Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Treatment with aqueous material – e.g. – hydration – etc.
Patent
1994-02-17
1996-04-30
Yeung, George
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Treatment with aqueous material, e.g., hydration, etc.
99536, 426519, A23L 100
Patent
active
055123104
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to a process for the wetting of cereals, especially corn grains, with a liquid, designated hereafter for the sake of simplicity as water, and to an apparatus for carrying out the process.
To obtain flour, for example, the flour body (endosperm) of a corn grain is separated from the husk (bran and germs). For this purpose, the corn grains are wetted with water, so that their husk can be softened and subsequently separated more effectively during the grinding operation.
According to the state of the art such as disclosed in FR-A 2,540,746, the corn grains are moved about and, at the same time, mixed with water in a conveying worm. Thereafter, the cereal/liquid mixture is allowed to rest for 10 to 24 hours, depending on the grain quality, so that the water can soften the husk and penetrate inside the kernel. These long standing times are a great disadvantage, since a large space capacity is required for storage during the standing time. This necessary space capacity often restricts the maximum production capacity of a mill.
Furthermore, the long standing time has an adverse effect on the flour quality, since, on account of the dampness of the grain, molds and yeasts and/or bacteria (for example, enterobacterium C) often form and multiply during the long storage time. For this reason, the netted worm, which has a length of between 3 and 8 meters and which is a good seat of germs for mold and/or bacteria, so that the worms must be cleaned frequently, thus leading to interruptions and greatly disrupting the continuous flow.
Similar problems occur in the treatment of other cereals, in which the husk is to be separated from the kernel, such as pulses, maize, rice, beans, also coffee beans, cocoa beans and the like. In brewing too, during the production of a malt, the problem of the long standing time of 80 to 100 hours and more occurs particularly, since the wetted grains are to absorb an especially high water content so that they begin to germinate. FR-A 2,234,040 discloses mixing cereal and water for the malting process by means of nozzles arranged along a conveying table which moves the cereal forward by vibration. This arrangement provides for good mixing, but does not cause the water to penetrate quickly into the husk, thus necessitating a long standing time.
Consequently, the term "cereals" is to embrace all crops which have a kernel and a hard or soft husk or skin surrounding the kernel.
Water can serve as a liquid for treatment. If, for example, maize is to be processed as an extruder product to form popcorn, sugar will be added to the liquid (water) that is to say sugared water will be used. Molasses can come under consideration as a liquid for the preparation of cattle feed.
The object of the invention is to indicate a wetting process for cereals, in which the cereals are wetted with liquid in such a way that the standing time as storage time virtually disappears, and in which the transportability of the cereals wetted with liquid is provided directly, that is to say immediately or after only 10 to 30 minutes.
By transportability it is meant that the cereals wetted, for example, with water no longer have any outer water film which results in adhesive bonding to the means of transport (bands, worms or the like).
This object is achieved by means of an apparatus and process that mixes cereal with liquid and subsequently subjects the mixture to vibration.
It has been shown that, when the cereals mixed with water are exposed to vibrations, that is to say are shaken vigorously, for example at a frequency of 50 to 300 Hz, preferably 75 Hz, over a period of 2 to 20 seconds, the acceleration forces exerted on the cereal/liquid mixture by the wall of the shaking apparatus cause all the water already to penetrate so far into the cereals, at least in their husks, that, although the husks are still felt to be moist on the outside, nevertheless a water film on the cereals can no longer be felt and also is no longer present.
This shaking operation can take place in a careful way, that
REFERENCES:
patent: 4055673 (1977-10-01), Mueller et al.
Database WPIL, section CH, week 8842, Derwent Publications Ltd., AN 88-298446 6 SU, A, 1 386 290 Apr. 7, 1988, abstract.
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