Steps in the Drying Processing Technique for Hanging Noodles

Raw Material Selection

: Select high-quality wheat flour to ensure that the gluten strength and moisture content of the flour meet the requirements for hanging noodle production. This directly affects the quality and taste of the hanging noodles during the drying process.

Dough Mixing: Put the flour and water into a dough mixer according to a specific ratio, while adding appropriate amounts of additives such as salt and alkali to improve the gluten strength and extensibility of the dough. The mixed dough should have a uniform texture, be smooth, and have no obvious dry powder or hard lumps.

Sheeting and Cutting: Pass the mixed dough through a sheeting roller multiple times to form a dough sheet with uniform thickness and a smooth surface. Then, cut it into noodles of consistent thickness.

Hanging on Rods: Evenly hang the cut noodles on drying racks. The weight and length of the noodles on each rod should be as consistent as possible to ensure uniform drying.

Hanging Noodle Drying Process

Pre-drying Stage: Push the drying racks with the hung noodles into the drying room and close the door. Start the heat pump dryer, setting the temperature to 40°C-45°C, the relative humidity to 80%-85%, and the air speed to 1m/s-1.5m/s. The main purpose of this stage is to allow the moisture on the noodle surface to evaporate slowly, preventing the formation of a hard crust. The time is generally controlled at 1h-1.5h.

Main Drying Stage: Gradually increase the temperature to 50°C-55°C, lower the relative humidity to 70%-75%, and adjust the air speed to 1.5m/s-2m/s. In this stage, the internal moisture of the noodles begins to migrate to the surface and evaporate. This is a critical period for drying, lasting approximately 3h-4h.

Final Drying Stage: Further increase the temperature to 60°C-65°C, reduce the relative humidity to 60%-65%, and maintain the air speed at around 2m/s. This stage primarily removes the remaining small amount of moisture from the noodles, enabling them to reach a moisture content safe for storage. The time is about 1h-1.5h.

Cooling and Removal

Cooling: After drying is complete, turn off the heat pump dryer and open the door of the drying room. Allow the noodles to cool to room temperature under natural ventilation conditions. During cooling, care should be taken to avoid contamination and moisture absorption.

Removal: Once the noodles have cooled, take them down from the drying racks for sorting and packaging. Handle them with care during removal to avoid breakage.

Throughout the entire heat pump drying process for hanging noodles, it is necessary to flexibly adjust the drying process parameters based on factors such as the noodle variety, thickness, initial moisture content, and the actual conditions of the drying room, in order to ensure the quality and yield of the hanging noodles.