JPS6359877A - Aerated mechanical malt-preparation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform normal culture of malt and to improve the quality of produced malt, by circulating air through an upper chamber and a lower chamber in the case of temperature decrease caused by the pause of aeration of the lower chamber during the malt-preparation process, thereby preventing the variation of temperature and humidity. CONSTITUTION:The temperature of malt substrate 19 is controlled with controlled air of an upper chamber 2 by using a blower 12 placed between the upper chamber 2 and a lower chamber 10 and capable of sending air along a direction or both directions. An opening 15 connecting both chambers is formed at the floor separating the upper chamber 2 from the lower chamber 10. The air flow generated by the blower 12 is switched between the circulation path passing through the malt substrate 19 and the circulation path passing through the opening part 15 connecting the upper chamber 2 and the lower chamber 1. The switching is carried out according to the order properly transmitted from a controlling means to control the opening means 16 for the opening part 15. In the case of the temperature decrease caused by the pause of aeration, air is circulated between the upper chamber and the lower chamber to prevent the variation of temperature and humidity and to enable normal culture of malt.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an aerated mechanical koji production apparatus for use in the general enzyme industry and brewing industry.

[Prior Art] In this detailed description, sake brewing will be described as an example.

Traditionally, the air in the upper chamber of the culture chamber for koji production is always adjusted to the set temperature and humidity, and the temperature of each product is controlled by controlling the adjusted air in the upper chamber to the koji substrate based on the commands of the temperature sensor inserted into the koji substrate. It was ventilated and controlled.

However, in the case of making koji for sake brewing, the calorific value of the substrate is small, and aeration is generally intermittent based on commands from the product temperature sensor. An example of the ventilation time and stop time is based on experience: the ventilation time is about 3 to 4 minutes, and the stop time is about 20 to 30 minutes.

Therefore, in cold regions, the air temperature in the lower room decreases while ventilation is stopped, and the humidity increases, reaching saturation. i! Therefore, there is no choice but to aerate the M substrate.

The humidity was uneven, making it extremely difficult to follow the planned temperature and humidity.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] This invention improves the conventional unreasonable* koji method,
This is to ensure normal culture, and the product temperature during intermittent ventilation is controlled by aerating the substrate with air set based on the creation of an optimal indoor environment for making koji in the upper chamber.

In addition, for the temperature drop in the lower room that occurs when ventilation is stopped,
The air ring connecting the upper and lower chambers prevents fluctuations in temperature and humidity, allowing normal culture and improving quality.

[Means for solving problems]

￥A Kojihira Means 1 in this invention When ventilation is stopped, the air temperature in the lower chamber gradually decreases and the humidity increases, but as a preventive measure, the temperature and humidity in the upper chamber are adjusted to create an optimal indoor environment for koji making. Air the upper chamber.

The g! This is used to make koji, and specifically, there is an opening that communicates the upper and lower chambers on the floor opposite to the conventional ventilation means, which consists of a fan for temperature control and a duct that connects the upper and lower chambers. By opening and closing the damper provided in this opening, the air sent from the above-mentioned blowing means is circulated through the opening that communicates the upper chamber and the lower chamber, and the air is circulated in the lower chamber. It is designed to be able to switch between the vi-ring path, which prevents temperature drops, and the circulation path, which controls the product temperature by ventilating the substrate deposited on the culture bed H. All these operations are performed by control commands. be.

[Example] Next, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

l is an insulated jNN carrier body 9 is a rotating culture bed that divides the culture chamber into lower chambers, and the upper chamber of this culture bed 9 is divided into two.
．． A circulation duct 3 is installed in the lower chamber 10 and the upper chamber 2, and a circulation fan 4, a dehumidification cooler 5.
Water droplet removal device6. A reheat heater 7 is provided. On the other hand.

- Upper chamber 2. A fan 1 that connects the lower chamber 1O with a duct 11 and can blow air into the duct 11 in one direction or in the forward and reverse directions.
2 will be provided. 8 is a temperature and humidity sensor, and 13 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the koji substrate.

Further, 1.1 is a floor that separates the upper chamber 2 and the lower chamber 10, 15 is an opening that communicates the upper chamber 2 and the lower chamber 10, and 16 is a damper provided in the opening. In order to open and close this damper 16, for example, link [7, cylinder 18
Indicates the combination of

Note that 20 is a humidifying and cooling means used in the case of a substrate that is exposed to fermentation heat during koji making.

During the propagation of koji mold, water constantly evaporates from the koji substrate due to heat generation, and the temperature and humidity of the air in the upper chamber 2 gradually rise. In this case, when the temperature and humidity exceed the set values,
The circulation fan 4 operates, and some of the high-temperature air in the upper chamber 2 is introduced into the duct 3 and cooled by the cooler 5, and some of it condenses and removes water droplets: +! As it passes through the two devices, it is removed and returned to the culture as detemperatured air. Furthermore, if the air temperature falls below the set temperature due to the action of the cooler 5, the temperature is increased by the operation of the reheat heater. By repeating these operations, the air in the upper chamber 2 is controlled to a preset constant temperature and humidity.

On the other hand, a damper 16 is provided in an opening 15 provided in the floor surface that separates the upper chamber 2 and the lower chamber 1O.

As an example, opening and closing operations are performed by a combination of a link 17 and a cylinder 18. During koji making, the temperature and humidity conditions in the lower chamber are equalized by commands from an arbitrary control device.
When the damper 16 is set to "open" and the fan 12 is operated to blow air.

The blown air passes through the opening 15 which has less passage resistance than the substrate, and by circulating the upper and lower chambers, the temperature and humidity of the upper chamber 2 and the lower chamber 10 are equalized. By performing such circulation action multiple times per hour, it is possible to maintain an optimal environment in both the upper and lower chambers.

In addition, when the temperature of the substrate 19 increases, the sensor 13
is sensed, and in response to the command, the fan 13 is operated and the damper 16 is linked to "close", and the optimum air for making koji is vented to the substrate 19 to control the product temperature.

, h shows an example of the operating procedure, but any other operating procedure can be used as long as the koji making environment in the upper and lower chambers is maintained and the product temperature is controlled using this adjusted air. It is also optional.

In addition, 5 Substrates with high fermentation heat during koji production 1 For example, taking soy sauce koji as an example, soy sauce koji is a koji with a high fermentation heat substrate, and the moisture content of the released koji has a large effect on the enzyme titer.
For producing koji with such a substrate, there are an upper chamber 2, a lower chamber 10, and a duct 11. By providing humidification and cooling means 20 in the substrate air path connected by the fan [2] to prevent drying out of the substrate and to provide increased control.

It is possible to obtain koji of 艮'σ.

[Effects of the invention] This invention solves the problems caused by the temperature drop that occurs when the lower chamber is closed during bank building, such as non-uniformity of substrate moisture caused by ventilation of air with increased humidity, and the problem of knotting. Prevent the occurrence.

Top 4. Since culturing can be carried out in the lower room under the optimal indoor environment for making koji, it is possible to cleanly obtain any type of koji, whether it is a total haze type or a special haze type, depending on the purpose of use. be.

Moreover, this invention provides an opening in the floor that separates the upper chamber and the lower chamber.

1) Circulated air does not generate heat from outside.

2) Does not require a particular installation area.

3) Easy to wash and keep clean.

List the following characteristics.

The above description uses the case of koji production for sake brewing as an example, but koji production for other brewing and fermentation industries also requires a structure that corresponds to the heat generation rate of the substrate (for example, a ventilation path connecting the upper and lower chambers). It is clear that the effects of the present invention can be fully exhibited by horizontally running the humidifying cooling means (including a portion of the humidifying cooling means).

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cut away vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof. In the figure, 1 culture machine main body 2 upper chamber 3 circulation duct 4 circulation fan 5 temperature removal cooler 9 culture bed 10 lower chamber 12 fan 14 bed 15 opening 16 damper 19 substrate 20 humidification cooling means. Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The culture room is divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a culture bed of koji substrate, and the temperature is set in the upper chamber to create the optimal indoor environment for koji production.
In an aeration-type mechanical koji production apparatus that is equipped with a humidity adjustment means and performs culture by aerating the regulated air into the koji substrate, there is a one-way or two-way system in which the temperature of the substrate is adjusted using the regulated air in the upper chamber. A blowing means capable of blowing air in opposite directions is provided between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, and an opening is formed in the floor separating the upper chamber and the lower chamber to communicate the two chambers, and the blowing means is provided in the opening. The air blowing by the air blowing means is switched to a circulation path that passes through the koji substrate and a circulation path that passes through an opening that communicates the upper chamber and the lower chamber based on an appropriate command from a control means for the opening/closing means that has been opened and closed. An aerated mechanical koji making device characterized in that it is configured to allow (2) The aeration type mechanical koji making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing means connecting the upper chamber and the lower chamber includes a humidifying and cooling means.