Patent ID: 8647688

Claim:
A continuous method of fermenting wort, comprising: (a) fermenting wort with a biologically active yeast to produce an alcohol containing fermented liquid; (b) introducing the fermented liquid to a maturation vessel in a vertically downward or upward laminar flow through the maturation vessel, wherein the fermented liquid comprises biologically active yeast in an amount of at least 10 grams of wet yeast per liter, the amount of wet yeast being equal to the amount of a yeast cake with a water content of 73% isolated by means of centrifugation; (c) removing a yeast-containing sediment and a supernatant liquid from the maturation vessel; and (d) optionally recirculating at least a part of the yeast containing sediment to the fermented liquid; wherein the fermented liquid has a residence time in the maturation vessel exceeding 6 hours, and wherein the introduction of fermented liquid (b) and removal of yeast-containing sediment and supernatant liquid of (c) occur concurrently and continuously from the maturation vessel.