Multi-Strain Tobacco Fermentation for Rapid Quality Improvement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Long natural aging time and limited quality improvement by single-strain microbial inoculation in tobacco fermentation processes.
Innovation Solution
A microbial fermentation method involving multiple strains of microbes, including those that degrade tobacco components and produce aroma, is applied in a controlled environment to enhance tobacco quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If natural aging is used to improve tobacco quality, then quality improvement is achieved, but fermentation time is excessively long (1-3 years)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-culturing and enriching microbial flora in a controlled environment before actual tobacco fermentation. The microbial liquid is prepared in advance through multiple stages of cultivation (20-50 hours at 20-40°C) and concentrated by centrifugation, so that when applied to tobacco leaves, the fermentation process is dramatically accelerated from years to just 6-8 days while achieving quality improvement comparable to or exceeding natural aging.
2Loss of time
If single-strain microbial inoculation is used to shorten fermentation time, then fermentation time is reduced, but quality improvement is limited to only one aspect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple microbial strains into a composite microbial flora that can simultaneously perform multiple functions. The microbial liquid contains diverse microorganisms that work together to degrade various tobacco components (starch, cellulose, protein, nicotine) while simultaneously producing aromatic substances. This combined approach enables comprehensive quality improvement across multiple dimensions including chemical composition, aroma, smoke volume, and sensory characteristics, all within a shortened fermentation period of 6-8 days.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly reduces fermentation time to 1-2 weeks while improving tobacco quality in multiple aspects, including chemical composition and aroma, achieving enhanced smoke volume, aroma, and sensory characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
the natural aging process of the tobacco mainly relies on them to produce various enzymes and metabolites to improve the quality of tobacco
Implementation Method 2
the microbes isolated from tobacco that can degrade starch, cellulose, protein and so on
Implementation Method 3
the aroma-producing microbes that can improve the aroma
Implementation Method 4
centrifuging the microbial liquid obtained in step (3) and collecting microbes
Data Source
AI summary
A microbial fermentation method for improving tobacco quality, comprising the following steps: (1) inoculating flue-cured tobacco as an inoculation source into a tobacco powder medium, and cultivating at 20-40° C. for 20-50 h; (2) inoculating microbial liquid in step (1) into a fresh tobacco powder medium, cultivating at 20-40° C. for 20-50 h, and circulating for 15-25 cycles to obtain stable flue-cured tobacco microbial flora; (3) inoculating the microbial flora obtained in step (2) into the fresh tobacco powder medium, and culturing at 20-40° C. for 20-50 h to obtain seed liquid of the microbial flora; (4) centrifuging the microbial liquid obtained in step (3) and collecting microbes; (5) washing the microbes collected in step (4); (6) resuspending the washed bacteria in step (5) to obtain a microbial suspension; and (7) spraying the microbial suspension in step (6) to the tobacco leaves for fermentation for 6-8 days.