Continuous Brewing Process for High Gravity Yeast Fermented Beverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beer brewing processes lack a continuous method for producing high gravity mash extracts without relying on significant adjuncts after starch hydrolysis, and existing methods are not efficient in terms of energy consumption and extraction yields.
Innovation Solution
A continuous brewing process that maintains mash and wort gravity above 22 °P without adding considerable adjuncts, involving steps like mashing, starch hydrolysis, spent grain removal, wort conversion, organic volatile removal, dilution, yeast propagation, and recirculation, which minimizes energy consumption and extract losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a continuous brewing process is used to produce high gravity mash extract, then productivity increases and energy consumption is reduced, but existing methods require significant addition of adjuncts after starch hydrolysis which increases device complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the mashing process parameters (temperature, time, enzyme addition) to achieve high gravity mash extract (exceeding 22°P) directly from starch-containing raw materials without requiring significant adjunct additions. This changes the process parameters to favor high extraction efficiency, resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and device complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a continuous brewing process where the brewhouse operates continuously to produce high gravity mash extract, maintaining steady-state conditions throughout the process. This continuity eliminates the need for batch processing interruptions and reduces the requirement for complex adjunct management systems, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If high gravity mash extract is produced by adding adjuncts after starch hydrolysis, then the gravity level exceeds 22°P, but energy consumption increases and extraction yields decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by conducting thorough starch hydrolysis and extraction during the mashing process itself, converting starch to fermentable sugars before the brewing stage. This preliminary conversion ensures that high gravity levels are achieved through efficient enzymatic breakdown rather than energy-intensive adjunct addition later in the process, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining the required gravity level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the process parameters during mashing (temperature profiles, enzyme concentrations, mashing times) to maximize starch conversion efficiency. By optimizing these parameters, the process achieves high extraction yields that naturally produce high gravity mash extract without requiring energy-intensive adjunct additions, thus resolving the contradiction between quantity of substance and energy consumption.
3Quantity of substance
If high gravity mash extract is produced by adding adjuncts after starch hydrolysis, then the gravity level exceeds 22°P, but extract losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary starch hydrolysis and extract formation during the mashing process, ensuring that fermentable sugars are generated in-situ from the starch-containing raw materials. This preliminary action maximizes the utilization of available starch and minimizes extract losses that would otherwise occur through adjunct addition and subsequent processing losses, thereby achieving high gravity levels with reduced substance loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous operation of the brewhouse maintains steady-state conditions that optimize extraction efficiency throughout the process. This continuity ensures consistent and complete starch conversion to fermentable sugars, minimizing extract losses that can occur during batch processing transitions and adjunct handling, thus achieving high gravity levels with reduced substance loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process achieves high productivity and efficient energy use, maintaining high gravity levels in mash and wort while reducing extract losses and eliminating the need for adjuncts, resulting in a highly efficient and productive brewing operation.
Implementation Method 1
enzymatically hydrolysing the starch to fermentable sugars
Implementation Method 2
yeast propagation, and fermentation
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a continuous method for the production of a yeast fermented beverage, comprising the following consecutive continuous processing steps: a. mashing starch-containing and optionally malted raw materials with aqueous liquid; b. heat ing the mash and enzymatically hydrolysing the starch to fermentable sugars; c. removing spent grain from the heated mash to produce a mash extract, d. convert ing the mash extract into wort; e. removing organic volatiles from the hot wort; f. dilut ing the wort with additional water; g. feeding the diluted wort into a propagation vessel in which it is combined with a recirculated stream of yeast-containing residue and in which oxygen is supplied to initiate yeast growth; h. feeding the wort from the propagation vessel into a sequence of one or more fermentation vessels in which the yeast is kept suspended; i. feeding the fermented wort into one or more separators to remove a yeast- containing residue; j. recirculat ing part of the yeast-containing residue to the propagation vessel; and k. feeding the remainder of the fermented wort to subsequent processing steps; wherein the gravity of the mash extract is maintained at more than 22 ºP; the gravity of the wort is maintained at more than 22 ºP until said wort is diluted with additional water; and the gravity of the diluted wort is within the range of 10-35 ºP; and wherein less than 30 wt.% of the fermentable sugars in the mash extract and wort are derived from fermentable sugars added after hydrolysis of the starch contained in the mash. The present method offers the advantage that it is highly efficient in terms of energy consumption and extraction yields. Furthermore, it achieves extremely high productivity, especially in the operation of the brewhouse.