A Process for Continuous Fermentation and Maturing of Beer

1, 163, 825. Beer fermentation and maturation. FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUER DIE GAERUNGSINDUSTRIE ENZYMOLOGIE und TECHNISCHE MIKROBIOLOGIE. April 13, 1967, No. 17041/67. Heading C6E. A process for the continuous fermentation and maturing of beer involves conducting a stream of filtered and cooled beer wort through a propagation vessel in which propagation of yeast occurs and the wort is fermented, mixing the fermenting wort leaving the propagation vessel with a stream of unfermented wort, passing the mixture downwards through a fermentation column at a decreasing fermentation temperature, except in a lower section of the column wherein the temperature of the wort is increased, deeply cooling the beer produced to separate albuminous substances and further treating it to promote colloidal stabilization. The propagation is carried out with wort containing 11-12% extract at a temperature of 8-9‹ C., a dilution ranging from 0‹014-0‹024 per hour and a concentration of released oxygen of 0À6-0À8 mg/l. of fermenting wort. An example discloses inter alia the following features: a propagation stage involving the cultivation of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, a first stage fermentation in a column fermenter 12m high with the fermentation temperature decreasing from 8‹ C. (inlet) to 5‹ C. (outlet), and a second stage fermentation in the lower section of the column at 12‹ C.