Effect of Air Flow During Curing Process on Physical Properties of Bulk Cured Leaves

황색종 Bulk건조시 송풍량 조절에 따른 건조엽의 물리성 변화

In recent years, the line of increase in policy on tobacco production triggered a rise in the loading volume per bulk curing barn, and manufacturers boosted the output of their blowers in order to prevent dirty leaves in the process of curing. for this reason, we studied the effect of the reducing air flow in bulk curing chamber from the color fixing stage to the stem drying stage of flue curing process on physical properties of cured leaves. The control of air flow was composed of the reducing air velocity of blower by means of a voltage regulator (slidac), and condition before color fixing stage was all the same with the conventional curing method. As a result, an effectiveness of improvement in the physical properties of cured leaves were observed. The leaves cured by this method were somewhat orange in color of upper stalk position, better bodied, and less brittle compared with the leaves produced by conventional curing. However, the leaves cured by this method had a little sharpness and harshness. As to the physical properties, there was decreased in occurrence of flat leaves than that of conventional ones. On the other hand, in case of reducing air flow during the curing process, increase of price per kg reached to about 5 % compared with those of conventional curing method.