Method of producing a mash extract and an apparatus for performing such method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879208-B2
Application number	US-30144907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2007
Priority date	May 19, 2006
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of producing a mash extract, said method comprising:
a. mashing particulate, starch-containing and optionally malted raw materials with a recirculated aqueous stream; b. heating the mash and enzymatically hydrolysing the starch; c. transferring the heat-treated mash into a first separator for separation into mash extract and spent grain; d. transferring the spent grain into a first mixing vessel and mixing it with sparging water; e. transferring the mixture of spent grain and sparging water into a second separator to remove spent grain; f. recirculating an aqueous stream from the second separator to the mashing step,

wherein the gravity of the fermentable mash extract obtained from the first separator is maintained at above 15° P.

The present method offers the advantage that it is highly efficient in terms of energy consumption and extraction yields. Furthermore, the present method achieves extremely high productivity in the operation of the brewhouse.
The invention also provides an apparatus for carrying out the aforementioned method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing a mash extract comprising:
a. mashing particulate, starch-containing and optionally malted, raw materials with mashing liquid comprising a recirculated aqueous stream to provide a mash;
b. heating the mash and enzymatically hydrolysing the starch;
c. transferring the mash from step b. into a first separator for separation into mash extract and spent grain, said mash extract having a gravity that exceeds 20° P;
d. transferring the spent grain into a first mixing vessel and mixing the spent grain with sparging water;
e. transferring the mixture of spent grain and sparging water into a second separator to remove spent grain to produce an aqueous stream;
f. recirculating an aqueous stream from the second separator to the mashing step,
g. heating the mash extract to a temperature of 75-150° C. for 30 minutes to 4 hours to provide a wort,
h. removing organic volatiles from the wort while maintaining the wort at a temperature of 95-110° C. by reducing pressure and/or stripping with a gas or steam; and
i. reducing the gravity of the wort by at least 2° P to a gravity within the range of 10-35° P by combining the wort with an aqueous stream of lower gravity than the wort;
wherein the mash extract is maintained at a gravity of 15° P or more during steps (g) and (h), and
wherein less than 10 wt. % of fermentable sugars is added to the mash extract after hydrolysis and wherein the mash extract is not concentrated by evaporation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gravity of the mash extract obtained from the first separator exceeds 25° P.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the gravity of the mash extract obtained from the first separator exceeds 28° P.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gravity of the mash extract obtained from the first separator exceeds 22° P.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mash extract is produced with an extract loss of less than 6 wt. %.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the mash extract is produced with an extract loss of less than 3 wt. %.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
i. transferring the spent grain obtained from the second separator into a second mixing vessel and mixing the spent grain with sparging water;
ii. transferring the mixture of spent grain and sparging water into a third separator to remove the spent grain; and
iii. recirculating the aqueous stream from the third separator as sparging water to the first mixing vessel.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second separator is selected from the group consisting of centrifuges, decanters, sedimentors, hydrocyclones, sieves, filters, membranes and presses.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gravity of the mash extract is maintained at 18° P or more during steps (g) and (h).

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the gravity of the mash extract is maintained at 20° P or more during steps (g) and (h).

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said method is operated in a fully continuous fashion.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first separator is operated at a theoretical capacity factor value of at least 1,000 m 2.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first mixing vessel is a continuous stirred tank reactor, and wherein the sparging water is supplied at a rate from 384 to 416 L/hr.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second separator is operated at a theoretical capacity factor value of at least 1,000 m 2.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of heating the mash further comprises:
i. applying a protein rest to the mash between 50 and 58° C.;
ii. applying a saccharification rest to the mash at 67° C.; and
iii. heating the mash to a mashing-off temperature of 78° C.

Assignees

• Mulder Hendrikus
• Snip Onno Cornelis
• Heineken Supply Chain Bv

Inventors

• Mulder Hendrikus
• Snip Onno Cornelis

Classifications

• C12C7/04 Primary

  Preparation or treatment of the mash · CPC title

• C12C7/06 Primary

  Mashing apparatus · CPC title

• C12C7/14

  Lautering, i.e. clarifying wort · CPC title