Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.33, No.8, 1297-1302, 2010
Procedural Investigations of the Lautering Process
Beer production begins in the brewhouse, where milled malt is mixed with water. Relevant ingredients of the malt are converted and dissolved into wort. The solids have to be separated from the remaining liquid. This step is done in the lauter tun and is still a very time-consuming process. Additionally, the procedural knowledge of this production step is still rather poor. Another aim in beer production is the evaporation of unwanted aroma compounds. Usually this is done during wort boiling. The latest research showed that the preliminary steps should be done before boiling. The developed system is the result of these two principles, evaporation of unwanted flavoring substances and prevention of blocking of the filter cake. The approach was the integration of a bubble generator in the lauter tun, which blows nitrogen bubbles (inert gas, not oxidizing) through the mash and filter cake.