EP3775145A2

EP3775145A2 - Device configured for grain malting, with discontinuous operation

Info

Publication number: EP3775145A2
Application number: EP19720959.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Sajet; Charles Lestoquoy; Clément DUJOUR
Original assignee: Ascodero Productique SAS
Current assignee: Ascodero Productique SAS
Priority date: 2018-03-30
Filing date: 2019-03-29
Publication date: 2021-02-17
Also published as: FR3079522B1; WO2019186081A3; FR3079522A1; WO2019186081A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device configured for grain malting, with discontinuous operation, comprising: a treatment chamber; brewing means (3); means for filling the chamber with water and means for emptying the chamber; an atmosphere management system comprising at least heating means; and a control unit. According to the invention, the brewing means (3) comprise a moving element having a rotation shaft (30), with at least one brewing tool (31, 32); and the longitudinal treatment chamber comprises: a sealed external casing (20), and a cradle (21) inside the treatment chamber, having a U-shaped cross-section and an open-work wall, permeable to the fluid but impermeable to the grains, said internal cradle (21) having an upper opening and being configured to receive the moving element.

Description

Device configured for batch malting, batch operation

The invention relates to a device configured for batch malting, and a malting process implemented in such a device.

The field of the invention is that of the manufacture of malt, namely a cereal such as barley, artificially germinated and dried. Malt thus finds an application for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages such as beer or whiskey.

The four stages of malting are as follows: - Soaking to moisten the grain, with typically alternating periods under water and under the air allowing the grains to breathe,

- germination, ie the phase during which the cereal germinates and gives birth to the green malt,

- kilning, in hot air during which the temperature is gradually increased from 50 ° - 60 ° C at start up to the maximum temperature of the gun of 80 ° C or more, and finally,

- the degerming during which the malt is separated from its rootlets.

In a conventional way and in order to reduce the cost of beer, malting is operated on industrial production sites for processing large quantities of malt, such equipment, particularly expensive and cumbersome being unsuitable for the production of small amounts of malt .

The result is uniformity of production by the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, most of them operating from a limited number of aromatic malt profiles. However, the aromatic profile of the malt is a function of different time and temperature parameters of the malting sequence. Carrying out your own malting operations to influence the aromatic profile of the malt and therefore the alcoholic beverage is of interest to the manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. There is thus a need for the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, in particular the small brewers of a piece of equipment, hereinafter referred to as micro-malting, allowing the production of malt in small quantities, which is compact and economically accessible, and which makes it possible to regulate the various malting parameters to obtain the desired aromatic profile.

The state of the art thus knows documents EP 2 377 915 A1 or WO 88/20396 a micro-malterie equipment notably comprising a treatment chamber and means comprising a hydraulic circuit and a ventilation circuit provided with means of resistive heating.

A control unit with automation makes it possible to control various actuators of the hydraulic circuit and the air flow circuit for the implementation of a sequence of cereal grains contained in the treatment chamber, namely:

a dipping step a) during which the control unit controls the hydraulic circuit in order to fill said treatment chamber 2 and the stirring means, said unit controlling the emptying of said chamber at the end of step,

a germination step b) in which the control unit controls said air flow circuit and the stirring means in order to obtain seed germination,

- A step c) kilning in which the control unit controls said atmosphere management system and the brewing means to obtain the drying and aromatization of the grains.

The three steps of soaking, germination and kilning are advantageously carried out successively in the same treatment chamber, which reduces the size and cost of micro malting equipment. The user interface of its machines makes it possible to set various parameters (temperature, humidity, residence time, even weight ...) to influence the aromatic profile of the malt.

In these prior art, the treatment chamber is a cylindrical tank, receiving a perforated drum. Cereal grains are brewed during the soaking steps, germination and kilning, by rotating the drum in one direction or the other.

According to the findings of the inventors, such machines according to the aforementioned prior art are however perfectible in that: - they allow only a visual control of operations, from a inspection hatch located at the end of the drum, which n ' is not ideal in terms of process tracking,

- it does not address the degreening step (ie the separation of rootlets) which is necessary to obtain the malt, - it does not address the malt evacuation problem which will require an operator to intervene at inside the treatment enclosure,

the treatment time of the grains during the kilning step is not optimized.

The object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a device configured for grain malting, facilitating in particular the visual tracking of the various steps and / or maintenance such as the cleaning of the treatment chamber.

In particular, another object of the present invention is to provide a device configured for grain malting in small quantities, allowing a good visual control of operations: the invention allows a visual control of malting operations, preferably without interruption of the process malting, at least according to one embodiment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device facilitating the evacuation of the final product, and at a lower cost of equipment. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device to reduce the time required to obtain the malt. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description which is given for information only and which is not intended to limit it.

Also, the invention relates to a device configured for batch malting, comprising:

a treatment chamber for receiving the grains,

- Brewing means of the products contained in said enclosure,

filling means comprising a hydraulic circuit and configured to fill the chamber with water and means for emptying said chamber,

an atmosphere management system configured for managing the environment internal to said treatment chamber, comprising at least heating means (40),

a control unit configured for implementing a grain treatment sequence contained in said chamber, including the following steps: a soaking step a) during which the control unit controls the filling of said treatment chamber for obtaining the dipping of the grains, said unit controlling the emptying of said chamber at the end of the step,

a germination step b) in which the control unit controls said atmosphere management system and the brewing means in order to obtain the germination of the grains,

According to the invention; the stirring means comprise a mobile having a rotation shaft with a horizontal axis of rotation, the mobile carrying at least one brewing tool, said longitudinal treatment chamber comprises:

- a sealed outer envelope, preferably insulated and

a cradle, internal to said processing chamber, of U-shaped section having a perforated wall, permeable to the fluid, impervious to grains, the inner cradle having an upper opening, and in which the inner cradle is configured for receiving the mobile, the rotation shaft being centered axis relative to the center of the radius of curvature of the cradle.

According to optional features of the invention, taken alone or in combination:

the device has a cowling covering the treatment chamber at its upper part, comprising a inspection hatch giving visual access to an opening of the treatment chamber, as well as to the upper opening of the inner cradle;

the hatch being a leakproof hatch, a removable safety grid, closing the physical access to the opening of the treatment chamber and to the inner cradle;

the inner cradle comprises a U-shaped belt section, in particular the second U-shaped belt wall, which is constituted in whole or in part by a crack grid comprising working rods of triangular section, arranged parallel to each other; , in the longitudinal direction of the inner cradle, defining between them the dimension of the cracks, and supporting rods, curved according to the radius of curvature of the inner cradle, arranged transversely to the working rods to which the working rods are welded: the grating Cracks extends for example on the U-shaped section of the second belt section, at least at the level of the rotation shaft of the mobile.

According to one embodiment, the stirring means comprise said rotation shaft carrying: a first external tool, arranged in a first heliocoidal configuration, disposed near the wall of the cradle and configured, when said shaft is actuated in a direction of rotation, to push a first layer of products based on the internal cradle from a first end to a second end of the inner cradle,

a second tool, internal, arranged in a second helical configuration, on a radius smaller than the first tool, and configured, when said shaft is actuated in said direction of rotation, to push a second product layer, greater than the first layer, in the opposite direction to the forward direction of the first layer.

According to one embodiment, the malting device has a malt evacuation system, comprising said stirring means, and an evacuation opening, with shutter, arranged locally at the second end of the cradle, at height. the low point of the second tool, and wherein the malt evacuation system is configured to allow the evacuation of malt by the implementation of the following steps:

- Release of the discharge opening, - actuation of the mobile in said direction of rotation so that push the first layer of product through the opening of the exhaust door.

According to one embodiment, said outer casing takes the form of a cradle, external, impervious to fluid, receiving said inner cradle, and wherein the outer cradle comprises a first U-shaped belt wall, closed at its ends. longitudinal by two closure flanges serving as a support for guide bearings cooperating with two guide surfaces of the rotation shaft, and wherein the inner cradle is formed essentially by a second U-shaped belt wall, fixed by its ends respectively to the two flanges, and possibly according to the length of the inner cradle via spacers arranged between the inner wall of the first waist wall and the outer wall of the second waist wall.

According to one embodiment, the system for managing the atmosphere inside said treatment chamber comprises a processing circuit comprising said heating means, including:

a treated gas inlet system, allowing a treated gas inlet at one of the longitudinal ends of said treatment chamber,

- A gas outlet system, allowing the gas outlet, at the other longitudinal end of said treatment chamber.

According to one embodiment, the gas inlet system and said gas outlet system are configured to distribute the process gas in said treatment chamber and so that the process gas percolates through the grain layer, crossing the perforated surface of the inner cradle of the interior of the inner cradle to the outside or vice versa.

According to one embodiment, the treatment circuit comprises, according to the ventilation direction:

- a motorized inlet configured to collect the outside air,

a cold group, said heating means,

said treated gas inlet system, at one of the longitudinal ends of the treatment enclosure,

- said gas outlet system at the other end of the longitudinal ends of the treatment chamber, - an exhaust stack,

a bypass system configured to selectively take two positions, with: a first shut-off position of said bypass system in which the gas collected by the gas outlet system is conveyed to the exhaust stack, without recirculation of the gases, said motorized inlet being actuated to supply said air treatment enclosure with air , via the cooling unit and the heating means, or alternatively,

a second bypass position in which the gas collected by the outlet system is conveyed through the cold unit and the heating means to recycle the collected gas back to the treated gas inlet system without evacuation of the gas through the chimney. According to one embodiment, during said germination step b), the control unit is configured to control the bypass system, alternately, the first bypass position causing the recycling of the gas so as to maintain a saturated hydrometry inside the treatment chamber, on the one hand, towards the second closed position allowing a renewal of air by actuation of the motorized inlet and an evacuation of the dioxide emissions to the external atmosphere vis- over the chimney.

According to one embodiment, at least in a first substep of said step c) of kilning, the control unit is configured to control the bypass system in the first bypass position ensuring the recycling of gas, the means of heating and the cold unit then activated simultaneously to ensure the drying by condensation of steam by the cold unit.

According to one embodiment, the control unit is configured for the implementation of a second substep of the toning step c), by driving the bypass system alternately from the first bypass position. causing the gas to be recycled so as to allow the heating means to raise the temperature, the cooling circuit of the inactivated cold unit, on the one hand, towards the second shutter position allowing a renewal of air by actuating the motorized inlet and evacuation of steam from the exhaust stack, on the other hand.

According to a mode of orifice size of the perforated wall are configured to be impervious to malt grains, but nevertheless permeable to rootlets, and wherein the control unit is configured to implement, successively in step c) of kilning, a step d) degerming obtained by rotating the mobile at a speed greater than 10 rev / min, with separation of malt grains from rootlets, the malt grains remaining in the inner cradle (21) while the rootlets pass through the perforated wall of the internal cradle.

According to one embodiment, during the step a) of dipping, a system is configured to automatically ensure the renewal of the dipping water, according to at least one parameter representative of the quality of the water, said system comprising at least one sensor measuring a parameter representative of water quality, and wherein the control unit is configured to compare the measurement of the sensor of the parameter representative of the water quality with a determined threshold value , and automatically trigger the emptying of the treatment chamber, then the renewal of the soaking water, when the measured value decreases below (or, alternatively, exceeds this threshold value).

According to one embodiment, the device comprises a smoking system, comprising:

an enclosure, configured to be open from the outside, without interrupting the malting process of the device inside which is intended to burn a fuel such as peat,

a chimney channeling the gases of the enclosure to a pipe of the atmosphere management system. The invention also relates to a malting process implemented in a device according to the invention, wherein said control unit is configured for the implementation of a cereal grain processing sequence contained in said enclosure, including the following steps: a soaking step a) during which the control unit controls the filling of said treatment chamber and the stirring means in order to obtain the dipping of the grains, said unit controlling the emptying of said enclosure at the end of the stage,

a step c) of kilning in which the control unit controls said atmosphere management system and the stirring means in order to obtain the drying of the grains, and possibly, a step d) of degerming obtained by the rotation of the mobile at a speed greater than that implemented during steps a), b) and obtaining the separation of malt grains from their rootlets, the malt grains remaining in the inner cradle while the rootlets cross the perforated wall of the inner cradle, and allowing their evacuation following two separate evacuation circuits.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description accompanied by the appended figures, among which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device configured for batch malting, an access hatch of the upper cowling being open in order to allow the visual control of the operations in the inner cradle, the opening access to the treatment chamber, including the inner cradle being closed by a security grille; - Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 according to a vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotation shaft of the mobile;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 along a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the mobile, FIG. 3a is a detailed view of the crack grid forming the perforated wall of the internal cradle;

FIG. 3b is a detailed view of the triangular section of two working rods of the crack grid,

FIG. 4 is a view of FIG. 1 along a horizontal sectional plan illustrating the atmosphere management system configured for managing the atmosphere, and more particularly the motorized air inlet, the refrigeration unit, and the heating means, resistive type,

FIG. 5 is a view of FIG. 1 along a vertical sectional plane illustrating the gas outlet system intended to collect the gases coming from the treatment chamber, the discharge chimney provided with a normally closed spring valve; , and an isolation register, forcing the gas into the exhaust stack in the closed position of the isolation register, or to recycle the gas in the direction of the gas inlet system - via the group cold and heating means - in the open position of the isolation register, - Figures 6a, 6b are respectively views of the device of Figure 1 equipped with a smoke system, outside,

- Figure 7 is a detailed view of the smoker system.

Also, the invention relates to a device 1 configured for malting cereal grains, with discontinuous operation, comprising:

a treatment chamber 2 for receiving the grains,

- Brewing means 3 of the products contained in said enclosure, filling means comprising a hydraulic circuit and configured to fill the chamber with water and means for emptying said chamber,

an atmosphere management system 4 configured for the management of the environment internal to said treatment chamber, comprising at least heating means 40.

Said control unit 5 is configured for implementing a grain treatment sequence contained in said treatment chamber, including the following steps:

a dipping step a) during which the control unit controls the filling of said treatment chamber 2 and the stirring means in order to obtain the dipping of the grains, said unit controlling the emptying of said chamber at the end of the step,

The device 1 is configured to implement successively the three steps a), b) and c) successively in the same treatment chamber 2.

Optionally, and as described below, said control unit allows the implementation of a step d) degerming.

During step a), the control unit 5 opens a solenoid valve Ev and fills the chamber with a volume of water, typically of quantity measured by a flow sensor, and for example until obtaining of a determined level in the treatment chamber that can be determined by a pressure sensor measuring the height of water. Advantageously, and during this step a) of soaking, it is possible to monitor the quality of the soaking water, and renew it automatically, when it is no longer considered satisfactory.

According to one embodiment, the device may advantageously comprise a system configured to automatically ensure the renewal of the soaking water, according to at least one parameter representative of the quality of the water.

For example, this system may include a conductivity sensor for dipping into the soaking water, measuring the conductivity of the soaking water. During the dipping of the grains, the quality of the water decreases, which results in an increase in the conductivity of the soaking water.

The control unit is configured to compare the measurement of the conductivity sensor with a determined threshold value, and automatically trigger the emptying of the enclosure, then the renewal of the water when the measured value exceeds this threshold value. Alternatively the system may include a sensor measuring the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water. During the soaking of the grains, the quality of the water decreases, which results in a decrease in the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water.

The control unit is configured to compare the measurement of the sensor measuring the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water with a determined threshold value, and automatically trigger the emptying of the enclosure and the renewal of the water, when the measured value decreases below this threshold value.

Thus, and in general, the system configured to automatically ensure the renewal of the soaking water, according to at least one parameter representative of the quality of the water comprises a sensor measuring a parameter representative of the quality of the water. water, such as the conductivity of the water, or the dissolved oxygen concentration in the soaking water.

During the dipping of the grains, the control unit is configured to compare the sensor measurement of the water quality representative parameter with a threshold value. determined, and automatically trigger the emptying of the enclosure, then the renewal of the water, when the measured value decreases below or, alternatively exceeds this threshold value.

In step b), the control unit controls the atmosphere management system to maintain the atmosphere in a specified temperature range, typically between 10 ° C and 18 ° C, maintaining the atmosphere. saturated with moisture. The humidity control can be obtained by a hygrometry sensor.

During this step b), the control unit 5 can compare the value of the signal of the humidity sensor with a determined threshold value and automatically trigger a nebulizing device when the measured value is less than a threshold value.

This nebulizing device makes it possible to charge the atmosphere in fine drops of water and thus to increase the humidity when necessary, to maintain the atmosphere charged with moisture.

Notably and according to the invention:

- The stirring means 3 comprise a mobile having a rotation shaft 30 with a horizontal axis of rotation, the mobile carrying at least one stirring tool 31,32,

said longitudinal treatment chamber 2 comprises:

a sealed external envelope 20, preferably insulated and

a cradle 21, internal to said enclosure, of U-shaped section having a perforated wall, permeable to the fluid, impermeable to cereal grains, the inner cradle having an upper opening, and in which the inner cradle is configured for receiving the mobile, the rotation shaft 30, axis centered relative to the center of the radius of curvature of the cradle 21.

The upper opening of the cradle allows, and unlike the state of the art mentioned in the introduction, a visual and easy control of production, via an access window (not shown), or even a hatch 70 with visual access to the contents of the inner cradle, through its upper opening. This wide opening further facilitates the cleaning of the treatment chamber, and / or ease the filling of the tank with the grains.

Also, and according to one embodiment, the device having a cowling 7 covering the treatment chamber 2 at its upper part, the device comprises a manhole 70 giving a visual access to an opening of the treatment chamber 2) as well as at the upper opening of internal cradle 21. This inspection hatch is preferably located at a reasonable height allowing inspection of the operations, without the need to bend down or on the contrary to be raised, for example by using a escabot.

The hatch is a leakproof hatch: it can be followed by a removable safety grid 71, closing the access to the opening of the treatment chamber and the inner cradle, while allowing a visual control. Once the grid has been retracted, the upper opening facilitates maintenance operations, and in particular the internal cleaning of the treatment chamber 2.

A safety sensor makes it possible to check the correct closing of the safety grille. The control unit 5 is configured to interrupt the operations (in particular the stirring means 3 and the management system 4 of the atmosphere) when the safety sensor signals an opening of the gate.

On the other hand, it may be advantageously possible to open the hatch (the safety gate then closed) without interrupting the malting operations. It is thus possible to have visual access during operations, advantageously without interrupting the malting process.

According to one embodiment, the stirring means comprise said rotation shaft 30 carrying:

a first external tool 31, arranged in a first helical configuration, disposed near the wall of the inner cradle and configured, when said shaft is actuated in a direction of rotation, to push a first layer of product resting on the inner cradle 21; a first end towards a second end of the inner cradle 21, a second tool 32, internal, arranged in a second helical configuration, on a radius smaller than the first tool 31, and configured, when said shaft is actuated in said direction of rotation, to push a second layer of products, greater than the first layer, in the opposite direction to the forward direction of the first layer.

During filling, particular attention is paid to loading a sufficient quantity of cereal into the inner cradle 21 so that the level of the grains immerses not only the first tool 31 but also the second tool 32, the level remaining preferably however lower than the first one. rotation shaft 30. The stirring is performed by operating the mobile rotation continuously (or discontinuous), the material contained in the inner cradle in a continuous cycle, successively pushed from the first end of the inner cradle 21 to the second end the inner cradle by the first tool 31, then the second end to the first end by the second tool, and so on. The first external tool, (or the second internal tool) can be a continuous helix. The inner helix and the outer helix have opposite inclination walls to push the material in opposite directions when the mobile is driven in the same direction of rotation.

The first external tool (or the second internal tool) may according to a non-illustrated embodiment consist of a plurality of separate blades distributed along a helical path to allow the thrust of the products. In this case, the blades of the first tool and the blades of the second tool have opposite inclinations to push the material in opposite directions when the mobile is rotated.

Preferably, the first external tool comes to the raz of the inner surface of the cradle (at a distance typically between 1 mm and 3 mm), and without grain cereals can escape its pushing action.

Such a double helix mobile (and not inverted) ensures a very good homogeneity of the stirring by the continuous cycle described above, throughout the various stages a), b) and c). This cycle advantageously allows a homogeneous treatment of the grains during different stages, especially during the soaking, germinating and kilning stages.

Advantageously, the mobile can be used not only to brew the products during the various stages of malting, but also to facilitate the evacuation of malt.

The device may thus comprise a malt evacuation system, comprising said stirring means 3, and an evacuation opening 6, with a shutter. The discharge opening 6 is (judiciously) arranged locally at the second end of the cradle, at the height of the low point of the second tool 32, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3a.

The malt evacuation system is configured to allow malt evacuation by the following steps:

- Release of the discharge opening 6 by retraction of the shutter,

- Actuation of the mobile in said direction of rotation so as to push the first layer of product through the opening of the escape hatch 6, thanks to the thrust action of the first tool 31.

According to an illustrated embodiment, said outer casing 2 takes the form of a cradle, external, impermeable (fluid), receiving said inner cradle 21. The outer cradle comprises a first belt wall 200 of U-section, closed at its longitudinal ends by two flanges 201,202 closure serving as a support for guide bearings cooperating with two bearing surfaces 33, 34 for guiding the rotation shaft 3. A gear motor allows the rotation of the mobile via a reference angle and which drives one of the ends of the rotation shaft 3. The inner cradle 21 is formed essentially by a second U-shaped belt wall 210, fastened at its ends respectively to the two flanges 201, 202, and possibly over the length of the cradle via spacers 213, local, arranged between the inner wall of the first waist wall 210 and the outer wall of the second waist wall 200.

The inner cradle 21 comprises a U-shaped belt section 210, in particular the second U-shaped belt wall 210, which is constructed in accordance with one embodiment, wholly or partially, by a cracks grid.

The crack grid comprises working rods 211 of triangular section (see FIG. 3b), arranged parallel to each other, in the longitudinal direction of the inner cradle, defining between them the dimension of the cracks, and lower support rods 212. , curved according to the radius of curvature of the inner cradle 21, arranged transversely to the working rods and welded thereto.

Preferably, the fissure grid extends on the U-shaped section of the second belt section, at least at the level of the rotation shaft 30 of the mobile, namely about a circular section of 180 °.

The system 4 for managing the atmosphere internal to said treatment chamber 2 may comprise a processing circuit comprising said heating means 40, including:

a system 41 for entering treated gas, allowing a treated gas inlet (in particular heated) to enter one of the longitudinal ends of said treatment chamber 2,

- A gas outlet system 42, for the gas outlet, at the other longitudinal end of said treatment chamber.

The treated gas inlet system 41 and the gas outlet system 42 being positioned respectively at the two longitudinal ends of the treatment chamber 2, the treated gas is forced to exchange with the continuous products in the internal cradle 21, and on entire length of the inner cradle 21.

In addition and preferably, the gas inlet system 41 and said gas outlet system 42 are configured to distribute the process gas in said treatment chamber 2 and so that the process gas percolates through the resting grain layer on the inner cradle 21, through the perforated surface of the inner cradle 21 of the interior of the inner cradle 21 to the outside (or vice versa).

This percolation of the treatment gas, when combined with the continuous cycle of the grains operated by the double helix stirring means (and not inverted), advantageously ensures a very high homogeneity of the treatment, and in particular during germination and during kilning .

a motorized inlet 43 configured to take off the outside air, a cold unit 44,

said heating means 40,

said inlet gas treatment system 41, at one of the longitudinal ends of the treatment enclosure 2,

said gas outlet system 42 at the other end of the longitudinal end of the treatment chamber,

an exhaust chimney 45,

a bypass system 46 configured to selectively assume two positions, with:

a first shut-off position of said bypass system in which the gas collected by the gas outlet system 42 is conveyed to the exhaust stack 45, without recirculation of the gases, said motorized inlet 43 then being actuated to supply said enclosure air treatment, via the cooling unit and the heating means, or alternatively;

a second bypass position in which the gas collected by the outlet system 42 is conveyed through the cold unit 44 and the heating means 40 in order to recycle the collected gas back to the inlet system 41 of treated gas . In Figure 4, it recognizes the motorized inlet 43 which is constituted by a centrifugal fan. When actuated, the motorized inlet 43 supplies a plenum, followed by the cold unit 44 with its exchanger and fan, and the electrical resistances of the heating means 40.

The bypass system 46 may be constituted by an isolation register allowing, on the one hand, in an open position of its flaps, the passage of air from a chamber in communication with the exhaust stack 45 to said plenum upstream of the cold unit, and secondly the closure of the passage in the closed position of its shutters.

When the motorized inlet 43 is actuated, the air is forced through the exchanger of the cold unit, then the resistances of the heating means, and before reaching the inlet system 41 of gas. The isolation register is then in its closed position (ie first closed position of said bypass system): the gas passes through the treatment chamber 2 before exiting through the output system 42, then is evacuated by the chimney 45 by forcing the opening of a valve spring of the exhaust stack 45. The first shutter position of the bypass system advantageously allows the carbon dioxide to evacuate when its concentration becomes too great. This makes it possible, for example, to supply the air necessary for the respiration of the grains during the germination step b).

In the second bypass position 1, the gas collected by the outlet system 42 is conveyed through the refrigeration unit 44 and the heating means 40 advantageously making it possible to recycle the gas collected by the outlet system 42 back to the system. input 41 of treated gas. In the second bypass position, the isolation register is in its open position, the valve leaves the chimney preventing the evacuation of gases to the outside, the motorized entry 43 then not activated. The ventilation can thus be provided by a separate ventilation means such as the fan of the refrigeration unit (and that the heat pump of the cold unit is activated or not). Such gas recirculation can be used during germination to maintain an atmosphere saturated with moisture. Thus, and according to one embodiment, during said germination step b), the control unit is configured to control the bypass system, alternately, the first bypass position causing the recycling of the gas so as to maintain a saturated hydrometry inside the treatment chamber, on the one hand, towards the second closed position allowing a renewal of air by actuation of the motorized inlet and an evacuation of the dioxide emissions to the atmosphere outside, on the other hand. The use of the refrigeration unit can be used to cool the gas when necessary. The nebulization device previously described optionally allows the atmosphere to be charged in fine drops and thus automatically increases the humidity when the value of the humidity measured by the hygrometry sensor is lower than a determined threshold value.

Such a recycling of the gases can be still used during the kilning to favor the rise of temperature by limiting the heat losses, even by using the cold group like dehumidifier. For example, during the kilning, and during the recycling of gases, at least during a first sub-step, the heating means and the cooling unit can be advantageously operated simultaneously (the heat pump then active): this advantageously allows the condensation drying in the cold unit: condensed vapors are then removed from the device.

The use of the cooling unit as dehumidifier advantageously allows to significantly reduce the duration of the step c) of kilning, and therefore the duration of implementation of all steps a), b), c), or (d) the malting cycle from soaking to degerming can be reduced to eight days. Also, and according to one embodiment, at least in a first substep of said step c) kilning, the control unit is configured to control the bypass system in the first bypass position ensuring the recycling of gas, the heating means and the cold unit (with its heat pump) then activated simultaneously to ensure the drying by condensation of steam by the cold unit. The cold unit thus makes it possible to condense the fumes contained in the gases in order to dry them, as long as the hot gas remains in acceptable temperature ranges with the operation of the heat pump of the refrigeration unit. Such simultaneous use of the cold unit and the heating means is however prohibited when the temperature of the gases exceeds the upper temperature limit for the cold unit, and in particular during "the shot".

Also, and according to one embodiment, the control unit is configured for the implementation of a second substep of said step c) of kilning, in which the control unit 5 is configured to drive the control system. diversion 46, alternately, of the first bypass position causing the recirculation of the gas so as to allow a rise in temperature by the heating means, the cooler cooling system inactivity (that is to say the pump to inactive heat), on the one hand, to the second shutter position allowing a renewal of air by actuating the motorized inlet and an evacuation of steam from the exhaust stack, on the other hand.

The second stage of kilning covers the shot for which the temperatures of the gases passing through the cold unit reach or exceed 80 ° C, temperatures incompatible with the operation of the heat pump which then remains inactive.

During step c) of kilning, it is still advantageously possible to aromatize the grains by smoking a fuel whose combustion gases are aromatic. The fuel may be peat, or a species of wood, or other.

For this purpose, the malting device can be advantageously equipped with a smoker system 8. An example is illustrated in Figures 6a, 6b and 7. The smoker system 8 may comprise:

an enclosure 80, accessible from the outside, inside which is intended to burn a fuel such as peat, a chimney 81 channeling the gases of the enclosure to a pipe of the atmosphere management system.

For example and in Figure 6b the chimney 81 opens through the opening 83 in the conduit of the atmosphere management system, for example just upstream of the air intake system 41.

The enclosure 80 can be advantageously open from the outside, and thus advantageously without interrupting the malting process of the device. For example, the base 84 is removed by separating said base 84 from the chimney 81. This allows the fuel to be loaded into the base 84, then its new attachment to the chimney by means of removable fasteners 85 connecting the chimney 81 and this base. 84.

An opening 82 with an adjustable flap may be configured to allow adjustment of the flue draft by regulating the amount of outside air allowed to enter the flue.

A lateral opening to the chamber, possibly extended by an ignition tube 86, makes it possible to insert an ignition device such as a match or a barbecue type lighter.

According to one embodiment, the malting device allows the implementation of the step d) of degerming, successively in step c) of kilning.

Advantageously, the openings of the perforated wall of the inner cradle 11 are configured to be impervious to malt grains, but however advantageously permeable to rootlets.

The control unit 5 is then configured to implement, successively in the step c) of kilning, a step d) of degerming obtained by the rotation of the mobile at a speed greater than that implemented during the steps a), b) and c), causing the separation of the malt grains from the rootlets, the malt grains remaining in the inner cradle 21 while the rootlets pass through the perforated wall of the inner cradle. The speed may be greater than 10 rpm such as 15 rpm.

For comparison, the mobile is typically driven: at a speed below 1 rpm during step b) of germination and

at a speed of between 2 and 5 rpm during the dipping step a).

Also, the malts evacuated through the opening 46 are exempt from rootlets, these being trapped in the inter-space between the inner cradle 46 and the outer shell 20. These rootlets can be evacuated by rinsing the envelope external, in particular thanks to a jet of water from the upper opening of the cowling 7.

The noble materials (ie the malt) are separated from the waste (ie the rootlets), these being advantageously discharged separately, respectively by two separate evacuation circuits.

NOMENCLATURE

1. Malting device,

2. Treatment chamber,

20. Outer shell, 201, 202. End flanges

200. First U-section belt wall

21. Internal cradle,

210 (Second) U-section belt wall 211. Working rods (cracks) 212. Support rods (crack grid)

3. Means of brewing,

30. Rotation shaft

31. First external tool (including external propeller),

32. Second internal tool (in particular internal propeller), 4. Atmosphere management system configured for managing the internal environment of said treatment chamber,

40 Heating means such as heating resistors,

41. Gas inlet system,

42. Gas outlet system, 43. Motorized air inlet,

44. Cold group,

45. Exhaust chimney (with spring flap), 46. Bypass system (isolation register),

5. Control unit,

6. Evacuation opening,

7. Hoop,

70. Entrance door,

71. Safety grid,

8. Smoker,

80. Pregnant,

81. Chimney,

82. Opening (draw adjustment),

83. Chimney outlet,

84. Base,

85. Removable fixing,

86. Ignition tube

Claims

1. Device (1) configured for batch malting, comprising: - a treatment chamber (2) for receiving the grains,

- Brewing means (3) of the products contained in said enclosure,

- Filling means comprising a hydraulic circuit and configured to ensure the filling of the enclosure with water and means for emptying said enclosure, - an atmosphere management system (4) configured for the management of the internal environment to said treatment chamber, comprising at least heating means (40),

a control unit (5) configured for implementing a grain treatment sequence contained in said enclosure, including the following steps: a step a) of soaking during which the control unit controls filling said treatment chamber (2) to obtain the dipping of the grains, said unit controlling the emptying of said enclosure at the end of the step,

a curing step in which the control unit controls the said atmosphere management system and the brewing means in order to obtain the drying and aromatization of the grains, characterized in that: the stirring means (3) comprise a mobile having a rotation shaft (30) with a horizontal axis of rotation, the mobile carrying at least one stirring tool (31, 32),

said longitudinal treatment chamber (2) comprises:

an outer shell (20) sealed, and

- A cradle (21), internal to said treatment chamber, of U-shaped section having a perforated wall, permeable to the fluid, impervious to grain, the inner cradle (21) having an upper opening, and wherein the inner cradle is configured for receiving the mobile, the rotation shaft (30), axis centered relative to the center of the radius of curvature of the cradle (21).

2. Device according to claim 1, having a cowling (7) covering the treatment chamber at its upper part, comprising a manhole (70) giving a visual access to an opening of the treatment chamber (2), as well as to the upper opening of the inner cradle (21).

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the hatch is a sealed door, a removable safety gate (71), closing the access to the opening of the treatment chamber and the inner cradle.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stirring means comprises said rotation shaft (30) bearing:

a first external tool (31), arranged in a first heliocoidal configuration, arranged close to the cradle wall and configured, when said shaft is actuated in a direction of rotation, to push a first layer of products resting on the internal cradle; (21) from a first end to a second end of the inner cradle (21),

a second tool (32), internal, arranged in a second helical configuration, on a radius smaller than the first tool (31), and configured, when said shaft is actuated in said direction of rotation, to push a second layer of products, greater than the first layer, in the direction opposite to the direction of advance of the first layer.

5. Device according to claim 4, having a malt evacuation system, comprising said stirring means (3), and a discharge opening (6), with shutter, arranged locally at the second end of the cradle, at the height of the low point of the second tool (32), and wherein the malt evacuation system is configured to allow the evacuation of the malt by the implementation of the following steps:

- release of the discharge opening,

- Actuation of the mobile in said direction of rotation so that push the first layer of product through the opening of the exhaust door (6). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said outer envelope

(20), takes the form of a cradle, external, impervious to fluid, receiving said inner cradle, and wherein the outer cradle comprises a first U-shaped belt wall (200), closed at its longitudinal ends by two closing flanges (201, 202) serving as support for guide bearings cooperating with two bearing surfaces (33, 34) for guiding the rotation shaft (30), and in which the inner cradle (21) is formed essentially by a second U-section belt wall (210), fixed at its ends respectively to the two flanges (201, 202), and possibly along the length of the inner cradle by means of spacers arranged between the inner wall of the first wall of belt and the outer wall of the second belt wall.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner cradle (21) comprises a U-shaped belt section (210), in particular the second U-shaped belt wall (210), which is constituted in whole or in part by a crack grid comprising working rods (211) of triangular section, arranged parallel to each other, in the longitudinal direction of the inner cradle, defining between them the dimension of the cracks, and support rods ( 212), curved according to the radius of curvature of the inner cradle (21), arranged transversely to the working rods to which the working rods (211) are welded.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the crack grid extends over the U-shaped section of the second belt section, at least at the level of the rotation shaft (30) of the mobile.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the system (4) for managing the atmosphere inside said treatment chamber (2), comprising a processing circuit comprising said heating means (40), including :

a treated gas inlet system (41) allowing a treated gas inlet at one of the longitudinal ends of said treatment chamber (2),

- A gas outlet system (42) for the gas outlet at the other longitudinal end of said treatment chamber.

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the gas inlet system and said gas outlet system are configured to distribute the process gas in said treatment chamber and so that the process gas percolates through the layer of grain, through the perforated surface of the inner cradle (21) from the inside of the inner cradle (21) to the outside or vice versa.

11. Device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the processing circuit comprises, in the direction of ventilation, comprises:

a motorized inlet (43) configured to collect the outside air,

a cold unit (44), said heating means (40),

said treated gas inlet system (41) at one of the longitudinal ends of the treatment enclosure (2),

- said gas outlet system (42) at the other longitudinal ends of the treatment chamber, - an exhaust stack (45), a bypass system (46) configured to selectively assume two positions, with:

a first shut-off position of said bypass system in which the gas collected by the gas outlet system (42) is conveyed to the exhaust stack (45) without recirculation of the gases, said motorized inlet (43) being actuated to supply said air treatment chamber, via the cooling unit and the heating means, or alternatively,

a second bypass position in which the gas collected by the outlet system (42) is conveyed through the refrigeration unit (44) and the heating means (40) in order to recycle the collected gas back to the heating system; inlet (41) of treated gas, without evacuation of gases by the chimney (45)

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein in said step b) of germination, the control unit (5) is configured to control the diversion system, alternately, the first bypass position causing the recycling of the gas. so as to maintain a saturated hydrometry inside the treatment chamber, on the one hand, to the second closed position allowing a renewal of air by actuation of the motorized inlet and an evacuation of the discharges of dioxide to the external atmosphere vis-à-vis the exhaust stack (45).

13. Device according to claim 11, wherein at least in a first substep of said step c) of kilning, the control unit is configured to control the bypass system in the first bypass position ensuring the recycling of gas , the heating means and the cold unit then activated simultaneously to ensure the condensation drying of the steam by the cold unit.

14. Device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured for the implementation of a second substep of step c) of kilning, by driving the branch system, alternately, the first bypass position causing the recirculation of the gas so as to allow a rise in temperature by the heating means, the cooling circuit of the inactivated cold unit, on the one hand, to the second closed position allowing a renewal of air by actuation of the motorized inlet (43) and evacuation of steam from the exhaust stack (15), on the other hand.

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the size of the orifices of the perforated wall are configured to be impervious to malt grains, but nevertheless permeable to rootlets, and wherein the control unit (5) is configured to implement, successively in step c) of kilning, a step d) of degerming obtained by the rotation of the mobile at a speed greater than 10 rev / min, with separation of the malt grains of the rootlets, the malt grains remaining in the inner cradle (21) while the rootlets pass through the perforated wall of the inner cradle.

16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, during the step a) of dipping, a system is configured to automatically ensure the renewal of the soaking water, depending on at least one parameter representative of the water quality, said system comprising at least one sensor measuring a parameter representative of water quality, and wherein the control unit (5) is configured to compare the measurement of the parameter sensor representative of the quality of the water with a determined threshold value, and automatically trigger the emptying of the treatment chamber (2), then the renewal of the soaking water, when the measured value decreases below or alternatively , exceeds this threshold value. Device according to claim 16, comprising a smoker system (8), comprising:

- An enclosure (80), configured to be open from the outside, without interrupting the malting process of the device, inside which is intended to burn a fuel such as peat, - a chimney (81) channeling the gases from the enclosure up to a pipe of the atmosphere management system.

18. A method of malting implemented in a device according to one of claims 1 to 17, wherein said control unit (5) is configured for the implementation of a processing sequence of cereal grains contained in said enclosure, including the following steps:

a dipping step a) during which the control unit (5) controls the filling of said treatment chamber (2) and the brewing means in order to obtain the dipping of the grains, said unit controlling the emptying of said enclosure at the end of the step,

a germination step b) in which the control unit controls the said atmosphere management system and the brewing means in order to obtain the germination of the grains; a curing step c) in which the unit of control controlling said atmosphere management system and the brewing means to obtain the drying of the grains, and possibly

- A degerming step d) obtained by rotating the mobile at a speed greater than that implemented in steps a), b) and obtaining the separation of malt grains from their rootlets, the malt grains remaining in the inner cradle while the rootlets through the perforated wall of the inner cradle, and allowing their evacuation following two separate evacuation circuits.