Correct the specific quality requirements of fresh leaves in Enshi Youlu at all levels;

I. Requirements for fresh leaves

Fresh leaves are required to be old, tender and uniform in size, and dark green leaves with one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves are used as raw materials.

Don't pick purple or yellowish bud leaves; Don't pick thin or too small bud leaves; Do not take bud leaves with long internodes and short leaves; Don't pick buds and leaves damaged by pests and diseases.

It is best to pick from shady tea gardens with tender leaves, low tea polyphenols content and high chlorophyll content.

According to different grades, the tea picking standards in Enshi Yulu are as follows:

Super-grade: Super-grade Yulu tea takes single bud as the picking standard.

Grade I: one bud and one leaf account for more than 90%, and the bud leaves are fat, uniform and fresh, without purple buds, pest leaves, sandwich leaves, fish leaves, fish scales and tea stalks.

Grade II: one bud and one leaf, with one bud and two leaves not exceeding 40%. The bud leaves are intact and fresh, with a few fish leaves and a single piece.

Second, the process flow and processing technology

Processing flow: fresh leaves preservation → steaming → air cooling → primary drying → kneading → baking → setting → polishing → finished product.

(1) Fresh leaf preservation

This is the first step to ensure the quality of steamed green tea.

Fresh leaves are stored by ventilation trough ventilation plate or tripod ventilation plate equipment, and the temperature in the pile is reduced by intermittent air blowing to achieve the purpose of preservation.

In general, the storage temperature of fresh leaves is controlled below 30℃, and the measures taken include turning fresh leaves frequently to dissipate heat and increasing ventilation and exhaust in the hospital.

(2) steaming green

It is carried out on a special steamer.

An ordinary rice cooker is placed on the cooker, a wooden steaming box is placed on the cooker, and a movable steaming drawer is installed in the box.

When steaming green, after the water in the pot is fully boiled, quickly spread the fresh leaves evenly in the drawer, and it is advisable that the leaves do not overlap each other, and spread the leaves 0.2 ~ 0.25 kg per square meter. The steaming time is generally 40 ~ 50 s.

Moderately steamed leaves are gray-green, soft, smooth and fragrant like cotton when pinched by hand.

(3) Fan cooling

Steamed bud leaves are quickly taken out and spread on bamboo mats.

Blow cooling steam with wind or electric fan, so that the steamed green tea leaves are cooled, and water is emitted, so as to avoid the accumulation of residual heat and water vapor and stuffy yellow tea leaves.

After the hot air fan cools for about 10 minutes, the temperature of the blades drops to near room temperature, and the hair can be fried.

(4) Initial roasting (commonly known as "frying")

Put 2 ~ 3 kg of steamed green leaves on a baking tray with a temperature of about 140℃, and shake them quickly with both hands to evaporate water.

Turn over and shake frequently, and close the loose leaves on the furnace plate at any time to make it evenly heated and lose water.

Generally, stir-fry until the leaves are dark green, and it is advisable to pinch the tea blank by hand, which is not sticky or caking. Whole journey 12 ~ 15 minutes.

(5) kneading

One is left-right rolling: hold the appropriate tea leaves with both hands and roll in the same direction from left to right or from right to left like a ball on the baking tray.

Second, kneading: two or four or even six people stand on both sides of the baking furnace and push the tea balls with both hands. Operators standing relatively should coordinate their actions, such as pushing a stone mill, so that the tea balls become-cylindrical and roll on the furnace plate.

The kneading time is 30-35 minutes. Knead until the tea juice is slightly visible on the surface of the tea strips, the strips are uniform, the buds and leaves are complete, and the yield of strips is not less than 80%.

(6) redrying (commonly known as "shovel two hairs")

Continue to evaporate water, tighten the rope, and preliminarily arrange the shape.

Put 7 ~ 9 kilograms of twisted leaves on the baking tray at 100 ~ 1 10℃. Two people stand on both sides of the oven, palms facing each other, just like holding a ball. They coordinated their actions, kneading the tea leaves back and forth, and making the tea blank turn around like a ball.

(7) plastic polishing

This is the key to the needle-like shape of Youlu tea, which is gradually formed by kneading, hugging, holding and tying on the basis of preliminary finishing in the later period.

Plastic polishing is divided into two stages.

Rub the strips first, the baking temperature is 60 ~ 80℃, and the redried leaves are about 1kg.

Rubbing method: the palms of both hands are opposite, the four fingers are slightly curved, and the tea leaves are lifted and rubbed in one direction.

When rubbing, the intensity should be small, so as to keep the tea balls soft and prevent the tea strips from breaking, until the tea strips are tight, round and straight, and the color is oily green, about 70% to 80% dry (water content is 20% ~ 30%).

The second is to tighten and polish the long strip, and use four methods: "holding (managing), rubbing, ending and tying".

"Holding" means holding the tea bar with both hands, and then clamping it with a little force, so that the tea bar is squeezed out from the jaws and little fingers of both hands and scattered in the baking tray, so that the tea bar becomes straight.

"Rubbing" means tightening the tea strips. The technique is that the left hand presses the tea with a baking tray at an angle of 60 ~ 70 ",and the right hand brings the straightened tea strips into the palm of the left hand. Twist it forward to the right, the tea leaves roll forward, and the tea leaves are spit out from the tiger's mouth and the palm of the little finger.

"End" means arranging the tea strips in a pier, putting the tea strips in a straight position and building a pile of tea with a height of 7.em, so that it is convenient to change hands and rub the strips.

"Iron" is often used in middle and low-grade Yulu tea. Because the tea leaves are long or different in length, the tea strips are tied short in the alternation of the twisting ends.

The technique is: palm down, block hard in the center of the tea pier, put your arms together and force down. Then divide the tea mound into two sections, then juxtapose the two sections of tea, and continue to rub, hold and gesture alternately. Tea leaves are always taken out of the water in a good needle-like state.

The whole process of plastic polishing is in the oven. Tea leaves the baking and hands never leave the tea leaves.

When the hand-twisted tea leaves can be turned into powder, the stalks can be broken and the water content can be reduced to below 7%.

(8) choose

After cooling, it is screened and winnowed, and impurities such as debris, yellow film, thick strips and old terrier are removed by hand. Then wrapped in cotton paper, stored in a lime jar, and finally packaged and stored in stages.