Pasteurization and fermentation of a fermentable extract

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for pasteurization and fermentation in the production of an alcoholic beverage. The method involves taking a fermentable soluble extract from a processed brewer's mash, mixing it in a mixing zone with a fermented fermentable extract containing an alcohol content of at least 4% alcohol by volume together with other products formed during fermentation, processing this mixture by heating the mixture to a temperature of at least 51.degree. C. (124.degree. F.) holding the mixture at that temperature for ten to twenty minutes and then cooling the mixture to a minimum of 10.degree. C. (50.degree. F.) before fermenting the mixture according to known fermentation processes. In order to produce a continuous flow process and better control the specific gravity of the unfermented fermentable extract, the liquid extract from the brewer's mash may be converted to a soluble powder product which can then be provided in a continuous flow of powder product for dissolving with a continuous flow of water to produce a continuous flow of fermentable soluble extract for mixing with a continuous flow of fermented fermentable extract taken from an outlet of a continuous fermenting plant, the mixture being processed as above before entering the continuous fermenting plant for fermentation to produce an alcoholic beverage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.