JP2019146597A - Fermented milk producing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fermented milk producing apparatus in which, by performing the heating of an object to be heated with a better accuracy, the finishing of the fermented milk can be stabilized.SOLUTION: The fermented milk producing apparatus includes: a housing that can heat an object to be heated comprising a raw material milk and an inoculum to produce a fermented milk and accommodate a container containing an object to be heated inside; a heater that heats the container; a plurality of detection means 601 and 602 that detect temperature information of the object to be heated in the container heated by the heater and are arranged at different positions of the housing; and a control unit that calculates the temperature of the object to be heated based on the temperature information detected by the plurality of detection means 601 and 602 and controls the heating of the heater according to the calculated result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a fermented milk producing apparatus for producing fermented milk by heat-fermenting raw material milk and lactic acid bacteria.

  Fermented milk represented by yoghurt is obtained by adding lactic acid bacteria to raw milk such as raw milk and subjecting it to heat fermentation. Patent document 1 is disclosing the manufacturing method of fermented milk. In the production method described in Patent Document 1, lactobacilli and lactic acid cocci are added to raw milk and fermented by heating. In a fermentation process, it is made to ferment at 44-55 degreeC which is a temperature higher than the conventional optimal temperature. Thereby, the raise of the acidity of fermented milk in cold storage can be suppressed, and deterioration of flavor can be prevented.

Republished WO2011 / 083776

By the way, there are paste-like yogurt (eating yogurt), liquid yogurt (drinking yogurt) and frozen yogurt (frozen yogurt). Yogurt to drink can be easily ingested, and its demand increases. ing.
In order to produce a yogurt to drink, it is necessary to first produce an eating yogurt from raw milk and lactic acid bacteria, and then crush the eating yogurt. That is, it is necessary to homogenize yogurt and smooth the mouthfeel. However, homogenization cannot be achieved by simply mixing yogurt with a spoon. In order not to leave a high-viscosity portion (dama), it is necessary to use a homogenizer or the like that performs stirring and pressurization (paragraphs 0002 and 0022 of Patent Document 1), and there is a problem that the apparatus is enlarged. is there. Increasing the size of the device can be a problem, particularly in household yogurt makers.
On the other hand, there is a desire to stabilize the finish of fermented milk by heating a heated object including raw material milk and inoculum (lactic acid bacteria) with better accuracy.
Then, an object of this invention is to provide the fermented milk production | generation apparatus which can heat the to-be-heated material with a better precision, and can stabilize the finish of fermented milk in view of said problem.

  The fermented milk production device according to the present invention is a fermented milk production device for producing a fermented milk by heating an object to be heated containing raw material milk and an inoculum, and a housing capable of accommodating the container containing the object to be heated therein. A body, a heater for heating the container, temperature information of an object to be heated in the container heated by the heater, and a plurality of detection means arranged at different positions of the housing; And a controller that calculates the temperature of the object to be heated based on the temperature information detected by the detecting means, and controls the heating of the heater according to the calculated result.

  According to said apparatus, since heating of a heater is controlled based on several temperature information, a to-be-heated material can be heated with a better precision, and it becomes possible to stabilize the finish of fermented milk.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of fermented milk production | generation apparatus. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of fermented milk production | generation apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of fermented milk production | generation apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the coagulation timing of casein. It is a figure for demonstrating the smoothness of fermented milk according to the temperature rise rate of a heating fermentation process. It is a flowchart of the fermented milk production | generation method. It is a flowchart of preheating, Comprising: FIG. It is a flowchart of preheating, and continues from FIG. It is a flowchart of this heating. It is a figure for demonstrating the temperature control of this heating. It is a figure for demonstrating the temperature change of the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the fermented milk produced | generated with the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on embodiment. (A) It is a flowchart of the modification of this heating. (B) It is a table used in the modification of this heating. It is a figure for demonstrating the temperature sensor in a modification.

<Overview>
The fermented milk production | generation apparatus which concerns on 1 aspect WHEREIN: The fermented milk production | generation apparatus which heats the to-be-heated material containing raw material milk and an inoculum, and produces | generates fermented milk, The housing | casing which can accommodate the container which put the said to-be-heated material inside. A body, a heater for heating the container, temperature information of an object to be heated in the container heated by the heater, and a plurality of detection means arranged at different positions of the housing; And a controller that calculates the temperature of the object to be heated based on the temperature information detected by the detecting means, and controls the heating of the heater according to the calculated result. Thereby, the temperature of the object to be heated can be detected at a plurality of locations, and the temperature of the object to be heated can be calculated based on a plurality of temperature information.
In the fermented milk production device according to another aspect, the detection means is arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction with respect to the center position of the casing. Thereby, the temperature in the position separated up and down can be detected.
The fermented milk production | generation apparatus which concerns on another aspect equips the said housing | casing with the recognition means which recognizes the information described on the surface of the said container. Thereby, information on the object to be heated can be obtained.
An example of a fermented milk production method described in the specification is a fermented milk production method that is used in a fermented milk production apparatus and heats an object to be heated containing raw material milk and inoculum to produce fermented milk. The heating step of heating the heated object includes a first step of driving the heater with a set heating amount, a second step of stopping the driving of the heater, and the heating of the object to be heated after stopping the driving of the heater. A third step of measuring the time until the temperature drops to a predetermined temperature, a fourth step of setting the heating amount of the heater according to the measured time, and the first to fourth steps And repeating the process.
In this way, by heating and stopping the heater repeatedly and heating the object to be heated, a rapid temperature rise can be avoided.
In the example of the method for producing fermented milk described in the specification, the heating in the heating step is performed in a range where the temperature of the object to be heated is 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C.
In the fermented milk production method according to an example described in the specification, the fermented milk has a viscosity in a range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s.
In the fermented milk production method as an example described in the specification, the method includes a preheating step of heating the heated object so that the temperature of the heated object is increased at a faster rate than the heating process before the heating step. The total time of the preheating step and the heating step is 7.5 to 8.5 hours, and the time distribution between the preheating step and the heating step is as follows. It is characterized by the time of a heating process being the range of 4.3-7.0.
An example of the fermented milk producing method described in the specification is used in a fermented milk producing apparatus, and heat-fermenting raw material milk and an inoculum so that the viscosity is in the range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s and the pH is 4 A fermented milk production method for producing fermented milk in the range of 3 to 4.9, wherein the temperature of the heated object containing the raw material milk and the inoculum is increased at a first rate. After the preheating step for heating the heated object and the preheating step, the temperature of the object to be heated rises at a second speed that is slower than the first speed, and is in the range of 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C. A main heating step of heating the article to be heated so that the time of the preheating step and the time of the main heating step is 7.5 to 8.5 hours, and the preheating step And the time of the main heating process are distributed in the preliminary heating process. During against one, the time of the main heating step is characterized by a range of 4.3 to 7.0.

Thus, by performing appropriate temperature control in the preheating step and the main heating step, the viscosity is in the range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s without adding a homogenization step by crushing, and the pH value. It is possible to produce fermented milk (drinking yogurt) in the range of 4.3 to 4.9.
Note that the total time of the preliminary heating step and the main heating step is 7.5 hours or more and 8.5 hours or less, but preferably 8.0 hours.
The final target temperature of the heating step is 28 ° C. or more and less than 33 ° C. as described above, more preferably 29 ° C. or more and less than 31 ° C., and most preferably 30 ° C.
Moreover, although the value of the pH of fermented milk produced | generated by the fermented milk production | generation method is the range of 4.3 or more and 4.9 or less as mentioned above, the most preferable value is 4.6.

In the fermented milk production method according to an example described in the specification, the fermented milk production device includes a housing that houses the heated object, a heater that heats the heated material via the housing, and the housing. And a sensor for measuring the temperature of the object to be heated, and in the main heating step, the heater is driven with a set heating amount to heat the casing in which the object to be heated is accommodated. 1 step, a second step of stopping the driving of the heater, and a time from when the driving of the heater is stopped until the temperature of the casing in which the object to be heated is stored decreases to a predetermined temperature A third step of measuring the temperature, a fourth step of setting the heating amount of the heater according to the measured time, and a step of repeating the fourth step from the first step. .
An example of the heating amount here is the heating temperature. That is, in the fermented milk production method, the main heating step drives the heater 103 to heat the inner housing 4 until the temperature of the temperature sensor 104 rises to the set first temperature, and the heater 103. A second step of stopping the driving of the heater 103, a third step of measuring the time from when the driving of the heater 103 is stopped until the temperature of the temperature sensor 104 decreases to a predetermined second temperature, and Depending on the time, a fourth step of setting the first temperature used in the first step and a step of repeating the first to fourth steps may be included.
In this manner, by rapidly driving and stopping the heater 103 to heat the object to be heated (the inner casing 4 that accommodates the object to be heated), a rapid temperature increase can be avoided. Further, by performing feedback control of the heating amount and the heating temperature using the time required for natural cooling, it becomes easy to realize the final target temperature of 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C. From these things, it becomes difficult to be influenced by room temperature, and the finish of fermented milk is stabilized.
Note that the generation method may end in the middle of the first step or the third step.

In the example of the fermented milk production method described in the specification, the fourth step determines whether or not the time measured in the third step is longer than a predetermined time. The heating amount is reduced, and when it is short, the heating amount of the heater is increased.
This avoids a rapid temperature rise and makes it easy to achieve the final target temperature of 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C.

In the example of the fermented milk production method described in the specification, the fermented milk production apparatus holds a table in which a plurality of times and heating amounts are associated with each other so that the heating amount increases as the time is shorter. In the fourth step, the time closest to the time measured in the third step is selected from the plurality of times described in the table, and the heating amount associated with the selected time is selected. And a heating amount of the heater is set.
This avoids a rapid temperature rise and makes it easy to achieve the final target temperature of 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C.

In the example of the fermented milk production method described in the specification, the preliminary heating step sets a temperature of the heater in a range of 56 ° C. to 66 ° C., and heats the casing in which the heated object is accommodated. It is characterized by.
A housing is interposed between the object to be heated and the heater, and the heat of the heater is not directly transmitted to the object to be heated. Therefore, in the preheating step, by heating at such a high temperature, fermentation in the subsequent main heating step easily proceeds. In addition, since raw milk and inoculum may be cooled in a refrigerator, it is desirable to heat at such a high temperature.

In the example of the fermented milk production method described in the specification, the preheating step is characterized in that the time of the preheating step is varied according to the amount of the object to be heated accommodated in the casing.
Thereby, suitable temperature control can be performed according to the quantity of to-be-heated material.
In the fermented milk production method according to an example described in the specification, the case can contain a milk pack, and when the case contains a milk pack having a capacity of 1000 ml, the preheating time is Is 1.5 hours, and the time of the main heating is 6.5 hours.

In the example of the fermented milk production method described in the specification, the case can contain a milk pack, and when the case contains a 500 ml milk pack, the preheating time is 1.0 hours, and the time of the main heating is 7.0 hours.
In this way, it is possible to use a commercially available milk pack as it is as a container, which is very convenient for the user.

An example of a fermented milk generating apparatus described in the specification is a fermented milk generating apparatus that generates fermented milk by heating an object to be heated including raw material milk and an inoculum, and a heater that heats the object to be heated, A sensor for measuring the temperature of the object to be heated, a timer for measuring time, and a control unit for controlling the heating of the object to be heated, the control unit in the heating step of heating the object to be heated, A first step of driving the heater with a set heating amount; a second step of stopping the driving of the heater; and a temperature of the object to be heated to a predetermined temperature after stopping the driving of the heater. A third step of causing the timer to measure the time until the time decreases, a fourth step of setting the heating amount of the heater according to the measured time, and a step of repeatedly performing the fourth step from the first step It is characterized by performing.
In this way, by heating and stopping the heater repeatedly and heating the object to be heated, a rapid temperature rise can be avoided.
In the fermented milk production apparatus according to an example described in the specification, the control unit controls the heating process so that the temperature of the object to be heated is 28 ° C. or more and less than 33 ° C. To do.
The fermented milk production | generation apparatus of an example as described in a specification WHEREIN: The viscosity of the said fermented milk is the range of 9-1500 mPa * s, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
In the fermented milk production apparatus according to an example described in the specification, the control unit heats the heated object so that the temperature of the heated object increases at a faster rate than the heating process before the heating process. The preheating step is performed, and the total time of the preheating step and the heating step is 7.5 to 8.5 hours, and the time distribution between the preheating step and the heating step is the time of the preheating step. 1 is characterized in that the time of the heating step is in the range of 4.3 to 7.0.
The fermented milk production | generation apparatus of an example as described in a specification is a range whose viscosity is 9-1500 mPa * s and pH is 4.3-4.9 by heat-fermenting raw material milk and an inoculum. It is a fermented milk production | generation apparatus which produces | generates fermented milk which is this, Comprising: The preheating process which heats the said to-be-heated material so that the temperature of the to-be-heated material containing the said raw material milk and the said inoculum rises at a 1st speed | rate And after the preheating step, the temperature of the object to be heated rises at a second speed that is slower than the first speed, and reaches the range of 28 ° C. or more and less than 33 ° C. And a main heating step for heating the preheating step, and the total heating step time and the main heating step time are 7.5 to 8.5 hours. The distribution with the time of the main heating process is as follows. , The time of the main heating step is characterized by a range of 4.3 to 7.0.
As described above, the controller performs appropriate temperature control in the preheating step and the main heating step, so that the viscosity is in the range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s without adding a homogenization step by crushing, and It is possible to produce fermented milk (drinking yogurt) having a pH value in the range of 4.3 to 4.9.
Note that the total time of the preliminary heating step and the main heating step is 7.5 hours or more and 8.5 hours or less, but preferably 8.0 hours.
The final target temperature of the heating step is 28 ° C. or more and less than 33 ° C. as described above, more preferably 29 ° C. or more and less than 31 ° C., and most preferably 30 ° C.
Moreover, although the value of the pH of fermented milk produced | generated by the fermented milk production | generation method is the range of 4.3 or more and 4.9 or less as mentioned above, the most preferable value is 4.6.

  The fermented milk production | generation apparatus of an example as described in a specification WHEREIN: The said fermented milk production | generation apparatus, the heater which heats the said to-be-heated material through the said housing | casing which accommodates the said to-be-heated material, and the said housing | casing A sensor for measuring the temperature of the object to be heated via a timer and a timer for measuring time, and the control unit drives the heater with a set heating amount in the main heating step, A second step of stopping the driving of the heater; and a time from when the driving of the heater is stopped until the temperature of the casing in which the object to be heated is stored decreases to a predetermined temperature. Performing a third step to be measured, a fourth step of setting the heating amount of the heater according to the measured time, and a step of repeating the fourth step from the first step. .

An example of the heating amount here is the heating temperature. That is, in the main heating process, the heater 103 is driven to heat the inner housing 4 until the temperature of the temperature sensor 104 rises to the set first temperature, and the heater 103 is stopped from driving. Two steps, a third step in which the timer 105 measures the time from when the driving of the heater 103 is stopped until the temperature of the temperature sensor 104 drops to a predetermined second temperature, and depending on the measured time The fourth step of setting the first temperature used in the first step and the step of repeating the first step to the fourth step may be included.
In this manner, by rapidly driving and stopping the heater 103 to heat the object to be heated (the inner casing 4 that accommodates the object to be heated), a rapid temperature increase can be avoided. Further, by performing feedback control of the heating amount and the heating temperature using the time required for natural cooling, it becomes easy to realize the final target temperature of 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C. From these things, it becomes difficult to be influenced by room temperature, and the finish of fermented milk is stabilized.
In addition, you may complete | finish a production | generation process in the middle of a 1st process and a 3rd process.

<Embodiment>

Below, embodiment of the fermented milk production | generation apparatus which concerns on one aspect is described.
1. Configuration of Fermented Milk Generation Device The configuration of the fermented milk generation device 1 according to one aspect of the present invention will be described. In addition, an example of the fermented milk production | generation apparatus demonstrated here is a household use.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of the fermented milk production apparatus 1. As shown in the figure, the fermented milk production device 1 is composed of an outer casing 2, a lid 3, and an inner casing 4. The outer casing 2 has an operation panel 5 for performing various displays and operations. It has. The outer casing 2 and the inner casing 4 are made of a resin material. The lid 3 is made of a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), or silicon resin, or a glass material. The operation panel 5 includes an operation unit 106 including a plurality of buttons, a liquid crystal display unit 107, an LED (not shown) for identifying a selected mode, and the like.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fermented milk production apparatus 1. As shown in the figure, the inner housing 4 is a bottomed cylindrical body and can accommodate therein a container containing a heated object including at least raw milk and inoculum. A heater 103 for heating an object to be heated and a temperature sensor 104 for managing the temperature of the heater 103 are provided outside the side wall of the inner casing 4 (on the outer casing 2 side). As the container for the object to be heated, a cylindrical resin container or a paper milk pack 10 as shown in FIG. 2 can be used.

Here, a container (resin container or milk pack 10), an air layer, and the inner housing 4 are interposed between the object to be heated and the heater 103 and the temperature sensor 104. Therefore, there is a difference between the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 104 and the actual temperature of the object to be heated. Therefore, it is necessary to devise temperature management of the heater 103 for heat fermentation. Details will be described later.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the fermented milk production device 1. As shown in the figure, the fermented milk production apparatus 1 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a heater 103, a temperature sensor 104, a timer 105, an operation unit 106, and a display unit 107.

Specifically, the control unit 101 includes a CPU and a working RAM, and controls the entire fermented milk production device 1 based on a computer program and various setting data stored in the storage unit 102. For example, the control unit 101 controls the driving of the heater 103 using the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 104 and the time measured by the timer 105, and performs temperature management of the heated object in the fermented milk production process. In addition, the control unit 101 performs processing according to the operation received by the operation unit 106 from the user, or displays the set temperature and the timer set time on the display unit 107.
In the fermented milk production process, the control unit 101 performs, for example, a preheating process and a preheating process for heating the heated object so that the temperature of the heated object including the raw milk and the inoculum increases at the first speed. Thereafter, the main heating step of heating the object to be heated so that the temperature of the object to be heated rises at a second speed that is gentler than the first speed and reaches a range of 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C. .

Specifically, the storage unit 102 includes a ROM or a flash memory, and stores various computer programs and setting data including a computer program of the fermented milk production method according to the present embodiment.
The heater 103 is driven based on the control of the control unit 101 and heats an object to be heated via the inner casing 4. The temperature of the heater 103 can be set to 25 ° C. to 80 ° C., for example. The temperature sensor 104 measures the temperature of the object to be heated via the inner housing 4. The temperature sensor 104 can measure a range in the same range as the settable temperature 25 ° C. to 80 ° C. of the heater 103. The timer 105 measures time. The temperature sensor 104 and the timer 105 notify the control unit 101 of the detected temperature and the measured time, respectively.

The operation unit 106 includes a button for receiving an operation from the user. When the operation of the user is received, the operation unit 106 notifies the control unit 101 of the operation. The display unit 107 includes a liquid crystal display device, and displays a set temperature, a timer set time, and the like on the liquid crystal display device.
2. Fermented milk production method (1) History of obtaining fermented milk production method

As described above, in order to produce liquid fermented milk, it is necessary to crush and homogenize it after producing pasty fermented milk. However, since an increase in the size of the apparatus is a concern when a crushing step is added, the inventors have studied a method for producing liquid fermented milk without adding a crushing step.
Fermented milk is produced by adding lactic acid bacteria (for example, Bulgaria, thermophilus, acidophilus, bifidobacteria, gasseri, or combinations thereof) to raw milk as a raw material and heating. Specifically, lactic acid bacteria decompose lactose contained in raw milk to produce lactic acid, and this lactic acid solidifies casein, which is a protein contained in raw milk, to produce pasty fermented milk from raw milk. The inventors focused attention on the coagulation timing of casein in the process of producing fermented milk.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the elapsed time until solid yogurt is produced from milk and the pH value of the object to be heated. The pH value of milk is about 6.8, but the pH value is gradually lowered by lactic acid produced from lactic acid bacteria. When the pH drops to 5.0, the spoilage bacteria cannot grow and die. On the other hand, lactic acid bacteria continue to grow. When the pH value becomes 4.6, casein, which is a protein of milk, coagulates. Thereafter, when the pH value is around 4.0, the lactic acid bacteria stop growing, and the fermentation of the object to be heated ends.

  In view of such a production process, if fermentation is terminated at around pH = 4.6, which is the timing of casein coagulation, yogurt to drink before becoming solid yogurt is produced. Here, in order not to impair the flavor of yogurt, it was found that the pH value is good about 4.3 to 4.9, and the yogurt that is preferred by users has a viscosity of 9 to 1500 mPa · s. .

Furthermore, as a result of the experiment, as shown in FIG. 5, in the heat fermentation process, when the temperature rise rate of the heated object is fast, it is likely to be solid yogurt, and when the temperature rise rate is slow, it is likely to be smooth yogurt. I understood that.
From the above, in order to produce fermented milk having a viscosity in the range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s and a pH in the range of 4.3 to 4.9, the inventors have performed appropriate temperature control. The following fermented milk production | generation method to perform was discovered.
(2) Detailed explanation of fermented milk production method

Here, the fermented milk production | generation method and fermented milk production | generation process are demonstrated in detail using the flowchart shown in FIGS. In addition, the fermented milk production | generation method and fermented milk production | generation process which are shown here are implement | achieved when the fermented milk production | generation apparatus 1 operate | moves according to a computer program. In other words, the control unit 101 operates according to the computer program, and executes the fermented milk production process using the heater 103, the temperature sensor 104, and the timer 105. Moreover, before starting the fermented milk production | generation method and fermented milk production | generation process shown here, the to-be-heated material containing raw material milk and an inoculum is accommodated in the inner housing | casing 4 as a preparation step. At this time, a resin container or a paper milk pack may be used as a container for storing an object to be heated. When a milk pack is used, one with a capacity of 1000 ml may be used, or one with a capacity of 500 ml may be used. Furthermore, when using a milk pack, the milk containing the purchased milk pack may be accommodated in the inner casing 4 as it is.
(2.1) Flow chart of fermented milk production method

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the entire fermented milk production method. In the fermented milk production method, first, preliminary heating is performed (step S1), and then main heating is performed (step S2). That is, the control unit 101 first performs a preliminary heating process (step S1), and then performs a main heating process (step S2).
(2.2) Preheating Flowchart FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the preheating process. The process shown here is the detail of step S1 in FIG.

Commercially available milk and yogurt may be used as raw milk and inoculum, which are raw materials for fermented milk. Usually, milk and yogurt are stored at a low temperature of 10 ° C. or lower in a refrigerator. Therefore, the fermented milk production | generation method in this embodiment performs preheating before performing this heating, and raises the temperature of a to-be-heated object to the temperature vicinity where fermentation is started.
First, the set temperature of the heater 103 is set to the first temperature increase target temperature T1 = 65 ° C. (step S101), and heating is started (step S102). At this time, the timing of the total heating time is started using a timing means (not shown).

A container, an air layer, and the inner casing 4 are interposed between the object to be heated and the heater 103, so that the heat of the heater 103 is not directly transmitted to the object to be heated. Therefore, in the preheating, the object to be heated is heated at a high temperature of 56 ° C. to 66 ° C., preferably about 65 ° C.
The temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 104 is monitored to determine whether or not T = T1 has been reached (step S103). If T = T1 is not satisfied (N in step S103), the process returns to step S103. When T = T1 (Y in step S103), the value of the timer 105 is set to t = 0, and the measurement of the heating time is started (step S104).

While continuing the time measurement by the timer 105 (step S105), it is determined whether or not the heating time has reached t = t1 (step S106). t1 is a preset value and is the heating duration when the volume of the object to be heated is approximately 500 ml. In the present embodiment, specifically, t1 = 1620s.
If t = t1 is not satisfied (N in step S106), the process returns to step S105, and the time measurement by the timer 105 is continued. If t = t1 (Y in step S106), it is determined whether or not the volume of the object to be heated is approximately 500 ml (step S107).

If the volume of the object to be heated is 500 ml (Y in step S107), the process proceeds to step S110. If the volume of the object to be heated is not 500 ml (N in step S107), it is determined whether the heating time has reached t = t2 while continuing the time measurement by the timer 105 (step S108) (step S109). t2 is a preset value and is the heating duration when the volume of the object to be heated is approximately 1000 ml. In the present embodiment, specifically t2 = 2400 s.
If t = t2 is not satisfied (N in step S109), the process returns to step S108, and the time measurement by the timer 105 is continued. If t = t2 (Y in step S109), the process proceeds to step S110.

After the heating of the first temperature increase target temperature T1 is completed, the set temperature of the heater 103 is set to the second temperature increase target temperature T2 = 40 ° C. lower than the first temperature increase target temperature T1 (step S110), heating is continued (step S111).
The temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 104 is monitored, and it is determined whether or not T = T2 has been reached (step S112). If T = T2 is not satisfied (N in step S112), the process returns to step S112. When T = T2 (Y in step S112), the value of the timer 105 is set to t = 0, and the measurement of the heating time is started (step S113).

While continuing the time measurement by the timer 105 (step S114), it is determined whether or not the heating time has reached t = t3 (step S115). t3 is a preset value and is a heating duration when the capacity of the object to be heated is approximately 500 ml. In the present embodiment, specifically t3 = 1980 s.
If t = t3 is not satisfied (N in step S115), the process returns to step S114 and the time measurement by the timer 105 is continued. If t = t3 (Y in step S115), it is determined whether or not the volume of the object to be heated is approximately 500 ml (step S116).

If the volume of the object to be heated is 500 ml (Y in step S116), the preheating is finished.
If the volume of the object to be heated is not 500 ml (N in Step S116), it is determined whether the heating time has reached t = t4 while continuing the time measurement by the timer 105 (Step S117) (Step S118). t4 is a preset value and is a heating duration when the volume of the object to be heated is approximately 1000 ml. In the present embodiment, specifically t4 = 3000 s. If t = t4 is not satisfied (N in step S118), the process returns to step S117 and the time measurement by the timer 105 is continued. If t = t4 (Y in step S118), the preheating is finished.
As described above, two-step temperature increase control is performed in the preheating. In the preheating, an appropriate heating time is controlled according to the capacity of the object to be heated. When the preliminary heating is completed, the main heating is subsequently performed.

(2.3) Main Heating Flowchart FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the main heating process. The process shown here is the details of step S2 in FIG.
In the main heating, it is preferable that the temperature of the object to be heated gradually rises and finally the temperature of the object to be heated reaches 28 ° C. or higher and lower than 33 ° C. This is because when the temperature of the heated object is lower than 28 ° C., the finished fermented milk becomes watery, and when it is higher than 33 ° C., it becomes solid fermented milk.

For this purpose, first, the set temperature T3 of the heater 103 is set to 42 ° C., which is a predetermined initial value (step S201), and heating is started (step S202).
The temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 104 is monitored, and it is determined whether or not T = T3 has been reached (step S203). If T = T3 is not satisfied (N in step S203), the process returns to step S203. When T = T3 (Y in step S203), heating by the heater 103 is stopped and the object to be heated is naturally cooled (step S204). Then, the value of the timer 105 is set to t = 0, and time measurement is started (step S205).

Subsequently, the temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 104 is monitored to determine whether or not T = T4 has been reached (step S206). T4 is a preset value. In the present embodiment, T4 = 38 ° C. specifically. That is, the timer 105 measures the time required until the temperature of the heated object is naturally cooled to 38 ° C.
If T = T4 is not satisfied (N in step S206), the process returns to step S206. If T = T4 (Y in step S206), it is determined whether the time t measured by the timer 105 satisfies t> 600 s (step S208). If t> 600 s (Y in step S208), the set temperature T3 of the heater 103 is lowered by 2 ° C. (step S209). If t ≦ 600 s (N in step S208), the set temperature T3 of the heater 103 is increased by 2 ° C. (step S210).

Here, it is determined whether or not the total heating time has reached 8.0 hours (step S211). If the total heating time has not reached 8.0 hours (N in step S211), the process returns to step S202 and continues. When the total heating time reaches 8.0 hours (Y in step S211), the main heating is finished.
In the flowcharts shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, when performing determination regarding temperature or determination regarding time, “=”, that is, determination as to whether the temperature is equal to the comparison target temperature or the comparison target time. Is going. This determination may be appropriately changed to “>”, that is, determination whether the temperature is higher than the comparison target temperature or longer than the comparison target time.

  As described above, in the main heating, the heater 103 is switched on and off, and the heated object is repeatedly heated and naturally cooled. When the time required for natural cooling is short, it is assumed that the temperature of the object to be heated is low and the heating is insufficient. Therefore, in order to increase the heating amount, the set temperature of the heater 103 is raised. On the other hand, when the time required for natural cooling is long, the temperature of the object to be heated is high, and it is assumed that the heating is excessive. Therefore, in order to reduce the heating amount, the set temperature of the heater 103 is lowered.

This will be described using a specific example shown in FIG. The horizontal axis in FIG. 10 indicates the heating time, and the vertical axis indicates the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 104.
In the first temperature control 301, the set temperature of the heater 103 is 42 ° C., and the time required for natural cooling is 420 s (7 minutes). Therefore, in the second temperature control 302, the set temperature of the heater 103 is increased by 2 ° C. to 44 degrees. At this time, the time required for natural cooling is 540 s (9 minutes). Therefore, in the third temperature control 303, the set temperature of the heater 103 is further increased by 2 ° C. to 46 ° C. The time required for natural cooling at this time is 660 s (11 minutes). Therefore, in the fourth temperature control 304, the set temperature of the heater 103 is lowered by 2 ° C. to 44 ° C. At this time, the time required for natural cooling is 600 s (10 minutes).
Thus, in the main heating, in order to gradually increase the temperature of the object to be heated, the set temperature of the heater 103 is changed while judging whether or not the time required for natural cooling reaches 600 s (10 minutes). To go.

3. Consideration FIG. 11 shows the temperature (graph A) measured by the temperature sensor 104 and the actual temperature of the heated object (graph B) when fermented milk is produced using a 1000 ml milk pack as an example. Yes.

  According to FIG. 11, the temperature of the object to be heated has risen from approximately 10 ° C. to 24 ° C. due to the preheating for 1.5 hours (90 minutes). Thereafter, the main heating for 6.5 hours (390 minutes) raises the temperature of the object to be heated from approximately 24 ° C. to 30 ° C. Thus, the temperature increase of the main heating is moderate as compared with the temperature increase of the preheating. When the temperature of the object to be heated is finally raised to about 30 ° C. through such a moderate temperature rise, fermented milk with a smooth mouthfeel is produced.

FIG. 12 shows 40 times of fermented milk produced using the fermented milk producing method of the present embodiment, and the pH and viscosity of the produced fermented milk are measured and recorded each time. The variation in the pH and viscosity of the produced fermented milk seems to be due to differences in room temperature and temperature, differences in the initial number of bacteria contained in the inoculum used, and the like. Thus, although there is some variation, when the method for producing fermented milk of this embodiment is used, the viscosity targeted by the inventors is in the range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s, and the pH is 4.3. It can be seen that fermented milk in the range of ˜4.9 can be produced with a probability of 90 percent.
4). Other variations

Hereinafter, although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The following cases are also included in the present invention.
(1) The main heating in the above embodiment determines whether the time required for natural cooling reaches 600 s (10 minutes) in order to raise the temperature of the object to be heated gently. The set temperature was changed. However, this method is not essential in the present invention. A modification of the main heating is shown in FIG.

  FIG. 13A is a part of a flowchart according to a modification. Specifically, the processes in steps S208, S209, and S210 in FIG. 9 can be replaced with the processes shown in FIG. FIG. 13B shows a table 500 used in the modification. The table 500 is a table in which the time required for natural cooling and the amount of change ΔT of the set temperature of the heater 103 are associated with each other. For example, when the time required for natural cooling is 400 s, it means that the set temperature of the heater 103 is increased by 3.0 ° C.

  In the modification, steps S201 to S208 are the same as those in FIG. In the case of Y in step S208, as shown in FIG. 13A, ΔT corresponding to the time t measured by the timer 105 is acquired from the table 500 (step S401). Then, using the acquired ΔT, the set temperature of the heater 103 is reset to T3 + ΔT (step S402). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 211 in FIG. 9, and the process is continued. Thus, this heating may change the set temperature of the heater 103 with reference to the table.

  Note that the value of ΔT described in the table 500 shown in FIG. 13B is an example, and this value is not necessarily used. For example, the value of ΔT is set to − ( (The set temperature may be lowered). The heating amount of the heater 103 is increased as the time required for natural cooling is shortened so that the temperature of the object to be heated rises gradually and finally the temperature of the object to be heated reaches 28 ° C. or more and less than 33 ° C. Alternatively, the value may be set so that the heating amount of the heater 103 is reduced as the time required for natural cooling is longer.

  (2) The main heating in the above embodiment determines whether the time required for natural cooling reaches 600 s (10 minutes) in order to raise the temperature of the object to be heated gently. The set temperature was changed. However, it is not limited to this. For example, when the time required for natural cooling has not reached 580 s, the heating temperature (set temperature) is increased, and when the temperature is in the range of 580 s to 620 s, the heating temperature (set temperature) is maintained and reaches 620 s The heating temperature (set temperature) may be lowered.

  (3) In the temperature control of the main heating, when the time required for natural cooling is short, the heating time may be extended instead of increasing the set temperature of the heater 103 in order to increase the heating amount. On the other hand, when the time required for natural cooling is long, the heating time may be shortened instead of lowering the set temperature of the heater 103 in order to reduce the heating amount. In this case, it is desirable to carry out in a range where the influence on the total heating time is small. Similarly, in order to adjust the heating amount, both the set temperature and the heating time may be changed.

(4) The fermented milk production device 1 may include a plurality of temperature sensors. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, a temperature sensor a (601) is provided below the center of the inner casing 4 in the height direction, and a temperature sensor b is provided above the center of the inner casing 4 in the height direction. (602) may be provided.
In this case, in the fermented milk production method, when the volume of the heated object is 500 ml, the temperature of the heated object is detected using the temperature sensor a (601), and when the volume of the heated object is 1000 ml, the temperature The temperature of the object to be heated may be detected using both the sensor a (601) and the temperature sensor b (602), and the average value of the detected temperatures may be calculated. Thereby, variation in the detected temperature due to the capacity of the object to be heated can be suppressed.

(5) In the preheating, the heating time was adjusted according to the amount of the object to be heated. Then, you may add the process which detects the quantity of a to-be-heated material automatically to the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on said embodiment.
As a method of detecting the amount of the object to be heated, the size (height) of the milk pack can be detected by a sensor, the contents written on the surface of the milk pack can be determined by character recognition, or a weighing function can be added May be weighed. In this case, you may add to the fermented milk production | generation apparatus 1 the sensor for detecting the magnitude | size (height) of a milk pack, a character recognition means, and a measurement means, respectively.

  (6) You may add a cooling process to the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on said embodiment. That is, in order to maintain the freshness of the produced fermented milk, after the main heating is completed, the mode may be automatically switched to the cold insulation mode. In this case, a cooling fan may be added to the fermented milk production device 1. Furthermore, for example, in order to reduce the influence of the outside air temperature in summer or winter, a thermometer for measuring the room temperature may be separately provided, and in the summer, the cooling fan may be driven during generation.

  (7) You may add a notification to a user and a notification process to the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on said embodiment. That is, after the main heating is completed, the user's portable terminal may be notified of the completion of production of fermented milk. Furthermore, you may receive the instruction | indication which transfers to cold storage mode from a user's portable terminal remotely. In this case, wireless communication means may be added to the fermented milk production device 1. Thereby, even if it is a case where fermented milk is produced | generated in the time slot | zone when the user is not home, the freshness of the produced fermented milk can be hold | maintained.

  (8) You may add the process of crushing to the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on said embodiment. In this case, in order to suppress an increase in the size of the fermented milk production device 1, it is desirable to use a crushing means that is small and can be realized. For example, the fermented milk produced | generated by the stirring means may be stirred and crushed after completion | finish of this heating using the exclusive container with the stirring means. Further, an ultrasonic vibrator may be provided on the side wall or bottom of the inner casing 4 and the fermented milk produced by the ultrasonic vibrator may be crushed after the main heating is completed. Thereby, the smoother fermented milk can be produced | generated.

  (9) As a preparation stage of the fermented milk production method according to the above embodiment, it is necessary to set the raw milk and the inoculum in the inner housing 4. At this time, the amount of raw milk is automatically measured and measured. A necessary amount of inoculum may be calculated according to the amount of raw material milk. Further, the user may be notified by displaying the calculated value on the display unit 107. Further, the amount of the necessary inoculum may be calculated according to the input amount of the inoculum, and the necessary amount of the inoculum may be displayed on the display unit 107, such as “10 grams of inoculum is required.” You may notify by voice.

(10) You may add the process which produces paste-like fermented milk (eat yoghurt) to the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on said embodiment. The fermented milk production | generation apparatus 1 is memorize | stored in the computer program for producing | generating the yogurt to eat, and according to a user's selection, it is good also as being able to produce | generate each of yogurt to eat and drink yogurt automatically.
(11) In the fermented milk production apparatus 1 described above, the user may be able to set the amount of milk to be heated. For example, either 500 ml or 1000 ml may be selected, or an arbitrary amount may be input and set. And in the fermented milk production | generation method which concerns on said embodiment, you may make it perform the automatic production | generation of fermented milk according to each capacity | capacitance which the user set.

(12) In the above embodiment, fermented milk having a viscosity in the range of 9 to 1500 mPa · s and a pH in the range of 4.3 to 4.9 is generated. The desired fermented milk within the above range such as fermented milk and sour fermented milk may be desired by the user, and the heating temperature and heating time may be changed according to the user's desire.
(13) Although the method described in the above embodiment is actually realized by a computer program, the computer program can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, and a DVD. , DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), semiconductor memory, and the like are also included in the present invention.

(14) The control unit 101 of the above-described embodiment includes the temperature sensor 104, and the heater 103 is driven or stopped based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 104.
However, the control unit as another embodiment measures the temperature of the heated object including the raw material milk and the inoculum before starting the generation process, and sets the temperature of the heated object during the processing according to the temperature. You may make it perform, without measuring. In this case, the temperature of the heated part before starting the generation process and the heating / cooling schedule corresponding to the temperature before the process can be associated and stored in advance as a table.
Furthermore, the fermented milk production | generation apparatus as another embodiment does not have a temperature sensor, receives the temperature of the to-be-heated part before a production | generation process by the input from a user, and performs heating and cooling corresponding to the said temperature. May be. In this case as well, the temperature of the heated part before starting the generation process and the heating / cooling schedule corresponding to the temperature before the process can be associated and stored in advance as a table.
(15) You may combine suitably the modification of (1)-(14) with said embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fermented milk production | generation apparatus 2 Outer case 3 Cover body 4 Inner case 5 Operation panel 101 Control part 102 Memory | storage part 103 Heater 104 Temperature sensor 105 Timer 106 Operation part 107 Display part

Claims (3)

In a fermented milk production device for producing fermented milk by heating an object to be heated containing raw material milk and inoculum,
A housing that can accommodate a container containing the object to be heated;
A heater for heating the container;
Detecting a temperature information of an object to be heated in the container heated by the heater, and a plurality of detecting means arranged at different positions of the housing;
A fermented milk production apparatus comprising: a controller that calculates the temperature of the object to be heated based on the temperature information detected by the plurality of detection means, and controls the heating of the heater according to the calculated result. The fermented milk production | generation apparatus of Claim 1. The said detection means is spaced apart in the up-down direction with respect to the center position of the said housing | casing. The fermented milk production | generation apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 provided with the recognition means which recognizes the information described on the surface of the said container in the said housing | casing.

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