CZ22230U1 - Apparatus to increase quality of malt - Google Patents

Description

Technical field

The technical solution relates to improving the quality of malt by adjusting the ventilation air composition during malting. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Malt production is one of the older human biotechnologies. The aim of malting germination is the activation of grain enzymes and the necessary partial conversion of the insoluble substrate into water-soluble components.

Malt quality is influenced by the conditions during malting germination and the physiological condition of the barley caryopsis, which is dependent on the depth of the dormancy. In malt houses, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the activation of the enzymatic apparatus, while limiting embryo growth and breathing of the germinated caryopsis.

The process of ripening of caryopses in the ear is accompanied by increasing ethylene production, which corresponds to the increasing content of abscisic acid in the caryopses. During dormancy, which affects the quality of malt, - at the time of post-harvest ripening - the concentration of both growth regulators observed decreases - Fišerová et al .: Formation of ethylene, ethane and abscisic acid content in the dormancy of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) kemels. Crop Production, 42, 6, 245-248, 1996.

Dormance is genetically based (Guayano, NA, Benech-Amold. RL: The effect of water and nitrogen availability of the braun cavity filling on the tin of dormancy release in maltany barrels crops. Euphytica, 168: 3, 291-301, 2009). Gases - ethylene and CO ₂ play a role in post-harvest ripening and during the germination of the caryopsis (Hradilík et al .: Dormancy and post-harvest maturation of malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Crop production, 46, (6), 261- 268, 2000). The physiological efficacy of ethylene is very high - physiological reactions occur in the range of 0.01 to 1 ppm (μΙ.Γ ¹ ) by volume concentration of ethylene (Burg: Ethylene formation in pea seedlings. Plant Physiol. 43: 1069-1074, 1968), barley caryopses are already affected by a concentration of 0.2 μΐ.1 ^{1 1} ethylene, higher concentrations, about 0.5 μΙ.Γ ¹ , already inhibitory (Prokeš and The importance of carbon dioxide and ethylene in the process of malting, fermentation industry 52,2006,11 -12, pp. 349-352).

Upon exiting the post-harvest ripening, the caryopses begin to germinate in the presence of the necessary amount of water, oxygen and heat. The embryo sends gibberellins to the aleurone layer, which begins to form and release hydrolytic enzymes into the endosperm. Cells of the aleurone layer are triploid, containing proteins, minerals, sugars, and polyphenols, respiration and metabolise when germinated (Hough et al .: Malting and Brewing Science, 2, 1982). Ethylene enhances the formation of xylanase (the enzyme required to form channels across the cell walls of the aleurone layer), thereby promoting the release of alpha-amylase 35, and enhances protease activity that contributes to the reduction of alpha-amylase activity (Eastwell, Spencer: Ethylene effect on amylase) activity from isolated barley aleurone layers - possible modification by proteolytic enzymes. Plant Physiol. 70: 849-852, 1982).

The situation in the germination of caryopses in soil or in laboratory conditions and malting germination is not the same. During malting steeping, barley caryopses are exposed to anaerobic conditions during their stay under water and with the necessary time to "drain" the barley caryopses. Moreover, it is handled during grain germination. This manipulation, which is necessary in the technological process, can manifest itself as a stress reaction of the caryopsis - more intensive breathing, higher production of stress hormones ethylene and abscisic acid. The increased activity of these phytohonnones affects the activity of the cereal enzymatic apparatus and thus affects the resulting malt quality. The influence of carbon dioxide on malt quality and malt yield is described in the literature (Kosař et al. Malt and beer production technology, VÚPS ass398, 2000), but the consequences of increased concentrations of stress gases that may affect embryo vitality and other germination processes whose

The rate of modification and homogeneity of the desired changes in the barley caryopsis are manifestations. (Briggs: Barley germination: Biochemical changes and hormonal controls. In: Shewry, PR (ed.): 1992. Barley: genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology and biotechnology. CAB Intenacional, Wallingford, UK, 1992) on inhibition of root growth and the increased malt yield by supporting ethylene supports the proponent's theory.

Carbon dioxide is the product of aerobic breathing processes when germinating barley. Its inhibitory effect at higher concentrations is used in malting to reduce the germination losses caused by either grain breathing or root growth.

Malting germination is realized in modern malt houses in germinating units, which is associated with high therapeutic load in the germinating layer of the line on the perforated tray, which ranges from 400 to

600 kg / m ² . At present, the shapes of germinators are being built round in the design of the germinating hazel one above the other to save the built-up area - tower malt house.

The system of pressure ventilation can be continuous, when the germinating barley continuously passes on average 700 m ^{3 of} air per tonne of soaked barley. The air must have a relative humidity of min.

95%. The air temperature is controlled automatically, and its saturation with moisture is guaranteed by passing through the humidifying shower chambers. The advantage of the system is the achievement and course of germination at a constant temperature, which leads to minimal moisture loss of green malt, to homogeneity of germination conditions throughout the malt layer. The disadvantage is the practically continuous operation of the ventilation fan and the air humidification nozzles. Intermittent gas thus practically has the composition of outdoor air, which was additionally saturated with water in the chambers. The concentrations of ethylene and carbon dioxide contained therein are low. If the volume of air passing through is well adjusted and adjusted, the temperature of the outgoing air is only slightly higher than the desired temperature in the green malt pile.

Barley germination technology with intermittent ventilation leads to savings in fan operation and water consumption for air humidification is significantly lower. On the other hand, a significant shortcoming is the significant temperature variation in the germinating green malt pile (within the set minimum and maximum temperature limits) and consequently higher water losses in the germinating malt. The air requirement is about 1,400 m ^{3 of} air per tonne of soaked barley. The concentrations of ethylene, carbon dioxide and oxygen in the intermittent gas vary widely, and all this has an adverse effect on the quality of the malt.

Micro-malts using the above-described technology are known, for example, from WO 88/02396 or GB 1079573. In the key of such malt houses a grate is placed on which the permeable bottom malting containers are arranged to allow moisture and air to pass to the grains stored in the malting containers. Air is supplied under the grate.

The aim of the technical solution is to introduce a device that allows to improve the quality of malt by treating the ventilation air.

The essence of the technical solution

The above-mentioned shortcomings are eliminated by the malt quality improvement device according to the technical solution, which is based on the fact that the micro-malt key is further provided with ethylene feed. Ethylene is fed at a concentration of 200 to 500 μΙ.Γ ¹ .

The results of experiments with controlled intermittent gas composition showed that the presence of ethylene with a concentration of 200 to 500 μΐ.1 ¹ influences the dormancy of barley and has a significant influence on the quality of malt. The modification of the ethylene content of the intermining gas of the germinated barley will cause changes in the embryo to improve the quality of the malt or to achieve the same malt quality parameters in a shorter malting time.

In a preferred embodiment, the ethylene supply is either separate or connected to the air supply, and the ethylene supply is connected to a metering device for controlling the amount as desired.

-2EN 22230 Ul

Overview of the figure in the drawing

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a malt enhancing device according to the invention.

Example of technical solution

It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the malt enhancing device consists of a germinating box and a micro-malt, in which a frame 2 is placed, on which the permeable bottom malting vessels 3 are arranged to allow moisture and air to pass to the grains 4 stored in the malting vessels 3. Water jets for air humidification and ventilation air supply 6 are arranged below the grate 5. The germination box 1, or micro-malt key, is further provided with an ethylene supply 7 which is either separate or connected to the ventilation air supply line 6. In FIG. The ethylene feed 7 is schematically shown as a direct inlet, but the ethylene feed can be connected to the air duct before it enters the germinating box L The ethylene feed is connected to a dosing device (not shown) which can regulate the ethylene feed as required.

The following is an example of a process where a malt quality improvement device according to the invention has been used;

Six malting barley varieties Aksamit, Blaník, Boj os, Jersey, Prestige and Sebastian were malted. The malting was carried out according to the time after harvest two weeks, immediately after harvest, three weeks and six weeks after harvest.

Laboratory experiments were performed in a KVM micro-malt. The weight of the barley samples was 200 g. For the malting, the technology of air steeping was chosen, with a length of the first and second soaking time of 4 hours. The length of the third soaking was chosen so that the degree of soaking (water content in barley) reached 45%. The soaking water temperature was 14 ° C. Barley germination was carried out for a total of six days at 14 ° C. The burning was carried out on a single-sand electrically heated kiln. The total kiln time was 22 hours. Pre-drying was carried out at 55 ° C, the tightening temperature was 80 ° C for 4 hours.

The concentration of physiologically effective levels of ethylene in the period of air breaks during steeping and germination maintained at 200-300 μΙ.Γ ^first By adjusting the ventilation of the micro-malting plant, a regular supply of oxygen and a reduction in the carbon dioxide content produced by the germinating cereals were ensured.

Average values of malt quality parameters

Parameter E RE I DSP DM CZK BG Unit % % 1% j.WK - % Immediately after harvest Control 82.0 31.0 1 78.2 246.2 37.3 1,2 Ethylene 82,5 i 32.2 1 80.0 272.0 38.2 1.0 Three weeks after harvest Control 82.6 32.2 79.0 264.7 39.5 0.9 Ethylene 82.8 34.1 80.6 305.3 1 42.7 0.7 Six weeks after harvest Control 82.6 33.7 79.0 256.8 41.5 1,2 Ethylene 83.0 37.2 81.0 312.9 45.3 0.8

E - malt extract, RE - relative extract at 45 ° C, DSP - achievable degree of fermentation, DM - diastatic cardinality, CZK - Kolbach number, BG - content of beta-glucan in malt.

-3EN 22230 Ul

Malting of the control variant (without increased ethylene level) was carried out simultaneously under the same conditions in the second micro-malt. Up to 20 μΙ.Γ ^{1 of} ethylene is present in the air and this amount is physiologically ineffective.

It was found that the concentration of ethylene (200 to 300 μΙ.Γ ¹ ) in ventilation air positively influenced 5 values of malt extract, relative extract at 45 ° C, achievable degree of fermentation, diastatic power, Kolbach number and malt beta-glucan content.

Claims (2)

PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS 1. A malt quality improvement device, comprising a germinating box of a micro-malt, in which a grate is placed, on which a permeable bottom malting vessel is arranged to allow the passage of moisture and air to the grains stored in the monitoring vessels, characterized in that the micro-malt housing (1) is further provided with an ethylene feed (7). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ethylene supply (7) is either separate or connected to the air supply (6), and the ethylene supply (7) is connected to a metering device 15 for controlling the ethylene supply as required.