DE2808981A1 - METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING HOP PELLETS - Google Patents

Description

DIPL.-ING. DR. JUR. W. BÖHME 8500 NUREMBERG, March 1st, 1978 / B-2

DIPL.-ING. E. KESSEL «Frauenlorgraben73 (am Plärrer)

,,. X / · DAukJIE "A>" Telephone: (0911) 227362,204296

DIPL.-ING. V. BÖHME Λ Tetegram address: PATBOM? 8 Π 8 9 8 1

PATENTANWÄLTE Telex No .: O ₆₂₃₆₃₈ AWUWWW I

Bank account: Deutsche Bank Nuremberg

(BLZ 76070012) No. 137315 Postal checking account: Nuremberg Office No. 44852-853

Applicant; Company Lupofresh Allfeld & Egloff

Title; Process for the production of hop pellets

description

The invention relates to a method for producing hop pellets with a reduced water content from raw hops with a higher water content of a maximum of 15 %, in which post-drying is carried out using a drying measure and the raw hops are preferably comminuted in a pellet press before pelletizing.

Here, raw hops are understood to mean the pre-dried cone hops delivered by the farmer to the hop processor and the hop powder obtained from them by crushing, which usually has a water content of 12 to 13 % . The hop pellets have a water content that is lower than the raw hops used for processing and usually between 6 and 8 % .

So far it has been customary to place raw hops with a water content of 12 to 13% before processing into hop powder and then to press them into pellets in a kiln or via a belt dryer.

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speaking moisture to dry. Water contents between 5 and 10 % are usual here, preferably around 7 %. The dried hops that come out of the kiln are ventilated beforehand for the purpose of cooling, whereby moisture can be absorbed again. The hops normally leave a belt dryer at a temperature of more than 20 ^° C. The hops emerging from the kiln at ambient temperature or the somewhat heated hops coming from the belt dryer are normally fed to a hop mill and comminuted there. As a result of this comminution, the temperature in the hop powder normally rises, so that it is fed to the pellet press at elevated temperatures. The dry hop powder is pressed into pellets. Here, the temperatures in the pellet rise in extreme cases, about 7O ⁰ C, usually at temperatures of about 6O ⁰ C. Subsequently, the pellets produced from the trokkenen hop powder a cooling device, which is normally operated with environmental air, is supplied and cooled to environmental temperature. If the air humidity is relatively high, this can lead to an increase in the water content in the pellets.

It is known that with a low water content and packaging with little residual oxygen content, hops and hop products can be stored better. So today the pellets made from hop powder are normally adjusted to a water content between 6 and 8%. The procedure described above has the disadvantage that, once the hops have been dried beforehand, considerable amounts of heat must be supplied to them. The grinding and pelletizing takes place ■

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in the case of dry hops or powder, which increases the overall processing temperatures. As a result, losses in the natural aromatic substances and the bitter substances in hops cannot be ruled out. Another disadvantage is the subsequent cooling of the pellets with ambient air, where there may be an increase in humidity. In order to set the desired water content, the hops must then be dried deeper than the moisture content of the desired end product. Another disadvantage of this procedure is the installation of two similar devices, such as the dryer and the cooler, with almost identical devices being used for a belt dryer and the pellet cooler. It is also disadvantageous to first dry the hops down to the low water content, since here, for example, at an ambient temperature of 15 ° C and 50 % relative humidity, the dry air flow has to be heated to more than 60 ° C.

An object of the invention is thus to provide a method of the initially to create mentioned type, in which less often heating or heating until the hop pellets are available, the post-drying only goes up to the ultimately desired water content and not lower and the mechanical effort is reduced. For this purpose, the method according to the invention is characterized in that that the raw hops (cones or powder) with the high water content are pelletized and the drying measure is carried out afterwards.

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The method according to the invention prevents the product from being adversely affected by excessive amounts of heat. This enables an improved preservation of aroma and bitter substances. In addition, the belt dryer or kiln, which is normally required, is dispensed with, which results in significant savings, since only one device is used in combination as a dryer and cooler. Also, the processing is carried out of hops on hops mill and subsequent compression into pellets first at room temperatures, the temperatures rise in the press at about 50 ⁰ C. This is possible because, due to the increased water content, the material in the press has better sliding properties and is therefore easier to press through the die of the press. When pressing a hops with, for example, 12 to 13 % moisture, water is also evaporated, which means that corresponding heat of evaporation is necessary, which is absorbed directly in the die during pressing. Based on experience, this is best possible if there is a water content of more than 9 % before pressing.

In the earlier, unpublished application P 27 29 015.0 of the applicant, it is already stated in connection with a special method for post-drying that the hop product subjected to post-drying, preferably heated, pellets are used and that preferably pellets with a maximum water content of 11 %, preferably 9.5 % can be used. The present invention now represents a generalization of this information from the earlier application, in that the subsequent drying of the pellets is independent of a special final drying

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procedure is made.

The method according to the invention can be applied directly to the raw hops in the form of an umbel. Preferably the raw hops however, ground or comminuted before it is pelletized, since then the advantages of the method according to the invention in particular in a pronounced form. It is possible to insert a homogenizing device between the hop mill and the pellet press, in which the hop powder is intimately mixed without generating heat, i.e. at room temperature.

The drying measure, the additional to the partial post-drying is used in pelleting, can be any desired means of drying, but a gentle one Treatment of the pellets is sought. However, it is particularly expedient and advantageous if the drying measure is a Air flow of a maximum of 50 ° C is provided to sweep pellets.

The pellets leave the press, for example, at a temperature of less than 50 ° C. and are exposed to a stream of dry air with a relative humidity that is below the desired final moisture content of the product. Using the heat content of the pellets and a temperature of 50 ^° C. of the pellets on entry into the dryer, the pellets are adjusted to the desired moisture content. Here, temperatures are normally benöti.ft of less than 50 ⁰ C in dry air stream. In the same device the

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Pellets immediately cooled to ambient temperature. An absorption of moisture at this point is far less, since that Pellet has already lost a lot of temperature due to the evaporation of the water, and e.g. only a temperature of 22 ° C. In this area, the absorption of water from the ambient air is very low.

In a preferred embodiment, the raw hops are fed to a hop mill with a moisture content of 12 to 13% at ambient temperature. The hops are not heated during grinding Due to the relatively high humidity of the hop powder, 12 to 13 %, at room temperature, heating of the powder is almost impossible. However, preference is given to using raw hops that have already been homogenized beforehand The powder, either homogeneously produced with the mill or homogeneously obtained from the homogenizer, is fed to the pellet press with a moisture content between 12 and 13%. During pressing through the die, heat is generated, which is required directly from the evaporated water from the hop powder heat is absorbed. This and the increased lubricity of the relatively moist powder is the temperature of the discharged pellets 5O ⁰ C. The pellet press is not cooled.

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These pellets are fed directly to a combination device that acts as a dryer and cooler. Appropriate control devices generate dry air with a relative humidity content that is below the desired water content of the end product, preferably with 6 % relative humidity. Taking advantage of the heat content of the pellets, they give off moisture very quickly and are immediately cooled to room temperature when they leave the drying stage. The dry air flow used for drying can have a relative humidity of 2 to 7 % , ie the relative humidity is equal to or less than the desired humidity in the pellet.

In the drawing, a part of a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown schematically and shows 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section of a device for post-drying and cooling of hop pellets and FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross section of the device according to FIG.

The device according to the drawing has a housing 1, which is about is divided in the middle by a horizontal intermediate floor 2 into an upper room for drying and a lower room for cooling. In each of these two rooms, an endless, self-contained, perforated conveyor belt 3, 4 is arranged, each of which extends over extends the entire width and essentially the length of the room. The direction of movement 5 of the upper run of the upper Conveyor belt is opposite to the direction of movement of the upper run of the lower conveyor belt. Through an enema 7 of the housing, hop pellets get onto one end of the upper one

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Trumms of the upper conveyor belt 3 and wander to its other end, where they pass through a lock 8 in the intermediate floor 2 fall on one end of the upper run of the lower conveyor belt 4, to the second end of which they are conveyed, where they leave the housing 1 downwards through an outlet 9 of the housing.

According to an arrow 10, it passes through a wide supply channel 11 Cooling air in the lower space under the upper run of the lower conveyor belt 4. The cooling air then passes through this upper one Trumm and the layer of hop pellets lying on it through and leaves the lower space through a discharge channel 12, in which a fan 13 is arranged. According to an arrow 14, outside air enters a heat exchanger 15 and from there through a wide supply channel 16 as dry air in the upper Space under the upper run of the upper conveyor belt 3. The dry air then passes through this upper run and the overlying layer of hop pellets through and leaves the upper space through a discharge channel 17> in which a fan 18 is arranged.

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Claims (3)

Patent claims 1. A process for the production of hop pellets with reduced water content from raw hops with a higher water content of a maximum of 15 %, "in which post-drying is carried out using a drying measure and the raw hops are preferably crushed before pelleting in a pellet press, as characterized in that for After-drying of the raw hops with the high water content is pelletized and the drying measure is carried out afterwards. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an air stream sweeping the pellets of a maximum of 50 ° C is provided as a drying measure. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the same device is used for the drying measure and subsequent cooling. 909836 / 029B IHSPEC TED