US 4,982,511 A · Process and apparatus for kiln-drying malt

Abstract

In the process and apparatus for kiln-drying of malt, at least two zones (A and B) are provided for preliminary drying and one zone (A1) is provided for secondary drying and/cooling of the malt. The unsaturated exhaust air from the secondary drying and/or cooling zone (A1) is admixed as return air with the intake air system, while in the preliminary drying zones (A and B) respectively different preliminary drying times are achieved by the degree of their loading with malt, the design of the floor surface and/or by adjusting the volume flow, the temperature and/or the moisture content of the intake air, so that during the secondary drying in the secondary drying zone (A1), a predrying process is always in operation in at least one predrying zone (A or B). Each individual zone (A, B and A1) is separated in operation as to air technology from the others. The floor surface of a single floor kiln-drier (12) is subdivided by partition walls (26) into three zones (A, B and A1) and the air supply is designed so that the exhaust air is extracted unmixed zone by zone. The partition walls (26) are arranged so that each zone (A, B and A1) has a charging and discharging device (14), or the zones can be rotated into the area of a common charging and discharging device (14).

Claims22

Dependent claims

A process for the drying of malt in a kiln-drier, in which

(a) there are provided at least two zones for preliminary drying and one zone for secondary drying of the malt and
(b) unsaturated exhaust air from the secondary drying zone is admixed as return air with intake air for preliminary drying,
wherein
(c) in the preliminary drying zones respectively different preliminary drying times are employed, and during the secondary drying in the secondary drying zone, a preliminary drying process always takes place in at least one preliminary drying zone, and
(d) each individual zone is separate as to ventilation from the other zones.

2 more elements

A process for kiln-drying malt in which green malt is preliminary dried with ventilation under first drying conditions and then secondary dried with ventilation under different drying conditions, and comprising:

(a) providing a kiln-drier subdivided into at least three separately ventilated drying zones,
(b) at the beginning portion of a given operating cycle of predetermined duration, charging a first of said zones with a first fraction of a charge of newly incoming malt to be treated during said given cycle and charging a second of said zones with a second fraction of said charge, the third of said zones containing a fully preliminary-dried fraction of a charge of malt from a preceding operating cycle,
(c) during a first drying phase of said given operating cycle, simultaneously secondary drying said charge fraction from the preceding operating cycle to completion, preliminary drying said first charge fraction to completion, and partially preliminary drying said second charge fraction,
(d) during a second drying phase of said given operating cycle, simultaneously secondary drying said first charge fraction to completion and further preliminary drying said second charge fraction,
(e) during both of said first and second drying phases, admixing unsaturated exhaust air from the secondary drying phase with intake air being used for preliminary drying, and
(f) repeating the aforesaid steps for successive operating cycles.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process and apparatus for kiln-drying malt

Life of this patent

Process and apparatus for kiln-drying malt

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22