Ceylon Tea orthodox leaf grading: OP vs BOP vs BOPF particle sizing and liquor density?
What mechanical oscillating sifters and mesh screen sizes (No. 10 to No. 24) separate Orange Pekoe from Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings in factory grading rooms?
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4 Answers from travellers
Grading orthodox black tea in Sri Lanka relies on mechanical sifting through oscillating vibrating decks (Michie or Chula sifters) fitted with standardized brass wire mesh screens. Dried tea discharging from dryers is separated purely by physical particle size and shape. Orange Pekoe (OP) consists of large, wiry, unbroken whole leaves that do not pass through a No. 10 mesh, producing a light, delicate amber infusion. Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) consists of smaller broken leaf pieces passing No. 12 mesh but retained on No. 18 mesh, delivering balanced strength and briskness. Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (BOPF) are fine leaf flakes passing No. 18 mesh, producing an intensely brisk, dark-red liquor favored for fast-brewing teabags and milk tea.
Dust 1 (D1) is the finest commercial grade (passing No. 24 mesh); it brews almost instantaneously with dark reddish-black density used in traditional roadside tea kiosks.
Electrostatic stalk extractors use charged PVC rollers to lift fibrous grey-brown tea stems away from black tea leaf particles before final chest packing.
All export grades are tasted and certified weekly by licensed tea brokers at the Colombo Tea Auction—the largest single-origin tea auction in the world.
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