JPH02190180A - Preparing method of koji with alpha-rice and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate conventional processes such as rice-washing, dipping or rice-steaming and produce Koji having uniform and excellent quality in an extremely short time by adding hot water to alpha-rice dropped on transferring conveyer, stirring and adding seed Aspergillus oryzae. CONSTITUTION:A transferring conveyer 3 is driven in the direction of arrow A and alpha-rice in raw material tank 17 is measured in a measure 19, then a fixed amount of the rice is dropped onto the conveyer 3. Thus, a fixed amount of hot water in a hot water supplier 23 is added to said alpha-rice by spraying with spraying tool 25 and Aspergillus oryzae is added (sprayed), then alpha-rice is transferred to a position of depressed part 3C in the conveyer 3. Next, said alpha-rice transferred to the 3C-position is stirred by a stirring part material 43 rotating together with a stirring shaft 31. Further, uniformalized alpha-rice is transferred from the conveyer 3 to conveying conveyer 45 and conveyed to next process, then Koji is prepared.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Objective of the Invention J (Field of Industrial Application) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing koji using pregelatinized rice.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, koji used for miso, sake, etc. is generally made using steamed rice. The conventional method of making koji is to sprinkle seed koji on steamed rice at a moisture content of 25% to 27% and a temperature of 28°C to 32°C, take it into the bed, maintain the temperature for about 24 hours, and take it into the chamber after cutting. Or, it is made into koji using a koji making machine.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In making koji, the initial moisture content and temperature of steamed rice are important factors that determine whether or not the koji can be made. Therefore, the conventional work procedure is to wash white rice and soak it for 24 hours to make steamed rice and make koji, but the conventional method has the problem of requiring a lot of time and manpower. Ta.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the method invention consists of a process of dropping pregelatinized rice onto a transfer conveyor, and a process of dropping pregelatinized rice onto a transfer conveyor. A step of adding warm water to pregelatinized rice on a conveyor, a step of stirring the pregelatinized rice to which warm water has been added, and a step of adding seed koji mold to pregelatinized rice or warm water or pregelatinized rice after adding warm water. It is more than that.

In addition, the koji making equipment includes a pregelatinized rice dropping device that drops pregelatinized rice onto the transfer conveyor at the starting end of the endless transfer conveyor, a hot water addition device that adds hot water to the pregelatinized rice on the transfer conveyor, and a hot water addition device that adds hot water to the pregelatinized rice on the transfer conveyor. The device is equipped with a stirring device for stirring the pregelatinized rice to which has been added, and a koji mold addition device for adding a seed koji surface to the pregelatinized rice or warm water, or to the pregelatinized rice after adding warm water.

(Function) According to the present invention as described above, hot water is added (sprayed) and stirred to the pregelatinized rice that has fallen onto the transfer conveyor, and the seed koji mold is added to the pregelatinized rice or warm water. This is done on pregelatinized rice after adding . Therefore, by controlling the amount and temperature of hot water added to pregelatinized rice, it is easy to manage moisture and temperature, and the steps of washing, soaking, and steaming rice are not necessary, making it easy to make koji. Pregelatinized rice has excellent water absorption and tends to absorb water in a short period of time and form clumps, but since hot water is stirred immediately after adding it to pregelatinized rice, the clumps are broken up and homogenized. This makes it possible to produce uniform koji.

(Example) Referring to FIG. 1, the koji making apparatus 1 according to the present example includes an endless transfer conveyor 3 that transfers pregelatinized rice from the starting end (the left end in FIG. 1) to the terminal end. We are prepared.

The transfer conveyor 3 is wound around a driving roller 5 and a driven roller 7, and the driving roller 5 is connected to a suitable control device (such as a computer or a numerical control device) that appropriately controls the entire koji making apparatus 1. It is interlocked and connected to a control motor (not shown) which is controlled and rotated by a control motor (not shown).

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the traveling speed of the transfer conveyor 3 can be changed arbitrarily, and the traveling speed is, for example, 1 to 2 from the starting end side (roller 7 side) to the ending end side (roller 5 side).
It travels at a speed of about 1 minute.

The upper side of the transfer conveyor 3 is supported by a plurality of rollers 9, and the vicinity of the center between the starting end side and the ending end side is supported over an appropriate range by a plurality of inclined rollers 11 and a plurality of upright rollers 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the fourth part 3C of the circular arc is curved.

In other words, the vicinity of the central portion of the transfer conveyor 3 is formed into four parts 3C, which are curved upward at both edges of the transfer conveyor 3.

At an upper position near the starting end of the transfer conveyor 3, a pregelatinized rice dropping device 15 for dropping pregelatinized rice (or crushed pregelatinized rice in the form of granules) onto the transfer conveyor 3 is arranged. This alpha rice dropping device 1
In this embodiment, 5 is a raw material tank 17 into which pregelatinized rice is placed, and a weighing machine 1 that weighs the pregelatinized rice from the raw material tank 17 and drops a predetermined amount onto the transfer conveyor 3.
It is composed of 9 mag.

On the downstream side of the pregelatinized rice dropping device 15 when viewed in the running direction of the transfer conveyor 3, there is a hot water addition device for adding a predetermined amount of hot water set at a constant temperature to the pregelatinized rice dropped onto the transfer conveyor 3. 21 is placed. The addition device 21 includes a water heater 23 that heats water;
The metering pump 27 supplies hot water to the water sprinkler 25.

The water heater 23 is configured such that when a predetermined amount of hot water is sprayed from the water sprinkler 25 onto a predetermined amount of pregelatinized rice on the transfer conveyor 3, the pregelatinized rice absorbs water by, for example, 25% to 27%, and the pregelatinized rice absorbs approximately 28% of water.
Water is heated to a temperature of 32°C to 32°C.

On the downstream side of the hot water addition device 21, the transfer conveyor 3
A stirring device 29 for stirring the pregelatinized rice to which warm water has been added is arranged at the position of the recess 3C. This stirring device 29 is rotatably equipped with a stirring shaft 31 for stirring the pregelatinized rice to which hot water has been added and transferred to the recess 3C of the transfer conveyor 3. Both ends of the stirring shaft 31 are attached to the main body of the device 1 (not shown), and are connected to the transfer conveyor 3.
It is rotatably supported by a bracket 33 disposed above via a bearing 35, and a pulley 37 attached to one end.
is operatively connected to a motor 41 via a belt 39. The stirring shaft 31 also has a concave portion 3 of the transfer conveyor 3.
A large number of stirring members 43, such as rods or spatulas, for stirring the pregelatinized rice in C are attached. The stirring member 43 may have the function of stirring the pregelatinized rice, but it may be arranged in a spiral manner on the stirring shaft 31 to transfer the pregelatinized rice when the stirring shaft 31 rotates. It is a good thing.

At the terminal end of the transfer conveyor 3, a transfer conveyor 45 is arranged to transfer the stirred pregelatinized rice to the next process.

In making koji, a seed koji mold is added to pregelatinized rice, and the step of adding the seed koji mold may be, for example, by directly adding it to the pregelatinized rice in the raw material tank 17 or on the transfer conveyor 3, or It may be dissolved in advance in warm water to be sprayed on the pregelatinized rice, or it may be sprayed on the pregelatinized rice after adding warm water (which may be before or after stirring). That is, since the seed koji mold can be added at a desired position, in this embodiment, the koji mold addition device 47 is arranged between the hot water addition device 21 and the stirring device 29. This koji mold addition device 47 functions to spray seed koji mold onto the pregelatinized rice.

In the above configuration, the rollers 5 are driven to cause the transfer conveyor 3 to run in the direction of arrow A, and the pregelatinized rice in the raw material tank 17 is weighed by the weighing machine 19 and a predetermined amount is dropped onto the transfer conveyor 3. Thereafter, by driving the metering pump 27, a predetermined amount of hot water in the water heater 23 is sprayed and added to the pregelatinized rice from the sprinkler 25.

The amount and temperature of the hot water are preferably such that the moisture content of the pregelatinized rice after absorption is 25% to 27% and 28°C to 32°C.

Pregelatinized rice has excellent water absorption, 25% to 27%
The water absorption time is about 1 minute, and after water absorption, pregelatinized rice tends to form clumps.

After spraying hot water on the pregelatinized rice and adding (spraying) the koji mold as described above (the addition of the koji mold does not necessarily have to coincide with the spraying of hot water, it may be done at any desired time), the pregelatinized rice is transferred to the transfer conveyor 3. By running, it is transferred to the position of the fourth section 3C of the transfer conveyor 3. The pregelatinized rice transferred to the position of the fourth section 3C of the transfer conveyor 3 as described above is stirred by the stirring member 43 as the stirring shaft 31 is rotated by the motor 41.

Therefore, even if the pregelatinized rice tends to absorb water and become lumps due to the addition of hot water, the stirring member 43
The material is crushed by the stirring action of the material, and is homogenized without forming lumps.

The pregelatinized rice homogenized as described above is transferred from the transfer conveyor 3 to the transfer conveyor 45 and is transferred to the next process, where it is made into koji.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be implemented in other embodiments by making appropriate changes. For example, in a device, all the rollers can be used as a drive system, or the rollers near the center can have a shape with a smaller diameter at the axial center, for example, a roughly square shape to form the concave part of the transfer conveyor. It is. Also, instead of spraying hot water on the alpha-ized rice, it is also possible to spray water and then heat it to an appropriate temperature. In this case, the result will be the same as in the previous example, so the act of heating is Equal to spraying hot water. Furthermore, the seed koji mold may be added on the conveyor or in the next step.

[Effects of the Invention] As can be understood from the above description of the embodiments, according to the present invention, warm water is added to pregelatinized rice, the mixture is stirred to homogenize it, and a seed koji mold is added to produce koji. This method eliminates the need for processes such as washing, soaking, and steaming rice, which saves labor. It also makes it easier to control moisture and temperature, making it possible to produce uniform, high-quality koji in an extremely short time compared to conventional methods. can be done. Moreover, by using a transfer conveyor, koji can be made continuously.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram schematically showing the functions of the apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing four parts of the transfer conveyor. 3... Transfer conveyor 15... Pregelatinized rice dropping device

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A method of producing koji using pregelatinized rice,
A method characterized by comprising the following steps. (a) Step of dropping pregelatinized rice onto a transfer conveyor. (b) Adding hot water to the pregelatinized rice on the transfer conveyor. (c) Stirring the pregelatinized rice to which warm water has been added. (d) A step of adding the seed koji mold to pregelatinized rice, warm water, or pregelatinized rice after adding warm water. (2) A device for producing koji using pregelatinized rice,
A pregelatinized rice dropping device that drops pregelatinized rice onto the transfer conveyor at the starting end of an endless transfer conveyor, a hot water addition device that adds warm water to the pregelatinized rice on the transfer conveyor, and a pregelatinized rice to which hot water has been added. 1. A koji production apparatus using pregelatinized rice, comprising: a stirring device for stirring the pregelatinized rice, and a koji mold addition device for adding seed koji mold to the pregelatinization rice or warm water, or to the pregelatinization rice after adding warm water.