Perspective ways to improve the process and equipment for the production of fermented drinks based on tea mushroom

Abstract

The producing of the fermented drink such as Kombucha is a natural process based

on the fermentation of a sugar solution based on tea with the help of a special fungus (a symbiotic

culture of alcoholic yeast and acetic acid bacteria). The process begins with the preparation of a sugar tea solution using tea leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Then, alcoholic yeast converts sugar into alcohol, and acetic acid bacteria converts alcohol into acetic acids. By qualitatively

controlling and implementing this process, a delicious and nutritious sweet and sour drink, world-famous as Kombucha, can be produced. At the moment, the process of making a Kombucha drink is not widely researched and is actually close to home and amateur production in rather limited quantities. There is no specialized equipment for the production of this drink in industrial levels at the moment. In some cases, there is an adaptation of certain technological equipment borrowed from related industries where a similar process takes place, such as brewing or kvass production. Therefore, one of the most promising ways is to develop specialized technological equipment specifically for this process on an industrial level. The second fundamental problem with the production of these drinks, despite their later filtration and pasteurization, is their short storage life at a temperature not exceeding +15°C and their marketing life of up to 30 days, which significantly affects production volumes and generally complicates the process of their widespread sale through the retail network. The reason for this is

the problem of the appearance and further reproduction of the fungus in an already corked bottle, which causes a negative reaction from the consumer. Conclusions. The article identifies a series of perspective ways to improve the equipment and process of production of the fermented beverage “Kombucha”.