To improve extraction efficiency and shorten the leaching time of active tea components, high-temperature water extraction is generally adopted in tea processing. Under specific conditions of temperature, duration, and agitation, effective components such as tea polysaccharides, tea polyphenols, and trace elements are extracted from the tea leaves. The resulting tea broth often lacks clarity due to the simultaneous extraction of impurities like pectin and fibers, necessitating further clarification and purification. The concentrated tea juice commonly purchased online is a high-concentration product obtained by concentrating the extracted liquid. This article uses our company’s instant tea powder production line in Yunnan Pu’er as a case study to explain the domestic processes of tea extraction, filtration, and concentration, providing useful information for those interested in learning more.

      Traditional tea extraction involves coarse filtration using methods like plate and frame or diatomaceous earth after leaching, followed by thin-film evaporation or other vacuum concentration techniques to obtain concentrated tea liquid. However, this results in poor clarity, low purity, and compromised taste due to thermal degradation during thin-film evaporation. Additionally, the energy consumption for concentration is high, typically requiring 0.8–1 ton of steam to evaporate one ton of water, resulting in a dehydration cost between RMB 260–300.

      Modern tea extraction lines now incorporate advanced membrane separation technology to enhance quality and reduce energy consumption. For example, one Pu’er tea company’s instant tea powder production process is as follows:

Tea extraction → Centrifugation → Ceramic membrane filtration → Nanofiltration membrane concentration → Vacuum concentration → Drying

      Given the complex composition of tea liquid and high requirements for product flavor, the combination of ceramic membrane filtration and nanofiltration membrane concentration replaces traditional thin-film evaporation. This approach effectively removes impurities such as colloids, macromolecular proteins, and fibers while preserving the active components of the tea, achieving physical clarification and purification. The filtrate is then processed through a nanofiltration membrane system to increase concentration and yield. This method maintains the original flavor of the tea while significantly reducing energy consumption—typically costing only RMB 8–15 to remove one ton of water via membrane concentration. Treating 20 tons of tea liquid with nanofiltration can yield approximately 2.5 tons of concentrate at 15% concentration. If the desired concentration is not achieved, further vacuum concentration may be applied. The dried powder from the concentrate exhibits excellent dispersibility, high purity, rapid dissolution in water, and superior clarity.

     For more information on complete equipment for instant tea powder production lines, please contact Engineer Zhang at Chongqing Jiahe Filtration Technology Co., Ltd. I will provide tailored solutions based on your specific needs. You are also welcome to visit our company to see the actual equipment or conduct on-site sample tests to observe the separation effects.