Cigar tobacco humidifying method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of cigar processing, and discloses a cigar tobacco humidifying method. According to the method, the pressure difference is used for driving the humidifying steam to diffuse to the deep layer of the tobacco stack, and the moisture regaining uniformity is improved; a heating clamp is arranged for heating, evaporation of water on the surfaces of tobacco leaves is promoted through heating, and the situation that the water stays on the surfaces of the tobacco leaves and consequently the diffusion rate of water vapor into tobacco stacks is reduced is avoided; in addition, the heating clamp is used for heating, moisture on the surfaces of the tobacco leaves can be promoted to evaporate to generate airflow to diffuse inwards, moisture is helped to rapidly permeate into the deep layers of the tobacco leaves, and moisture regaining efficiency is improved. Humidifying steam is sprayed to the surfaces of the tobacco leaves, moisture permeation can be promoted by humidifying under the pressure of 0.18-0.25 MPa, meanwhile, the retention time of the moisture is prolonged, and it is guaranteed that the moisture of the tobacco leaves is evenly distributed. By means of the method, moisture can be rapidly introduced into the deep layer of the tobacco stack, it is ensured that the moisture of tobacco leaves in the deep layer area is increased, and finally the target moisture content is evenly and stably achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of cigar processing, and in particular to a method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves. Background Art

[0002] Humidification of tobacco leaves is a crucial step in the cigar production process. Humidification affects the physical properties and fermentation quality of tobacco leaves and meets the moisture requirements of different production processes. For example, humidification can improve the physical properties of tobacco leaves, making them easier to process and roll. In the cigar production process, tobacco leaves need to be rolled and formed many times. If the tobacco leaves are too dry, they are easy to break during processing, causing waste; proper humidification can improve the toughness and elasticity of tobacco leaves, reduce the breakage rate, and thus improve production efficiency. For another example, humidification can increase the activity of microorganisms and improve the fermentation quality of tobacco leaves. The moisture content of tobacco leaves has a decisive influence on its fermentation quality. Proper humidification can ensure that the tobacco leaves reach an appropriate moisture content, thereby promoting microbial activity and enzyme action, and accelerating the transformation and balance of the internal chemical components of tobacco leaves. This transformation not only reduces the irritating components and increases the aroma substances, but also makes the taste of tobacco leaves more mellow and the aroma more intense.

[0003] At present, the commonly used method for moistening tobacco leaves is natural rehumidification, that is, placing tobacco leaves in a natural environment and using the humidity in the air to gradually absorb moisture. This method is simple and easy to implement, but is greatly restricted by environmental conditions and has a slow rehumidification speed.

[0004] At present, the commonly used method of moistening tobacco leaves is spray moistening, that is, using a sprayer to spray fine mist of water droplets on the surface of tobacco leaves to increase their surface humidity. This method is easy to operate, but it is difficult to ensure the uniformity of moistening. It is necessary to control the spray volume and uniformity to avoid local over-humidification or under-humidification.

[0005] The raw materials transferred back from cigars are packaged and pressurized. The moisture content of the tobacco leaves is relatively low, about 12%~15%. The tobacco leaves are arranged tightly. It is difficult for moisture to penetrate into the interior of the tobacco leaves by the above-mentioned natural rehumidification or spray humidification methods. Before humidification, the loose tobacco leaves need to be manually untied. Tobacco leaves with lower moisture content are more brittle, and the tobacco leaves are easily broken during the loosening process and the humidification process after loosening. Summary of the invention

[0006] At present, the tobacco leaves returned from cigars need to be loosened before being moisturized, which easily causes the problem of broken leaves. In order to solve the problem that dense tobacco leaves are difficult to moisturize, the present invention provides a method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves.

[0007] The specific technical scheme of the present invention is: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves, comprising the following steps: Step S1: In a vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are clamped with a heating clamp and placed in two rows, with a spacing of 30 to 45 cm between the two rows of tobacco leaves to form a guide space; Step S2: adjusting the pressure between the two rows of tobacco leaves to be lower than the pressure outside the tobacco leaves, thereby forming a pressure difference; Step S3: spraying humidifying steam into the vacuum chamber to humidify the tobacco leaves, wherein the pressure of the humidifying steam is 0.18-0.25 MPa.

[0008] The raw materials transferred back from cigars are pressurized for easy transportation, so the tobacco leaves are denser and have a lower moisture content, generally 12-15%. Due to their density, the existing spray moistening method makes it difficult for moisture to penetrate into the tobacco leaves. Therefore, the tobacco leaves need to be loosened before moistening. However, due to the low moisture content of the tobacco leaves, the tobacco leaves are dry and brittle, and the loosening process easily causes the tobacco leaves to break.

[0009] The method provided by the present invention utilizes the pressure difference to drive the humidifying steam to diffuse into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf stack, thereby improving the uniformity of the rehumidification; a heating clamp is arranged for heating, and the evaporation of water on the tobacco leaf surface is promoted by heating, thereby preventing the water from staying on the tobacco leaf surface and reducing the rate at which the water vapor diffuses into the interior of the tobacco leaf stack; in addition, the heating by the heating clamp can promote the evaporation of water on the tobacco leaf surface to generate an airflow to diffuse inward, thereby helping the water to quickly penetrate into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf, thereby improving the rehumidification efficiency; the humidifying steam is sprayed onto the tobacco leaf surface, and the humidification at a pressure of 0.18-0.25 MPa can promote the penetration of water, while increasing the residence time of water, thereby ensuring that the water content of the tobacco leaf is evenly distributed, and the pressure of the humidifying steam should not be too high, otherwise the residence time of water is too short and the tobacco leaf is not easy to wet; in addition, the pressure difference can introduce moisture into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf stack, thereby ensuring that the water content of the tobacco leaf in the deep layer area is increased, and the heating clamp assists in heating, thereby further increasing the overall water content, and evenly distributing the water content to the entire tobacco leaf stack while maintaining a stable pressure, thereby finally reaching the target water content.

[0010] The interval between two rows of tobacco leaves is 30-45 cm, which is conducive to forming a pressure difference between the interval between the two rows of tobacco leaves and the outside of the two rows of tobacco leaves, which is conducive to the steam penetrating into the tobacco leaves deep in the center of each row of tobacco leaves. If the interval is too large, it is not conducive to forming a pressure difference; if the interval is too small, it is not conducive to the diffusion of steam.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, in step S3, the temperature of the humidification steam is 50°C to 65°C.

[0012] The temperature is between 50℃ and 65℃, ensuring that it can promote the moisture balance of tobacco leaves without causing overheating and affecting the appearance quality of tobacco leaves. Excessive steam temperature will lead to the formation of steamed tobacco leaves with uneven color and dark color at the steaming position.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, in step S2, the pressure difference is greater than 0.03 MPa.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, the pressure between two rows of tobacco leaves is 0.09~0.15MPa, and the pressure outside the tobacco leaves is 0.03~0.07MPa.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, in step S1, the heating temperature of the heating clamp is 45°C to 50°C.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, the humidified steam is selected from ethanol steam and water steam. Further, it is preferred that the ethanol steam is introduced first and then the water steam is introduced.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, during humidification, ethanol vapor is first introduced for 0.5 to 2 minutes, and then water vapor is introduced until the target moisture content of the tobacco leaves is reached.

[0018] Ethanol vapor diffuses quickly. It is used to circulate two rows of denser tobacco piles transferred from various places, and then water vapor is introduced to add moisture, which is conducive to rapid moisture addition. At the same time, ethanol vapor is hydrophilic and can play a guiding role in the moisture addition process. Under the dual effects of circulation and guidance, it ensures that water vapor quickly penetrates into the center of each row of tobacco leaves.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, the tobacco leaves are placed at a height of 20 to 50 centimeters.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned humidification method, before performing step S2, the pressure in the vacuum chamber is reduced to below -0.03 MPa to ensure that the air in the tobacco leaves is completely discharged.

[0021] In the second aspect, based on the above method, the present invention provides an application of a method in humidifying tobacco leaves, the excellence of which is that, taking the moisture content of the tobacco leaves before humidification as 12-15% as an example, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves after humidification is 25-32%. Using the above method, the humidification time can be less than 40 minutes.

[0022] In the prior art, the commonly used natural rehumidification or spray humidification cannot quickly humidify tobacco leaves from 12-15% to 25-32% moisture content. In contrast, the present invention can shorten the humidification time to less than 40 minutes, which has a great advantage.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects: The method provided by the present invention utilizes the pressure difference to drive the humidifying steam to diffuse into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf stack, thereby improving the uniformity of the rehumidification; a heating clamp is arranged for heating, and the evaporation of water on the tobacco leaf surface is promoted by heating, thereby preventing the water from staying on the tobacco leaf surface and reducing the rate at which the water vapor diffuses into the interior of the tobacco leaf stack; in addition, the heating by the heating clamp can promote the evaporation of water on the tobacco leaf surface to generate an airflow to diffuse inward, thereby helping the water to quickly penetrate into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf, thereby improving the rehumidification efficiency; the humidifying steam is sprayed onto the tobacco leaf surface, and the humidification at a pressure of 0.18-0.25 MPa can promote the penetration of water, while increasing the residence time of water, thereby ensuring that the water content of the tobacco leaf is evenly distributed, and the pressure of the humidifying steam should not be too high, otherwise the residence time of water is too short and the tobacco leaf is not easy to wet; in addition, the pressure difference can introduce moisture into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf stack, thereby ensuring that the water content of the tobacco leaf in the deep layer area is increased, and the heating clamp assists in heating, thereby further increasing the overall water content, and evenly distributing the water content to the entire tobacco leaf stack while maintaining a stable pressure, thereby finally reaching the target water content. By using the method of the present invention, the cigar raw materials transferred back can be directly moistened without loosening. After moistening, the toughness of the tobacco leaves is improved, and loosening after moistening can avoid leaf breakage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of placing tobacco leaves according to the present invention.

[0025] Marked in the figure: 1. chimney, 2. negative pressure air outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to implement the present invention based on these descriptions. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention involved in the following description are generally only embodiments of a part of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. Therefore, based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative work should belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present invention, the tobacco leaves to be moistened are the raw materials transferred back and are not loosened.

[0028] In the embodiment of the present invention, the heating clamp has many fine holes, and steam can flow on both sides of the heating clamp.

[0029] Example 1 In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are moisturized, and the implementation method includes the following steps: Step S1: In a vacuum chamber, tobacco leaves are stacked to a height of 40 cm and the stack is clamped with a heating clamp. Figure 1As shown, the smoke stacks 1 are placed in two rows, and the two rows of smoke stacks are spaced 35 cm apart to form a diversion space. Negative pressure air ports 2 are provided between the two rows of smoke stacks and outside the two rows of smoke stacks, which can be used to form a vacuum or negative pressure in the vacuum chamber.

[0030] Step S2: Reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber to -0.03 MPa, and let it stand for 3 minutes to ensure that the air in the smoke stack is completely exhausted. Then adjust the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks to 0.09 MPa and the pressure outside the smoke stack to 0.03 MPa, so that the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is 0.06 MPa lower than the pressure outside the smoke stack, forming a pressure difference of 0.06 MPa.

[0031] Step S3: The heating temperature of the heating clamp is set to 48°C, the temperature of the humidified steam is set to 60°C, and when humidifying, ethanol steam is first sprayed into the vacuum chamber for 1 minute, and then water steam is introduced for 28 minutes. The steam pressure of the humidified steam is 0.20 MPa, and the steam flow rate is 4000 kg / h.

[0032] Example 2 In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are moisturized, and the implementation method includes the following steps: Step S1: In the vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are stacked to a height of 40 cm, and the stacks are clamped with heating clamps, and the stacks are placed in two rows, and the two rows of stacks are separated by 35 cm to form a guide space. Negative pressure air ports are provided between the two rows of stacks and outside the two rows of stacks, which can be used to form a vacuum or negative pressure in the vacuum chamber.

[0033] Step S2: Reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber to -0.03 MPa, and let it stand for 3 minutes to ensure that the air in the smoke stack is completely exhausted. Then adjust the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks to 0.09 MPa and the pressure outside the smoke stack to 0.03 MPa, so that the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is 0.06 MPa lower than the pressure outside the smoke stack, forming a pressure difference of 0.06 MPa.

[0034] Step S3: The heating temperature of the heating clamp is set to 48°C, the temperature of the humidified steam is set to 60°C, and when humidifying, ethanol steam is first sprayed into the vacuum chamber for 0.5 minutes, and then water steam is introduced for 28 minutes. The steam pressure of the humidified steam is 0.20 MPa, and the steam flow rate is 4000 kg / h.

[0035] Example 3 In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are moisturized, and the implementation method includes the following steps: Step S1: In the vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are stacked to a height of 40 cm, and the stacks are clamped with heating clamps, and the stacks are placed in two rows, and the two rows of stacks are separated by 35 cm to form a guide space. Negative pressure air ports are provided between the two rows of stacks and outside the two rows of stacks, which can be used to form a vacuum or negative pressure in the vacuum chamber.

[0036] Step S2: Reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber to -0.03 MPa, and let it stand for 3 minutes to ensure that the air in the smoke stack is completely exhausted. Then adjust the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks to 0.09 MPa and the pressure outside the smoke stack to 0.03 MPa, so that the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is 0.06 MPa lower than the pressure outside the smoke stack, forming a pressure difference of 0.06 MPa.

[0037] Step S3: The heating temperature of the heating clamp is set to 48°C, the temperature of the humidified steam is set to 60°C, and when humidifying, ethanol steam is first sprayed into the vacuum chamber for 2 minutes, and then water steam is introduced for 28 minutes. The steam pressure of the humidified steam is 0.20 MPa, and the steam flow rate is 4000 kg / h.

[0038] Example 4 In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are moisturized, and the implementation method includes the following steps: Step S1: In the vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are stacked to a height of 20 cm, and the stacks are clamped with a heating clamp, and the stacks are placed in two rows, with a 30 cm interval between the two rows of stacks to form a guide space. Negative pressure air ports are provided between the two rows of stacks and outside the two rows of stacks, which can be used to form a vacuum or negative pressure in the vacuum chamber.

[0039] Step S2: Reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber to -0.03 MPa, and let it stand for 3 minutes to ensure that the air in the smoke stack is completely exhausted. Then adjust the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks to 0.15 MPa and the pressure outside the smoke stack to 0.07 MPa, so that the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is 0.08 MPa lower than the pressure outside the smoke stack, forming a pressure difference of 0.08 MPa.

[0040] Step S3: The heating temperature of the heating clamp is set to 48°C, the temperature of the humidified steam is set to 60°C, and when humidifying, ethanol steam is first sprayed into the vacuum chamber for 1 minute, and then water steam is introduced for 28 minutes. The steam pressure of the humidified steam is 0.20 MPa, and the steam flow rate is 4000 kg / h.

[0041] Example 5 In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are moisturized, and the implementation method includes the following steps: Step S1: In the vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are stacked to a height of 50 cm, and the stacks are clamped with heating clamps, and the stacks are placed in two rows, with a 45 cm interval between the two rows of stacks to form a guide space. Negative pressure air ports are provided between the two rows of stacks and outside the two rows of stacks, which can be used to form a vacuum or negative pressure in the vacuum chamber.

[0042] Step S2: Reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber to -0.03 MPa, and let it stand for 4 minutes to ensure that the air in the smoke stack is completely exhausted. Then adjust the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks to 0.12 MPa and the pressure outside the smoke stack to 0.03 MPa, so that the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is 0.09 MPa lower than the pressure outside the smoke stack, forming a pressure difference of 0.09 MPa.

[0043] Step S3: The heating temperature of the heating clamp is set to 48°C, the temperature of the humidified steam is set to 60°C, and when humidifying, ethanol steam is first sprayed into the vacuum chamber for 1 minute, and then water steam is introduced for 30 minutes. The steam pressure of the humidified steam is 0.20 MPa, and the steam flow rate is 4000 kg / h.

[0044] Example 6 In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are moisturized, and the implementation method includes the following steps: Step S1: In the vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are stacked to a height of 40 cm, and the stacks are clamped with heating clamps, and the stacks are placed in two rows, and the two rows of stacks are separated by 35 cm to form a guide space. Negative pressure air ports are provided between the two rows of stacks and outside the two rows of stacks, which can be used to form a vacuum or negative pressure in the vacuum chamber.

[0045] Step S2: Reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber to -0.03 MPa, and let it stand for 3 minutes to ensure that the air in the smoke stack is completely exhausted. Then adjust the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks to 0.09 MPa and the pressure outside the smoke stack to 0.03 MPa, so that the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is 0.06 MPa lower than the pressure outside the smoke stack, forming a pressure difference of 0.06 MPa.

[0046] Step S3: The heating temperature of the heating clamp is set to 48°C, the temperature of the humidified steam is set to 60°C, and when humidifying, ethanol steam is first sprayed into the vacuum chamber for 1 minute, and then water steam is introduced for 35 minutes. The steam pressure of the humidified steam is 0.20 MPa, and the steam flow rate is 4000 kg / h.

[0047] Comparative Example 1 Compared with the embodiment 1, the only difference is that the heating clamp does not heat. The rest is the same as the embodiment 1.

[0048] Comparative Example 2 Compared with Example 1, the only difference is that in step S2, the pressure between the two rows of smoke stacks is adjusted to 0.03 MPa, the pressure outside the smoke stack is adjusted to 0.03 MPa, and no pressure difference is formed between the two rows of smoke stacks and the outside of the smoke stack.

[0049] Comparative Example 3 Compared with Example 1, the only difference is that the temperature of the humidified steam is 75° C. The rest is the same as Example 1.

[0050] Comparative Example 4 Compared with Example 1, the only difference is that the temperature of the humidified steam is 40° C. The rest is the same as Example 1.

[0051] Comparative Example 5 Compared with Example 1, the only difference is that no ethanol vapor is introduced, and water vapor is introduced for 28 minutes.

[0052] Comparative Example 6 Compared with Example 1, the only difference is that no ethanol vapor is introduced, and water vapor is introduced for 40 minutes.

[0053] Performance Evaluation The moisture content of tobacco leaves before and after humidification of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 was detected using a microwave moisture meter, and the results are shown in Table 1. Before humidification, in order not to destroy the density of the tobacco raw materials, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves on the surface of the stack was detected; after humidification, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves at the center of one row of the stack was detected; the average humidification rate was; (moisture content of tobacco leaves before humidification - moisture content of tobacco leaves after humidification) / humidification time.

[0054] Table 1 Moisture content before humidification (%) Moisture content after dampening (%) Tidal time (minutes) Moisture addition rate (% / min) Example 1 13 29 29 0.55 Example 2 13 25 28.5 0.42 Example 3 14 30 30 0.53 Example 4 13 31 29 0.62 Example 5 12 27 31 0.48 Example 6 13 32 36 0.53 Comparative Example 1 13 19 29 0.21 Comparative Example 2 13 17 29 0.14 Comparative Example 3 14 22 29 0.28 Comparative Example 4 13 19 29 0.21 Comparative Example 5 13 17 28 0.14 Comparative Example 6 13 18 40 0.13 Data Analysis: From the data of Example 1 to Example 6 in Table 1, it can be seen that the method of the present invention can make the tobacco leaves transferred back quickly reach a moisture content of 25-32% without loosening. The reason for this is that: the embodiment of the present invention utilizes the pressure difference to drive the humidified steam to diffuse into the deep layer of the tobacco leaf stack, thereby improving the uniformity of moisture regain; a heating clamp is provided for heating, and the evaporation of water on the surface of the tobacco leaves is promoted by heating, thereby preventing the water from staying on the surface of the tobacco leaves and reducing the rate at which the water vapor diffuses into the interior of the tobacco stack; in addition, heating by the heating clamp can promote the evaporation of water on the surface of the tobacco leaves to generate airflow to diffuse inward, thereby helping the water to quickly penetrate into the deep layer of the tobacco leaves and improving the moisture regain efficiency; the humidified steam is sprayed onto the surface of the tobacco leaves, and the humidification at a pressure of 0.18-0.25MPa can promote the penetration of water, while increasing the residence time of water, thereby ensuring that the water is evenly absorbed by the tobacco leaves, and finally reaching the target moisture content evenly and stably.

[0055] From the comparative analysis of Comparative Example 1 and Example 1, it can be seen that Comparative Example 1 does not heat the tobacco leaves, and the humidification effect of Comparative Example 1 is greatly reduced, which shows the importance of properly heating the tobacco leaves during vacuum humidification. The reasons for heating the tobacco leaves in combination with the phenomenon during humidification are analyzed: heating promotes the evaporation of water on the surface of the tobacco leaves, and prevents the water from staying on the surface of the tobacco leaves, thereby reducing the rate at which water vapor diffuses into the interior of the tobacco stack; in addition, heating by the heating clamp can promote the evaporation of water on the surface of the tobacco leaves to generate airflow that diffuses inward, helping the water to quickly penetrate into the deep layers of the tobacco leaves and improving the rehumidification efficiency; if no heating is performed, when the water vapor contacts the tobacco stack, too much water stays on the surface of the tobacco stack, which will affect the subsequent water in the deep layers of the tobacco stack, which is not conducive to the humidification of deep tobacco leaves.

[0056] From the comparative analysis of Comparative Example 2 and Example 1, it can be seen that Comparative Example 2 does not set the pressure difference, and the humidification effect of Comparative Example 1 is greatly reduced, which shows the importance of pressure difference as a driving force in promoting water vapor to enter the deep layer of the chimney.

[0057] From the comparative analysis of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 with Example 1, it can be seen that the steam temperatures of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 are 75°C and 40°C respectively, and the moisture content of the tobacco leaves after humidification in Comparative Examples 3 and 4 is greatly reduced, which shows that the humidification rate can be increased within a certain range of the steam used for humidification. At the same time, it was found during implementation that when the steam temperature was 75°C, the part where the heating clamp was held had a dark color problem, and the appearance quality was reduced.

[0058] From the comparative analysis of Comparative Examples 5 and 6 and Example 1, it can be seen that in Comparative Examples 5 and 6, ethanol is not introduced, and even if the humidification time is extended to 40 minutes of Comparative Example 6, the moisture content of the final tobacco leaves is still not improved, which shows the advantage of ethanol vapor introduction in improving the humidification rate. The reasons may be: ethanol vapor diffuses quickly in tobacco leaves, and ethanol vapor is first circulated in two rows of relatively dense tobacco piles transferred from various places, and then water vapor is introduced for humidification, which is conducive to rapid humidification of water vapor; at the same time, ethanol vapor is hydrophilic, and it can play a guiding role in the humidification process. Under the dual effects of its circulation and guidance, it is ensured that water vapor quickly penetrates into the center of the tobacco pile.

[0059] The raw materials and equipment used in the present invention, unless otherwise specified, are all commonly used raw materials and equipment in the art; the methods used in the present invention, unless otherwise specified, are all conventional methods in the art.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modification, change and equivalent transformation made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention still falls within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for moistening cigar tobacco leaves, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1: In a vacuum chamber, the tobacco leaves are clamped with a heating clamp and placed in two rows, with a spacing of 30 to 45 cm between the two rows of tobacco leaves to form a guide space; Step S2: adjusting the pressure between the two rows of tobacco leaves to be lower than the pressure outside the tobacco leaves, thereby forming a pressure difference; Step S3: spraying humidifying steam into the vacuum chamber to humidify the tobacco leaves, wherein the pressure of the humidifying steam is 0.18-0.25 MPa.

2. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, the temperature of the moist steam is 50°C to 65°C.

3. A method for moistening cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the pressure difference is 0.03 MPa or more.

4. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure between two rows of tobacco leaves is 0.09~0.15MPa, and the pressure on the outside of the tobacco leaves is 0.03~0.07MPa.

5. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the heating temperature of the heating clamp is 45°C to 50°C.

6. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The humidified steam is selected from ethanol steam and water steam.

7. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: When adding moisture, first introduce ethanol vapor for 0.5 to 2 minutes, and then pass water vapor until the target moisture content of the tobacco leaves is reached.

8. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The height of the tobacco leaves is 20~50 cm.

9. A method for moisturizing cigar tobacco leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Before proceeding to step S2, the pressure in the vacuum chamber is reduced to below -0.03 MPa to ensure that the air in the tobacco leaves is completely exhausted.

10. Application of the humidification method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in humidification of tobacco leaves, characterized in that: The moisture content of the tobacco leaves before moistening is 12-15%, the moisture content of the tobacco leaves after moistening is 25-32%, and the moistening time is less than 40 minutes.

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