Method for treating a wort in a boiling kettle

A method for treating a wort in a kettle comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing:
• a kettle provided with an inlet suitable for feeding a wort into the kettle and with an outlet suitable for flowing the wort out of the kettle,
• heating means suitable for pseudo-boiling the wort which is bringing the wort contained in the kettle to a treatment temperature, Ta, which is below the boiling temperature, Tb, of the wort, as well as for controlling said temperature,
• a gas sparging system suitable for sparging an inert gas into said wort,
• (b) feeding wort from a lautering step into said boiling kettle through the inlet, said wort being at a temperature below its boiling temperature Tb,
• (c) while sparging an inert gas through the wort, pseudo-boiling said wort to, and maintaining it at the treatment temperature, Ta, which is below the boiling temperature, Tb, of the wort for a duration, ttreat, comprised between 15 and 90 min, and no longer than required to evaporate at most 4 wt % of water initially present in the wort;
• and
• (d) transferring the treated wort to a trub separation step through the outlet;
• wherein the wort does not reach the boiling temperature, Tb, thereof during the whole duration of its residence in said boiling kettle, and
• the treatment temperature Ta, is between (Tb-2° C.) and Tb, wherein Tb is the boiling temperature of the wort.