Freeze-Dried Instant Tea Powder Case Study
How a Chinese food ingredient producer used an SDG1600 50㎡ freeze dryer to process concentrated tea liquid into freeze-dried instant tea powder with a 12-hour drying cycle.
Quick Facts
This instant tea powder project used real production data to help evaluate batch capacity, membrane concentration, condenser capacity, drying time, vacuum range, final moisture, and utility consumption.
| Location | China |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Product | Freeze-dried instant tea powder |
| Equipment | SDG1600 freeze dryer |
| Drying Area | 50㎡ |
| Raw Material Loading | 12 kg/㎡ |
| Raw Material Load per Batch | 600 kg |
| Pretreatment | Tea extraction + membrane concentration |
| Time to Dry | 12 hours |
| Final Moisture Content | 2.31% |
| Vacuum Range | 26–90 Pa |
| Condenser Capacity | 2 kg water/㎡/hour |
| Total Condenser Capacity | Approx. 100 kg water/hour |
| Energy Consumption | 1.12 kWh electricity + 1.62 kg steam per kg raw material |
| Estimated Batch Electricity Use | Approx. 672 kWh |
| Estimated Batch Steam Use | Approx. 972 kg steam |
Commercial Freeze-Dried Instant Tea Powder Production
In 2024, a Chinese food ingredient customer used an SDG1600 50㎡ commercial freeze dryer to produce freeze-dried instant tea powder for beverage ingredient production.
Instant tea powder is usually produced by extracting tea liquid with hot water or cold water, concentrating the tea extract, and then freeze-drying the concentrated liquid. In this case, the customer’s tea liquid was processed by membrane concentration before drying.
Membrane concentration helped increase the solids content, improve the freeze-dried powder yield, and reduce the amount of water that the freeze dryer needed to remove. This helped make the 12-hour drying cycle more practical for commercial production.
This calculation helps buyers estimate real production capacity. Drying area alone is not enough; product concentration, loading thickness, water content, and drying time must be evaluated together.
The Challenge: Improving Powder Yield and Drying Efficiency
Tea liquid contains a high amount of water. If the material enters the freeze dryer without enough concentration, the system must remove more water, which can increase drying time and reduce batch output.
High Water Load
Tea extract must be concentrated before drying to reduce water removal load.
Powder Yield
Higher solids content improves the output rate of freeze-dried instant tea powder.
Final Moisture
The final moisture content reached 2.31%, supporting stable powder packaging.
Vacuum Stability
The drying process operated within a 26–90 Pa vacuum range.
Condenser Capacity
The condenser capacity was designed at 2 kg water/㎡/hour.
Utility Cost
The project used both electricity and steam, so batch utility data was important for cost estimation.
Raw Material Preparation: Extraction and Membrane Concentration
This project was not a solid tea leaf drying process. The customer freeze-dried concentrated tea liquid to produce instant tea powder.
Instant black tea powder is usually made by extracting tea liquid with hot water or cold water. The extract is then concentrated before it enters the freeze dryer. This preparation step affects drying time, yield, aroma retention, and powder consistency.
In this China 2024 project, the customer’s tea liquid was processed by membrane concentration before freeze drying. Membrane concentration helped increase solids content and reduce the water load entering the SDG1600 freeze dryer.
With less water to remove, the freeze dryer could reach the target final moisture more efficiently. This approach also helped improve the freeze-dried powder output per batch and made the 12-hour cycle more practical.
For similar instant tea, coffee, herbal extract, or beverage ingredient projects, the concentration level should be confirmed before equipment sizing. The same drying area can produce different output if the solids content changes.
SDG1600 50㎡ Freeze Dryer
The SDG1600 freeze dryer was selected to support medium-scale instant tea powder production, stable vacuum control, predictable drying, and practical electricity and steam consumption.
- 50㎡ drying area for commercial beverage ingredient production
- 12 kg/㎡ raw material loading density
- Membrane concentration before freeze drying
- 26–90 Pa vacuum range during drying
- 2 kg water/㎡/hour condenser capture capacity
- 12-hour drying cycle with 2.31% final moisture
Real Drying Data for Instant Tea Powder Freeze-Drying
This section gives buyers practical reference data. It shows how loading density, concentration, vacuum control, condenser capacity, final moisture, electricity, and steam use affect actual production performance.
In this project, the SDG1600 processed 600 kg of concentrated tea liquid per batch. The drying cycle was completed in 12 hours, and the final moisture content reached 2.31%.
| Product | Freeze-dried instant tea powder |
|---|---|
| Pretreatment | Tea extraction and membrane concentration |
| Raw Material Loading | 12 kg/㎡ |
| Total Raw Material Load | 600 kg/batch |
| Vacuum Range | 26–90 Pa |
| Condenser Capacity | 2 kg water/㎡/hour |
| Total Condenser Capacity | Approx. 100 kg water/hour |
| Final Moisture | 2.31% |
| Energy Consumption | 1.12 kWh electricity + 1.62 kg steam per kg raw material |
| Drying Time | 12 hours |
Production Result: 12-Hour Drying Cycle
The SDG1600 50㎡ freeze dryer completed the concentrated tea liquid drying process in 12 hours. The final moisture content reached 2.31%.
Why These Data Points Matter
For instant tea powder producers, real production data is more useful than general machine descriptions. These parameters help estimate output, freeze dryer cost, and equipment suitability.
1. Loading Density
The customer loaded concentrated tea liquid at 12 kg/㎡. For a 50㎡ freeze dryer, this means 600 kg of raw material per batch. This gives buyers a clearer way to estimate production capacity.
2. Condenser Capacity
The condenser capacity was 2 kg water/㎡/hour. Based on a 50㎡ drying area, the maximum condenser capture capacity reached approximately 100 kg water/hour during high-load drying stages.
3. Utility Consumption
The energy consumption was 1.12 kWh electricity and 1.62 kg steam per kg of raw material. Based on 600 kg per batch, the estimated batch use was 672 kWh electricity and 972 kg steam.
What Food Manufacturers Can Learn from This Case
This China instant tea powder project shows that liquid extract freeze-drying should be evaluated by concentration level, real drying performance, and utility use.
Concentration Matters
Membrane concentration helps increase solids content, improve powder yield, and reduce drying workload.
Ask for Real Drying Data
Batch load, final moisture, vacuum range, condenser capacity, electricity, and steam use provide more value than general supplier claims.
Check Utility Consumption
Steam and electricity both affect production cost. In this case, each kg of raw material used 1.12 kWh electricity and 1.62 kg steam.
Match the Machine to the Product
A 50㎡ freeze dryer can be practical for instant tea powder when concentration, loading thickness, and cold trap capacity are matched.
Continue Reading
These internal links guide visitors from the case study to product selection, cold trap design, cost analysis, and inquiry pages.
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