Feed additive manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a production device and a production method of a feed additive which exhibit an excellent effect in improvement in meat quality grade of a beef cattle.SOLUTION: A feed additive production device includes: a container body 11 having an inside into which a plant raw material is put divided into an air supply chamber 101 on a bottom side thereof for supplying air and a carbonization chamber 102, on an upper side of the air supply chamber, into which the plant raw material is charged and then ignited on its uppermost layer so that smoldering carbonization gradually proceeds from the uppermost layer to its lowermost layer; a vent hole 20 through which air outside the air supply chamber 101 can be automatically introduced into the air supply chamber; and a shutter 22 which can open and close the vent hole 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing a feed additive for improving meat quality of food-producing animals from a plant material mainly consisting of rice husk. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, rice husks account for about 20% of the weight of rice harvested in paddy rice cultivation, but no effective uses for the husks have been developed, and they are usually used as livestock feed or turned into charcoal by setting up a chimney to burn a pile of husks in a corner of the paddy field, which is then returned to the soil. However, when using the husks as feed, the minerals and other components originally contained in the husks are difficult to absorb, and the nutritional value is not high. In addition, when burning the husks in the open to produce charcoal, rain causes incomplete combustion and makes it impossible to produce good quality charcoal, and open burning is dangerous when the wind blows, so it has been restricted by amendments to the Waste Disposal Act.

[0003] Therefore, Koran Sangyo Co., Ltd., the applicant of the present invention, has already developed a smoker (registered trademark) for safely and reliably producing smoked charcoal from rice husks without any trouble (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This smoker fills rice husks in a roughly cylindrical smoking kiln, smokes and carbonizes the rice husks from the top layer to the bottom layer while supplying air from the bottom side and exhausting air from the top side, and extinguishes the fire when the carbonization reaches the bottom layer of the rice husks. This allows the production of high-quality smoked charcoal with a simple structure without special temperature control. The smoked charcoal obtained here has been mainly used as a plant growth regulator and soil conditioner.

[0004] In addition, charcoal made from plant materials, including not only rice husk charcoal, is known to have the effect of regulating the intestines and activating the stomach, and charcoal is used not only as livestock feed and additives, but also as veterinary medicines (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Such veterinary medicines are prepared by, for example, using broadleaf tree bark as a raw material, carbonizing it through heat treatment under strict temperature control, cutting it into small pieces, and mixing it with separately collected wood vinegar (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6153129 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Product information, veterinary medicines, Neckerrich powder”, [online], Miyazaki Midori Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., [Retrieved July 15, 2022], Internet [URL; http: / / www.midori-mm.co.jp / showcase / index.html] [Non-Patent Document 2] “How Nekkarich is made”, [online], Miyazaki Midori Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., [Retrieved July 15, 2022], Internet [URL; http: / / www.midori-mm.co.jp / nekkarich / fabrication.html] Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Meanwhile, for livestock farmers who use the above-mentioned charcoal as livestock feed, additives, and veterinary medicines, the promotion of growth during fattening of beef cattle before shipping is an important issue. Therefore, charcoal has been used for the purpose of promoting the growth of edible animals (livestock) such as pigs and chickens, as well as beef cattle. At a ranch managed by the inventor of the present application, there was an opportunity to come across a case where, when charcoal was mixed into the feed of beef cattle, the quality of the meat improved in addition to the well-known effect of promoting growth.

[0008] Therefore, the applicants of the present invention have conducted extensive research into new uses for charcoal, and have found that when beef cattle are raised using feed that includes charcoal produced by the aforementioned smoker, particularly using rice husks as the main raw material, the quality of the beef cattle can be significantly improved. For example, even if beef cattle are raised using the aforementioned open-burned charcoal or conventionally known veterinary medicines, the quality of the open-burned charcoal is not stable, and the market price of veterinary medicines is high, resulting in high costs.

[0009] In addition, in order to increase the production of charcoal for a new use as a feed additive for food animals using an existing smoker (registered trademark), new problems have arisen, such as the necessity to make the smoker larger. Thus, there has been a demand for improvements to solve new problems when the smoker is regarded not simply as a device for producing charcoal as in the past, but as a device for producing feed additives and a method for producing feed additives using this device.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems associated with the prior art as described above, and aims to provide an apparatus and method for producing a feed additive that can reliably, efficiently and easily produce charcoal as a feed additive that is highly effective in improving meat quality grades, without increasing costs, when using charcoal as a feed additive for edible animals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of intensive research in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found a new use for charcoal and have completed the present invention. That is, the present invention is an apparatus for producing a feed additive for improving the quality of meat of food-producing animals from a plant material mainly consisting of rice husks, A container body in which the inside into which the plant raw material is put is partitioned into an air supply chamber at the bottom side for supplying air, and a carbonization chamber above which the plant raw material is filled and in which the plant raw material is ignited and carbonized by smoking proceeds in sequence from the top layer to the bottom layer; A vent hole is provided in a peripheral wall of the container body on the air supply chamber side, and allows outside air to be naturally taken in; a shutter that can open and close the vent hole between an open state in which air can be taken in and a closed state in which air intake is stopped; an opening / closing mechanism that maintains the shutter in the open state until the smoked carbonized plant raw material reaches the lowest layer, and closes the shutter when the smoked carbonized plant raw material reaches the lowest layer due to heat of carbonization of the lowest layer; The shutter is closed by the opening / closing mechanism, and when the smoking and carbonizing of the plant raw material is completed, the smoked charcoal naturally contains the components in the smoke generated during the smoking and carbonizing process, and a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals is produced. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the feed additive manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention, charcoal, a feed additive that is highly effective in improving meat quality, can be reliably, efficiently and easily produced without increasing costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic overall configuration of a feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view showing an outline of the overall configuration of a feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a container body of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a shutter opening / closing mechanism of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a chimney of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are front views showing various modified examples of the container body of the feed additive manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a reed ash manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a table showing an example of the results of a component analysis of liquid smoke contained in a feed additive according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a table showing the amounts of ingredients and raw materials of an example of a commercially available feed to be mixed with a feed additive according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a table showing the amounts of ingredients and raw materials of an example of a commercially available feed to be mixed with a feed additive according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a table showing the amounts of ingredients and raw materials of an example of a commercially available feed to be mixed with a feed additive according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a table showing the amounts of ingredients and raw materials of an example of a commercially available feed to be mixed with a feed additive according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a grading table showing the discrimination of yield grades in the grading of beef cattle meat quality grades. [Figure 14] 1 is a grading table showing the discrimination of fat marbling in the grading of meat quality grades of beef cattle. [Figure 15] This is a grading table showing the classification of meat color and luster when grading beef cattle quality grades. [Figure 16] This is a grading table showing the classification of meat firmness and texture in grading beef cattle meat quality grades. [Figure 17] This is a grading table showing the color and quality of fat used to grade beef cattle. [Figure 18]1 is a table showing an example of test results relating to a beef cattle fattening method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will be described below in order with reference to the drawings, with reference to a representative embodiment of a production apparatus and method for a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals, as well as the feed additive and feed, and a method for fattening beef cattle using the same. Here, the concept of edible animals broadly includes mammals such as cattle, buffalo, deer, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, and boars, birds such as chickens, quails, ducks, pheasants, and ostriches, fish such as tuna and sturgeon, and amphibians such as edible frogs, all of which are used for food. However, the following description will be made using beef cattle as a representative example. Note that the components, shapes, values, and the like shown in the embodiments described below are all examples of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention.

[0015] <About the feed additive manufacturing equipment 10> 1 to 6 show a feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing feed additives for improving the meat quality of food-producing animals from plant materials of the Gramineae family, mainly rice husks. Note that the relative dimensional relationships and shapes of the components shown in each drawing may be changed as appropriate and may differ from the actual ones.

[0016] In this embodiment, the "plant raw material" is mainly rice husks, but other than rice husks, for example, dried and finely cut bamboo, reeds, etc., or sawdust, fallen leaves, etc. may also be mixed in. Note that rice husks are the outermost skin of rice grains (hulled rice), and it is known that the majority of the components of rice husks are difficult-to-decompose organic matter such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

[0017] In addition, the "feed additive" in this embodiment is a substance added to, for example, cattle feed for the purpose of improving the meat quality grade. Here, the "feed" is a substance used for the purpose of providing nutrition to, for example, cattle, and any conventionally known feed may be classified according to its nutritional value as roughage or concentrated feed, or classified according to the method of mixing as single feed, mixed feed, or compounded feed. The feed additive in this embodiment may be provided to farmed fish, pets such as dogs and cats that are not used for food, and ornamental fish, in addition to the above-mentioned edible animals.

[0018] <<Container body 11>> As shown in Fig. 1, the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 is equipped with a container body 11 in which the inside where the plant raw materials are put is divided into an air supply chamber 101 at the bottom side and a carbonization chamber 102 in which the plant raw materials are filled above the air supply chamber 101 and the plant raw materials are ignited and carbonized by smoking from the top layer to the bottom layer. The feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 having the container body 11 as a main part has a basic structure almost the same as that of a device called a smoker (registered trademark, Koran Sangyo Co., Ltd.), but the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present invention is an apparatus based on a new finding that produces feed additives for improving the quality of meat of edible animals. Incidentally, "smoking" means burning without a flame while producing smoke, i.e., it is the same as the general term "smoking".

[0019] The container body 11 has a vertical cylindrical shape overall, and is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron. More specifically, the container body 11 includes a main body cylindrical portion 110, a lower main body inverted truncated cone portion 111, a lower main body small diameter portion 112, an upper main body truncated cone portion 113, and an upper main body small diameter portion 114. As will be described later, the inside of the container body 11 is divided into an air supply chamber 101 on the bottom side and a carbonization chamber 102 above it by a grate 12 arranged approximately horizontally midway through the lower main body small diameter portion 112.

[0020] 1, the main body cylindrical portion 110 is formed as a cylindrical portion with the maximum outer diameter in the vessel body 11. Below this main body cylindrical portion 110, in other words, at the lower part of the carbonization chamber 102 of the vessel body 11, a main body lower inverted truncated cone portion 111 is formed as a tapered portion whose peripheral wall gradually decreases in diameter downward. In addition, below the main body lower inverted truncated cone portion 111, a main body lower small diameter portion 112 is formed which extends with the same diameter as the lower end opening of the main body lower inverted truncated cone portion 111.

[0021] The lower end opening of the lower small diameter portion 112 is closed by a bottom cover 115 configured as a separate body. The bottom cover 115 is formed, for example, in a metal disk shape, and is configured so that one end is connected to the periphery of the lower end opening of the lower small diameter portion 112 of the main body via a hinge, and can be fixed in a sealed state by fasteners (not shown) such as hooks provided at multiple locations including the other end. Note that a cylindrical portion 115a that fits into the lower half of the lower small diameter portion 112 of the main body may be provided on the inside of the bottom cover 115, and the grate 12 may be fixed to the upper end opening of this cylindrical portion. Here, the cylindrical portion 115a has a structure with excellent breathability, for example, by providing a large number of holes so that the inside and outside of the cylindrical portion communicate with each other as the air supply chamber 101.

[0022] Moreover, above the main body cylindrical portion 110, in other words, at the upper portion of the carbonization chamber 102 of the container main body 11, there is formed an upper main body truncated cone portion 113 whose peripheral wall gradually expands in diameter downward. Above the upper main body truncated cone portion 113, there is formed an upper main body small diameter portion 114 extending with the same diameter as the upper end opening of the upper main body truncated cone portion 113. Here, the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 is illustrated as having the same shape as the above-mentioned lower main body inverted truncated cone portion 111, but upside down, but the taper angles of the lower main body inverted truncated cone portion 111 and the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 and the outer diameters of the lower main body small diameter portion 112 and the upper main body small diameter portion 114 may be configured to be different from each other.

[0023] The upper end opening of the upper main body small diameter portion 114 is closed by a lid 116 configured as a separate body. The lid 116 is formed, for example, in a metallic disk shape, and configured so that it can be fixed in a sealed state by fasteners such as hooks (not shown) provided at multiple points in the circumferential direction when placed on the periphery of the upper main body small diameter portion 114. The lid 116 may be configured as an integral structure that is inseparable from the upper main body small diameter portion 114 and the upper main body truncated cone portion 113, and the lower end opening of the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 may be connected to the upper end opening of the cylindrical main body portion 110 in an openable and closable manner. A chimney 30, which will be described later, is provided on the upper side of the lid 116.

[0024] The size of the container body 11 is suitable for a large capacity capable of producing a large amount of feed additives at one time, for example, a dimension of 500 to 1000 L in height. In this embodiment, the carbonization chamber 102 in which the plant raw material is filled inside the container body 11 corresponds to, from the bottom, the upper half of the lower body small diameter part 112 above the rottor 12 described later, the lower body inverted truncated cone part 111, the cylindrical body part 110, and the upper body truncated cone part 113, and the sum of these volumes is the substantial capacity of the container body 11. Therefore, the lower half of the lower body small diameter part 112 and the upper body small diameter part 114 are not included in the substantial capacity, but the plant raw material may be appropriately filled up to the upper body small diameter part 114.

[0025] As for the specific dimensions of each part of the container body 11, for example, when the substantial capacity is 1000 L, the diameter of the cylindrical body part 110, which is the maximum diameter of the entire container, is about 100 cm, the maximum diameter of the lower inverted cone part 111 and the upper cone part 113 is about 100 cm and the minimum diameter is about 60 cm, and the diameter of the lower small diameter part 112 and the upper small diameter part 114 is 60 cm. The height of the cylindrical body part 110 is about 110 cm, and the height of the lower inverted cone part 111 and the upper cone part 113 is about 20 cm. The height of the lower small diameter part 112 is about 20 cm, and the upper half of the lower small diameter part 112, which is equivalent to about 10 cm, is part of the substantial capacity. The upper small diameter part 114 is not included in the substantial capacity, but it is preferable that the height is about 10 cm.

[0026] The total height of the portions of the container body 11 that form the substantial capacity is 160 cm, which is the total of the height of the upper half of the small diameter portion 112 below the main body, about 10 cm, the height of the inverted truncated cone portion 111 below the main body, about 20 cm, the height of the cylindrical portion 110 of the main body, about 110 cm, and the height of the truncated cone portion 113 above the main body, about 20 cm, from the bottom. Here, the ratio of the total height of the portions that form the substantial capacity of the container body 11, about 160 cm, to the diameter of the cylindrical portion 110 of the main body, which forms the main portion of the substantial capacity of the container body 11, about 100 cm, is 1.6:1. The inventors have confirmed that such a ratio of the height and diameter of the container body 11 is preferable for continued combustion, regardless of the size of the entire container body 11. The substantial capacity of the container body 11 in this embodiment is set to 1000 L, taking into consideration that the amount of rice husks that usually occurs from one tan, which is the unit of rice field, is 1000 L.

[0027] A particularly important part of the container body 11 is the inverted truncated cone section 111 below the body, which has a shape that squeezes the bottom side. The inverted truncated cone section 111 below the body is a section for gradually narrowing the cross-sectional area of ​​the part where the plant material is smoked in the carbonization chamber 102 (smoked layer) as the part progresses downward. With this inverted truncated cone section 111 below the body, even the lower layer part of the plant material, which is particularly prone to remaining unburned, can be smoked reliably over the entire cross-sectional area. This prevents the generation of uncarbonized parts in the lower layer part of the plant material, and ensures that all of the filled plant material is smoked.

[0028] The inclination angle and length of the taper in the inverted truncated cone portion 111 below the main body are determined to be dimensions that ensure the capacity of the carbonization chamber 102 as large as possible while preventing any unburned plant material from remaining. In a relatively large-capacity (1000 L) container body 11 as in this embodiment, based on the specific dimensions of each part described above, the taper angle θ1 in the inverted truncated cone portion 111 below the main body is approximately 45 degrees and the length of the vertical cross section is approximately 28 cm. It has been confirmed by experiments by the inventors that with the inverted truncated cone portion 111 below the main body having such dimensions, all of the plant material equivalent to 1000 L can be reliably charcoalized down to the bottom layer.

[0029] If the bottom side of the container body 11 is cylindrical with a horizontal bottom shape like a conventional smoker, the larger the overall capacity of the container body 11, the less stable the progress of smoking and roasting the plant raw materials down to the lowest layer may be. The tapered part, the bottom inverted truncated cone part 111 of the main body, may be provided not only on the bottom side of the carbonization chamber 102, but also in the middle or from the top of the carbonization chamber 102. This will be described as a modified example of this embodiment, which will be described later. The shape of the top truncated cone part 113 of the container body 11 is also characteristic, which will be described later.

[0030] Such a container body 11 is installed on an installation surface, which is the ground or floor, via, for example, a support mechanism 13, with its central axis extending in a substantially vertical direction. The support mechanism 13 is capable of supporting the container body 11 above the installation surface by engaging a pair of support shafts protruding from both sides of the outer circumferential surface of the container body 11. This support mechanism 13 supports the container body 11 so that it can swing about the pair of support shafts as the swing center during the operation of filling the plant raw material or removing the charcoal, and supports the container body 11 so that the swing is suppressed during smoking.

[0031] In the container body 11, the charcoal, which is a feed additive, can be removed by opening the bottom cover 115 from the lower opening of the small diameter part 112 at the bottom of the container body, and if the container body 11 is supported above the installation surface by the support mechanism 13 as described above, the charcoal can be easily removed. The container body 11 may be placed directly on the installation surface without providing the support mechanism 13. In this case, however, since the bottom cover 115, which is the contact surface of the container body 11, has a small diameter and a small area and is therefore unstable, it is preferable to provide a structure that supports the container body 11 from all sides to prevent it from falling over. When removing the charcoal from the lower opening of the small diameter part 112 at the bottom of the container body, the container body 11 is turned sideways.

[0032] <<Rostle 12>> The space inside the container body 11 is divided by the grate 12 into an air supply chamber 101 on the bottom side and a carbonization chamber 102 above the bottom side, which occupies the main part of the whole. The grate 12 is a heat-resistant plate material with excellent breathability, such as a metal wire rod combined in a lattice shape or a metal plate with many holes punched, etc. The grate 12 is disposed on the bottom side inside the container body 11, but in this embodiment, it is disposed approximately horizontally at a midpoint in the height direction, which is midway through the main body lower small diameter portion 112. Here, the position of the grate 12 may be halfway or below the lower side of the main body lower inverted truncated cone portion 111 (tapered portion), and may also be disposed, for example, at the boundary between the main body lower inverted truncated cone portion 111 and the main body lower small diameter portion 112.

[0033] The grate 12 is disposed substantially horizontally and removably fixed on the bottom side inside the container body 11. In this embodiment, as described above, for example, a cylindrical portion 115a that fits into the lower half of the main body lower small diameter portion 112 may be provided inside the bottom lid 115, and the grate 12 may be removably fixed to the upper end opening of this cylindrical portion. Alternatively, for example, when the upper side of the container body 11 is configured to be connected from the lower end opening of the main body upper truncated cone portion 113 to the upper end opening of the main body cylindrical portion 110 in an openable manner, the grate 12 may be placed inside the main body cylindrical portion 110 with the upper end opening opened and disposed substantially horizontally. In this case, a plurality of stoppers such as fixing stands arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on the inner peripheral surface at the position where the grate 12 is disposed.

[0034] The air supply chamber 101 below the grate 12 is a space for supplying air (oxygen) necessary for smoking the plant raw material in the carbonization chamber 102, and an air vent 20 that leads to the air supply chamber 101 from the outside is opened at one end of the peripheral wall of the air supply chamber 101. On the other hand, the carbonization chamber 102 above the grate 12 is a space filled with plant raw material, and the plant raw material is smoked and carbonized in sequence from the top layer to the bottom layer where the plant raw material is ignited. In this embodiment, the carbonization chamber 102 occupies the majority of the interior of the container body 11 in terms of volume, but the inventors have confirmed through experiments that even with such a volume ratio, the air supply chamber 101 supplies the carbonization chamber 102 with sufficient air, allowing optimal carbonization.

[0035] <<Ventilation hole 20>> In the peripheral wall of the container body 11 on the air supply chamber 101 side, an air vent 20 is provided that allows outside air to be naturally introduced into the interior. The air vent 20 serves to naturally send air into the carbonization chamber 102 via the air supply chamber 101 and the grate 12. Here, the air vent 20 is disposed at a position that communicates with the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11, but does not necessarily have to be directly below the grate 12. In addition, in Figs. 1 and 2, the outer shell of the hood section 21 described below is provided across the grate 12 from above to below, but at the location where the base end opening of the hood section 21 communicates with the peripheral wall on the air supply chamber 101 side, the side above the grate 12 is closed and the side below the grate 12 is open.

[0036] More specifically, at the location where the vent hole 20 is opened, a hood portion 21 is provided which protrudes outward from the peripheral wall of the main body lower small diameter portion 112, and the vent hole 20 is opened at the tip side of this hood portion 21. The hood portion 21 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular tube shape, and the vent hole 20 is also opened in a substantially rectangular shape, but the specific shapes of the vent hole 20 and the hood portion 21 are design matters that can be appropriately determined. In addition, the specific position of the vent hole 20 (hood portion 21) may be any position as long as it is in a position that at least communicates with the air supply chamber 101 side.

[0037] Furthermore, the specific opening area of ​​the vent 20 is also a design item that can be appropriately determined in light of the carbonization efficiency by smoking. The dimensions of the vent 20 in this embodiment are set to, for example, 7 cm in the vertical direction (height) and 15 cm in the horizontal direction (width) according to the capacity (1000 L) of the container body 11 described above. The specific dimensions of the vent 20 are determined based on the results of experimental data by the inventors so that the maximum temperature during smoking of the plant raw material is 500°C or less.

[0038] <<Shutter 22>> 2, the ventilation opening 20 is opened and closed by a shutter 22. The shutter 22 is configured to be openable between an open state in which air can be taken in through the ventilation opening 20 and a closed state in which air intake through the ventilation opening 20 is stopped. The shutter 22 is in the shape of a plate having a size sufficient to close the ventilation opening 20, and is formed of a metal plate such as stainless steel or iron. The shutter 22 is provided at the tip of the hood portion 21, and is attached, for example, on the upper end side of the hood portion 21 so that its upper edge can rotate about a horizontal rotation shaft.

[0039] When the shutter 22 is opened away from the left and right edges and the bottom edge of the hood portion 21, the vent 20 opens and air is naturally fed into the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11. On the other hand, when the shutter 22 is closed by abutting the left and right edges and the bottom edge at the tip of the hood portion 21, the vent 20 is blocked and air is not naturally fed into the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11. Such a shutter 22 is configured to be supported stationary in the open state by the opening / closing mechanism 23. As shown in FIG. 4, a handle 27 is provided on the outer surface of the shutter 22, and a seat 28 on which the tip of a hook rod 24 to be described later abuts is provided on the inner surface.

[0040] <<Opening and closing mechanism 23>> As shown in FIG. 4, the shutter 22 is maintained in the open state by the opening / closing mechanism 23 until the smoked carbonized plant raw material reaches the bottom layer in the carbonization chamber 102, and when the smoked carbonized plant raw material reaches the bottom layer, it is closed due to the carbonization heat at that part. The opening / closing mechanism 23 is equipped with a hanging rod 24 and a combustible rod 25 as a "support part" that supports the shutter 22 from the inside of the container body 11, and a guide rail 26 that places them on the upper surface of the grate 12. The guide rail 26 has a cross-sectional shape that is approximately U-shaped with an open upper surface, and is made of a metal material. The guide rail 26 is placed on the upper surface of the grate 12 in a state of extending in the radial direction, and the front end communicates with the inside of the hood part 21 through a small window-like opening in the peripheral wall of the main body lower small diameter part 112 and faces the ventilation port 20, while the rear end toward the center of the grate 12 is closed in the form of a vertical wall.

[0041] The hanging rod 24 and the combustible rod 25 can be connected to each other so that they are connected in a straight line, and are inserted inside the guide rail 26 and positioned on the grate 12. The hanging rod 24 is made of a non-combustible metal material with sufficient strength as a brace rod. The base end of the hanging rod 24 is coaxially connected to the tip of the combustible rod 25, and the tip of the hanging rod 24 protrudes outside the vent 20 and abuts against a seat 28 provided on the inner surface side of the shutter 22. As a result, the shutter 22 is held in an open state, raised outside the vent 20, via the hanging rod 24 and the combustible rod 25.

[0042] The combustible rod 25 also has sufficient strength as a support rod, but is made of a combustible material that burns (including bending or crumbling) due to the heat of smoking and carbonization, such as disposable chopsticks or bamboo skewers. The base end of the combustible rod 25 abuts against the vertical wall at the end of the guide rail 26. In this state, the shutter 22 is held open as described above by the hanging rod 24 connected to the tip of the combustible rod 25. The length of the combustible rod 25 is sufficient to allow air to flow in far enough away from the ventilation hole 20 when the shutter 22 is supported by passing through the guide rail 26 or the hood part 21 together with the hanging rod 24.

[0043] When the charcoal in the carbonization chamber 102 reaches the bottom layer of the plant material and the combustible rod 25 is burned (including bending or breaking) by the heat of carbonization, the shutter 22 is released from the latch and closes the vent 20. That is, the opening and closing mechanism 23 of the shutter 22 is configured to naturally supply an appropriate amount of air to the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11 to smoke and carbonize the plant material in the carbonization chamber 102, and then automatically stop the natural supply of air to extinguish the charcoal when the charcoal reaches the bottom layer of the plant material. In addition, in order to ensure the closing operation of the shutter 22 accompanying the burning of the combustible rod 25 and the sealing of the vent 20, it is preferable to bias the shutter 22 in the direction of closing the vent 20 by a biasing means such as a coil spring (not shown).

[0044] As another configuration of the shutter 22, for example, it may be configured so that it can be opened and closed by sliding vertically outside the vent hole directly opened in the peripheral wall of the container body 11. In this case, the shutter is formed in a curved plate shape with approximately the same curvature as the peripheral wall of the container body 11, and guides into which both side edges of the shutter can slide freely are provided on both sides of the vent hole. Also, the aforementioned hanging rod 24, combustible rod 25, and guide rail 26 can be configured in the same way, and the tip of the hanging rod 24 protrudes from the vent hole 20 to support the lower edge of the shutter. If the capacity of the container body 11 is large, such a shutter may become larger together with the opening, which may increase the sliding resistance when opening and closing.

[0045] <<Chimney 30>> As shown in Fig. 1, the canopy 116 of the container body 11 is provided with a chimney 30 for naturally exhausting the smoke generated in the carbonization chamber 102. The canopy 116 is provided with a chimney mounting portion 117 that protrudes in a substantially cylindrical shape in order to mount the chimney 30. The chimney 30 is a cylindrical tube extending in the overall longitudinal direction, and is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron. In addition to its original function of naturally exhausting the smoke generated in the carbonization chamber 102 by air suction, the chimney 30 also efficiently cools the smoke passing through it to condense and produce liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid).

[0046] As shown in Fig. 5, the chimney 30 is composed of an approximately L-shaped elbow 31 connected to the chimney mounting part 117, an approximately T-shaped tee 32 connected to the tip side of the elbow 31, a long tube part 33 connected to one end side of both ends of the tee 32, and an approximately T-shaped top 34 connected to the tip side of the long tube part 33. The elbow 31 is formed in an approximately L-shaped cylinder. One end side of the elbow 31 is removably connected in a state where it fits into the inner circumferential surface of the chimney mounting part 117 at a position offset from the center of the canopy 116. Since the canopy 116 is open in the chimney mounting part 117, the chimney 30 is communicated with the inside of the container body 11.

[0047] The tee 32 is formed in a generally T-shaped cylinder. The base end of the tee 32 is detachably connected to the outer circumferential surface of the other end of the elbow 31 in a state where it covers the outer circumferential surface of the other end of the elbow 31. One end of the two ends of the tip of the tee 32 is arranged facing upward, and the base end of the long cylinder portion 33 is fitted into the inner circumferential surface of the one end and is detachably connected. The other end of the two ends of the tip of the tee 32 is arranged facing downward, and this other end is usually closed, but it is preferable to make it openable or to open a drip hole so that the liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid) can be taken out. In this case, it is preferable to attach a container such as a can to collect the dripped liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid) below the other end of the tee 32.

[0048] The long tube portion 33 constitutes the main portion of the chimney 30 and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction. The base end side of the long tube portion 33 is connected to one end side of both ends of the tee 32 as described above. Here, the tee 32 is rotatable with respect to the other end side of the elbow 31 to which the base end side is connected. Therefore, by rotating the long tube portion 33 together with the tee 32 around the other end side of the elbow 31, the long tube portion 33 can be freely tilted to any angle. In other words, the tilt angle of the long tube portion 33, in other words, the height of the tip (top 34) of the chimney 30 from the installation surface, is configured to be continuously adjustable.

[0049] The top 34 prevents wind from blowing into the chimney 30, and in addition to the above-mentioned function of enhancing the continuity and stability of the air suction force, it also cools the inner wall of the chimney 30. The top 34 is formed in a substantially T-shaped cylinder. The base end side of the top 34 is removably connected in a state where it fits into the inner peripheral surface of the tip side of the long tube part 33. The long tube part 33 is not limited to one piece, and may be unitized to a predetermined length and connected together in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, for example, a state where two long tube parts 33 are connected is shown.

[0050] When joining multiple long tube sections 33 together, the base end of the upper long tube section 33 fits into the inner circumference of the tip end of the lower long tube section 33. In this way, the end openings of each part of the chimney 30 are connected in an overlapping state so that the lower part surrounds the upper part from the outside. Therefore, there is no risk of liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid) leaking out from the gaps where the parts are connected.

[0051] 1, the long tube portion 33 of the chimney 30 is supported on an installation surface (for example, a horizontal surface such as the ground) via a support 35, and is maintained at a predetermined inclination angle. Here, the support 35 is, for example, a rod-shaped member that is erected between a midpoint in the longitudinal direction of the long tube portion 33 and the installation surface of the container body 11, and supports the long tube portion 33. The support 35 can maintain the long tube portion 33 at a desired inclination angle (height) depending on the position at which it supports the long tube portion 33 in the longitudinal direction, but it may also be configured to be extendable.

[0052] The specific dimensions of the chimney 30 are design items that can be appropriately determined within a range in which the chimney 30 can perform its original functions as described above. In this embodiment, the long cylinder portion 33 that forms the main part of the chimney 30 is set to have an outer diameter of 12 cm and a length of 90 cm. Therefore, each time one long cylinder portion 33 is added, the total length of the chimney 30 increases by about 90 cm. Also, the inclination angle of the chimney 30 (long cylinder portion 33) may be appropriately set each time within a range of 20 to 40 degrees from the horizontal plane.

[0053] <Feed additive manufacturing method> Next, a method for producing a feed additive using the feed additive production apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a method for producing a feed additive according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, rice husks are used as the plant raw material. The rice husks are thoroughly dried in advance. The moisture content of the entire rice husks is preferably, for example, 10 to 35% by weight, with the optimum value being 15 to 25% by weight. The reason why the moisture content of the entire plant raw material is set to 10 to 35% by weight is that if the moisture content is less than 10% by weight, there is a risk that the amount of smoke liquid (rice vinegar liquid) recovered will be small, and if it exceeds 35% by weight, there is a risk that the smoke-grilling will stop due to the moisture content.

[0054] The plant raw material is not limited to rice husks, and may be a suitable mixture (e.g., 10% or less of the dry weight) of other grasses such as rice straw, bamboo, and reeds. When using the culm of these plants such as rice straw mixed with the rice husks, it is desirable to cut the culm of the plant to, for example, 3 cm or less in advance to ensure air circulation during smoking. In addition, sawdust and fallen leaves can be mixed with the plant raw material to adjust the moisture content of the plant raw material.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a flow chart that outlines a method for producing a feed additive. First, the operator sets the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 in a predetermined state (S101). First, the container body 11 is placed on the installation surface via the support mechanism 13 in a horizontal state with the central axis extending in a substantially vertical direction. At this time, a space for filling the plant raw material and a space for supporting the chimney 30 at an angle are also secured. Inside the container body 11 in this state, a grate 12 is fixed, which divides the inside of the container body 11 into an air supply chamber 101 on the bottom side and a carbonization chamber 102 on the upper side.

[0056] When the grate 12 is fixed to the upper opening of the cylindrical portion 115a provided inside the bottom lid 115, closing the bottom lid 115 in this fixed state will position the grate 12 approximately horizontally at the midpoint in the height direction, which is midway through the lower main body small diameter portion 112. Alternatively, when the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 is connected to the upper opening of the cylindrical main body portion 110 in an openable manner, the grate 12 placed inside the container main body 11 may be positioned approximately horizontally at the midpoint of the lower main body small diameter portion 112 described above, with the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 open.

[0057] Next, the shutter 22 and its opening / closing mechanism 23 are set. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the tip of the combustible rod 25 is connected to the base end of the hanging rod 24 and inserted into the guide rail 26. At this time, the base end of the combustible rod 25 is abutted against the vertical wall at the rear end of the guide rail 26, and the tip of the hanging rod 24 is made to protrude forward from the front end opening of the guide rail 26. In this state, the guide rail 26 is inserted into the hood part 21 through the ventilation port 20 with the shutter 22 in the open state, and is inserted all the way into the small window-like opening in the peripheral wall of the main body lower small diameter part 112 just above the grate 12, and placed horizontally on the grate 12.

[0058] Next, the shutter 22 is lowered and the tip of the hook rod 24 is brought into contact with the seat 28 on the inner side of the shutter 22. As a result, the shutter 22 is held in an open state, lifted outward from the vent 20 via the combustible rod 25 and hook rod 24. Here, the upper edge of the shutter 22 is hung so as to be able to rotate freely, and the lower edge of the shutter 22 is constantly biased in a direction to close the vent 20 by its own weight (and the biasing means). Therefore, if the combustible rod 25 burns down as described below, the blocking rod is released and the shutter 22 immediately closes the vent 20.

[0059] Next, the worker fills the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11 with the plant raw material (S102). That is, the lid 116 is removed from the upper conical frustum portion 113 of the main body, and rice husks, which are the plant raw material, are filled into the carbonization chamber 102, which is partitioned by the grate 12 as the bottom surface, from the upper end opening of the upper small diameter portion 114 of the main body. At this time, the worker can easily fill the plant raw material by tilting the container body 11, which is supported in the air by the support mechanism 13, as necessary. After filling the carbonization chamber 102 with an appropriate amount of plant raw material, the top layer (upper surface) is leveled flat.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 3, the position of the lowest layer (bottom surface) of the plant raw materials M is located above the grate 12. Meanwhile, the position of the highest layer (upper surface) of the plant raw materials M may be limited to the cylindrical main body portion 110 or may extend beyond the cylindrical main body portion 110 and reach the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 (see Fig. 3), depending on the amount of plant raw materials filled. By providing the upper main body truncated cone portion 113 at the upper part of the container body 11, it is possible to ensure, in the carbonization chamber 102, between the canopy 116 and the uppermost layer of plant raw materials, a closed space whose peripheral wall gradually expands in diameter downward.

[0061] Therefore, the surface area of ​​the top layer of plant material that will ignite can be narrowed by filling the plant material beyond the main body cylindrical portion 110 and until it reaches partway up the main body upper truncated cone portion 113. In this embodiment, since the effective capacity of the container body 11 is large at 1000 L, it is advisable to fill the plant material M so that the top layer (upper surface) of the plant material M reaches the upper end of the main body upper truncated cone portion 113 (the boundary with the lower end of the main body upper narrow diameter portion 114).

[0062] Next, the worker scatters a combustion aid such as kerosene or rice husks soaked in kerosene, as necessary, on the top surface of the plant raw materials filled in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11, and then adds a pilot flame to ignite the top surface of the plant raw materials (S103). When scattering the combustion aid on the top surface of the plant raw materials, the worker scatters it evenly and uniformly over the entire surface. Once the worker visually confirms that the flame has spread over the entire top surface of the plant raw materials, the removed canopy 116 is placed on the upper end opening of the main body upper truncated cone portion 113 to close it.

[0063] In conventional smoking apparatuses in which the upper part of the container body 11 is also substantially cylindrical, at the end of the smoking carbonization described below, some uncarbonized plant material may remain around the top peripheral edge of the carbonization chamber 102 due to incomplete ignition of the plant material. In order to smoke the plant material without leaving any residue, it is necessary to ensure that the entire area of ​​the top surface of the plant material filled in the carbonization chamber 102 is combusted so that the smoking carbonization can continue layer by layer without leaving any residue of all the plant material filled.

[0064] In this embodiment, the upper conical portion 113 is provided between the cylindrical portion 110 of the container body 11 and the lid 116, and by filling the plant material beyond the cylindrical portion 110 and up to the top end of the upper conical portion 113, the surface area of ​​the uppermost surface of the plant material to be ignited can be narrowed. Therefore, the area over which the pilot flame must spread the combustion is narrowed, and the entire uppermost surface of the plant material can be easily burned. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of unburned parts or parts that burn but die down at the start or early stage of smoldering, which will be described later, and ensures that all the filled plant material is turned into charcoal.

[0065] Here, if the taper angle θ2 (see FIG. 3) of the main body truncated cone portion 113 is too acute, there is a risk of an uncarbonized portion being generated near the boundary between the main body truncated cone portion 113 and the main body cylindrical portion 110. Conversely, if the taper angle θ2 of the main body truncated cone portion 113 is too large, it is necessary to increase the height dimension of the main body truncated cone portion 113 in order to narrow the surface area of ​​the top surface of the plant material, and therefore the filling capacity of the plant material will be reduced within a limited range of the height of the entire device. For this reason, it is desirable to set the taper angle θ2 of the main body truncated cone portion 113 within the range of 40 to 50 degrees.

[0066] After the plant raw material is ignited, the worker closes the canopy 116 and then sets the chimney 30 (S104). That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the elbow 31 is connected to the chimney mounting part 117 on the canopy 116, and the tee 32 is connected to the elbow 31. Then, the long tube part 33 is connected to one of the two ends of the tee 32. Here, the number of the long tube parts 33 can be appropriately selected, and although two are connected in the example shown in FIG. 1, it has been confirmed by experiment that it is good to actually connect three and set the total length to about 270 cm. Also, by rotating the long tube part 33 on the most proximal side together with the tee 32 around the other end side of the elbow 31, the inclination angle of the entire chimney 30 can be adjusted, and the chimney 30 is supported on the installation surface by the support 35 in a state inclined at a desired inclination angle.

[0067] When such a chimney 30 is set, the inclination angle of the chimney 30 (long cylinder portion 33) is preferably set so that the maximum temperature in the smoldering process described below is 500°C or less. For this purpose, an inclination angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal plane is suitable. The inventors have confirmed through numerous experiments that by setting the carbonization temperature to 500°C or less, the plant raw material can be most efficiently smoked and roasted in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11 having the aforementioned capacity (1000 L).

[0068] In addition, the maximum temperature of the smoldering process in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11 is also affected by the opening area of ​​the vent 20. The opening area of ​​the vent 20 is designed to be an optimal size in advance, as described above. As another configuration of the shutter 22, as described above, it may be a slide type that can adjust the opening area of ​​the vent directly opened on the peripheral wall of the container body 11. Alternatively, a slide plate or the like that can adjust the area of ​​the vent 20 itself may be provided in the hood part 21, separate from the shutter 22 that opens and closes the vent 20. In addition, the area of ​​the base end of the hood part 21 that opens on the peripheral wall of the container body 11 may be configured to be adjustable, so that the opening area in the hood part 21 can be appropriately adjusted separately from the opening and closing of the shutter 22.

[0069] There is also a method in which the chimney 30 is set before the plant material is ignited as described above. That is, when the plant material is ignited, one end of the canopy 116 is shifted upward to create a roughly annular gap between the upper end opening of the upper small diameter portion 114 of the main body, and a pilot flame is inserted through this gap to ignite the top surface of the plant material. In such a case, in order to maintain the gap between the shifted canopy 116 and the upper end opening of the upper small diameter portion 114 of the main body, it is advisable to prepare an auxiliary jig to be inserted into this gap. After ignition, the canopy 116 is closed by pulling out the jig that was inserted. Here, the width of the gap is set to a degree that does not affect the setting state of the chimney 30 and returns to its original state when the canopy 116 is closed.

[0070] Thereafter, even after the lid 116 of the container body 11 is closed, the combustion of the top surface of the plant raw material continues for a while, consuming oxygen in the air within the main body upper truncated cone portion 113 between the top surface of the plant raw material and the lid 116. When the oxygen in the air has been consumed, the combustion ends and the smoking roasting process, which is the smouldering process of the plant raw material, begins (S105).

[0071] When the smoking of the plant raw materials begins, the part of the plant raw materials being smoked (the smoking layer) moves in sequence from the top layer of the plant raw materials to the bottom layer in response to the air supply from the bottom side. An appropriate amount of oxygen-containing air is naturally blown into the air supply chamber 101 from the ventilation opening 20, passes through the grate 12 between the plant raw materials in the lower layer that have not yet been smoked, and is supplied to the smoking layer and consumed. Then, the interaction between the heat of the smoking layer and the air supplied from the bottom side starts the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material layer directly below the smoking layer, and by repeating this cycle, the smoking layer of the plant raw materials moves in sequence to the bottom layer.

[0072] The smoke generated in the smoked roasting layer of the plant raw materials rises between the layers that have already turned to smoked charcoal (the smoked charcoal layer at the time of carbonization) above that position, is guided into the chimney 30, and is naturally exhausted from the chimney 30. In the smoked roasting carbonization of the plant raw materials, the smoked charcoal layer is prevented from turning to ash by the protective effect of the smoke from the smoked roasting layer of the plant raw materials below, so it remains as smoked charcoal. In this way, the smoked roasting layer of the plant raw materials continues moving from the top layer to the bottom layer. The smoked roasting layer of the plant raw materials then reaches the bottom layer on the rostreel 12 without interruption.

[0073] Particularly in this embodiment, in the carbonization chamber 102 of the container body 11, the position of the lowest layer of the plant material is above the grate 12, but above that, a lower part of the carbonization chamber 102 is provided with a lower inverted truncated cone section 111 whose peripheral wall gradually narrows downward. With such a lower inverted truncated cone section 111, the lower part of the plant material, where unburned residue is likely to occur, can be smoked and roasted reliably over the entire cross-sectional area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uncarbonized portions in the lower part of the plant material, and to carbonize all the filled plant material more reliably than with conventional smoker devices.

[0074] Here, if the taper angle θ1 (see FIG. 3) of the inverted truncated cone portion 111 under the main body is too acute, there is a risk of an uncarbonized portion being generated near the boundary between the cylindrical portion 110 of the main body and the inverted truncated cone portion 111 under the main body. Conversely, if the taper angle θ1 of the inverted truncated cone portion 111 under the main body is too large, the bottom side of the container body also becomes shaped like a cylinder, as in the conventional smoker, and the larger the capacity of the entire container body 11, the less stable the progress of smoking and roasting to the bottom layer of the plant raw material. For this reason, it is desirable to set the taper angle θ1 of the inverted truncated cone portion 111 under the main body within the range of 40 to 50 degrees. In this embodiment, the taper angle θ1 of the inverted truncated cone portion 111 under the main body is set to about 45 degrees according to the capacity (1000 L) of the container body 11.

[0075] The components (including tar components as well as liquid smoke components) volatilized from the plant raw materials by the heat of the smoking process are mixed with the smoke produced during carbonization and rise up. The components contained in this smoke are naturally incorporated into the charcoal as it passes through the charcoal. The remaining smoke that reaches the top of the carbonization chamber 102 is guided into the chimney 30, where it is cooled and condensed in the long tube section 33 of the chimney 30, and is collected as drops as needed. Tar components and the like are removed and separated from the collected liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid) as needed. It is believed that carbonization at 500°C or less is particularly effective in removing tar components by volatilization.

[0076] In this smoking process, smoke liquid components and tar components are appropriately volatilized and removed, and charcoal is obtained in which silicic acid components remain abundantly in an amorphous structure. The charcoal, which is a feed additive obtained by this embodiment, is not alkaline but is weakly acidic to approximately neutral, and has little variation in pH value (high reproducibility stability). Such a feed additive is highly valuable as it can be used for various purposes, including as feed for beef cattle, which are food animals, to improve the meat quality grade.

[0077] The smoking process ends when the bottom layer of the plant raw material is smoked and carbonized, but when the smoked and carbonized material reaches the bottom layer of the plant raw material, the shutter 22 closes due to the heat of carbonization at that part, and the introduction of air from the ventilation hole 20 stops, and the process moves to an extinguishing process in which the fire is extinguished (S106). That is, when the combustible rod 25 is burned (including bending or breaking) by the heat of carbonization in the bottom layer of the plant raw material, the latch of the shutter 22 is released, and the shutter 22 closes by its own weight (and the biasing means) and blocks the ventilation hole 20.

[0078] As a result, air is no longer naturally blown into the air supply chamber 101 of the container body 11. Therefore, the smoky charcoal in the carbonization chamber 102 can be automatically extinguished. With the capacity of the container body 11 of this embodiment, the extinguishing process is completed in approximately several days from ignition. When extinguishing the smoky charcoal, in addition to closing the vent 20 with the shutter 22, it is desirable for the worker to remove the chimney 30 from the chimney mounting part 117 of the canopy 116 and close this chimney mounting part 117 as well. Closing the chimney mounting part 117 together with the vent 20 can shorten the time required for extinguishing.

[0079] In the smouldering process in this embodiment, by setting the inclination angle (exhaust condition) of the chimney 30 and the opening area (air supply condition) of the vent 20 described above, a low-temperature smouldering environment in which the maximum temperature in the carbonization chamber 102 is 500°C or less can be maintained. In other words, with regard to air supply, no excessive air supply that would cause high-temperature carbonization is performed, and an appropriate amount of air is naturally supplied to slowly and steadily continue the smouldering of the plant raw materials. In addition, with regard to exhaust, no excessive high-speed exhaust that would cause high-temperature carbonization is performed, and an appropriate amount of air is naturally exhausted to slowly and steadily continue the smouldering of the plant raw materials.

[0080] This makes it possible to thin the layer of plant raw materials that are simultaneously smoked and roasted in the smoking process, suppressing an increase in the amount of heat generated per unit time by the entire smoking layer, and realizing circulation of air supply and exhaust that does not interrupt smoking, so that the smoking temperature during carbonization can be maintained lower than before and can be continued stably. Also, with the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, smoked charcoal (feed additive) can be obtained in a volume of about 60 to 80% of the plant raw materials filled in the carbonization chamber 102.

[0081] After the fire extinguishing process is completed, the container is left as it is for several days, for example, until the fire is completely naturally extinguished, and then the chimney 33 and the canopy 116 are removed, the shutter 22 of the ventilation hole 20 is opened, and the hanging rod 24, the remaining combustible rod 25, and the guide rail 26 are removed. After that, the bottom cover 115 is removed, and the charcoal (feed additive) is taken out from the bottom side of the container body 11 (S107). During the smoking and carbonization of the plant raw material, the container body 11 is stationary and the plant raw material is not allowed to flow, so that the charcoal (feed additive) mainly made of rice husk retains the appearance of the rice husk almost intact.

[0082] The charcoal (feed additive) removed from the container body 11 is packed in a packing bag for storing or transporting powder or granular cargo, called a transbag or a flexible container bag, and stored at room temperature for use as a feed additive, as described below. The packing bag should have a structure that allows the opening to be sealed, and should be made of a material that is excellent in preventing moisture and powder leakage.

[0083] <Modification of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10> FIG. 6 shows various modified examples of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the container body 11 of the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 has a tapered section (main body lower inverted truncated cone section 111) in which the peripheral wall of the lower part of the carbonization chamber 102 gradually narrows in diameter downward, and various types of specific shapes of this tapered section are conceivable. That is, in the container body 11 shown in Fig. 1, the main body lower inverted truncated cone section 111 and the main body upper truncated cone section 113 at the lower and upper parts are formed to have the same shape but upside down, but the taper angles and heights of the main body lower inverted truncated cone section 111 and the main body upper truncated cone section 113 may be configured to be different from each other.

[0084] In the container body 11A shown in Figure 6 (a), the taper angle of the inverted truncated cone portion 111 below the body is larger than that of the truncated cone portion 113 above the body, and therefore the height (length of the vertical cross section) of the inverted truncated cone portion 111a below the body is greater than that of the truncated cone portion 113 above the body. In the container body 11B shown in FIG. 6(b), there is no cylindrical body portion 110 below the upper body truncated cone portion 113, and instead there is a lower body inverted truncated cone portion 111b whose peripheral wall gradually narrows downward.

[0085] 6(c), the container body 11C does not have the main body upper truncated cone portion 113, and the upper end of the container body 11C forms a substantially horizontal top surface, and immediately below this upper end is a main body lower inverted truncated cone portion 111c whose peripheral wall gradually narrows downward. That is, in the container body 11C, not only the lower part of the coking chamber 102 but also the upper part is formed as a tapered part. In the container body 11D shown in Figure 6 (d), there is no upper main body truncated cone portion 113, and the upper end of the container body 11D forms a substantially horizontal top surface, below which is the main body cylindrical portion 110, and below the main body cylindrical portion 110 is formed an inverted truncated cone portion 111.

[0086] The specific shape of such container bodies 11A-11D is a matter of choice that is appropriately determined according to the actual capacity, etc., and whatever the shape of the tapered portion, it is designed from the viewpoint of preventing the generation of uncarbonized portions in the lower part of the plant raw material in the carbonization chamber 102. Also, the position of the grate 12 in each container body 11A-11D may be midway or below the lower side of each tapered portion. Note that, regardless of the shape or size of each container body 11, 11A-11D, it is preferable for the ratio of the height and diameter (inner diameter) of the part that constitutes the actual capacity to be not extremely different, for example, 1-2:1, in order to continue combustion.

[0087] <Details of charcoal (feed additive)> Next, the charcoal (feed additive) produced by the feed additive production method using the feed additive production apparatus 10 described above will be described. It has been known for some time that the charcoal (feed additive) itself has a porous structure, good air permeability, and contains a high concentration of amorphous silicic acid with excellent solubility. The reason why charcoal (feed additive) contains a lot of silicic acid is because the hard husk of rice husk is mainly made of silicon, and it contains small amounts of nitrogen and potassium components, and also contains mineral components such as copper, manganese, iron, and potassium, which are trace elements.

[0088] In the charcoal (feed additive), the tar components are appropriately volatilized and removed by the above-mentioned smoking process, the silicic acid components remain abundantly in soluble amorphous structure without crystallizing at high temperatures, and the mineral components are also in a state where they are easily eluted. Furthermore, the charcoal (feed additive) naturally contains the components contained in the smoke generated in the above-mentioned smoking process. The main components in the smoke are the same components of the liquid smoke (rice husk vinegar liquid), and the applicants conducted a component analysis of the liquid smoke (rice husk vinegar liquid) and found the components and their content rates shown in Figure 8.

[0089] <<Collecting smoked liquid (rice vinegar liquid)>> In the applicants' analytical test, a feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 with a container body 11 capacity of 1000 L was used. All the plant raw materials were rice husks to manufacture charcoal (feed additive), and the smoked liquid (rice husk vinegar liquid) obtained in the process was collected in a container from the chimney 30, and about 100 ml was collected as an analytical sample. The maximum temperature in the smoking process of the plant raw material (rice husk) was set to be 500°C or less.

[0090] <<Measurement of ingredients>> The organic components of the collected liquid smoke (rice vinegar) were extracted with diethyl ether, and the main components were identified using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The types and amounts of components contained in the diethyl ether extract were also analyzed using a gas chromatograph. Figure 8 shows the compound names identified by gas chromatography among the components contained in the liquid smoke (rice vinegar) extract and their content (%) as a result of this analysis.

[0091] As shown in Figure 8, the types of components contained in the extract of liquid smoke (rice vinegar) and their content are characterized by the highest content of acetic acid (41.17%), followed by acetone (25.85%) and then p,m-cresol (15.01%). Another characteristic is that it contains a relatively large amount of propionic acid (2.20%), which can suppress methane production by fermentation by bacteria in the cow's first stomach. Looking at the overall components, the organic acids, acetic acid, methyl acetate, propionic acid, and butyric acid, account for 43.71% of the total. The ferrules, guaiacol, o-cresol, ethyl guaiacol, p,m-cresol, and 4-acetyl-methoxyphenol, account for 16.82% of the total.

[0092] It was also confirmed that the results of the component analysis of such liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid) were almost the same even when the analysis was conducted multiple times under different weather or temperature conditions. It is also presumed that the organic components of the liquid smoke (rice vinegar liquid) identified by the component analysis are contained in the charcoal (feed additive) at almost the same ratio. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that while open-burned charcoal is generally alkaline (pH 9-10), the pH value of the charcoal (feed additive) of the present invention is neutral to weakly acidic (pH 6-7) with little variation (high reproducibility stability). This is thought to be due to the relatively high ratio of the organic acids mentioned above.

[0093] <Feed containing charcoal (feed additive)> Next, feed containing the above-mentioned feed additives will be described. Solid feed for beef cattle, which are food animals, is generally divided into two types: roughage and mixed feed, and is given to cattle in a prescribed ratio from birth according to the development period. Roughage is large in volume and contains a lot of crude fiber, such as pasture grass hay such as timothy hay and oat hay, as well as rice straw, wheat straw, and beer grains. Mixed feed is relatively small in volume but highly nutritious, and is prepared by mixing various raw materials such as corn, milo, wheat, and bran, and many types are commercially available.

[0094] The roughage in this embodiment is a suitable mixture of timothy hay, oat hay, rice straw, wheat straw, brewer's lees, etc. The compound feed used in this embodiment is commercially available Moret (product name), Value Beef Early (product name), Value Beef Late (product name), and Value Beef Finish (product name) in accordance with the growth of beef cattle. All of these compound feeds are manufactured and sold by JA Zennoh Kitanihon Kumiai Feed Co., Ltd.

[0095] Figure 9 shows an example of the items that should be the standards for the labeling of quality of mullet. Moullet is generally fed to suckling calves, cattle within about three months of age, and animals between about three months and six months of age.

[0096] Figure 10 shows an example of the items that should be the standard for labeling the quality of Value Beef Pre-season. Value Beef Pre-season is generally fed to fattening cattle that are approximately 6 months of age or older.

[0097] Figure 11 shows an example of the items that should be the standard for the labeling of the quality of Value Beef Late. Value Beef Late is also generally fed to fattening cattle that are about 6 months of age or older. In Value Beef Late, the amount of corn among grains is increased and barley, etc. is added.

[0098] Figure 12 shows an example of the items that should be the standard for the labeling of the quality of Value Beef Finishing. Value Beef Finishing is also generally fed to fattening cattle that are about 6 months of age or older. Value Beef Finishing has a higher protein content than other compound feeds.

[0099] Of course, the compound feed is not limited to the above-mentioned commercial products. In addition, although processed commercial products may be used for roughage, the raw material grass may be cultivated or purchased, and then dried or mixed for use. For any roughage or compound feed, the above-mentioned charcoal (feed additive) is mixed at a ratio of 3 to 9 g per head for the weight of free intake per day by beef cattle at each growth stage to obtain a feed for improving meat quality grade.

[0100] According to the research of the inventors, it has been confirmed that if the amount of charcoal (feed additive) is less than 3g, the effect of improving the meat quality grade of beef cattle is not significantly improved. Also, even if the amount of charcoal (feed additive) exceeds 9g, there is no significant difference in the effect of improving the meat quality grade compared to when it is mixed at a ratio of 3 to 9g, but it has been confirmed that it is not preferable because it may affect the palatability of cattle and reduce the feed intake rate.

[0101] The inventors have confirmed that feeding such meat quality grade improving feed to beef cattle has a unique effect of improving the meat quality grade of the beef cattle, compared to feeding general solid feed. The ratio of charcoal (feed additive) mixed into the solid feed may be uniformly adjusted in advance, for example, to 3% by weight or more and less than 9% by weight of the original solid feed, regardless of the intake amount per beef cattle.

[0102] <How to fatten beef cattle> Next, a method for fattening beef cattle by feeding them feed containing the above-mentioned feed additives will be explained. Feeding beef cattle starts after the calves are weaned from artificial feeding, and the period from 3 months of age to shipping is generally divided into early, early, late, and finishing periods, with the specific type and amount of solid feed being different for each stage of growth.

[0103] In the "early stage" when calves are 3-6 months old, they are given about 1-2 kg of roughage and 2-3 kg of mixed feed mullet per head per day. A certain amount of charcoal (feed additive) is mixed into this solid feed, for example, in the range of 3-9 g per head. In this way, it is best to start feeding the calves feed containing charcoal (feed additive) as soon as they are fed. The amount of solid feed should be adjusted appropriately to a range that the calf can eat freely, and it is usually fed twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. It is best to mix charcoal (feed additive) into only the morning feeding, which is the first feeding of the day.

[0104] Next, in the "early stage" when the calves are 7 to 11 months old, they are fed a diet mainly consisting of roughage in order to strengthen their internal organs, build their skeletons, and develop muscles. The amount of compound feed is gradually increased along with the roughage. For example, each calf is fed about 4 to 6 kg of roughage and 2 to 6 kg of Value Beef Early Stage compound feed per day. A certain amount of charcoal (feed additive) is mixed into this solid feed, for example in the range of 3 to 9 g per calf.

[0105] The weight of solid feed in this early stage will be increased daily, but should be adjusted appropriately to within the range that the animal can freely eat, and is usually given twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Note that, even in the early stage, it is a good idea to mix charcoal (feed additive) into the morning portion of the two feeding periods, morning and evening. Note that the amount of charcoal (feed additive) mixed into the solid feed does not necessarily have to be a uniform amount within the range of 3-9g, and it is also possible to convert the amount of feed that has increased from the initial period described above and adjust it so that it is the same weight percentage as in the initial period.

[0106] Next, in the "late stage" when the cattle are 12 to 23 months old, this is the time when fat accumulates in the muscles of the beef cattle, and roughage is gradually reduced while the proportion of compound feed is increased. For example, the roughage is gradually reduced from about 4 kg per head per day, while the amount of value beef compound feed is gradually increased to 8 to 12 kg in the late stage. A certain amount of charcoal (feed additive) is mixed into these solid feeds, for example, within the range of 3 to 9 g per head.

[0107] The amount of solid feed in this later period is also adjusted appropriately within the range that can be freely eaten, and is usually given twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Note that, even in the later period, charcoal (feed additive) may be mixed only in the morning portion of the two feeding periods, morning and evening. Here again, the amount of charcoal (feed additive) mixed in the solid feed is not necessarily uniform within the range of 3 to 9 g, and may be adjusted to the same weight percentage as in the previous period by converting the amount of feed that has increased from the previous period.

[0108] After that, the cows go through a three-month "finishing period" when they are 24-27 months old. This is the last period before they are shipped as beef cattle, and in order to develop marbled fat, they are given the maximum amount of compound feed, with little roughage. For example, about 1kg of roughage is sufficient per cow per day, and about 12kg of Value Beef Finishing compound feed is given. A certain amount of charcoal (feed additive) is mixed into this solid feed, for example, within the range of 3-9g per cow.

[0109] The amount of solid feed during this finishing period is adjusted appropriately to the range that can be freely eaten, and is usually given twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Note that, even during the finishing period, charcoal (feed additive) may be mixed into the morning portion of the two feeding periods, morning and evening. Here again, the amount of charcoal (feed additive) mixed into the solid feed is not necessarily uniform within the range of 3-9g, and may be adjusted so that the weight percentage is the same throughout the entire period, including the most recent late period, by converting the amount of feed given since the aforementioned late period.

[0110] <Beef cattle fattening test> Next, a fattening test was conducted to investigate the effect of the present invention on improving meat quality using the feed of the present invention and commercially available feed. In this fattening test, crossbred cows (females) that showed no abnormalities in appearance were used. The test cows were randomly selected based on their weight at the time of introduction and were divided into a charcoal group and a control group, each of which had 5 cows.

[0111] In a general cattle barn owned by the inventors, the charcoal-using group was subjected to the fattening method of beef cattle by feeding them feed containing charcoal (feed additive) as described above. That is, the fattening period was divided into early, early, late, and finishing periods, and a certain amount of charcoal (feed additive) was mixed into the roughage or mixed feed in each period, within the range of 3 to 9 g per cattle, and fed once in the morning. On the other hand, the control group was subjected to standard fattening with only roughage or mixed feed in each period. Both groups were allowed to drink water ad libitum through a general drinking fountain.

[0112] In both the charcoal-treated and control groups, no abnormalities were observed in the general condition of any individual during the rearing period up to shipping, and no significant variations were observed in weight gain, feed intake, or feed conversion ratio when compared with each other. The 10 test cattle in each group were shipped as beef cattle on the same day after the finishing period described above, and after undergoing the required inspections before and after slaughter, the carcasses were made by removing the skin, head, feet, and internal organs from the bodies, and were then cut into two pieces from the center and graded. The age of all test cattle on the shipping date was equivalent to the 26-month age range.

[0113] <<Meat quality grading>> Grading (officially known as "carcass trading standards") is a ranking done by the Japan Meat Grading Association in accordance with national standards. The carcass is graded by applying specified standards to judge the quality of the meat. The application of specified standards involves a grade being given for each of the "yield" and "meat quality", with "yield" displayed as an alphabet and "meat quality" as numbers. If the carcass has any defects, the condition is noted alongside the grade according to a specified type classification, but as none of the 10 test cows had any defects, an explanation of the defects will be omitted.

[0114] First, the "yield" grade is expressed as one of three grades (A, B, C) based on the weight of the portion of meat obtained from the carcass. This yield grade is determined by applying a value called the yield standard value to a specified formula and comparing the calculated value with the grading table shown in Figure 13. Regardless of the above-mentioned regulations, if the carcass meets predetermined conditions, it may be graded one grade lower, but none of these conditions applied to the 10 test cows.

[0115] The "meat quality" grade is determined based on four criteria: "fat marbling (marbling)," "meat color and luster," "meat firmness and texture," and "fat color and luster and quality." Of these criteria, the lowest grade is assigned.

[0116] 1) The grade of marbling (marbling) is determined based on the amount of fat (marbling) in the loin core of the carcass. The grade is determined based on a 12-level chart (commonly known as BMS) called B (beef), M (marbling), and S (standard). Specifically, as shown in Figure 14, if the BMS is No. 8 to No. 12, the marbling is considered to be quite heavy, and the grade is "5." If the BMS is No. 5 to No. 7, the marbling is considered to be somewhat heavy, and the grade is "4." If the BMS is No. 3 to No. 4, the marbling is considered to be normal, and the grade is "3." If the BMS is No. 2, the marbling is considered to be somewhat light, and the grade is "2." If the BMS is No. 1, the marbling is considered to be almost nonexistent, and the grade is "1."

[0117] 2) The grade of meat color and luster is determined based on the balance between the standard for evaluating the color of the carcass and the luster. The grade is determined based on a seven-level chart (commonly known as BCS) called B (beef), C (color), and S (standard). Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, if the BCS is No. 3 to No. 5, the meat color and luster are fairly good and graded "5", if the BCS is No. 2 to No. 6, the meat color and luster are somewhat good and graded "4", if the BCS is No. 1 to No. 6, the meat color and luster are standard and graded "3", if the BCS is No. 1 to No. 7, the meat color and luster are close to the standard and graded "2", and if the BCS is anything other than grades 5 to 2, the meat color and luster are poor and graded "1".

[0118] 3) The grades of firmness and texture of meat are judged based on the firmness, which indicates the water retention of the carcass, and the fineness of the texture, etc. The judgment here is done by the naked eye, and specifically, as shown in Figure 16, very good is graded "5", fairly good is graded "4", standard is graded "3", near standard is graded "2", and poor is graded "1".

[0119] 4) The grade of fat color and quality is determined based on the standard for evaluating fat color and the balance between fat luster and quality. The grade is determined based on a seven-level chart (commonly known as BFS) called B (beef), F (fat), and S (standard). Specifically, as shown in Figure 17, if BF S is No. 1 to No. 4, the fat color and quality is fairly good and graded as "5", if BF S is No. 1 to No. 5, the fat color and quality is somewhat good and graded as "4", if BF S is No. 1 to No. 6, the fat color and quality is standard and graded as "3", if BF S is No. 1 to No. 7, the fat color and quality is close to the standard and graded as "2", and if BF S is other than grades 5 to 2, the fat color and quality is poor and graded as "1".

[0120] The final meat quality grade is determined by the lowest rank of the four evaluation items 1) to 4) mentioned above. For example, even if the marbling (marbling) grade is 3 and all others are 5, the meat quality grade of this beef will be determined to be 3. In other words, to receive the meat quality grade "5", the beef must be ranked 5, the highest, in all four items.

[0121] <<Results of fattening test>> Figure 18 shows the results of the above-mentioned grading of the carcasses of 10 test cattle after fattening. The grading system combines three grades (A, B, C) for "yield" with a five-level ranking for "meat quality," with A5 being the highest quality and C1 being the lowest quality. Using this grading system as a reference, wholesalers, for example, will purchase the carcasses, process them further, and sell them to general butcher shops, etc.

[0122] As is clear from Figure 18, the rankings of the charcoal-treated group were A5 rank for one cow and A4 rank for four out of five test cows. In contrast, the rankings of the control group were B2 rank for two cows, B3 rank for one cow, C2 rank for one cow, and C3 rank for one cow.

[0123] These results have revealed that feeding the cattle with feed containing the aforementioned charcoal (feed additive) has the effect of improving the meat quality grade of the beef cattle, making it possible to increase the commercial value of the beef cattle. Although the weight of each test cattle at the time of shipping differed from one individual to another, there were some slight differences in the weight gain during the fattening test, but no major differences were observed.

[0124] According to the feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10 described above, ignition starts from the top surface of the plant raw material, so the smoke generated in the smoked layer of the plant raw material in the upper layer of charcoal passes through the layer that has already become charcoal (the layer of charcoal at the time of carbonization) above that position, and the pH of the charcoal becomes 6.5 to 7.0 depending on the components in the smoke. For example, charcoal with a pH of 6.5 is suitable for the growth of effective microorganisms such as bacteria that produce propionic acid that suppresses methane production in the first stomach of cows, and can promote the growth of the microorganisms. Also, as described above, the smoke contains a relatively large amount of propionic acid, 2.20%.

[0125] More specifically, the cow's first stomach breaks down and ferments feed with the help of microorganisms. During this process, methane is produced, as well as propionic acid, which serves as an energy source for cows. It is known that the more propionic acid there is, the less methane is produced. Also, methane does not provide energy for cows. For this reason, ruminant animals such as cows waste a significant portion of the energy they ingest from their feed by producing methane. If this energy could be redirected to producing propionic acid, it would be possible to raise cows on less feed.

[0126] From the above, it is believed that feeding cows more propionic acid will suppress the production of methane gas, improve feed efficiency, and as a result, improve the condition of the carcass and the quality of the meat. It is estimated that methane produced by ruminants is about 2 billion tons per year worldwide, accounting for about 4% of the greenhouse gases produced worldwide, and is therefore considered to be one of the causes of global warming. Therefore, reducing methane production by cows is thought to not only improve meat quality as mentioned above, but also have an effect on mitigating global warming.

[0127] Furthermore, the effect of charcoal as a feed additive is not only to improve the quality of beef cattle as mentioned above, but also to suppress the foul odor of feces and urine and bad breath. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that it can suppress the foul odor of feces and urine not only of cattle but also of pigs and chickens when fed to them. This is thought to be because charcoal increases the number of good bacteria in the animal's body, which in turn aids in the digestion and absorption of feed (regulating the intestines), and has the effect of increasing the animal's appetite, growth, maintaining health, and improving immunity.

[0128] In addition, by mixing charcoal with the manure of edible animals, the odor of the manure can be directly reduced. It is assumed that this deodorizing effect is due to the large surface area of ​​the porous structure of charcoal, which makes it easy to adsorb organic matter and nitrogen. Therefore, charcoal is useful for deodorizing livestock sheds. Furthermore, charcoal can also be used as a material to improve water quality in fish, shellfish, shrimp, and other aquaculture facilities.

[0129] [Configuration and Effects of the Present Invention] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiment will be described below.

[0130] First, the present invention provides an apparatus 10 for producing a feed additive for improving meat quality of food-producing animals from a plant material mainly consisting of rice husks, The inside of the container body 11 into which the plant raw material is put is divided into an air supply chamber 101 at the bottom side for supplying air, and a carbonization chamber 102 above which the plant raw material is filled and in which the plant raw material is ignited and carbonized by smoking proceeds in sequence from the top layer to the bottom layer. A vent hole 20 is provided in the peripheral wall of the container body 11 on the air supply chamber 101 side, and allows outside air to be naturally taken in; a shutter 22 that can open and close the ventilation opening 20 between an open state in which air can be taken in and a closed state in which air intake is stopped; an opening / closing mechanism 23 that maintains the shutter 22 in the open state until the smoked and carbonized plant raw material reaches the lowest layer, and closes the shutter 22 when the smoked and carbonized plant raw material reaches the lowest layer due to heat of carbonization of the lowest layer; The shutter 22 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 23, and when the smoking and carbonizing of the plant raw material is completed, the smoked charcoal naturally contains the components in the smoke generated during the smoking and carbonizing process, and a feed additive for improving the meat quality of edible animals is produced.

[0131] According to such a feed additive manufacturing apparatus 10, when effectively utilizing charcoal as a feed additive for food-producing animals, charcoal as a higher quality feed additive can be reliably and efficiently manufactured with a simple configuration and without requiring a special power source.

[0132] In the present invention, a tapered portion 111 is formed in at least the lower portion of the carbonization chamber 102 in the container body 11, the peripheral wall of which gradually decreases in diameter toward the bottom, A grate 12 that separates the air supply chamber 101 and the carbonization chamber 102 is disposed approximately horizontally inside the container body 11 and halfway down or below the tapered portion 111.

[0133] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uncarbonized portions in the lower layer of the plant raw material, and all of the loaded plant raw material can be carbonized more reliably than with conventional smoker devices.

[0134] In the present invention, a main body lower small diameter portion 112 is formed below the tapered portion 111 of the container main body 11, the small diameter portion 112 being downwardly extending with the same diameter as the lower end of the tapered portion 111, The grate 12 is disposed in the middle of the main body lower small diameter portion 112, and the ventilation hole 20 is opened on the lower side of the grate 12. The opening / closing mechanism 23 is characterized in that it supports the shutter 22 from inside the container body 11 to open the ventilation hole 20, and when at least a portion of the shutter 22 is burned by the heat of carbonization of the plant raw material, it is provided with a support part that releases the support of the shutter 22 to close the ventilation hole 20.

[0135] With this configuration, it is possible to easily and reliably introduce optimal air for the smoking and carbonizing process in the container body 11 and to extinguish the smoking fire after the carbonizing process is completed.

[0136] In addition, the present invention is provided with a chimney 30 provided on the top side of the container body 11 for naturally exhausting smoke generated in the carbonization chamber 102, The chimney 30 has a plurality of long tubular portions 33 linearly connected from the base end side to the tip end side, The long cylinder portion 33 closest to the base end among the plurality of long cylinder portions 33 is supported rotatably relative to the top side of the container body 11, and the inclination angle of the entire chimney 30 relative to the horizontal plane can be adjusted. A feature of the present invention is that the overall length of the chimney 30 can be adjusted by selecting the number of long cylinder portions 33 to be used among the plurality of long cylinder portions 33.

[0137] With this configuration, by selecting the number of long cylindrical sections 33 in the chimney 30 and adjusting the overall inclination angle, it is possible to easily set the exhaust conditions in the container body 11 to the optimal conditions, making it possible to obtain smoked charcoal that is more effective in improving the meat quality grade.

[0138] The present invention also provides a method for producing a feed additive for improving meat quality of food-producing animals using the feed additive production apparatus 10, comprising the steps of: A smoking process in which the plant raw material filled in the carbonization chamber 102 is smoked and burned in sequence from the top layer on the top side to the bottom layer on the bottom side, and carbonized under temperature conditions that do not cause incineration, to produce charcoal that naturally contains the components (raw materials for rice vinegar liquid) contained in the smoke generated during the carbonization process; When the carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the lowest layer, the shutter 22 closes due to the heat of carbonization at that part, and the introduction of air from the ventilation hole 20 stops, thereby extinguishing the fire.

[0139] According to this feed additive manufacturing method, when effectively utilizing charcoal as a feed additive for food-producing animals, charcoal as a higher quality feed additive can be reliably and efficiently manufactured without incurring higher costs compared to conventional smoking devices.

[0140] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the air supply conditions through the vent 20 and the exhaust conditions through the chimney 30 are set in advance so that the maximum temperature inside the carbonization chamber 102 during the smoking process is 500°C or less.

[0141] This makes it possible to prevent the plant raw material from turning to ash when it is smoked and carbonized, and it is possible to obtain smoked charcoal that has less variation in pH value than conventional methods and is excellent in improving the meat quality grade.

[0142] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0143] The feed additive manufacturing apparatus and method of the present invention can be effectively used in the livestock industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 10...Feed additive manufacturing equipment 11...Container body 101…Air supply room 102… Carbonization chamber 111…Bottom inverted cone section 112...Main body lower small diameter part 113…Main body upper cone section 114…Main body upper small diameter part 115…Bottom lid 116…Canopy 12...Roaster 13...Support mechanism 20…Ventilation hole 21…Food section 22...Shutter 23...Opening and closing mechanism 30…Chimney 31...Elbow 32...Cheese 33...Long cylinder part 34…Top 35…post

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a feed additive for improving the meat quality of food-producing animals from a plant material mainly consisting of rice husks, A container body in which the inside into which the plant raw material is put is partitioned into an air supply chamber at the bottom side for supplying air, and a carbonization chamber above which the plant raw material is filled and in which the plant raw material is ignited and carbonized by smoking proceeds in sequence from the top layer to the bottom layer; A vent hole is provided in a peripheral wall of the container body on the air supply chamber side, and allows outside air to be naturally taken in; a shutter that can open and close the vent hole between an open state in which air can be taken in and a closed state in which air intake is stopped; an opening / closing mechanism that maintains the shutter in the open state until the smoked carbonized plant raw material reaches the lowest layer, and closes the shutter when the smoked carbonized plant raw material reaches the lowest layer due to heat of carbonization of the lowest layer; When the shutter is closed by the opening / closing mechanism and the carbonization of the plant raw material is completed, the smoked charcoal naturally contains the components in the smoke generated during the carbonization process, and a feed additive for improving the meat quality of animals is produced, In the container body, at least in the lower part of the carbonization chamber, a tapered portion is formed in which the peripheral wall gradually decreases in diameter downward, gradually narrowing the cross-sectional area of ​​the smoked-roasted layer of the plant raw material; A feed additive manufacturing apparatus characterized in that a grate separating the air supply chamber and the carbonization chamber is arranged approximately horizontally inside the container body, halfway down or below the tapered portion, and the air vent is opened below the grate.

2. A main body lower small diameter portion is formed below the tapered portion of the container main body and hangs down with the same diameter as the lower end of the tapered portion, The grate is disposed in the middle of the main body lower small diameter portion, and the vent hole is opened below the grate, The feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening / closing mechanism supports the shutter from inside the container body to open the ventilation hole, and when at least a portion of the plant raw material is burned by the carbonization heat, the support of the shutter is released to close the ventilation hole.

3. A chimney is provided on the top side of the container body for naturally exhausting smoke generated in the carbonization chamber, The chimney has a plurality of long tubular portions linearly connected from a base end side to a tip end side, The long cylinder portion closest to the base end among the plurality of long cylinder portions is rotatably supported on the top side of the container body, and the inclination angle of the entire chimney with respect to a horizontal plane can be adjusted; 3. The feed additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overall length of the chimney is adjustable by selecting the number of long cylinder portions to be used from among the plurality of long cylinder portions.

4. A method for producing a feed additive for improving meat quality of food-producing animals using the feed additive production apparatus according to claim 3, comprising the steps of: a smoking process in which the plant raw material packed in the carbonization chamber is smoked and burned in sequence from the top layer on the top side to the bottom layer on the bottom side under temperature conditions that do not cause incineration, and the plant raw material is turned into charcoal that naturally contains the components contained in the smoke generated during the carbonization process; and a fire extinguishing step in which, when the carbonization of the plant raw material reaches the bottom layer, the shutter closes due to the heat of carbonization at that part, thereby stopping the introduction of air from the ventilation hole and extinguishing the fire.

5. A method for producing a feed additive as described in claim 4, characterized in that the air supply conditions through the air vent and the exhaust conditions through the chimney are set in advance so that the maximum temperature in the carbonization chamber during the smoking process is 500°C or less.

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