GB2258243A

GB2258243A - Malt production using steeping vessel with water recirculating means

Info

Publication number: GB2258243A
Application number: GB9212525A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Walsh; Gerard Roche
Original assignee: MINCH NORTON DEV Ltd
Current assignee: MINCH NORTON DEV Ltd
Priority date: 1991-07-31
Filing date: 1992-06-12
Publication date: 1993-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-12
Also published as: GB2258243B; IE67162B1; GB9212525D0; IE912694A1; ZA924434B

Abstract

Malt is produced from barley by first steeping the barley in first stage steeping vessels and then in second stage steeping vessels eg 2. To decrease the temperature profile across the steeping vessel 2 and to thus improve the quality of the steeped grain water is recirculated in the vessel 2 through recirculating lines 25. Pumps 20 deliver recirculating water from inlets 25 below agrain supporting floor 15 to outlets (22, Fig 4) at the top of the vessel 2. The water is aerated by directing it through the outlet across the surface of the steeping grain in the vessel 2. <IMAGE>

Description

"A method and apparatus for producing malt" The invention relates to a method of producing malt from cereal grain, particularly barley.

Statements of Invention According to the invention there is provided a method of producing malt from cereal grain, such as barley, the method comprises the steps of; steeping grain to increase the moisture level of the grain to between 40% and 50% by weight; germinating the steeped grain; and kilning the germinated grain to produce malt, wherein: during steeping, water is recirculated in a steeping vessel to reduce the temperature profile of the grain in the steeping vessel thereby to produce steeped grain having substantially uniform moisture content.

In one embodiment of the invention the steeping vessel includes a perforated floor on which the grain is supported during steeping, the floor being spaced-apart from the base of the vessel and water for recirculation being drawn from beneath the floor to the top of the vessel.

In one embodiment of the invention, during recirculation, the water is aerated. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the water is aerated by directing the water transversely with respect to the surface of the water and grain at the water recirculation outlet.

In one embodiment of the invention the grain is steeped by carrying out a first stage steeping in one vessel followed by a second stage steeping in another vessel. Preferably the steeped grain is germinated in a first stage germinating vessel prior to delivery to a second stage germinating vessel.

The steeped grain may be germinated in a first stage in one of at least two separate first stage germinating vessels.

In one embodiment of the invention the germinated grain is kilned in a first stage kilning vessel and delivered to a second stage kilning vessel to complete kilning.

In another aspect the invention provides an apparatus for steeping grain in malt production, the apparatus comprising; a steeping vessel having a base and a floor spaced-apart from the base for supporting grain during steeping, the vessel having a water inlet, a waste water outlet, a grain inlet and a steeped grain outlet, characterised in that: the apparatus includes water recirculating means for delivery of water from below the grain supporting floor to the top of the vessel to substantially reduce the temperature profile of the grain across the steeping vessel and thereby to provide a steeped grain of substantially uniform moisture content.

In one embodiment of the invention, during recirculation, the water is aerated. Preferably the water recirculating means comprises a water recirculating line having a recirculating water inlet below the grain supporting flow and a recirculating water outlet at the top of the vessel. In a preferred arrangement the recirculating water outlet is located above the level of the steeping grain in the vessel.

In one embodiment of the invention the water is aerated by directing it through the recirculating water outlet substantially across the vessel adjacent the level of the steeping grain in the vessel.

Preferably the recirculating line includes means for preventing flow-back of steeping grain. In a preferred embodiment the means for preventing flow-back comprises a swan-neck portion of the recirculating line adjacent to the recirculation water outlet.

The invention also provides malt whenever produced by the method or using the apparatus of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a method for producing malt according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a steeping vessel according to the invention and used in the method; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the steeping vessel; and Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of portion of the steeping vessel.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1 thereof there is illustrated a method of producing malt from cereal grain such as barley comprising the steps of carrying out a first stage steeping in one or any number of four steeping vessels 1 and subsequently carrying out a second stage steeping in one of two larger steeping vessels 2, 3. In the steeping process the moisture content of the grain is increased to between 40 and 50 % by weight. The steeped grain is then transferred to one of four separate germinating vessels 5 where the germination of the grain is encouraged.

After partial germination the grain is delivered to a second germination vessel 6 where germination is completed and then to a kilning bed 7 where the moisture level of the grain is decreased to about 12 % by weight and then delivered to a lower kilning bed 8 where the moisture level of the grain is decreased further to a level of approximately 3 to 4 % by weight to produce malt.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 to 4 each of the large steeping vessels 2, 3 has a water inlet 10, a waste water outlet 11, a grain inlet provided by a top opening 12 and a grain outlet 13. Grain is supported in the vessel on a perforated floor 15 which is spaced-apart from the base 16 of the vessel 2.

To decrease the temperature profile across the steeping vessel 2 and thereby to improve the quality of the steeped grain by providing steeped grain of a substantially uniform moisture content, water is recirculated in the steeping vessel 2.

Water is recirculated through water recirculating lines 25 by three pumps 20 which are diagrammatically illustrated and deliver recirculating water from recirculating water inlets 21 below the grain supporting floor 15 to recirculating water outlets 22 at the top of the vessel 2. The water is aerated by directing it through the outlet 22 substantially across the surface of the steeping grain in the vessel 2 as best illustrated in Fig. 4. Each of the water recirculating lines 25 includes a swan-neck portion 26 to prevent flow-back of steeping grain through the lines 25 if the level in the vessel 2 rises.

By recirculating the water in this way a substantially uniform temperature may be maintained throughout the steeping vessel.

This has considerable advantages in that as the moisture uptake in steeping is temperature dependent, the amount of water taken up by grain in steeping varies. In some cases it may be necessary to condition the grain further during germination, for example by spraying water on the surface of the grain in a germinating vessel which encourages moisture uptake in grain that has a lower than necessary level of moisture but also increases the amount of growth, which has a detrimental effect. Thus, the method and apparatus of the invention provides malt of substantially uniform characteristics.

Many variations of the specific embodiments of the invention described will be readily apparent and accordingly the invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims

1. A method of producing malt from cereal grain, such as barley, the method comprises the steps of; steeping grain to increase the moisture level of the grain to between 40% and 50% by weight; germinating the steeped grain; and kilning the germinated grain to produce malt, characterised in that: during steeping, water is recirculated in a steeping vessel to reduce the temperature profile of the grain in the steeping vessel thereby to produce steeped grain having substantially uniform moisture content.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the steeping vessel includes a perforated floor on which the grain is supported during steeping, the floor being spaced-apart from the base of the vessel and water for recirculation being drawn from beneath the floor to the top of the vessel.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein, during recirculation, the water is aerated.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the water is aerated by directing the water transversely with respect to the surface of the water and grain at the water recirculation outlet.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the grain is steeped by carrying out a first stage steeping in one vessel followed by a second stage steeping in another vessel.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the steeped grain is germinated in a first stage germinating vessel prior to delivery to a second stage germinating vessel.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the steeped grain is germinated in a first stage in one of at least two separate first stage germinating vessels.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the germinated grain is kilned in a first stage kilning vessel and delivered to a second stage kilning vessel to complete kilning.

9. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. Malt whenever produced by a method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.

11. Apparatus for steeping grain in malt production, the apparatus comprising; a steeping vessel having a base and a floor spaced apart from the base for supporting grain during steeping, the vessel having a water inlet, a waste water outlet, a grain inlet and a steeped grain outlet, wherein the apparatus includes water recirculating means for delivery of water from below the grain supporting floor to the top of the vessel to substantially reduce the temperature profile of the grain across the steeping vessel and thereby to provide a steeped grain of substantially uniform moisture content.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein, during recirculation, the water is aerated.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the water recirculating means comprises a water recirculating line having a recirculating water inlet below the grain supporting floor and a recirculating water outlet at the top of the vessel.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the recirculating water outlet is located above the level of the steeping grain in the vessel.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 12 to 14 wherein the water is aerated by directing it through the recirculating water outlet substantially across the vessel adjacent the level of the steeping grain in the vessel.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the recirculating line includes means for preventing flow-back of steeping grain.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the means for preventing flow-back comprises a swan-neck portion of the recirculating line adjacent to the recirculation water outlet.

18. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Malt whenever produced using the apparatus of claims 11 to 18.