DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONDITIONING GROUND MATERIAL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (500) for conditioning milled material, in particular brewing malt, before milling, and to a method for conditioning milled material, as well as a computing unit and a computer program for carrying it out. The device according to the invention comprises an inlet section, a guide section (70), a humidification section (35), a storage container (350), and an outlet section, wherein the inlet section, the guide section (70), the humidification section (35), the storage container (350), and the outlet section are arranged adjacent to one another, and the arrangement extends in a vertical direction.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for conditioning ground material, in particular brewing malt and other grains, before grinding, and to a method for conditioning ground material as well as to a computing unit and a computer program for carrying out the method. background

[0002] It is well known that malt is conditioned for brewing before milling (crushing) to prevent the husks (grain coating, hulls) from being destroyed during milling. To do this, the malt is moistened with a small amount of water or steam to increase only the water content of the husk and not that of the endosperm. This makes the husks less susceptible to mechanical stress during milling, while the endosperm remains easy to crush. Better preservation of the husks allows for faster lautering and leads to milder, less "broad" beers, as less husk meal is produced, and thus fewer tannins from the husks enter the solution. The husks are also milled more effectively, increasing the yield through higher extract yield.

[0003] However, known malt conditioning systems can have disadvantages in terms of maintenance and cleaning, as they usually include horizontally arranged paddle screws for mixing water (steam) and malt, which require complex sealing systems for shaft bearings and are difficult to clean.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cost-effective device for conditioning ground material, in particular brewing malt, which is low-maintenance and easy to clean.

[0005] To solve this problem, the features of the independent claims are proposed. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the dependent claims.

[0006] A device according to the invention for conditioning ground material prior to grinding comprises an inlet section for feeding a ground material stream into the device, as well as a guide section configured to guide the ground material stream in such a way that its surface area is increased. The ground material can be, in particular, brewer's malt. Other grains (e.g., rice, millet, barley, oats, rye), pseudo-grains (e.g., buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, etc.), and seeds that can be ground (crushed) are also possible.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the inlet section can comprise a grinding material storage container that can store a predetermined amount of grinding material or refilled grinding material. The grinding material storage container can, for example, be a hopper into which the grinding material can be (automatically) fed and from which it can flow into the guide section. The hopper can be made, in particular, of stainless steel.

[0008] The grinding material storage container can have at least one fill level sensor that can determine a maximum and / or minimum fill level of the grinding material in the storage container. In particular, the grinding material storage container can contain a fill level sensor for determining the minimum and maximum fill levels. The at least one fill level sensor can be, for example, a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a capacitive sensor, or any other suitable sensor type for measuring the fill level of grinding material.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the guide section can comprise a housing and a displacement body arranged in the housing and extending along a central axis of the guide section. In this way, grinding material flowing, for example, from the hopper into the guide section can be displaced from the center thereof, and the grinding material flow can be fanned out. This can create a kind of "curtain" around the displacement body, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the grinding material flow. In particular, the housing and the displacement body can be made of stainless steel.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the displacement body and the housing of the guide section can be conical, and a cone angle of the displacement body can be greater than a cone angle of the housing of the guide section. As a result, an opening cross-section through which the ground material flows can change along the guide section, since a taper of the housing does not run parallel to a taper of the displacement body.

[0011] In particular, the direction of a taper of the displacement body can be opposite to the flow direction of the ground material stream. The same can also apply to a taper of the housing. This means that the diameter of the conical displacement body and the housing increases in the flow direction. However, due to the larger cone angle of the displacement body compared to the housing, the diameter of the displacement body increases more, whereby the opening cross-section along the guide section narrows in the flow direction, so that the ground material is accelerated in the guide section. This supports the formation of a uniform annular "curtain" with a large surface area when the ground material stream enters a subsequent humidification section of the device.

[0012] A humidification element is arranged in the humidification section, which is designed to apply a fluid to the enlarged surface of the milling material stream in order to humidify it. The humidification section can, for example, be cylindrical and made of a transparent material (e.g., glass), in particular as a so-called sight glass, to allow visual inspection of the humidification process.

[0013] The humidification element can be configured to apply a liquid or vaporous fluid to the surface of the millbase stream. In particular, the fluid can be water, especially brewing water. Other suitable fluids, such as slurry, are also possible. If permitted for the millbase, additives such as enzymes or lactic acid can also be added to the fluid. The humidification element can, for example, be arranged centrally on a central axis of the humidification section and wet the surface of the millbase stream fanned out by the displacement element from the inside.

[0014] Humidification with steam is advantageous because it spreads quickly and thoroughly, allowing for homogeneous humidification of the milled material stream. However, this requires the provision of food-safe steam, which is complex to generate.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the fluid can be a liquid, in particular brewing water. The humidification element can be an injection valve that can spray the liquid at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature onto the surface of the ground material stream. The injection valve can, for example, be a hollow cone valve that injects the liquid into the humidification section. The injection pressure can preferably be in a range of > 4 bar. A jet angle of the hollow cone valve can, in particular, be adapted to a geometry of the humidification section. For example, the jet angle can be 60°. The injection can, in particular, take place continuously. The temperature of the injected liquid can, for example, be in the range from 30°C to °C. Other injection valve types that are suitable for evenly wetting the surface of the ground material, e.g. a multi-hole valve, are also possible.In addition, several injection valves can be included in the humidification section.

[0016] The device further comprises a storage container designed to store the moistened ground material stream, and an outlet section for discharging the moistened ground material stream from the device. In other words, the moistened ground material stream from the humidification section first passes into the storage container where it is stored before being guided out of the device through the outlet section. This allows the moisture to act on the ground material for a period of time in which it remains in the storage container. Both the storage container and the outlet section can preferably be made of stainless steel. The storage container can also contain a sight glass for visually checking the fill level of the ground material. The outlet section can, for example, be connected directly to a conveying device, e.g. a chain conveyor, with which the ground material can be conveyed to a grinding device after conditioning.The conditioning device can thus be integrated into a brewing system.

[0017] The inlet section, guide section, humidification section, accumulation tank, and outlet section are arranged adjacent to one another, and the arrangement extends vertically. In other words, all sections of the device are arranged vertically, so that the material to be ground passes through the device in a gravity-driven downflow. This eliminates the need for (electric) drives to transport the material and eliminates the need for moving components to mix the fluid and the material. Furthermore, the device has a compact design and can be installed on a small footprint.

[0018] For this purpose, the device may comprise a frame to which the inlet section, the guide section, the humidification section, the storage container, and the outlet section may be attached. The frame may, in particular, be made of rectangular profiles.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the inlet section can comprise a first adjusting element and the outlet section a second adjusting element, wherein the first and second adjusting elements can be configured to set a predetermined flow rate of the grinding material flow through the device. The first and second adjusting elements can be, for example, plate slide valves that can be continuously adjusted to adjust the inflow and outflow of the grinding material flow. The plate slide valves can, in particular, have a pneumatic cylinder for adjustment. It is also possible for the plate slide valves to be adjusted by means of a hydraulic actuator or an electric servomotor. The predetermined flow rate of the grinding material flow can be set in such a way that bridging and blockages do not occur in the opening cross-section of the guide section.In other words, the predetermined flow rate can be adapted to the geometric design (nominal diameters, gap dimensions) of the guide section. The flow of ground material through the device can be measured, for example, using a flow sensor, which can be arranged, for example, between the ground material storage container and the first adjusting element. Any other position in the device suitable for measuring the flow rate of the ground material is also possible. For example, the flow rate sensor can also be installed before and / or after the conditioning device. The flow rate sensor can, for example, be an electromagnetic flow rate sensor. Any other type of flow rate sensor suitable for measuring the flow rate of a ground material stream can also be used.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the humidification element can be configured to apply a predetermined amount of fluid, in particular a predetermined amount of water, to its surface, based on the set flow rate of the grinding material stream. The predetermined amount of fluid can be up to 3% of the grinding material weight and in particular 1% to 2% of the grinding material weight. The predetermined amount of fluid supplied to the humidification element can be adjusted, in particular, by means of a pneumatically actuated angle seat valve / piston control valve / regulating valve. Any other valve suitable for adjusting the predetermined amount of fluid is also possible.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the first and second adjusting elements can be configured to set the predetermined flow rate of the ground material flow such that a predetermined amount of moistened ground material is located in the accumulation container. In other words, in addition to the geometric design of the guide section, the required residence time of the moistened ground material in the accumulation container can also be used to determine the flow rate of the ground material flow. The predetermined amount of moistened ground material in the accumulation container can be set such that the ground material is located in the accumulation container for a period of 30 s to 120 s. For this purpose, the accumulation container can, for example, each contain a fill level sensor for determining a minimum and a maximum fill level of the ground material therein. The first and second adjusting elements can, for example,Adjust the level so that the fill level of the accumulation bin fluctuates between the minimum and maximum values. This can also be monitored using the sight glass. The fill level sensors can be radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, capacitive sensors, or any other suitable sensor type for measuring the fill level of ground material.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the first adjusting element can be arranged at an outlet of the inlet section and, when closed, seal the inlet section in a liquid-tight manner. Likewise, the second adjusting element can be arranged at an inlet of the outlet section and, when closed, seal the outlet section in a liquid-tight manner. In other words, if, for example, plate slide valves are used as adjusting elements, their slide plates can be completely closed to prevent the supply of ground material into the device and the removal of ground material from the device. In particular, they can be closed for cleaning the device when there is no ground material in it. Cleaning can, for example,by rinsing the device with water or by connecting the device to an automatic cleaning system, such as a so-called CIP cleaning system (CIP - cleaning in place).

[0023] According to one embodiment, a first connection can be provided between the storage container and the outlet section, and a second connection can be provided between the inlet section and the guide section for connecting the device to an automatic cleaning system. The first and second connections can be, for example, a first and a second disc valve, which can be opened and closed, for example, by means of a pneumatically controlled diaphragm drive. It is also possible for the disc valves to have a piston drive, a motor drive, or a manual drive. The first disc valve can open and close an inlet line, and the second disc valve can open and close a return line, of the CIP cleaning system. Other suitable valve types can also be used. The inlet and return lines of the CIP cleaning system can, in particular, be made of stainless steel.The first and second adjustment elements can be closed when a CIP cleaning system is connected, allowing the accumulation container, humidification section, and guide section to be cleaned of ground material residues. It is also possible for the device to be rinsed solely with water, particularly brewing water. For this purpose, the first and second adjustment elements can also be closed, and water can be fed into the device via the first disc valve. The water can then be discharged from the device via a third disc valve and reused if necessary.

[0024] The first to third butterfly valves allow for easy rinsing after each use, as well as complete cleaning of the device with standard cleaning and disinfection agents using a CIP cleaning system. This can be done fully automatically and does not interfere with upstream or downstream grinding material transport systems. No manual pre- and / or post-processing of the device is required for rinsing or cleaning – such as removing mixing paddles or paddle screws.

[0025] According to one embodiment, at least one compressed air line can be attached to the second adjusting element, which can introduce compressed air into the second adjusting element. This can be done in particular after rinsing or cleaning the device in order to completely dry the second adjusting element. In the case of a knife gate valve as the second adjusting element, in particular several compressed air lines can be attached to a housing in which the slide plate is arranged, through which compressed air can be blown into the interior of the knife gate valve. This can prevent the ground material to be removed from adhering to the second adjusting element due to moisture. For this purpose, the compressed air lines can be connected to a compressed air network via a corresponding connection and can direct compressed air from the network into the knife gate valve by means of at least one valve, for example a pneumatically controlled diaphragm valve.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the device may further comprise a fluid storage container with a temperature control device, which may be fluidically connected to the humidification element in the humidification section and may store a predetermined amount of fluid. The fluid storage container may, in particular, be a stainless steel tank in which liquid water, in particular brewing water, may be stored. The fluid storage container may be connected to the humidification element via a fluid connection, in particular a stainless steel line. The humidification element may, in particular, be an injection valve that can spray the brewing water onto the surface of the ground material stream at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature.

[0027] The temperature control device can, for example, be an electric heater that can heat the brewing water in the fluid storage tank to the predetermined temperature of 30°C to 78°C.

[0028] Furthermore, the device can include a pump that can be arranged in the fluid connection between the fluid storage container and the humidification element and can pump the fluid from the fluid storage container to the humidification element / injection valve. The pump can, for example, be an electrically driven centrifugal pump configured to provide the required pressure of 1 bar to 10 bar at the injection valve.

[0029] Each configuration of the device according to the invention is also claimed as a method, which can be claimed as such and / or as a computer program product.

[0030] A computing unit according to the invention, e.g., a controller of the device for conditioning ground material, in particular brewing malt, is configured, in particular through programming, to carry out a method according to the invention. The controller can be a separate computing unit for the conditioning device or, for example, be contained in a controller for a brewing process. The controller can be electrically / signal-connected to all sensors and actuators of the conditioning device. In particular, the controller can receive sensor signals from the individual sensors (level sensors, flow sensors, etc.) of the device and send control signals to the actuators (knife valves, disk valves, angle seat valves, etc.) of the device. Short description of the characters Fig. 1 shows a flow diagram for an apparatus for conditioning ground material according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. Figure 2 shows schematically a device for conditioning ground material according to the flow diagram of Fig. 1; Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b show a top view and a detailed view of the Fig. 2 shown device; Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0031] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail using exemplary figures. The features of the exemplary embodiments can be combined in whole or in part, and the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. In the figures, identical elements are provided with identical reference numerals, so that a repeated description of the elements is omitted unless necessary.

[0032] Fig. 1 shows a flow diagram for a device 500 for conditioning ground material according to an embodiment of the invention. The flow diagram comprises a fluid inlet 100 which can be opened by means of a ball valve 3 in order to fill a tank 12 (fluid storage container) via a vertically arranged supply line 100a. The fluid can in particular be brewing water. A fluid flow in the supply line 100a can be adjusted by means of a pneumatically controlled angle seat valve 49 arranged between the ball valve and the tank 12. A heater 120 is mounted in the tank 12, which can in particular be an electric heater 120. The fluid in the tank 12 can be heated by the heater, for example, to temperatures of 30°C to 78°C. The fluid temperature in the tank 12 can be measured with a temperature sensor 12t.Furthermore, a fill level sensor 12h is arranged in the tank 12, which determines a maximum fill level of the fluid 100 in the tank 12 and, when this level is reached, causes the angle seat valve 49 to be closed, for example.

[0033] This can be done, for example, by means of a computing unit (not shown) of the conditioning device 500, which receives a corresponding signal from the fill level sensor 12h and then closes the angle-seat valve 49. The computing unit can be electrically / signal-connected to all sensors and actuators of the conditioning device 500. In particular, the computing unit can receive sensor signals from the individual sensors of the device 500 and send control signals to the actuators of the device 500.

[0034] In this case, the tank 12 can be emptied via a manually operated disc valve 37 located at its lower end. Other suitable valve types can also be used, which can also be operated automatically (pneumatically / electrically, etc.). It is connected to an injection valve (humidification element) 60 via a connecting line 100b (fluid connection). A pump 130 is arranged in this line 100b, which pumps the fluid 100 from the tank to the injection valve 60. The injection pressure of the fluid 100 can be adjusted in this case using the manually operated needle valve 19, which defines an opening cross-section in a return line (not further described) to the tank 12. An automatically operated needle valve is also possible. The flow rate of the injection valve 60 can be adjusted by means of another pneumatically controlled angle seat valve 39, which is arranged between the pump 130 and the injection valve 60.The angle seat valve 39 can be controlled by the computing unit for this purpose. A pressure sensor 34 is also mounted in the connecting line 100b between the pump 130 and the angle seat valve 39 in order to measure an injection pressure of the injection valve 60. The pressure sensor 34 can, in particular, be a pressure gauge, the display of which can be used to adjust the injection pressure by means of the needle valve 19. The injection valve 60 can, in particular, be a hollow cone valve 60, which in this case injects the fluid 100 into a sight glass 35 (humidification section) of the conditioning device 500. A jet angle of the hollow cone valve can, in particular, be adapted to a geometry of the sight glass 35. For example, the jet angle can be 60°. The pump 130 can, in particular, be an electrically driven centrifugal pump 130.

[0035] The sight glass 35 is part of a vertical arrangement in the conditioning device 500, which comprises an inlet section with a hopper 50 and a first plate slide valve 22 (first adjustment element), a guide section 70, the humidification section in the form of the sight glass 35, a storage container 350, and an outlet section with a second plate slide valve 21 (second adjustment element). Ground material, in particular brewing malt 200, is fed from above via a line (not further specified) into the hopper 50 (ground material storage container), which is equipped with two fill level sensors 50h, 50l for determining a minimum and a maximum fill level in the hopper 50, as well as a flow sensor 50f. The flow sensor 50f is arranged at a lower end of the hopper 50, where it merges into a pipe section (not further specified).The fill level sensors 50h, 50l can be, for example, radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, capacitive sensors, or any other suitable sensor type for measuring the fill level of brewing malt 200. The flow sensor 50f can be, for example, an electromagnetic flow sensor. Any other type of flow sensor suitable for measuring the flow of a brewing malt stream can also be used. The fill level of the hopper 50 with brewing malt 200 can be set by the processing unit based on the signals from the fill level sensors.

[0036] From the hopper 50, the brewing malt 200 passes through the first plate slide 22 into the guide section 70, in which the brewing malt flow is fanned out before being moistened in the lantern 35 by means of the hollow cone nozzle 60. The guide section 70 and the lantern 35 are connected to the Fig. 2 to 3b. A storage container 350 is arranged below the lantern 35, which has two fill level sensors 350l, 350h for setting a predetermined amount of moistened brewing malt 200 in the storage container 350. The predetermined amount of moistened brewing malt 200 in the storage container 350 can be set such that the moistened brewing malt 200 is in the storage container 350 for a period of 60s to 90s. For this purpose, the fill level of the brewing malt quantity in the storage container 350 can be set by the computing unit such that it ranges between the minimum value 350l and the maximum value 350h. The level sensors 350h, 350l can in turn be radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, capacitive sensors or any other suitable sensor type for measuring a level of brewing malt 200, the signals of which are received by the computing unit.

[0037] A second slide valve 21 is arranged below the storage container 350, through which the moistened brewing malt 200 exits the conditioning device 500. For example, the moistened brewing malt 200 can be conveyed to a grinding device after exiting the storage container 350, e.g., by means of a chain conveyor.

[0038] An opening cross-section of the first and second plate slide valves 22, 21 can be continuously adjusted so that a predetermined brewing malt flow can be set by the arithmetic unit through the described vertical arrangement of the conditioning device 500 by means of the two plate slide valves 22, 21.

[0039] To achieve the desired moistening of the brewing malt 200, the flow rate of the injection valve 60 can be adjusted by the computation unit using the angle-seat valve 39 such that a predetermined amount of fluid, based on the set flow rate of the brewing malt stream, is applied to its surface. Alternatively or additionally, the flow rate of the injection valve 60 can also be adjusted via the pressure using the needle valve 19. The predetermined amount of fluid can be up to 3% of the brewing malt weight and in particular 1% to 2% of the brewing malt weight.

[0040] The brewing malt flow can also be adjusted in particular in such a way that the predetermined amount of moistened brewing malt is achieved in the storage container. The slide valves 22, 21 can, in particular, use a pneumatic cylinder 21a (see Fig. 3a), which can be controlled by the computing unit. It is also possible for the knife gate valves 22, 21 to be adjusted by means of a hydraulic actuator or an electric actuator.

[0041] At a lower end of the storage container 350, a first pneumatically controlled disc valve 51 is attached, to which a supply line 300a of a CIP cleaning system (not shown) is connected. If the first disc valve 51 is opened, cleaning agent 300, for example, can enter the storage container 350, the sight glass 35, and the guide section 70 and clean these elements. For this purpose, a second pneumatically controlled disc valve 52, which is connected above the guide section 70 to a return line 300b of the CIP cleaning system, can be opened simultaneously.

[0042] Alternatively, the aforementioned elements can be rinsed with water, in particular brewing water, which is directed via the first disc valve 51 into the storage tank 350, the sight glass 35, and the guide section 70. In this case, a third pneumatically controlled disc valve 92 and a fourth pneumatically controlled disc valve 91, which are arranged on the first and second knife gate valves 22, 21, respectively, can be opened, and the water can be discharged from the conditioning device 500 and reused if necessary.

[0043] Connected to the second knife gate valve 21, through which the moistened brewing malt exits the conditioning device 500, are several compressed air lines 2aa, 2ba, through which compressed air 400 can be blown into the interior of the knife gate valve 21. The compressed air 400 is supplied via a compressed air connection 400a to two pneumatically actuated diaphragm valves 2a, 2b, which distribute the supplied compressed air 400 to the compressed air lines 2aa, 2ba. This can be done in particular after rinsing or cleaning the conditioning device 500 in order to completely dry the second knife gate valve. This prevents the brewing malt to be discharged from adhering to the second knife gate valve 21 due to moisture, or residual liquid from entering the downstream transport system.

[0044] Fig. Figure 2 shows schematically a device 500 for conditioning ground material according to the flow diagram of Fig. 1 in a front view.

[0045] The illustrated conditioning device 500 has a frame 90, which can be made, in particular, from rectangular profiles. The frame 90 is provided with adjustable feet (not shown in more detail) at a lower end. The hopper 50, into which the brewing malt 200 is poured, is attached to an upper end of the frame 90. It subsequently flows vertically from top to bottom through the conditioning device 500 (downflow principle). Mounting positions 50hA, 50lA for the two fill level sensors 50h, 50l are attached to a front side of the hopper 50. A pipe section (not shown in more detail) adjoins the underside of the hopper 50, in which the flow sensor 50f and the first knife gate valve 22 are arranged.

[0046] Furthermore, the individual elements 22a to 22c of the first knife gate valve 22 are visible. This comprises a housing 22c with a gate valve (not shown), as well as a superstructure 22b and a pneumatic cylinder 22a. By applying compressed air to the pneumatic cylinder 22a, the gate valve can be moved linearly in a horizontal direction via connecting rods (not shown) in the superstructure 22b, thus continuously adjusting the opening cross-section in the pipe section.

[0047] The unspecified pipe section opens into the conical guide section 70 at a lower side and is connected to it via a flange 70a. Adjacent to the underside of the guide section 70 is the sight glass 35, which comprises a glass cylinder (not shown) which is housed in a housing 35b (see Fig. 3b). The housing 35b comprises several threaded rods 35bb (see Fig. 3b), which connect two unspecified flanges arranged on opposite sides of the glass cylinder.

[0048] The storage container 350 adjoins the underside of the sight glass 35 and has a conical inlet section 350a, a cylindrical central section (not further designated), and a conical outlet section 350b. A sight glass 350s is attached to a front side of the cylindrical central section, and the two level sensors 350h, 350l are mounted laterally in the cylindrical central section (see Fig. 2c).

[0049] The conical inlet section 350a of the storage container 350 tapers vertically upward, and the conical outlet section 350b tapers vertically downward. Furthermore, the conical outlet section 350b is significantly longer than the inlet section 350a and has a larger cone angle. This design of the inlet and outlet sections 350a, 350b enables a streamlined flow of the brewing malt stream into and out of the storage container 350.

[0050] The outlet section 350b of the accumulation tank 350 opens into a double-cone section 350c, on the underside of which the second knife gate valve 21 is mounted, which is connected to a connector 80 of a chain conveyor (not shown). Shown next to the second knife gate valve 21 are the compressed air connection 400a and the two diaphragm valves 2a, 2b, which direct compressed air into the second knife gate valve 21.

[0051] The tank 12 is arranged on the frame 90 of the conditioning device 500 next to the outlet section 350b of the storage container 350. The tank 12 has a lid (not shown in more detail) with which it can be tightly closed. The fill level sensor 12h and a connecting piece 12tA, 120A for the temperature sensor 12t and the electric heater 120 are mounted in the tank 12. Below the tank, in the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b shows the manually operated disc valve 37 for emptying the tank 12.

[0052] The brewing water supply line 100a for filling the tank 12 and the inlet and return lines 300a, 300b of the CIP system extend vertically laterally along the frame 90 of the device 500 and are arranged one behind the other. The brewing water 100 is thus supplied to the tank 12 from above, and the cleaning agent is also supplied and removed from above and upwards, respectively.

[0053] Furthermore, the brewing water supply line 100a and the connecting line 100b as well as the supply and return lines 300a, 300b of the CIP system are in Fig. 2. The angled valve 49, with which a flow in the brewing water supply line 100a can be adjusted, is arranged close to the tank 12. Next to the angled valve 49 is the needle valve 19, with which a pressure in the brewing water connection line 100b and thus an injection pressure of the hollow cone valve 60 can be adjusted.

[0054] The pump 130, which pumps the fluid, in particular brewing water 100, from the tank 12 to the sight glass 35, is arranged in the connecting line 100b. The pressure gauge 34 and the angled valve 39 are also mounted in the connecting line 100b.

[0055] Above the angled valve 39 is the third disc valve 92, through which water from a rinsing process can be discharged to the outside via a drain line 300c. Next to the third disc valve 92 is the second disc valve 52, which opens and closes the return line 300b of the CIP cleaning system. The first disc valve 51, which opens and closes the inlet line 300a of the CIP cleaning system, is located in Fig. 2 at the level of the second disc valve 21. By opening this disc valve 51, cleaning agent or water can flow via the double-cone section 350c into the interior of the storage container 350 as well as into the sight glass 35 and the guide section 70 to clean these elements of brewing malt 200. In this case, the two disc valves 22, 21 are completely closed, and instead either the second or third disc valve 52, 92 is opened to flush out the cleaning agent or water.

[0056] Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b show a top view and a detailed view of the Fig. 2 shown conditioning device 500. Fig. 3a merely to show a sectional plane of the detailed view of the guide section 70 in Fig. 3b to be defined.

[0057] The guide section 70 comprises a housing 70b in the shape of a truncated cone in which a displacement body 70c in the shape of a cone is arranged. Both the housing 70b and the displacement body 70c taper upwards in a vertical direction. The displacement body 70c is fastened to an inner side of the housing 70b via struts (not shown in more detail). The housing 70b of the guide section 70 is connected by means of the flange 70a to the pipe section (not shown in more detail), in which the first knife gate valve 21 is arranged. Flanged to an underside of the guide section 70 is the sight glass 35, into which the hollow cone nozzle 60, which is connected to the connecting line 100b, injects. The hollow cone nozzle 60 is arranged centrally on a center axis of the sight glass 35 or the guide section 70. For this purpose, an end section of the connecting line 100b runs laterally through the guide section 70 to the central position of the hollow cone nozzle 60.

[0058] In the present case, a cone angle of the displacement body 70c is greater than a cone angle of the housing 70b of the guide section 70. As a result, an opening cross-section between an inner side of the housing 70b and a conical surface of the displacement body 70c narrows downwards in a vertical direction, so that the brewing malt flowing into the guide section 70 from above is accelerated. This supports the formation of a uniform annular "brewing malt curtain" with a large surface area when the brewing malt flow enters the lantern 35. Based on the position of the hollow cone nozzle 60, it is clear that the annular "brewing malt curtain" is sprayed from the inside in the present case.

[0059] It is clear that the device 500 shown, according to an embodiment of the invention, offers a compact and low-maintenance option for conditioning brewing malt 200 and other milled material. Furthermore, the device 500 is easy to clean, since no moving components are required for mixing water 100 and brewing malt 200.

Claims

[1] Device (500) for conditioning ground material, in particular brewing malt, before grinding, comprising - an inlet section for feeding a stream of grinding material into the device (500); - a guide section (70) which is designed to guide the flow of grinding material in such a way that its surface area is increased; - a humidification section (35) in which a humidification element (60) is arranged, which is designed to apply a fluid to the enlarged surface of the grinding material stream in order to humidify it; - a storage container (350) which is designed to store the moistened ground material flow; and - an outlet section for discharging the moistened ground material stream from the device (500), wherein the inlet section, the guide section (70), the moistening section (35), the accumulation container (350) and the outlet section are arranged adjacent to one another and the arrangement extends in the vertical direction. [2] The device (500) according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion (70) comprises a housing (70b) and a displacement body (70c) arranged in the housing (70b) and extending along a central axis of the guide portion (70). [3] Device (500) according to claim 2, wherein the displacement body (70c) and the housing (70b) of the guide section (70) are conical, and a cone angle of the displacement body (70c) is greater than a cone angle of the housing (70b) of the guide section (70). [4] Device (500) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a direction of a taper of the displacement body (70c) is opposite to a flow direction of the grinding material stream. [5] Device (500) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet section comprises a first adjusting element (22) and the outlet section comprises a second adjusting element (21), and the first and second adjusting elements (22, 21) are adapted to set a predetermined flow value of the grinding material flow through the device (500). [6] Device (500) according to claim 5, wherein the moistening element (60) is adapted to apply a predetermined amount of fluid to the surface thereof in relation to the set flow rate of the grinding material stream. [7] Device (500) according to one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the first and second adjusting elements (22, 21) are designed to adjust the predetermined flow rate of the grinding material flow such that a predetermined amount of moistened grinding material is located in the accumulation container (350). [8] Device (500) according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the first adjusting element (22) is arranged at an outlet of the inlet section and is configured to close the inlet section in a liquid-tight manner when closed, and the second adjusting element (21) is arranged at an inlet of the outlet section and is configured to close the outlet section in a liquid-tight manner when closed. [9] Device (500) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a first connection is arranged between the storage container (350) and the outlet section and a second connection is arranged between the inlet section and the guide section (70) and for connecting the device (500) to an automatic cleaning system. [10] Device (500) according to one of claims 5 to 9, wherein at least one compressed air line (2aa, 2ba) is attached to the second adjusting element (21), which is designed to introduce compressed air into the second adjusting element (21). [11] Device (500) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet section comprises a grinding material storage container (50) which is adapted to store a predetermined amount of grinding material. [12] Device (500) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising - a fluid storage container (12) with a temperature control device (120), which is fluidically connected to the humidification element (60) in the humidification section (35) and is designed to store a predetermined amount of fluid; and - a pump (130) arranged in the fluid connection (100b) between the fluid storage container (12) and the humidification element (60) and configured to convey the fluid from the fluid storage container (12) to the humidification element (60). [13] Device (500) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid is a liquid, in particular brewing water (100), and the humidifying element (60) is an injection valve (60) which is designed to spray the liquid onto the surface of the ground material stream at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature. [14] Method for conditioning milling material, in particular brewing malt, before grinding with a device (500) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: Feeding a stream of grinding material into the device (500); guiding the ground material stream through a guide section (70) of the device (500) so that its surface area is enlarged; Applying a fluid to the enlarged surface of the grinding material stream in order to moisten it; Accumulating the moistened ground material stream in a storage container (350); and Removing the moistened grinding material stream. [15] The method of claim 14, wherein a predetermined flow rate of the grinding material flow through the device (500) is set, a predetermined amount of water based on the set flow rate of the grinding material stream is applied to its surface, whereby the predetermined flow rate value is set such that a predetermined amount of moistened ground material is located in the storage container (350). [16] A computing unit comprising a processor configured to carry out the method according to claim 14 or 15. [17] A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 14 or 15. [18] A computer-readable data carrier on which the computer program according to claim 17 is stored.

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