CEYLON TEA GRADES

The Grades for Ceylon Teas which are the basic grades going back to the ancient Chinese terms for grading of leaf. However India has over time created their own grading system with longer names such as T.G.F.O.P., F.T.G.F.O.P.’s or S.T.G.F.O.P.’s. In Ceylon teas we only use the old original terminology and the above Indian tea grades would equate to open type F.B.O.P’s or  Ceylon O.P. grade.

The picture below is of an Orange Pekoe (O.P.) grade leaf for which the old traditional roller is so important. Ceylon low country leaf will be blacker and have a sheen compared to high growns where faster rolling is practised in dry weather and the leaf tends to be a little browner for high grown quality teas.

This combined with the Pekoe grade below are the two largest grades with the largest looking leaf on brewing and opening out. O.P. usually consists of a whole leaf that has been well twisted and as many of the leaf cells have not been ruptured, produces a lighter or more delicate brew. High grown O.P.’s are usually rolled faster and with pressure applied more quickly, the resultant appearance of the leaf is often a bit more brownish with part of the leaf wound around the soft leaf stalk, whereas the low grown O.P’s have a black sheeny look to them and they are usually more leafy and less stalky because at that elevation we can roll slower with less pressure applied. In the 1960’s low country teas were largely ignored other than for blending and improving appearance. With special cooling machines available in the factories, these teas have become very desirable and equate to our Uruwala estate O.P. 1 which comes from a small family estate with their own factory. Up to about 6 years ago it had the only woman tea-maker (the owner’s daughter) in the world but she inherited an eye condition leading to blindness and since going blind they have taken on a tea-maker whilst she now acts as a consultant in the background with her years of experience together with her brother.

Largely from the final Dhool which is termed ‘Big Bulk’ (BB) and a very low outturn. 

Orange Pekoe (O.P. or O.P.1) – Largest grade- high grown slightly leaf curled around stalk-low grown slower rolling stalk softer

The picture below is of a Pekoe (P.) grade. Pekoe can be tightly curled like this or more open. This leaf tight balling type is for Gunpowder and has been in a heated balling drum to curl it.

A large curly leaf and the largest grade or size of leaf, the curling process is activated by a certain temperature & this grade is used in the production of Gunpowder tea when the manufactured leaf is placed in special balling heat drums and spun around slowly to create the tight ball effect.

This grade can often be confused with F.P. as in the high grown area P. & F.P. is often combined & called F.P. whereas in the low elevation area (Low country) it is called P 1960’s = Up to 1 % of a manufacture run

Flowery Pekoe (F.P.)

A tighter curled leaf which opens out well as a tighter twisted leaf than F.B.O.P. Often used by us as a step up to a larger leaf size than a B.O.P. grade but still retaining the advantages of seasonal flavour levels combined with a slightly lighter brew.

1960’s = Up to 5 % of a manufacture run

Pekoe (P.) Grade of leaf

The picture below is of a Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (F.B.O.P.) leaf grade and shows the buds in the centre which the traditional rolling process has preserved and not chewed up.

Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (F.B.O.P.)

A slightly smaller particle of the whole leaf that has twisted off from the main leaf in rolling but should include some tip, small silvery buds showing amongst the darker leaf. The particles are longer than a B.O.P. grade and should be well twisted which is why it was given the name flowery. Note the silvery buds in the centre of the picture.

1960’s = Up to 10 % of a manufacture run

The picture below is of a modern requirement for B.O.P. leaf on the left, compared to the B.O.P. on the right that I made in 1962. As explained elsewhere this shows really shows how the commercial market has broken this grade down to extract strength and destroy flavour.

Left 1980’s Broken Orange Pekoe – (B.O.P.) – Right 1963 Broken Orange Pekoe – (B.OP.)

Normally comes from the low country and is a large, well twisted and will have some maltiness to it or body as we call it.

Broken Orange Pekoe (B.O.P.)

These days because of the commercial pressures for small leaf particle size, the factories use a smaller sized mesh than we did in the 1950’s & 60’s. A B.O.P. grade leaf in the 1950’s & 60’s would be at least three times larger than the B.O.P.’s of to day.

1960’s = Approx 60 % of a manufacture run but under pressure some factories try and raise this to 70 %. However that can vary with the level of B.O.P.F. Outturn. If B.O.P. is at say 40 % then B.O.P.F. can be at 30 % outturn of a manufacture run.

Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (B.O.P.F.)

Traditionally the finest grade of leaf for tea bag use but again in the 1960’s the size of the leaf grade would have been much larger than to day when it can best be described as a 1960’s Dust 1 grade (see picture above for size comparison). Planters often had 40 % of B.O.P.F. grade mixed with 60 % of the larger type B.O.P. as a normal drinking tea in their bungalows. That mix would be closer to the modern B.O.P. mixed with an F.B.O.P. leaf.

1960’s = Usually 10 % of a manufacture run but as stated at B.O.P. above can be as high as 30 % of a manufacture run.

F.B.O.F (Flowery Broken Orange Fannings)

This is part of the B.O.P.F. grade but has an abnormal amount of tip (buds) in it from the early dhools that are extracted. 1960’s = Up to 10 % of a manufacture run.

Broken Pekoe Fannings (B.P.F)

Usually about the size of B.O.P.F. but very much more inferior in appearance and is present in the later dhools when leaf is often cut to increase outturn. Brownish in colour and has a flaky appearance.

Dust (D.)

The smallest of the grades produced and whilst in the 1960’s with the larger mesh sizes used we had D.1, D2 and D3 in outturn, to day only Dust 1 & Dust (an off grade = low quality) are turned out. This grade gives thick, strong liquoring teas & was often preferred by the workers for their tea allowance with perhaps B.M. grade as they brewed tea at breakfast with milk and took it to the field and consumed it cold. Whenever we have taken out tours, the drivers have always enjoyed us taking them right into the estates as they are able to buy a good tea. They tell us that they can only get the small dust and off grades on Colombo in the caddies (local small shops or stalls).

1960’s = Up to 10 % of a manufacture run.

Broken Mix (B.M.)

This is a mixture of flaky leaf from winnowing out of the regular grades and termed an off grade tea. It has no fixed size and consists of flat leaf & stalk. The liquors lack quality but have a fair strength & colour.

Tea Trade Terms:

Leaf colour = Tea that has been recently pruned tends to produce a blacker made leaf.

Flaky leaf = Under or over withering – Under or over rolling – insufficient winnowing.

Muddy liquor = Over fermented leaf.

Strength = Tea lacking in strength can be from under rolling

Quality = High grown areas in dry seasons yield teas with astringency or pungency (sharpness). Intense flavour levels which is highly desirable but on the other hand monsoon teas are weak, flat and muddy (low clarity).

Flavour = Dictionary definition = Indefinable characteristic quality.

Soft teas = Over fermented, excessive gain in moisture from storage, rainy season teas tend to this.

Greenness of liquor = Hard raw and bitter (not astringent). Can be due to under fermentation. However remember this is different from sought after pungency. There are some teas that have an inherent factor of greenness and little can be done about it. Sometimes longer withering, longer rolling, longer fermentation or even high temperature withering can help but they will probably affect quality.

Bold = refers to the leaf and indicates that the leaf is large.

Greyness = Usually indicates leaf that has been excessively handled, rubbing off the dried liquor sheen produced at firing.

Dry Season teas: These will exhibit typical characteristics:

e.g. Nuwara Eliyas during the quality dry season are lighter in liquor colour. They are heavy in flavour and the liquor is bright, brisk and clear.

Whilst different districts have different liquor colours or shades of colour. The bright, brisk and clear look of the liquor should apply to any quality tea. A muddy looking tea with a flat taste is indicative of a poorer, rainy season tea, or poor manufacture.

LIQUOR TERMS:

Body = Strong liquor as opposed to thin. As referred to in soup or sometimes referred to as malty.

Bright = Bright in colour and clear (dry season teas)

Brisk = Lively. Good fermentation and correctly fired.

Coloury = Sufficient colour to define it as special.

Light = Not to be confused with thin. Many Nuwara Eliyas are pale and light and very flavoury. At very high elevation this can be inherent and very desirable.

Plain = Lacking in the required characteristics. No character.

MANUFACTURING COSTS PER KILO OF MADE TEA ON AN ESTATE PRODUCING 1,700 KG PER HECTARE (YIELD)

ELEMENTSCOSTED2007/08Rs2015/16Rs
General costs47.1280.61
Field cultivation38.3954.25
Pluckingcost118.66186.00
Manufacture55.8471.46
LeafTransport03.495.64
Total costs263.50397.96

Since this table was compiled the estates have negotiated their 2017 bi-annual wage and benefits talks with the unions and the above table will be affected naturally by higher wage costs from the end of 2016 on through for the next two years until the wages will no doubt rise again at the next bi-annual negotiation. As I have mentioned in another document the Government have laid down that the estates must by law negotiate every two years with the unions and are unable to leave the negotiations until an agreement has been reached.

Indeed in 2019 when I visited the island there were problems. By February the bi-annual negotiation was still in progress and being argued about. The Unions were demanding a flat  daily rate of Rs.1,000/= and the companies stated they could not afford that. In the end the Government stepped in and declared the rate would be Rs.1,000/= from I think April and the Government would pay the rate up to that date with the companies taking over beyond that. That has again broken down and the rate is being paid at Rs.850/= until agreement can be reached. We are now in May 2020 and no agreement reached which will mean more labour will defect to the city and towns. Unless consumers value tea and allow the commercial interests to degrade it, all high grown quality teas will be abandoned and the tea fields revert to other uses. For skilled hand plucking to continue, it is my belief that a daily wage of Rs.1,200/= to Rs. 1,400/= will have to be negotiated and that seems unlikely.

Tea Prices Given below are the sale averages for two periods for the last two years.

AVERAGE AUCTION PRICES FOR WESTERN QUALITY TEAS2015Rs. per Kilo2016Rs. per Kilo
Highest average price433.22444.89
Lowest average price374.46403.37
Annual average price404.81430.00

In 2016 the South/Western Monsoon failed and the island had an unprecedented long drought with the result that the tea bushes have yielded very little new leaf growth for the pluckers to pluck and the auction level is down 11 million kilos compared to this time in 2015. Whilst the table above shows prices for Ceylon teas rising each year, yields are falling due to weather conditions and insufficient replanting on the estates.

ROLLING PROGRAMME DIAGRAMS;

NOTES THAT REFER TO THE ORTHODOX + ROTORVANE CHART ABOVE

1. At Brunswick one sees the use of Rotorvanes which if used sparingly without an aggressive progrmme can produce an excellent quality tea. In my opinion they should produce a normal BOP leaf with some size to it. Commercial pressures from clients in the U.K. have made them bring in Rotorvaning (see the Rotorvaning chart above). They run the first line of rollers in the chart and then use rotorvanes to cut the leaf from there on. This may entail two lots of rotorvaning or possibly three runs with the rotorvanes. We have become concerned at this move to keep cutting the leaf to ever smaller leaf for convenience brewing and so we request that the estate limit the use of the rotorvanes for a slightly larger higher quality BOP grade without flaking and dust. It has been shown in recent research that manufacture has a direct bearing on the theaflavin level in black leaf = anti oxidant level.

2. Some other estates will use 2 lines of rollers in the chart and then rotorvane once or twice. Estates these days are very tight lipped about the programme that is in use in their factory due to great competition between estates in their quest for the best prices.

OTHER TYPES of MANUFACTURE

There is a modern form of production that first appeared in the 1960’s particularly in Africa but at that time was not accepted as it was in its infancy. However as the commercial interests promoted tea bags to consumers it grew in popularity because it was a cheaper method and provided small chopped leaf with sufficient strength and body to allow convenience brewing. In my own opinion it has been responsible for the down market image that many consumers have about tea to this day. Again in my opinion any tea producing area that has the range of character teas that Ceylon teas possesses would be mad to turn to CTC as their main form of production. This island as I have stated in statistics produces a small % of such production and that % has not increased over the last five years in fact for 2015 the % is 5.9 % of total production.

The basis of this form of production is at the rolling stage. In place of twisting rollers, CTC (Cut,Tear & Curl as it is called) is a long conveyor system with 2 to 4 cutting boxes situated along its length. The cylinder cutter have punched teeth which rip and tear at each cutting box macerating the leaf as it progresses. In this system one man can look after at least two conveyor systems which reduces cost.

The system is an aggressive ripping action and can create heat very quickly if management is not tight and the cylinder teeth regularly sent for sharpening on a special machine. Therefore it is not suitable for high flavouring seasonal teas. It is used in many blended teas and cheapens the resultant teas which in our U.K. cost conscious average consumer society is an attraction. The teas through such maceration release high levels of caffeine and in my own opinion again are responsible for the high incidence of consumers these days, complaining of headaches and stomach upsets. Tea contains very high levels of caffeine and whereas the old traditional large leaf teas released relatively low amounts of caffeine, highly macerated leaf releases more and more of the caffeine retained in the cells of the leaves.

The CTC system only replaces the roller part of manufacture thereafter the two systems use the same processes to advance to firing.

In my mind the CTC system rather resembles the problems we experience in the headlong rush to supermarkets from the specialist shops, family bakers and butchers. We are in danger in the U.K. of ending up with about two or three supermarket chains where we as consumers will have to shop because there may not be any alternative. In the same way, unless consumers understand the pressures forced onto the tea industry by their constant search for ever cheaper products we shall end up with CTC production all over the world and machine plucking replacing the hand pluckers that you see in the tea fields to-day.

Recently it is noted that there has been a call for some 2.1 million kilos of instant tea with the largest importer being South Africa.

NOTES THAT REFER TO THE ORTHODOX CHART BELOW

The freshly plucked leaf is taken to the lofts and spread carefully into the withering troughs.

The withered leaf when ready is fed down a shute to the rollers below.

The first 3 rollers are 47 “ inch rollers and charged with 250 kilos of withered leaf each.

In the season when conditions are very dry leaf yield from the field is low and only two of the three rollers in line one of the chart might be charged e.g. 400 to 500 Kilos in all. Probably two rollers in the next line of the chart but almost certainly only one roller in the third line.

The flow chart shown below headed Orthodox refers to a standard Orthodox programme which is what we call a 4 roll programme e.g there are four layers of rollers. I have marked the pressure applied to each strata of rolling to the side of each set of rollers.

Also marked to the left of each line of rollers is the time that the rollers roll for. E.G. the first set roll for 20 minutes.

The green oblong box below each row of rollers is the Rotary Roll Breaker which will be pointed out to you in the factory. Here the leaf is passed over a special sized sieve and the leaf that falls through is called the ‘Dhool’ and it is sent straight to the fermenting tables to ferment.

Marked opposite the first oblong box on page is a note to say 1st. Dhool – 2%. The 2 % refers to the amount of leaf usually extracted at that Dhool. Pressure is increased on the second line of rollers to Touch pressure which will allow a bigger amount of leaf to be extracted at Dhool 2.

As the Dhools are extracted from each rolling there is less leaf to continue rolling so the rollers reduce in number and capacity.

From the Dhools various grades can be extracted dependant on pressure & programme.

From the Fermenting tables the oxidised leaf is sent to the drier or driers for final firing.

It is known that tea carries high levels of anti-oxidants whether of black or green manufacture. Researches have shown that high grown tea levels are highest and that the method of manufacture is important. Dry weather teas with shorter fermentation & quick rolling are high.

Tea production is complicated and the tea-maker learns his craft over many years. The leaf is obtained from the tea fields where conditions vary for many reasons. Weather is one of the biggest influences on manufacture. I have given you a flow chart as an example for the main type of production. Below are listed some of the changes from the Ortodox (Traditional) system with the introduction of Rotorvanes applicable to the chart avove headed Orthodox + Rotorvane.

BLACK TEA ROLLING PROGRAMME – ORTHODOX

NB: These notes have been sourced and written by Robert Wilson of Robert Wilson’s ‘Ceylon’ Tea and are the opinions of him and those he has contacted in the industry. They may not be used without his express permission.

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