A method of fermenting cigar wrapper tobacco

Abstract

This invention discloses a fermentation method for cigar wrapper tobacco leaves, belonging to the field of cigar tobacco leaf fermentation technology. This invention aims to solve the technical problems of dark color, poor luster, thick leaves, and large veins in cigar wrappers. The invention provides a fermentation method for cigar wrapper tobacco leaves, the specific steps of which are as follows: Step 1: Mixing *Bacillus pumilus*, *Bacillus cereus*, and *Bacillus megaterium* to obtain a compound microbial agent, spraying it on the surface of the tobacco leaves to obtain treated tobacco leaves, and then disinfecting the tobacco leaves; Step 2: Spraying *Bacillus tekirae* microbial agent on the tobacco leaves treated in Step 1, and then disinfecting the tobacco leaves; Step 3: Mixing *Bacillus pumilus* and *Staphylococcus aureus* to obtain a compound microbial agent, spraying it on the tobacco leaves treated in Step 2, and then disinfecting the tobacco leaves; Step 4: Stacking and fermenting the tobacco leaves obtained in Step 3 to obtain cigar wrapper tobacco leaves. This provides a theoretical basis for the development of cigars.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of cigar tobacco fermentation technology, specifically relating to a fermentation method for cigar wrapper tobacco. Background Technology

[0002] A cigar is a special tobacco product, generally composed of the wrapper (outer wrapper tobacco leaves), binder (inner wrapper tobacco leaves), and filler tobacco leaves. The outer wrapper tobacco leaves are the only directly visible part and represent the essence of the cigar. They must not only possess the typical aroma befitting a cigar but also meet higher requirements for quality factors such as toughness, texture, oil content, and color. Fermentation is a crucial process for improving the quality of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves and is an important step in the production of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves. In recent years, the production and sales of cigars in China have grown at a high rate, but raw materials remain the primary factor restricting the development of high-end cigars in China.

[0003] Currently, my country mostly uses high-quality sun-dried tobacco or Burley tobacco as cigar wrappers. However, due to their dark color, poor luster, thick leaves, and large veins, the production of high-end cigars in my country is directly limited. There is a lack of usable fermentation technology for cigar wrapper tobacco leaves, and the availability of high-quality cigar wrapper tobacco leaves is extremely limited, which greatly restricts the development of domestic high-end cigars. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problems of dark cigar wrapper color, poor luster, thick leaves, and large veins.

[0005] This invention provides a method for fermenting tobacco leaves used as outer wrappers for cigars. The specific steps of the fermentation method are as follows:

[0006] Step 1: Mix Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus megaterium to obtain a compound bacterial agent, spray it on the surface of tobacco leaves to obtain treated tobacco leaves, and then disinfect the tobacco leaves;

[0007] Step 2: Spray the tobacco leaves treated in Step 1 with Bacillus thuringiensis inoculant, and then disinfect the tobacco leaves;

[0008] Step 3: Mix *Synthia spp.* and *Staphylococcus aureus* to obtain a compound microbial agent, spray it on the tobacco leaves treated in Step 2, and then disinfect the tobacco leaves;

[0009] Step 4: The tobacco leaves obtained in Step 3 are stacked and fermented to obtain cigar wrapper tobacco leaves.

[0010] Further specifying, in step 1, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus megaterium are combined in a mass ratio of 1:1:1 to obtain a compound bacterial agent.

[0011] Further specifying, in step 1, the compound microbial agent is sprayed onto the surface of the tobacco leaves at a concentration of 1-0.5 g / ml.

[0012] Further specify that after applying the microbial agent in step 1, the tobacco leaves are placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 90-100% and a temperature of 35-39℃ for 2-3 days, and then placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 80%-100% and a temperature of 60-68℃ for 0.5-1 hour.

[0013] Further specifying, in step 2, Bacillus tekiria is sprayed onto the surface of the tobacco leaves at a concentration of 1.0-0.5 g / ml.

[0014] Further specify that after applying the microbial agent in step 2, the tobacco leaves are placed at a temperature gradient of 33℃ to 40℃ for 3 days, with the relative humidity maintained at 90-100%; and then treated at 55-65℃ with a relative humidity of 80-90% for 30-60 minutes.

[0015] Further specifying, in step 3, *Synthia spp.* and *Staphylococcus aureus* are combined in a mass ratio of 1:1 to obtain a compound bacterial agent.

[0016] Further specify that the compound microbial agent should be sprayed on the surface of tobacco leaves at a concentration of 1-0.5 g / ml.

[0017] Further specifying, after applying the microbial agent in step 3, the tobacco leaves are placed at 25℃ to 28℃ for 3 days; then at 28℃ to 37℃, with a relative humidity of 90-100% for 5 days. After the end of the process, the cigar tobacco leaves are placed at 80-100% relative humidity and 60-68℃ for 0.5-1 hours.

[0018] Further specifying, in step 4, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves during stacking is approximately 20-30%, and the core temperature of the stack does not exceed 40-48℃.

[0019] Beneficial Effects: This invention provides a process and implementation method for the unique fermentation of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves, overcoming the shortcomings of uneven color, poor luster, coarse veins, poor toughness, and insufficient cigar flavor in cigar wrapper tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves processed using this unique fermentation process have uniform color, finer veins, better toughness, and a distinctive cigar flavor, filling a gap in domestic cigar wrapper tobacco leaf fermentation. In the embodiment, the three treatments are sequential. The oiliness must be increased last. First, the veins are treated specifically, and then a uniform treatment is used to increase toughness.

[0020] Bacillus pumilus HD-7, described in Wu Lijun, Liang Kaichao, Wang Fan, Identification and aroma component analysis of aroma-enhancing bacteria HD-7 [J]. Natural Product Research and Development, 2018, 30: 246-250.

[0021] Bacillus cereus M-5, described in Liang Kaichao, Xin Yuhua, Zhang Ge, Wang Juan, Li Aijun, Liu Haobao, Screening and aroma component analysis of aroma-producing bacteria [J]. Journal of Yunnan Agricultural University (Natural Science), 2019, 34(02):271-276, is available to the public through the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[0022] Bacillus megaterium, CAS 5077-67-8-YNLC, was received and registered by the China Microbial Culture Collection Center on March 30, 2015, with the culture collection number CGMCC NO.10669.

[0023] Bacillus tequilensis CSA-MEI-2-33 was received and registered by the China Microbial Culture Collection Center on October 17, 2017, with the culture collection number CGMCC NO.14826.

[0024] Aureobasidium melanogenum-A4, this strain was received and registered by the China Microbial Culture Collection Center on October 24, 2016, with the culture collection number: CGMCC NO.13177.

[0025] Staphylococcus sp. CAS513-86-0-HNYZ, this strain was received and registered by the China Microbial Culture Collection Center on March 30, 2015, with the culture collection number: CGMCC NO.10671. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0028] Example 1: Fermentation method of tobacco leaves for cigar wrappers.

[0029] The specific steps include:

[0030] Step (1) uses a compound microbial agent to soften the fermentation of the lateral veins of the tobacco leaves in the cigar wrapper: the compound microbial agent refers to one or more Bacillus species that can degrade the lignocellulose in the lateral veins of tobacco leaves. In this embodiment, the compound microbial agent is formed by compounding Bacillus pumilus HD-7, Bacillus cereus M-5 and Bacillus megaterium CGMCC NO.10669 in a mass ratio of 1:1:1.

[0031] The specific operation of the fermentation process is as follows: the compound bacterial agent is prepared to a working concentration OD using water as a solvent. 600 A bacterial solution with a concentration of 1 g / ml was prepared and applied to the tobacco leaves by spraying. After application, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 90% and a temperature of 35°C for 3 days. After the treatment, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 80% and a temperature of 60°C for 1 hour to disinfect them.

[0032] (2) Fermentation that increases the toughness of tobacco leaves for cigar wrappers by using microorganisms: where microorganisms refer to the use of strain Bacillus tektii CSA-MEI-2-33 to degrade pectin components in tobacco leaves.

[0033] The addition of microorganisms and the specific fermentation process are as follows: OD is prepared using water as a solvent. 600 =1 working concentration bacterial solution, added at a dosage of 1g / ml, is applied by spraying to achieve the toughening agent addition. After rehydration, the conditions in the fermentation room are set as follows: the temperature is gradually increased from 33℃ to 40℃ within 3 days, and the relative humidity is maintained at 90%; finally, the tobacco leaves are treated at 55℃ and 80% relative humidity for 60 minutes to reduce the moisture content of the tobacco leaves and disinfect them.

[0034] (3) Fermentation to improve the oiliness of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves by using microorganisms: The microorganisms refer to the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves by using a mixture of melanin-producing short-stem mold A4 and Staphylococcus aureus-CAS513-86-0-HNYZ in a mass ratio of 1:1.

[0035] The addition and specific procedures for microorganisms are as follows: The compound bacterial agent is prepared to a working concentration (OD) using water as a solvent. 600 A bacterial solution of 1 g / ml was prepared and applied to the tobacco leaves by spraying. The temperature was then gradually increased: from 25°C to 28°C over 3 days; then, over 5 days, from 28°C to 37°C, while maintaining a relative humidity of 90%. Afterward, the cigar tobacco leaves were placed at 80% relative humidity and 60°C for 1 hour to disinfect them.

[0036] (4) Enhance the cigar style and improve the smoking quality of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves: The cigar tobacco leaves treated in step (3) are subjected to conventional stacking fermentation treatment (refer to Chapter 3 of Jin Aoxi's "Cigar Production Technology" published by Light Industry Press). Fermentation ends when the color of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves is uniform, the color is good, and the ash content is grayish-white or white. Specifically, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves is 20% during stacking, the core temperature of the stack reaches 40℃, and mechanical damage to the tobacco leaves is reduced when turning the stack.

[0037] Example 2: Fermentation method of tobacco leaves for cigar wrappers.

[0038] The specific steps include:

[0039] Step (1) uses a compound microbial agent to soften the fermentation of the lateral veins of the tobacco leaves in the cigar wrapper: the compound microbial agent refers to one or more Bacillus species that can degrade the lignocellulose in the lateral veins of tobacco leaves. In this embodiment, the compound microbial agent is formed by compounding Bacillus pumilus HD-7, Bacillus cereus M-5 and Bacillus megaterium CGMCC NO.10669 in a mass ratio of 1:1:1.

[0040] The specific operation of the fermentation process is as follows: the compound bacterial agent is prepared to a working concentration OD using water as a solvent. 600 A bacterial solution with a concentration of 1 was prepared and then applied to the tobacco leaves by spraying at a concentration of 0.75 g / ml. After application, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 95% and a temperature of 37°C for 2 days. After the treatment, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 90% and a temperature of 64°C for 0.75 hours to disinfect them.

[0041] (2) Fermentation that increases the toughness of tobacco leaves for cigar wrappers by using microorganisms: where microorganisms refer to the use of strain Bacillus tektii CSA-MEI-2-33 to degrade pectin components in tobacco leaves.

[0042] The addition of microorganisms and the specific fermentation process are as follows: OD is prepared using water as a solvent. 600 =1 working concentration of bacterial solution, and then add toughening agent by spraying at a concentration of 0.75g / ml. After rehydration, the conditions in the fermentation room are set as follows: the temperature is gradually increased from 33℃ to 40℃ within 3 days, and the relative humidity is maintained at 95%; finally, the tobacco leaves are treated at 60℃ and 85% relative humidity for 45 minutes to reduce the moisture content of the tobacco leaves and disinfect them.

[0043] (3) Fermentation to improve the oiliness of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves by using microorganisms: The microorganisms refer to the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves by combining melanin-producing short-stem mold-A4 and Staphylococcus aureus-CAS513-86-0-HNYZ in a mass ratio of 1:1.

[0044] The addition and specific procedures for microorganisms are as follows: The compound bacterial agent is prepared to a working concentration (OD) using water as a solvent. 600 A bacterial solution of 1 was prepared and then sprayed onto the tobacco leaves at a concentration of 0.75 g / ml. The temperature was then gradually increased from 25°C to 28°C over 3 days, followed by a gradual increase from 28°C to 37°C over 5 days, while maintaining a relative humidity of 95%. Afterward, the cigar tobacco leaves were placed at 85% relative humidity and 64°C for 0.75 hours to disinfect them.

[0045] (4) Enhance the cigar style and improve the smoking quality of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves: The cigar tobacco leaves treated in step (3) are subjected to conventional stacking fermentation treatment (refer to Chapter 3 of Jin Aoxi's "Cigar Production Technology" published by Light Industry Press). Fermentation ends when the color of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves is uniform, the color is good, and the ash content is grayish-white or white. Specifically, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves is 25% during stacking, the core temperature of the stack reaches 44℃, and mechanical damage to the tobacco leaves is reduced when turning the stack.

[0046] Example 3: Fermentation method of tobacco leaves for cigar wrappers.

[0047] The specific steps include:

[0048] Step (1) Softening the fermentation of the lateral veins of tobacco leaves in cigar wrappers using microbial compound inoculants: The microbial compound inoculants refer to one or more types of Bacillus that can degrade the lignocellulose in the lateral veins of tobacco leaves. In this embodiment, Bacillus shortiformis HD-7, Bacillus cereus M-5 and Bacillus megaterium CGMCC NO.10669 are compounded in a biomass ratio of 1:1:1 to form a compound inoculant.

[0049] The specific operation of the fermentation process is as follows: the compound bacterial agent is prepared to a working concentration OD using water as a solvent. 600 A bacterial solution with a concentration of 1 was prepared and then applied to the tobacco leaves by spraying at a concentration of 0.5 g / ml. After application, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with 100% relative humidity and a temperature of 39°C for 2 days. After the treatment, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with 100% relative humidity and a temperature of 68°C for 0.5 hours to disinfect them.

[0050] (2) Fermentation that increases the toughness of tobacco leaves for cigar wrappers by using microorganisms: where microorganisms refer to the use of strain Bacillus tektii CSA-MEI-2-33 to degrade pectin components in tobacco leaves.

[0051] The addition of microorganisms and the specific fermentation process are as follows: OD is prepared using water as a solvent. 600=1 working concentration of bacterial solution, and then add toughening agent by spraying at a concentration of 0.5g / ml. After rehydration, the conditions in the fermentation room are set as follows: the temperature is gradually increased from 33℃ to 40℃ within 3 days, and the relative humidity is maintained at 100%; finally, the tobacco leaves are treated at 65℃ and 90% relative humidity for 30 minutes to reduce the moisture content of the tobacco leaves and disinfect them.

[0052] (3) Fermentation to improve the oiliness of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves by using microorganisms: The microorganisms refer to the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves by using a mixture of melanin-producing short-stem mold-A4 and Staphylococcus aureus-CAS513-86-0-HNYZ in a mass ratio of 1:1.

[0053] The addition and specific procedures for microorganisms are as follows: The compound bacterial agent is prepared to a working concentration (OD) using water as a solvent. 600 A bacterial solution of 1 was prepared and then sprayed onto the tobacco leaves at a concentration of 0.5 g / ml. The temperature was then gradually increased from 25°C to 28°C over 3 days, and then from 28°C to 37°C over 5 days, while maintaining 100% relative humidity. Afterward, the cigar tobacco leaves were placed at 90% relative humidity and 68°C for 0.5 hours to disinfect them.

[0054] (4) Enhance the cigar style and improve the smoking quality of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves: The cigar tobacco leaves treated in step (3) are subjected to conventional stacking fermentation treatment (refer to Chapter 3 of Jin Aoxi's "Cigar Production Technology" published by Light Industry Press). Fermentation ends when the color of the cigar wrapper tobacco leaves is uniform, the color is good, and the ash content is grayish-white or white. Specifically, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves is 30% during stacking, the core temperature of the stack reaches 48℃, and mechanical damage to the tobacco leaves is reduced when turning the stack.

[0055] The tobacco leaves that have undergone a special fermentation process for cigar wrappers are uniform in color, have fine veins, good toughness, and a distinctive cigar style, filling the gap in the domestic cigar wrapper tobacco fermentation industry.

[0056] Before fermentation, this invention randomly selected four eggplant wrappers and tested the content of pectin and lignocellulose in the leaf veins and mesophyll of the tobacco leaves. Due to the presence of pectin and cellulose, the thickness and toughness of the leaf veins were poor, as shown in Table 1. After fermentation by the method of this invention, the quality of the tobacco leaves was significantly improved, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0057] Table 1: Comparison of pectin and lignocellulose composition in the veins and mesophyll of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves

[0058]

[0059]

[0060] Wherein, NDF stands for Neutral Detergent Fiber; ADF stands for Acid Detergent Fiber; and ADL stands for Acid-washed Lignin.

[0061] Table 2: Comparison of physical properties of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves before and after fermentation*

[0062]

[0063] Tensile strength test method: Specific method: Remove the main vein from the tobacco leaf and cut it into strips 15cm long and 1.5cm wide, one strip per tobacco leaf. Place the cut tobacco strips in a desiccator at 70% humidity for one week to equilibrate the moisture. Finally, perform the tensile strength test on a tobacco sheet tensile testing machine (model: ZKW-3). Perform 10 replicates per group.

[0064] Petroleum ether extract reflects the oiliness of tobacco leaves: Extraction and determination methods are as reported in the literature: Yan Keyu, Yan Hongyang, Yan Hongxi. Comparative analysis of petroleum ether extract content in flue-cured tobacco from different producing areas [J]. Journal of Henan Agricultural University, 2007, 41(5):498-501.

[0065] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for fermenting tobacco leaves used as outer wrappers for cigars, characterized in that, The specific steps of the fermentation method are as follows: Step 1: Add Bacillus pumilus HD-7 and Bacillus cereus ( Bacillus cereus M-5 and Bacillus megaterium ( Bacillus megaterium The compound microbial agent, obtained by mixing CAS5077-67-8-YNLC, was sprayed onto the surface of tobacco leaves. After application, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 90-100% and a temperature of 35-39℃ for 2-3 days. Then, the tobacco leaves were placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 80%-100% and a temperature of 60-68℃ for 0.5-1 hour to obtain treated tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves were then disinfected. The agents used were *Bacillus pumilus* HD-7 and *Bacillus cereus*. (Bacillus cereus) M-5 and Bacillus megaterium ( Bacillus megaterium CAS5077-67-8-YNLC was compounded and combined in a mass ratio of 1:1:1 to obtain a compound microbial agent; the compound microbial agent was sprayed on the surface of tobacco leaves at a concentration of 1-0.5 g / ml. Step 2: Bacillus tekirae ( Bacillus tequilensis The CAS-MEI-2-33 microbial agent was sprayed onto the tobacco leaves after disinfection in step 1. After application, the tobacco leaves were placed in a temperature gradient of 33℃ to 40℃ for 3 days, with a relative humidity of 90-100%. The leaves were then treated at 55-65℃ and 80-90% relative humidity for 30-60 minutes, followed by disinfection. *Bacillus tekiria* (...) Bacillus tequilensis CAS-MEI-2-33 is sprayed onto the surface of tobacco leaves at a concentration of 1.0-0.5 g / ml; Step 3: [The text abruptly ends here, likely due to an incomplete sentence or missing information.] Aureobasidium melanogenum )-A4 and Staphylococcus ( Staphylococcus sp. After mixing CAS513-86-0-HNYZ, a compound microbial agent was obtained and sprayed onto the tobacco leaves treated in step 2. After applying the microbial agent, the tobacco leaves were placed at 25℃ to 28℃ for 3 days; then at 28℃ to 37℃, with a relative humidity of 90-100% for 5 days. After the end of the treatment, the cigar tobacco leaves were placed at 80-100% relative humidity and 60-68℃ for 0.5-1 hours, and then the tobacco leaves were disinfected. Melanin-producing short-stemmed mold ( Aureobasidium melanogenum )-A4 and Staphylococcus ( Staphylococcus sp. CAS513-86-0-HNYZ was compounded and combined in a mass ratio of 1:1 to obtain a compound microbial agent; the compound microbial agent was sprayed on the surface of tobacco leaves at a concentration of 1-0.5 g / ml; Step 4: The tobacco leaves obtained in Step 3 are stacked and fermented to obtain cigar wrapper tobacco leaves.

2. The fermentation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 4, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves should be 20-30% during stacking, and the core temperature of the stack should not exceed 40-48℃.

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