Manufacturing of beverages and food products

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and production line for manufacturing food products and beverages, which leads to a reduction in food waste and higher efficiency. [Solution] The present invention relates to a novel method for producing beer or a similar drink, and an improved method for producing food and beverages. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: preparing a feed of milled grains; forming dough from the milled grains by adding water; extruding the dough or otherwise shaping the dough under pressure; subjecting the dough to at least partial cooking in steam; forming a pasta-like food product from a first portion of the cooked, extruded or otherwise shaped dough at a processing station; collecting surplus or unsatisfactory pasta from the processing station; and supplying the collected surplus or unsatisfactory pasta to a brewing process for the production of an alcoholic beverage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the production of food and beverages. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel method for producing beer or similar drinks and an improved method for producing food and beverages. In addition to providing satisfactory products, the method and apparatus can reduce food waste and further reduce energy consumption in the beverage production process, both of which are important environmental issues.

Background Art

[0002] Beer has been known for approximately 7,000 years, i.e., since around the 5th millennium BC, and has been produced by the fermentation of crops such as barley, malt, hops, or in some cases wheat. Currently, there are approximately 20,000 beer brands, and annual consumption is close to 200 billion liters per year. The conventional beer production process is described below with reference to FIG. 1.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] Despite its very long history, the inventors have arrived at a novel method for producing beer-like beverages.

[0004] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of forming a beverage, comprising the steps of preparing a supply of grains comprising wheat and / or semolina in the form of milled dry flour, forming dough from the flour, extruding the dough or otherwise shaping the dough under pressure, at least partially cooking the extruded dough in a moist saturated steam environment with steam at a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius such that the starch in the grains is at least partially gelatinized, mashing the steam-treated dough into wort, and fermenting the mashed gelatinized grains with yeast and water to obtain an alcoholic beverage.

[0005] While not wishing to be bound by any theory, wheat or semolina will have different textures depending on whether the grain, after drying, milling, and forming into dough, is subjected to steam rather than prolonged exposure to liquid, including heating, which involves immersion of the grain in liquid prior to mashing. Furthermore, certain ingredients that tend to leach or decompose are retained, leading to a subtly different but satisfying blend of flavors in the finished beverage, along with shorter processing times. When the grain as dough is subjected to steam rather than initially immersed in water and heated, the effects of decomposition and undesirable flavors can be reduced. In addition, the reduction of starch can also beneficially reduce the non-alcoholic calorie content of the beer.

[0006] The temperature is preferably below 100 degrees Celsius. The pressure is preferably ambient atmospheric pressure. However, it is possible to use higher pressures, in which case the steam temperature may, in some cases, slightly exceed 100 degrees Celsius.

[0007] Preferably, the grain is heated for at least 1 minute and / or at least 5% by weight of the starch is gelatinized. More preferably, the grain should be heated for a period between 1.5 and 2.5 minutes to maximize starch gelatinization.

[0008] The mashed wort may be boiled and, prior to fermentation, may be hopped, which includes adding desired flavors and aromas.

[0009] The temperature is preferably below 100 degrees Celsius and above 90 degrees Celsius. More preferably, the temperature is above 92 degrees Celsius and below 98 degrees Celsius, and the process is carried out substantially at atmospheric pressure. The humidity of the atmosphere during the heating stage should preferably be 100% saturated.

[0010] Preferably, grains are dry-ground into a powder prior to cooking and exposure to water. Because grinding alters the physical structure, grains become more susceptible to steam treatment. Grinding can also lead to a purer product with fewer undesirable flavors and also lower levels of potential contaminants.

[0011] Preferably, the grain is prepared as a powder, sufficient water is added to form a dough from the grain, and the dough is then subjected to steam treatment. Forming the dough involves exposing the milled powder to a limited amount of water prior to cooking, which may have the advantage of improving the flavor and composition of the resulting beverage. The mass of liquid per amount of dough to be mixed should not exceed 40% of the mass of powder in each amount of dough to be mixed. More preferably, the mass of liquid in each amount of dough to be mixed should be between 25% and 35% of the mass of powder in each amount of dough to be mixed. The liquid is preferably 100% ambient water, but may also include small amounts of other liquids, typically proteinaceous liquids, such as eggs to enhance the starch gelatinization process.

[0012] Preferably, the dough is extruded prior to steam cooking, for example, in the manner of pasta. Extrusion of the dough can affect the surface area and thus favorably influence the distribution of gelatinized raw starch after cooking. This may also be achieved through other means of pressure forming, such as high-pressure flaking. Preferably, the applied pressure should exceed a solid pressure of 40 bar. More preferably, the applied pressure should be a solid pressure between 50 and 100 bar. However, the reference to forming under pressure is not limited to such pressures, and the actual pressure does not need to be measured. The act of forcibly passing the dough through an orifice or shaping it includes forming under pressure.

[0013] Preferably, a mixture of partially steam-cooked gelatinized dough is then mashed, filtered for wort, boiled and hopped, and fermented to produce an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of at least 2%, preferably fermented for at least 48 hours. Also, other malted grains may be introduced during the mashing process, as in known brewing processes.

[0014] Techniques from known brewing processes, particularly for wheat beer, may be used as a starting point for this novel brewing, and such techniques include the addition of hops and flavorings, and subsequent processing and filtration processes.

[0015] However, because the initial materials are relatively purified, with potential contaminants and starch removed, the beverage may require less post-fermentation processing than conventional beer to become an acceptablely pure and satisfying drink.

[0016] Mashing is preferably carried out using gelatinized dough particles less than 30 mm in size. More preferably, the particle size should be between 3 mm and 20 mm. The mashing process should preferably be carried out using a mixture of distilled water and gelatinized dough particles having a water-to-dough ratio of about 4:1. Other malted grains may be included at this stage. The mixture should be heated to a temperature preferably below 70 degrees Celsius, preferably for longer than 30 minutes. More preferably, the temperature and timing should be such that enzyme activity is maximized. This will vary for different powder types, but generally should be between 63 and 69 degrees Celsius for 50 and 70 minutes. Ideally, the temperature should be kept at a specific temperature for a specific interval to further maximize enzyme activity with specific sugars, following a specific process. For ideal enzyme activity, a specific grain composition requires specific target temperatures and intervals.

[0017] Wort filtration is the process of removing excess residual dough to leave a liquid residue containing fermentable sugars, known as wort. This preferably yields up to 90% liquid per unit of the initial amount of added water. The addition of other grains in the mashing process will alter this yield accordingly. Special care should be taken to ensure minimal loss of fermentable sugars during wort filtration.

[0018] Preferably, the filtered wort mash should be boiled to sterilize the liquid prior to fermentation. The boiling should preferably last at least 45 minutes and no more than 2 hours. Hops and other flavorings may be added during the boiling process. Preferably, if hops are added early in the boiling process, the boiling should last about 60 minutes.

[0019] After the boiling process, the mixture is preferably rapidly cooled to 25 degrees Celsius within 30 minutes. Yeast may then be added and the mixture may be fermented. Known brewing processes may be applied, but the mixture is preferably fermented for at least 2 days, more preferably up to 2 weeks, due to the high level of sugar available for fermentation. Preferably, the yeast is fermented between 10 and 26 degrees Celsius. More preferably, the yeast is fermented within a specific temperature range for a particular beer style.

[0020] All other further processes, such as conditioning, filtration, kegging, bottling, and other packaging of the final product, are also included.

[0021] Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method for producing a beer-like beverage, comprising the steps of: preparing grains including wheat or semolina in a powdered form; mixing the grains with sufficient water to form a dough; extruding the dough or otherwise shaping the dough under pressure; cooking the extruded or otherwise shaped dough in saturated steam at a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for at least 1 minute to induce at least partial gelatinization of the starch contained in the grains; cutting the extruded cooked dough; mashing the cut extruded cooked dough with water to convert the starch from the gelatinized dough into fermentable sugars; producing a brewing mixture from the mixed extruded cut dough; and fermenting the brewing mixture to produce an alcoholic beverage.

[0022] To produce an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of at least 2%, preferably at least 3%, fermentation is preferably carried out for at least two days at a temperature between 10 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius.

[0023] The production of a brewing mixture typically involves filtering the wort to extract any remaining grain and leave the desired wort; boiling the wort to kill any potential pathogens, and at the same time adding hops and other flavorings to add aroma as desired; and mixing the hopped boiled wort with yeast to produce a brewing mixture.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an alcoholic beverage comprising alcohol obtained by fermenting milled steam-cooked grains and residual steam-cooked grain derivatives.

[0025] Such beverages can be distinguished from conventional beer by analysis of the sugar content and residual components of the drink.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the grains are processed substantially in the same manner as would be the case if they were to be formed into pasta in an initial step and are subsequently used to form a brewing mixture.

[0027] This advantageously allows the beverage formation manufacturing process to be integrated with the food manufacturing process, with savings in waste and energy.

[0028] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a food product and a beverage, the method comprising: providing a supply of milled cereal flour; forming a dough from the milled cereal flour by adding water; extruding the dough or otherwise forming the dough under pressure; subjecting the dough to at least partial cooking in saturated steam at a temperature of at least 90°C; forming a pasta-like product from a first portion of the cooked extruded dough; and supplying a second portion of the cooked extruded dough to a fermentation process to produce an alcoholic beverage.

[0029] In a conventional pasta manufacturing process, typically there is some waste. Some pasta formation may fail, or some waste may occur in filling or subsequent processing. In lower quality pasta factories, sub-optimal pasta is simply mixed with others. However, in a very high quality business such as the applicant's, which strives to provide only the best quality pasta, both aesthetically and gastronomically, there can be a significant amount of waste that varies depending on the type of pasta being manufactured.

[0030] Preferably, at least a portion of the second portion is supplied by collecting surplus or defective pasta from further processing steps for forming the pasta into a finished product.

[0031] However, the beverage manufacturing process, in which grains are chopped, then mixed with water, dissolved, and fermented, is not affected by the initial shape of the product. Therefore, rejected pasta at various points in the production line, from initial shaping to cutting and packaging, can be used. Thus, by combining the two processes, food waste is reduced, which is economically beneficial and good for the planet.

[0032] In a related fourth embodiment, the present invention provides a production line for producing pasta-like products, comprising: an extruder for extruding pasta dough into pasta-like food products, or a sheeter / laminator for producing thin sheets of pasta dough under pressure for use in pasta-like food products; a saturated steam cooking station for at least partially cooking the pasta-like food products; at least one further processing station, including a cutting, filling, or packaging station, for further processing the cooked pasta-like food products; and a collection device for collecting surplus or unacceptable pasta from at least one further processing station for supply to a wort production and fermentation process.

[0033] In both the method and the apparatus, controls may be provided to monitor the level of surplus or unsatisfactory pasta from the pasta manufacturing process and / or to estimate the expected level of surplus or unsatisfactory pasta, and in particular to control the amount of grain sent to supply the second portion.

[0034] Herein, embodiments of the present invention will be described in particular with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] [Figure 1] Figure 1 schematically shows an overview of a conventional beer brewing process. [Figure 2] Figure 2 schematically shows a pasta production line. [Figure 3]Figure 3 schematically shows a flowchart of the process of forming fresh pasta. [Figure 4] Figure 4 schematically shows a flowchart of the beverage formation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 schematically shows a production line for the combined pasta and beverage according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a technical layout drawing of the combined pasta and beverage production line according to the second embodiment, referring to the schematic flow in Figure 5. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] Referring to Figure 1, the conventional beer brewing process is depicted. The basic steps involved are as follows:

[0037] 1. Malting: Here, the conversion of carbohydrates into dextrin and maltose occurs. The grain used as a raw material is usually barley. Barley as a grain can be stored for a long time after harvest, and traditionally, it is malted barley that gives beer its characteristic color and flavor. Malting is achieved by soaking barley or other grains in water to give time for the starch to break down. The malt may then be roasted by kilning or heating in an oven to dry the malt and break down the sugars. The degree of heating can determine the type of beer, from light to dark.

[0038] 2. Milling: The malt is milled or ground and then mixed again with water to complete the conversion of starch in the grain to sugar, with consistency to the malt. It should be noted that the grain is milled after treatment with water and then treated again with water.

[0039] 3. Mashing: This process converts the starch released during the malting stage into fermentable sugars. Here, the liquid is heated to a temperature typically ranging from 58 to 78 degrees Celsius to break down the starch into simpler sugars. The heating is often accompanied by pauses at certain temperatures where specific enzymes are active or the process takes place, typically at 45 degrees Celsius, 62 degrees Celsius, 73 degrees Celsius, or 113 degrees Fahrenheit, 144 degrees Fahrenheit, and 163 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0040] 4. Wort Filtration: The sugar-containing liquid extracted during mashing is separated from the grain here. This liquid is commonly referred to as wort.

[0041] 5. Boiling and Hopping: Boiling the wort ensures its sterility and thus prevents many infections. Hops are added during this boiling stage. Hops are used to add flavor and aroma to balance the sweetness of the malt. The mixture is boiled for a time between 30 minutes and 2 hours, typically for 1 hour. This boiling process dissolves some hop resins and allows some alpha acids to isomerize and become soluble.

[0042] 6. Fermentation: Yeast is added here, and the beer ferments. The yeast breaks down the sugars extracted from the malt, forming alcohol and CO2.

[0043] 7. Conditioning: Fermented beer contains suspended particles, does not achieve sufficient carbonation, lacks flavor and aroma, and has lower stability. Conditioning reduces the levels of these undesirable compounds to produce a more complete product.

[0044] 8. Filtration: Filtration helps remove any excess yeast and any solid particles, such as hops or grain particles, that remain in the beer. Filtration is the process that produces a clear, pristine, and stable beer.

[0045] 9. Packaging: Packaging is the process of putting beer into bottles, cans, or some other high-capacity container. One of the most important things in packaging is removing oxygen from the beer.

[0046] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the basic pasta-making process is explained. The basic steps involved are as follows:

[0047] 1. Milling: First, the grains must be milled into a suitable powder.

[0048] 2. Measuring: Ingredients, typically consisting of water and powder, must be measured. A roughly preferred recipe is 28 ml of water per 100 ml of powder.

[0049] 3. Mixing: The ingredients must be mixed together to form the dough.

[0050] 4. Kneading: The dough must be kneaded to ensure that the gluten protein functions well to provide elasticity to the final product.

[0051] 5. Molding: The dough must then be molded under pressure. During the molding process, the material is mixed, conditioned, and converted into a partial fluid, which in turn causes structural and chemical changes, leading to the release of functional compounds. This is caused by the effects of temperature, moisture content, pressure, and the geometry of the molding equipment. a. Extrusion molding: Allows for the application of higher pressure. b. Sheeting / Lamination - This is the standard method in the production of pasta with fillings, resulting in a more flexible dough with lower shape retention.

[0052] 6. Cutting or forming: This is a variable process, depending on the required shape of the pasta or the finished product.

[0053] 7. Steam treatment: Partial cooking of the dough in saturated steam at a temperature of at least 92 degrees Celsius for at least one minute to induce at least partial gelatinization of the starch contained in the grains, to ensure better product strength and also to remove pathogens and any microbial contamination to provide a significantly extended shelf life of the product.

[0054] 8. Drying: Drying the formed steam-treated dough removes surface moisture and prevents excess water content from remaining in the final packaging.

[0055] 9. Cooling: Cooling the dried product to below 8 degrees Celsius allows the dried product to be packaged and refrigerated without causing condensation during packaging.

[0056] 10. Packaging: The weighing and packaging of products can take many forms, including the use of packaging in a modified atmosphere to extend their shelf life. Essentially, the removal of oxygen and replacement with CO2 is crucial for the sensory quality shelf life of the product.

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, a typical pasta manufacturing process is described. It should be noted that, in contrast to conventional beer production, a relatively small amount of water is mixed with the flour to form the dough. In the given example, 28 ml of water is mixed with 100 g of flour. To give a dough-like viscosity, preferably less than half the mass of the flour is mixed with the flour, and more preferably less than one-third the mass of the flour is mixed with the flour.

[0058] This is in contrast to beer making, where grains are exposed to considerably more water than their own mass during processing before heating.

[0059] Referring to Figure 4, an exemplary process for forming a beverage according to the novel process of the embodiment is described below.

[0060] 1. Milling: First, the grain, preferably wheat or semolina flour, must be milled and, ideally, debranned to ensure a consistent grain size, color, and hardness. This is a milling process in its raw state, unlike in the known brewing process where the grain is malted first before milling if necessary.

[0061] 2. Mixing: The milled grains should then be mixed with liquid, not necessarily but preferably 100% water, until the dough is uniform.

[0062] 3. Kneading: Preferably, the dough should be kneaded prior to shaping to ensure that the gluten proteins function well to provide elasticity and strength. This may also make the dough more susceptible to starch gelatinization under the steam treatment process.

[0063] 4. Molding: The dough must then be molded under pressure, preferably by extrusion. During the molding process, the material is mixed, conditioned, and converted into a partial fluid, thereby causing structural and chemical changes that lead to the release of functional compounds. This may include pre-gelatinization of starch to further enhance the additional steaming process. This is caused by the effects of temperature, moisture content, pressure, and the geometry of the molding apparatus.

[0064] 5. Steam treatment: Partial cooking in saturated steam at a temperature of at least 92 degrees Celsius for at least one minute causes at least partial gelatinization of the starch contained in the grain and also removes pathogens and any microbial contaminants. At least partial gelatinization of the starch contained in the grain makes it possible for the output product to be used in fermentation into alcohol. This process fundamentally replaces the malting process used in the brewing process, which is known as the standard way of converting the starch in the grain from carbohydrates into dextrin and maltose that can be subsequently used with yeast for fermentation and the production of alcoholic beverages. As an entirely new process in brewing, this changes the potential way in which sugars are extracted from the grain for fermentation. Thus, this should increase the potential yield of the crop in alcohol production as a whole.

[0065] 6. Cutting: The steam-treated and molded dough is then cut into appropriate particle sizes, preferably between 5 mm and 20 mm. This allows for ideal surface area-to-volume conditions for the mashing process.

[0066] 7. Mashing, wort filtration, boiling, fermentation, conditioning, filtration, and packaging: These processes may substantially follow existing known brewing processes, treating the cut, steam-treated, and shaped dough as if it were malted grain.

[0067] A notable difference from the standard brewing process is that the combination of milling the grain, mixing it with water, applying pressure, and partial steam cooking acts as a substitute for the malting and milling process that precedes mashing in known brewing processes. Surprisingly, the texture of steam-treated shaped dough is quite different from that of malted grain, but steam-treated shaped dough ferments well when treated in the same way as malted grain, with the surprising additional benefit that the subtle changes caused by the partial gelatinization of starch during steaming can give it a more satisfying flavor.

[0068] An embodiment of the modified manufacturing line will now be described with reference to Figure 5.

[0069] Since the initial processes in pasta production and the newly proposed brewing process are coincidentally identical, combining the process of collecting unused pasta with the process of weighing out rejected pasta for use as raw materials in the brewing process makes it possible to simultaneously reduce waste and create a new and novel method for producing alcohol.

[0070] The process of manufacturing pasta products inevitably generates some waste, but the ability to use this waste for further processes to produce marketable products should enable a higher level of quality control over pasta production, along with the assurance that raw material use is retained for different final products. This encourages further control and monitoring of waste data to predict alcohol beverage output and pasta production in comparison, rather than focusing on cost reduction through pure waste reduction that could potentially impact quality. If a combined production line is provided, a bypass route may also be provided, so that fluctuations in the amount of waste collected are adapted by complementary fluctuations in the bypass feed, while the beverage production process is continuously supplied.

[0071] Almost all "unusable waste" from pasta production comes after the steaming process and is therefore perfectly usable in the proposed novel brewing process. Existing waste collection points, such as belt transport points and cutting stations, can be used to collect waste for fermentation purposes. "Unusable waste" from before the steaming process may also be collected and steam-treated separately during production downtime. Waste containing other materials, such as eggs, may be used to produce a unique product, for example, egg-containing beer, if separated from the "clean" waste. This allows for overall waste collection and monitoring and control of pasta production facilities to produce a wide range of unique brewed alcoholic beverages, while simultaneously improving quality control in pasta production and reducing food waste. Thus, the environmental impact is reduced not only due to the reduction of waste but also due to the fact that malted grain does not need to be produced to make alcoholic beverage products.

[0072] The controller may adjust the amount of steam-treated pasta being sent to a bypass of the pasta manufacturing process. The controller may use logic with a machine learning engine to predict waste and adjust bypass manufacturing accordingly, based on process parameters and recipes.

[0073] A particular advantage of the combined manufacturing method and production line is that the increase in rejected material simply provides a higher level of feed for the beverage manufacturing process, so the “waste” is no longer waste and more stringent quality control can be applied. In a further aspect, the present invention provides a production line for forming pasta from steam-cooked dough through a series of processing stations, wherein the production line has a quality control process configured to reject partially formed pasta at one or more processing stations according to one or more quality criteria, the rejected partially formed pasta is supplied as feed for the beverage manufacturing process, and the quality criteria are set to target a non-zero positive percentage of rejected partially formed pasta.

[0074] Generally, the process is adjusted to typically aim for zero waste. The target percentage of partially formed pasta that is rejected may be at least 1% of the total production.

[0075] The production line may include a pasta filling station for forming pasta with fillings, and the production line may include a controller configured to apply stricter quality control standards upstream of the pasta filling station to target a positive, non-zero percentage of partially formed pasta being rejected, and to target a lower or zero percentage of partially formed pasta being rejected downstream of the filling station. In this way, if it is found that stricter quality control upstream leads to lower rejections downstream, a lower percentage of pasta will be rejected after filling, which may complicate the processing of the pasta for forming into beverages. Depending on the filling, small amounts of filling may be permitted, and in fact, may even be added (or have its components added) to flavor the beverage.

[0076] In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a method for forming a packaged meal having a pasta component and an alcoholic beverage component, comprising the steps of: producing pasta from a steam-treated cooked grain feed; producing a beverage by fermenting a brewing mixture formed from the steam-treated cooked grain feed; separately packaging the pasta and the beverage into their respective sealed pasta containers and drink containers; and then packaging the sealed pasta containers and drink containers into a combined meal package.

[0077] Recipes for both pasta and beer are well known. The final product can be made according to traditional or novel recipes, as is well known, and the present invention is not limited to any particular recipe or flavoring. Existing beer recipes and formulations may be used by directly and simply substituting the amount of malted grain for the formed cooked pasta, taking into account the mass of water in each, while those skilled in the art are expected to adjust the recipes for taste and to take advantage of the subtly different flavors resulting from the novel process. Furthermore, although conventional brewing processes are described to aid understanding, the novel processes may be applied to modified or novel beer-making processes that replace the initial grain malting process. In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a brewing mixture or brewing mixture precursor comprising steam-treated milled grain, formed and molded under pressure and mixed with water.

[0078] As can be understood from the above, the beverage manufacturing process, the production line, the beverage and precursors, and the final packaged product are all interconnected and can be provided independently, while their equally preferred characteristics and improved forms may be applied to others. Therefore, optional and preferred characteristics of each element or form may be applied to each form, and different forms may be combined.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing food products and beverages, The process of preparing the milled grain supply, The process of forming dough from the milled grain by adding water, A step of extruding the dough or otherwise shaping the dough under pressure, The process of subjecting the dough to at least partial cooking in steam, A process of forming a pasta-like food product from a first portion of the dough that has been cooked, extruded, or otherwise shaped in a processing station, A step of collecting surplus or unacceptable pasta from the processing station, A step of supplying the collected surplus or unacceptable pasta to the brewing process in order to manufacture an alcoholic beverage, Having, A method characterized by the following:

2. To form the gelatinized dough mixture, the process involves at least partially cooking the dough, which has been processed into molded pieces, in a humid steam environment with steam at a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius and below 100 degrees Celsius, so that the starch in the grain is at least partially gelatinized. A step of forming a brewing mixture from the gelatinized dough mixture, To obtain the aforementioned alcoholic beverage, the process involves fermenting the brewing mixture, It has, The collected surplus or unsuitable pasta is formed into the alcoholic beverage according to the cooking step, the step of forming the brewing mixture, and the step of fermentation. The amount of water is less than half the amount of grain. The method according to claim 1.

3. A step of monitoring and / or predicting the amount of the surplus or unacceptable pasta, A step of adjusting the production of the surplus or unacceptable pasta in response to the monitoring or prediction, Having, The method according to claim 2.

4. A production line for manufacturing pasta-like products, An extruder for extruding pasta dough into pasta-like food products, or a theta / laminator for producing thin sheets of the pasta dough under pressure for use as said pasta-like food products, A steam cooking station for cooking at least partially the extruded or sheet-shaped pasta dough, At least one further processing station comprising a cutting, filling, or packaging station for further processing the at least partially cooked extruded or sheet pasta dough into the pasta-like food product, A collection device wherein, in the collection device, surplus or rejected pasta from at least one further processing station is collected and supplied to a brewing process including a fermentation process, and in the brewing process, an alcoholic beverage is produced from the supplied surplus or rejected pasta, the collection device and Having, A manufacturing line characterized by the following features.

5. The manufacturing route that supplies the pasta manufacturing process, A bypass route for supplying gelatinized pasta to the fermentation process, Having, The manufacturing line according to claim 4.

6. A controller that adjusts the amount of dough supplied to the fermentation process via the bypass path according to the amount collected by the collection device. Having, The manufacturing line according to claim 5.

7. A logic for estimating or predicting the amount collected based on prior collection history and process parameters. Having, The manufacturing line according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned logic is, A machine learning engine configured to be trained based on process and recipe parameters and the collected quantities, including, The manufacturing line according to claim 7.

9. A quality control process configured to reject partially formed pasta at one or more processing stations in accordance with one or more quality standards, It has, The partially formed pasta that was deemed unacceptable was supplied as a feed for the beverage manufacturing process. The aforementioned quality standard is set to aim for a non-zero positive percentage of partially formed pasta that is deemed unacceptable. The manufacturing line according to any one of claims 4 to 8.

10. A process of separately packaging the pasta-like food product and the alcoholic beverage in their respective sealed pasta containers and drink containers, Next, the sealed pasta container and the drink container are packaged together in a combined meal package. Having, The method according to claim 2.

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