GB824176A - A method of and apparatus for producing milk fermentation products particularly yoghourt - Google Patents

Abstract

824,176. Production of milk fermentation products; yoghourt. PENNEKAMP, E. Feb. 27, 1956 [Feb. 26, 1955], No. 6056/56. Classes 49 and 81 (1). In the production of milk fermentation products, particularly yoghourt, the entire supply of milk for a given working period, e.g. to cover the entire daily production of fermentation products, is cold inoculated in bulk with the specific ferments and worked up progressively, the steps of preheating to the incubation temperature, the incubation until coagulation occurs, the cooling of the coagulated product and optionally the packing of individual containers being carried out continuously. In one embodiment, Fig. 1, milk is inoculated in bulk in a container 8, and is passed through a preheater 9 in which it is heated to a temperature of 45-48‹ C., to a decanting machine 11 for filling into bottles 13. The filled bottles are transferred to a conveyer 15 by hand or mechanically, are conveyed to a counting mechanism 16 and a feeder 17 and on to a conveyer 18 by which they are passed to and through an incubating oven 19, the speed of the conveyer being adjusted so that the bottles emerge from the oven at the completion of fermentation. The bottles are then cooled in a bath 20. In another embodiment, Fig. 5, a single conveyer 41 is employed for transporting bottles containing portions of inoculated milk through a preheating bath 43, an incubating oven 44 and a cooling bath 45. In the annular arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 7, filled bottles are conveyed on holders 27 through a preheating bath 23, an incubating oven 24 and a cooling bath 25; the device shown in Fig. 7 permits " dipping " bottle holders into the heating or cooling liquid in the baths 23, 25 respectively.