Device and method for extracting aroma substances from vegetable aroma carriers into a brewing liquid

Abstract

A device for extracting aroma substances from vegetable aroma carriers into a brewing liquid, in particular into beer, includes a fluidized bed extractor accommodating a suspension bed including the brewing liquid and solid particles contained in aroma carriers. The fluidized bed extractor has at least an inlet and an outlet for the brewing liquid. A feed pump pumps the brewing liquid from the inlet through the fluidized bed extractor to the outlet. A feeding speed of the feed pump is set to a value at which an average vertical feeding speed of the brewing liquid in the fluidized bed extractor is lower than an average vertical sedimentation speed of the solid particles in the fluidized bed extractor.

Claims

1. A device for extracting aroma substances from vegetable aroma carriers into a brewing liquid, said device comprising: a fermentation tank having a fermentation tank inlet and a fermentation tank outlet; a processing device having a brewing liquid inlet in fluid communication with the fermentation tank inlet, a brewing liquid outlet in fluid communication with the fermentation tank outlet, and a filling opening; the processing device adapted to receive hop pellets though the filling opening and the brewing liquid from the fermentation tank through the tank inlet and to form a fluidized bed extractor accommodating a suspension bed formed by a suspension including the brewing liquid and solid particles contained in the vegetable aroma carriers; and a feed pump adapted to pump the brewing liquid from the fermentation tank outlet through the brewing liquid inlet of the processing device, through the suspension bed of the fluidized bed extractor, and out of the brewing liquid outlet to the fermentation tank inlet, wherein the feeding speed of the feed pump is set to a value at which a flow speed of the brewing liquid in the fluidized bed extractor is lower than an average sedimentation speed of the solid particles in the fluidized bed extractor, wherein the brewing liquid is pumped out of the processing device, the processing device both dissolving fluids and separating fluids from the solid particles through the suspension bed.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the feeding direction of the feed pump is switchable, and wherein the hop pellets can be broken up by switching the feeding direction of the brewing liquid in the fluidized bed extractor, forming the suspension of the brewing liquid and the solid particles.

3. The device according to claim 1, in which a drivable mixer arranged in the fluidized bed extractor breaks up the vegetable aroma carriers or mixes the suspension.

4. The device according to claim 1, in which a permeable supporting element having openings sized to prevent hop pellets from dropping through the openings is arranged in the fluidized bed extractor on which the vegetable aroma carriers can be deposited during and after filling of the fluidized bed extractor with the vegetable aroma carriers and prior to forming the suspension by adding the brewing liquid.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a fine filter connected between the brewing liquids outlet and the fermentation tank inlet, the fine filter adapted to separates fine components of the solid particles from the brewing liquid.

6. The device according to claim 5, in which parallel to the fine filter, a bypass duct is provided by way of which the fine filter can be bypassed.

7. The device according to claim 1, in which the feeding rate of the feed pump can be controlled.

8. The device according to claim 3, in which said drivable mixer is a jet mixer or a shear stirrer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a device for extracting aroma substances at the beginning of the process;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 during filling of the fluidized bed extractor with hop pellets;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the device according to FIG. 2 during filling of the fluidized bed extractor with beer;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the device according to FIG. 3 during formation of the suspension of beer and hop particles;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the device according to FIG. 4 during sedimentation of the suspension of beer and hop particles at the bottom of the fluidized bed extractor,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the device according to FIG. 5 while brewing liquid is pumped through the fluidized bed extractor to release the soluble aroma substances into the beer;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the device according to FIG. 6 during emptying of the fluidized bed extractor;

(9) FIG. 8 shows the device according to FIG. 7 during removal of the solid suspension from the fluidized bed extractor; and

(10) FIG. 9 shows the device according to FIG. 8 during circulation pumping of the beer to homogenize the aroma substance concentration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

(11) FIG. 1 shows a device 01 according to the invention for extracting aroma substances from vegetable aroma carriers, namely hop pellets, into a brewing liquid, namely beer. The device is illustrated merely schematically in FIG. 1, only the components of the device 01 that are necessary for the understanding of the invention being illustrated. The device 01 can preferably be mounted on a mobile frame so as to be able to move the device 01 in a mobile manner to different locations of use.

(12) In the variant of use illustrated in FIG. 1, the device 01 is used in a fermentation or storage cellar for dry-hopping beer. First, the device 01 is rolled to a fermentation tank 02, in which matured beer or beer 03 that is still fermenting is stored. The fermentation tank 02 is illustrated only in a miniaturized manner in FIG. 1. Via connection couplings 04, the device 01 is connected to the inlet 05 and to the outlet 06 of the fermentation tank 02. Moreover, a CO.sub.2 supply duct 07 and a brewing water supply duct 08 end in the outlet 06 of the fermentation tank 02. Alternatively, the ducts 07 and 08 can also be guided directly into the device 01. This increases only the number of connections from the brewery into the device 01.

(13) In its core, the device 01 consists of a fluidized bed extractor 09, through which different media can be pumped from various pipes and different check valves by being driven via a controllable feed pump 10. Before the actual process for extraction begins, first, CO.sub.2 from the CO.sub.2 supply duct 07 is fed into the device 01, and the different pipes and the fluidized bed extractor 09 are flooded with CO.sub.2, as illustrated in FIG. 1. At the highest point, the CO.sub.2 can escape from the device 01 via a gas discharge 11.

(14) As soon as the device 01 is flooded with CO.sub.2, first, the fluidized bed extractor is filled with dry hop pellets 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Filling takes place via a filling opening 13. When being filled in, the hop pellets come to rest on a permeable support element 14, namely a sieve bottom. The size of the sieve openings is selected in such a manner that the hop pellets 12 cannot drop through the sieve openings. Yet at the same time, liquids can easily flow through the support element 14. The order of the process steps of flooding the system with CO.sub.2 and of filling the extractor with hop pellets can be switched. This does not change the method according to the invention in any way.

(15) After filling-in of the hop pellets, the device 01 and in particular the fluidized bed extractor 09 is filled with beer 03. To this end, the beer is pumped by operation of the feed pump 10 out of the fermentation tank 02 through the outlet 06 and the feed line 15 into the fluidized bed extractor 09 from below until the latter is completely filled with beer and the beer flows back to the feed line 15 via a circulation duct 16. The gas contained in the system is removed from the device via the discharge 11.

(16) Once the fluidized bed extractor 09 and the circulation duct 16 are completely flooded with beer, the outlet 06 of the fermentation tank 02 is disconnected from the device 01 by switching a valve and, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the beer is pumped in a circulating manner through the feed line 15 and the circulation duct 16 by the feed pump 10. By circulation-pumping the beer, the pressed hop pellets dissolve in the fluidized bed extractor 09 and a fine suspension of hop particles and beer is formed. To facilitate formation of the suspension, the feeding direction of the feed pump 10 is repeatedly switched and the beer is thus fed through the fluidized bed extractor 09 in alternating feeding directions. Moreover, formation of the suspension can be facilitated by driving a mixing means 17, namely a jet mixer or a shear stirrer.

(17) As soon as the hop pellets 12 are completely crushed or broken up and the hop particles contained in the hop pellets form a finely distributed suspension together with the beer 03, the feed pump 10 is briefly turned off, as illustrated in FIG. 5, so that a suspension bed 18 can form at the bottom of the fluidized bed extractor 09. The height of the suspension bed 18 should not exceed half of the height of the fluidized bed extractor 09.

(18) Once the suspension bed 18 has sufficiently settled, the circulation duct 16 is closed and the outlet 06 of the fermentation tank 02 is connected to the device 01 again by opening the corresponding valve. Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the beer 03 is pumped from the fermentation tank 02 through the feed line 15 and the inlet 19 into the fluidized bed extractor 09 from below by operation of the feed pump 10. The beer flows vertically upward through the suspension bed 18 and flows toward the outlet 20 of the fluidized bed extractor 09. The feeding speed of the feed pump 10 is selected such that the average vertical flow speed of the beer 03 in the fluidized bed extractor 09 is lower than the average vertical sedimentation speed of the hop particles. With this speed difference, it is achieved that the insoluble solid particles settle at the bottom of the fluidized bed extractor 09 and together form the suspension bed 18. Only very fine solid particles can be transported out of the fluidized bed extractor 09 via the outlet 20 together with the beer 03. To remove these very fine solid particles, the beer subsequently flows through a fine filter device 21, namely a backflushable corner pipe filter. Subsequently, the beer flows toward the inlet 05 of the fermentation tank 02 via the return line 22 of the device 01 and thus returns into the fermentation tank 02. Depending on the desired degree of filtration, the fine filter device 21 may also be bypassed entirely or in part by way of a bypass duct 26. This decision is up to the user.

(19) If it is possible within the parameters of the process, the fine filter device 21 may also be entirely omitted. The fine solid particles would then reach the fermentation tank 02 and would have to be removed from the beer 03 in another way. This decision, too, has to be made by the user in consideration of the intended use.

(20) The circulation of the beer 03 from the fermentation tank 02 as illustrated in FIG. 6 serves to leach the aroma substances from the hop particles contained in the suspension bed 18, sufficient separation of the liquid and solid components of the suspension being provided at the same time by the flow characteristics of the fluidized bed extractor 09.

(21) In general, the process steps for forming the suspension, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and for leaching, as illustrated in FIG. 6, may also be repeated several times so as to further increase leaching by repeatedly whirling up the suspension bed 18. The process step according to FIG. 5 for forming the suspension bed is then performed in each case between the respective process steps for forming the suspension. This process can further increase the degree of leaching.

(22) As soon as a sufficient degree of leaching of the hop particles is reached, the outlet 06 of the fermentation tank 02 is closed. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 7, brewing water from the brewing water supply duct 08 is pressed into the feed line 15 so as to press the beer remaining in the device 01 back into the fermentation tank 02 via the return line 22 and the inlet 05 of the fermentation tank 02.

(23) Once the beer 03 has been completely removed from the device 01, a suitable cleaning fluid, preferably brewing water 08, is pressed into the fluidized bed extractor 09 via a duct 23, as illustrated in FIG. 8, and the remaining residual suspension is discharged via an outlet duct 24 in the direction of a drain duct (not illustrated). Subsequently, the entire installation can be machine-cleaned by means of a CIP cleaning device not illustrated in the drawing.

(24) To homogenize the concentration of the aroma substances dissolved in the beer 03, the beer 03 can be pumped through a circulation duct 25 and can be mixed by operation of the feed pump 10 in the fermentation tank 02, as illustrated in FIG. 9.