you it would need to be cleaned before the next round of tea comes in!
Step four: Roll Breaking: to separate the twisted fine and coarse bulk of leaves.
Step five: Drying: This stops the fermentation process for better storage, taste and colour.
Step six: Fibre Extraction: Static electricity is used to separate the fibres from the good tea. They roll over four rollers which are charged by the friction caused by the rubbing of felt over them.
Step seven: Grading: to separate the tea as to the size. The larger the leaf, the better the grade, with tea dust being used for very strong tea.
The factory did not have any handout's so we took photos of the write ups for each stage that were posted of the wall. I am including the exact write up as it was shown, just for fun....
Withering: Withering is the most important process in Orthodox Tea Manufacture. By this physically the leaf losses moisture and turn to flaccid from turgid and the percentage of wither should be around 50%.
During withering cell membranes will get ruptured and the chemical wither starts and by colour giving chemical properties will increase to the desired level. Fresh, Hot, Cold, air using from forwardly or reverse is used to wither the leaf, which is evenly spreaded in the factory trough as per the wetness and condition of the leaf.
Rolling: Rolling is intended to initiate fermentation and find a balance between appearance and liquor. During rolling the leaf is rolled and depending the pressure given the leaf is rolled, twisted the juices from the leaf comes out and spread as their film on their surface. Thus the leaf cells are ruptured and their contents brought into contract with the air to start the chemical changes necessary for the production of black tea. As rolling is an exothermic reaction heat will get generated and it should not cross 90° F.
Fermentation: Fermentation is a misnomer and the word "oxidization" is the correct scientific term, but the word fermentation is freely used in Tea Manufacture. Fermentation starts immediately after the withered leaf is charged in for 1st rolling and during this process the rolled leaves lose their greenish colour and acquire the coppery red colour and the aroma of fermented tea, at the expense of the oxidative enzymes present in tea.
This process leads to the accumulation of the pigments responsible for the colour of the infused tea due to Tannic Oxidation.
Attention must be given to keeping the rolling and fermentation room cool even 1 ½ thick spread if dhool, flavoured with aeration with fresh, cool air to supply oxygen and to avoid direct sunlight. This process may take 2-3 hours depending upon the circumstances/temperature.
A clean bacteria free cement floor is preferred to be an excellent surface for fermentation.
Roll Breaking: Roll Breaking is done to separate the well twisted fine bulk which is to be charged for the next rolling. Thus by preventing clogging of untwisted bulk, to reduce heat generated during rolling and to reduce the handling while grading.
By using Roll Breaker, having vibrator movements with eccentric action causing one throw to every revolution and the smaller particles will pass through the mesh and the big bulk will run through and be for next rolling.
Drying: Drying is to arrest the fermentation process by the removal of moisture, at the very moment the amount of required characteristics of valuable substances developed during the course are preserved in the end product, the Tea, and for better keeping quality, the specific taste, colour and odour etc. "The speed of the factory is the speed (output) of its drier."
Fibre Extraction: Fibre removal is done by the fibre extractor by the principle of induced static electricity with combination of centrifugal force and air friction on a number of P.V.C. rollers rubbed by felt.
Made Tea Quality: The quality of Tea manufactured and grades is assessed by it's visual appearance and cup qualities.
Following are some of the terms being used relating quality respective of grades as per appearances: Blacker, bloom, evenly sized, mixed, well twisted, stalky etc.
As per cup quality: bright, dull, brisk, Creamy, thick, Thin, Plain, Flavoury, Coloury, Strong, Light etc.
Grading: Grading is to separate the made tea as per the size of the particles as it passes through the respective size meshes to its common grade names.
For this: Myddleton stalk Extractor
Michie shifter
& Chottamoore
&
Are being used and each will have different size of meshes at different levels. The common grade names are:
OP O for orange
FOP B for Broken
FBOP F for flower
BOP P for Pekoe
BOPF F for fannings
BOPD D for dust
