Patent ID: 8202708

Claim:
A method of producing a mash extract comprising, sequentially: (a) mashing particulate, starch-containing and optionally malted grains with water; (b) heating the mash and enzymatically hydrolysing the starch; (c) passing the heated mash across a first sieve for separation into fermentable mash extract and wet spent grain; (d) optionally (i) transferring the wet spent grain into a washing vessel and mixing it with sparging water to produce a slurry; and (ii) passing the slurry across another sieve for separation into wet spent grain and wash water; (e) transferring the wet spent grain to a first press and pressing the wet spent grain to obtain dewatered spent grain and additional fermentable mash extract; (f) transferring the dewatered spent grain into a first mixing vessel and mixing the dewatered spent grain with sparging water to produce a first slurry; (g) passing the all of the first slurry across a second sieve for separation into washed spent grain and wash water; and (h) transferring the washed spent grain to a second press and pressing the washed spent grain to obtain spent grain residue and rest water; (i) transferrin the spent grain residue obtained from the second press into a second mixing vessel and mixing it with sparging water to produce a second slurry; (j) passing second slurry across a third sieve for separation into extracted spent grain and dilute wash water; (k) transferring the extracted spent grain to a third press and pressing said extracted spent grain to obtain exhausted spent grain residue and dilute rest water; wherein at least a part of the wash water and/or the rest water is recirculated to the mashing step (a) and/or combined with the heat-treated mash before it is passed across the first sieve, and wherein at least a part of the dilute wash water and/or the dilute rest water is recirculated to the first mixing vessel.