Patent ID: 6872417

Claim:
A cook and soak process using at least one each kettle, soak tank, grain hopper, hydrosieve, hopper, and washer, said process comprising the steps of: a) placing at least one grain product into a kettle with an aqueous alkaline solution to form an alkaline mixture; b) heating said alkaline mixture to a predetermined temperature followed by cooling the cooked mixture with water and then separating said alkaline mixture into a supernate layer and a slurry layer; c) draining said slurry and maintaining substantially all said supernate in said kettle to be used with a next alkaline mixture; d) soaking said slurry in a soak tank; e) transporting said slurry to a hopper via a push water stream wherein said push water stream comprises recycled water from a collection tank and wherein said slurry is substantially drained of liquid and becomes substantially a grain; f) transporting said grain from said hopper to a hydrosieve; g) draining excess water from said grain; h) transporting said grain from said hydrosieve to a washer; i) washing said grain in said washer with a fresh wash water; j) draining said fresh wash water of step i) to said collection tank for recycle at step e); k) transporting said grain to a further process.