BR-122022018618-B1 - A WETTING UNIT FOR GRAIN WETTING HAVING A BASE SECTION AND A LID, AND A METHOD FOR EXPANDING A WETTING UNIT.

Abstract

GRAIN MOISTENER HAVING A BASE SECTION AND A LID AND METHOD FOR EXPANDING A MOISTENER FOR A MALTING PLANT. This disclosure relates to a moistener for a malting plant for grain moistening, having a base section and a lid, the capacity of the moistener being gradually variable by the insertion or removal of at least one intermediate ring in an intermediate section between the base section and the lid.

Inventors

• Johannes Kolb

Assignees

• BüHLER GMBH

Dates

Publication Date

20260310

Application Date

20210212

Priority Date

20200213

Claims (11)

1. 1. Wetting unit (7) for wetting grains having a base section (78) and a cover (72), characterized in that the wetting capacity can be gradually altered by inserting or removing at least one intermediate ring (76) in an intermediate section (77) between the base section (78) and the cover (72).
2. 2. Wetting unit (7), according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a product outlet opening (79) disposed in the base section (78).
3. 3. Wetting unit (7), according to claim 2, characterized in that the base section (78) is conical in the direction of the product outlet opening and/or in that the intermediate section (77) and at least one intermediate ring (76) are annular.
4. 4. Dampening unit (7), according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the intermediate section (77) and at least one intermediate ring (76) have an inner wall that is essentially circular in cross-section.
5. 5. Dampening unit (7), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the intermediate section (77) and at least one intermediate ring (76) have an essentially hexagonal outer wall in cross section.
6. 6. Wetting unit (7), according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wetting further comprises a washing device (75), wherein the washing device (75) is preferably operated in a fully automatic manner, the washing device (75) preferably having a safety weir (751).
7. 7. Wetting unit (7), according to claim 6, characterized in that the height or length of the washing device (75) can be adjusted depending on the number of intermediate rings (76) used.
8. 8. Wetting unit (7), according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lid (72) has a product inlet opening (73).
9. 9. Wetting unit (7), according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lid (72) has a device for supplying fresh air (74).
10. 10. Dampening unit (7), according to claim 9, characterized in that the device for supplying fresh air (74) has a cold coil that is configured to control the temperature of the supply air.
11. 11. Method for expanding a wetting unit (7), as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises gradually altering the wetting capacity (7) by inserting or removing at least one intermediate ring (76) in the intermediate section (77) between the base section (78) and the cover (72).

Description

[0001] This disclosure relates to a malting plant for germination and drying of grains. A malting plant may also include a soaking device. In particular, the disclosure refers to a modular malt house that allows the product batch (the quantity produced per batch) to be gradually adjusted, in particular scaled up. [0002] Malting facilities are used to produce the highest quality raw material malt from the raw material grain. This is then used to make products such as beer, spirits, or in the food industry. [0003] When malting grains for the production of beer or whiskey, for example, the grains are generally first soaked with the addition of water and then germinated under controlled temperature and humidity conditions and turned at regular intervals during this period. To stop the germination process and preserve the malt, it is dried with hot air. This process is also called swarming. Plants of different sizes are provided for this, depending on the volume of production. [0004] In order for the malting process to begin, the grain (barley, wheat, rye, etc.) is supplied with water to overcome dormancy, so that the grain begins to sprout by absorbing water. The maltster calls this the first of a total of three stages in the malting process, the soaking. [0005] The soaking process begins with a wet phase in a cylindrical-conical stainless steel tank called a soaking tank. In this tank, the grain is immersed in water at a temperature of 15-20 °C and kept in motion under pressurized ventilation. If the product does not circulate during the wet soaking, the grain may die due to lack of oxygen. After about three to five hours, the water is drained and the first dry soaking begins. This is done by ventilation in the form of suction of carbon dioxide produced by means of a radial fan. The dry phase lasts about ten hours and is followed by a shorter wet phase and then by another dry phase. After the grain reaches a degree of softness of about 44 percent (depending on the grain after about 24 hours), the second stage in malting begins, germination. [0006] Germination is carried out on a drying greenhouse floor, onto which the grain is transferred after the soaking process. Depending on the grain, variety, crop, and growing area, it remains here for about four to six days. The grain can continue to grow through constant cooling and ventilation with humidified air at approximately 15-20 °C using a radial fan. During germination, the structural substance that holds the starch cells in place is broken down, and the grain is loosened. During germination, enzymes are also produced that can convert starch into sugar. Once the grain is sufficiently loose, the growth process must be stopped by drying in the third and final stage of the process, oven drying. [0007] Drying is initiated by increasing the airflow and raising the temperature to about 50-65 °C for about 14 hours. The grain is then dried and should develop color and aroma at even higher temperatures of approximately 80-85 °C. After about six hours, the drying process is stopped by cooling in fresh air and malting is completed. These basic processes during malting are, for example, in the publications of Narziss, L.: Malz. In: Heiss, R. (ed.): Food technology: Biotechnologische, chemische, mechanische und thermische Verfahren der Lebensmittelverarbeitung, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2013, and by Narziss, L.: Vom Rohstoff bis zur kalten Würze - Entwicklungen der letzten 25 Jahre, Bulletin of the German Braumeister- und Malzmeister-Bund, Edition 2, May 2018. [0008] Document WO2013/044984A1 describes a device and a method for soaking, germinating, fermenting and/or combinations thereof of grains, the device having a container with at least one plate that can be fixed to the container and having at least one opening for supplying and/or discharging fluid. Document EP2336458A1 discloses a round container, in particular a germination or drying box in a malting facility, and a method for its production. Malting plants are also known from documents DE1206835B, US2500775A, CN208562299U and DE2656365A1. [0009] Small-scale malting plants differ from industrial malting plants due to their lower annual capacity. A capacity limit for classifying small malting plants is in the range of approximately 1-50 t/batch. [0010] Small malting plants for testing and teaching purposes have capacities of <1 t/batch. [0011] There are three malting systems: single chamber system; two chamber system; three chamber system. [0012] A single-chamber system means that the three stages of the soaking, germination, and drying process are carried out in one device. With Central European barley, this is a total of 7 days (1 day of soaking, 5 days of germination, and 1 day of drying). With 365 processing days per year, a maximum of 52 batches can be produced (365 days/7 days/batch). The grain remains in the same device during the malting process. As all three stages of the process (soaking, germination, dry