Foods and beverages: apparatus – Mechanical – fluid or heat treatment of dairy food – With isolation of a watery constituent
Patent
1998-11-24
2000-04-18
Alexander, Reginald L.
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Mechanical, fluid or heat treatment of dairy food
With isolation of a watery constituent
99465, 99458, A01J 2506
Patent
active
060501790
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a strainer device for draining off whey from a cheese vat, and which comprises an outlet for the whey and a strainer arranged in said outlet.
BACKGROUND ART
The preparation of cheese mass for soft, semi-hard and hard types of cheese is mainly performed in closed cheese vats. Both vertical and horizontal cheese vats exist, and both types are equipped with stirring and cutting means allowing a treatment of the cheese milk during the preparation of the cheese mass. For instance DK-PS No. 146,311 discloses a cheese vat of the vertical type. In use, this cheese vat is filled with milk being caused to coagulate by means of enzyme and acid, acid alone or a composite coagulant. The curd is then cut into small pieces, preferably small cubes by rotatably arranged frames carrying sets of stirring and cutting means which are caused to rotate in a first direction of rotation. As a result, the whey is easily separated from the cheese mass and drained off. After the cutting, the curd is subjected to a stirring by the frame being rotated in the opposite direction of rotation, optionally while the curd is simultaneously heated during the entire or some of the stirring period. As a result, additional whey is separated from the cheese mass, said cheese mass simultaneously turning harder.
The various types of cheese require their respective production procedures. After the heating, the stirring and the addition of for instance rennet, the milk is allowed to stay for instance for approximately 30 minutes. During the latter period, the cheese milk coagulates, whereafter the cutting means are started and the curd is cut into curd pieces over a cutting period of typically 5 to 10 minutes. Then the stirring is started, and after a stirring for approximately 10 minutes the stirring means are stopped and the curd pieces sediment in the whey. The curd particle to whey ratio is approximately 1 part of curd particles to 9 parts of whey. The sedimenting period depends on the fat content in the curd pieces, but it lasts typically 30 to 100 seconds.
Subsequently a first draining off of whey is initiated. This draining off is according to the prior art performed either by means of a suction pipe with a strainer being lowered into the whey, or by means of a valve being opened into a permanent tube arranged in the side of the cheese vat at a level at which the whey is to be drained off. The draining off of whey must be performed as quickly as possible and typically within 3 to 6 minutes, and during this period 20 to 30% of the whey is drained off. After the draining off of whey, a cutting of the sedimented curd pieces is performed for 30 to 60 seconds, said curd pieces prior to the cutting being coherent while forming a large lump. When the cutting has been terminated, the stirring is started again, and this stirring is typically performed simultaneously with the heating or the addition of hot process water. When the stirring has been terminated after approximately 10 minutes, the stirring means are stopped and the curd pieces are allowed to sediment. After termination of this sedimenting period, the second draining off of whey can be started. The second draining off is performed in the same manner as the first draining off, and typically the same amount of whey is drained off as well. Then yet another brief cutting is performed of the curd pieces for 30 to 60 seconds. The resulting cheese mass is subjected to a stirring, and the final emptying thereof is started simultaneously with said stirring.
Especially in connection with low-fat cheese, a high risk applies of formation of lumps in the cheese vat after the second draining off of whey. These lumps must be removed manually after the emptying of the vat. The resulting yield and the corresponding loss vary in response to the type of vat. The highest loss is found in curd fines which are very small curd particles leaving the vat together with the whey, and which result from the cutting and stirring means. Especially after the draining off of whey
REFERENCES:
patent: 130862 (1872-08-01), Pease
patent: 3032877 (1962-05-01), Collins
patent: 3858855 (1975-01-01), Hazen
patent: 4509413 (1985-04-01), Granberg et al.
Busk Per
Larsen Stig C.
Alexander Reginald L.
APV Pasilac A/S
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