Continous process of producing beer

A continuous process for producing beer, comprising

• a) (i) mashing disintegrated, optionally malted, raw materials with water to form a mash;
• (ii) continuously feeding the mash to at least one reactor or reactor stage, the mash being held in said least one reactor or reactor stage at a defined temperature from 35.degree. to 75.degree. C. said mash being heated in steps by an indirect heat exchange to a temperature of from 75.degree. to 85.degree. C., the mash having a residence time in the least one reactor or reactor stage of 30 to 90 minutes;
• b) separating a grain residue from the mash to produce a solids-free hot wort;
• c) (i) mixing the solids-free hot wort with hops or hop extract to form a mixture;
• (ii) continuously supplying the mixture to a flow reactor wherein the mixture is heated and is caused to flow through said flow reactor for between 2 to 60 minutes while the mixture is at a temperature of from 105.degree. to 140.degree. C. and under a gauge pressure of from 1.2 to 3.6 bars;
• d) (i) subjecting the pressurized wort to a flash evaporation;
• (ii) continuously separating the wort from the dregs;
• (iii) cooling the wort to a fermentation temperature;
• e) fermenting the cooled wort having an oxygen content from 0.5 to 3.0 mg O.sub.2 /1 in at least one fermenter which contains a biocatalyst that contains a biologically active yeast;
• f) (i) withdrawing a liquid medium from the fermenter during the fermentation;
• (ii) removing the free yeast cells contained therein;
• (iii) heating the liquid medium from which the yeast has been removed to a temperature of from 50.degree. to 90.degree. C. for 0.5 to 30 minutes;
• (iv) dividing the heated liquid medium into first and second partial streams of hot beer;
• g) (i) cooling the first partial stream of the hot beer;
• (ii) recycling the cooled stream to the fermenter;
• and
• h) processing the second partial stream to form a beer.