Process for the production of wort

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SWEET BREWER''S WORT, SAID METHOD COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERING COMMINUTED MALT AND ANY DESIRED ADJUNCTS TO A SLURRYING VESSEL IN CONTROLLED QAUANTITIES; CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERING CONTROLLED AMOUNTS OF MASH MAKE-UP LIQUID TO SAID SLURRYING VESSEL TO MAINTAIN THEREIN A MASH SLURRY OF DESIRED CONSTITUTION; CONTINUOULSY DELIVERING SAID SLURRY TO A MASH VESSEL INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED MASH ZONES; MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED DESIRED TEMPERATURE AND HOLD-UP TIME IN EACH OF SAID MASH ZONES; CONTINUOUSLY DELIVERING MASH SLURRY FROM THE UPPERMOST OF SAID ZONES TO A MECHANICAL SEPARATOR ARRANGED TO SEPARATE THE SLURRY INTO A SOLIDS FRACTION CONTAINING THE LIQUID AND FINES SOLIDS; CONTINUOUSLY CLARIFYING THE LIQUID FRACTION AND DELIVERING THE SAME AS A CELAR SWEET WORT; CONTINUOUSLY SUBJECTING THE SOLIDS FRACTION TO COUNTER-CURRENT EXTRACTION IN A PLURALITY OF STAGES EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES RESLURRYING WITH WASH EFFLUENT FROM A SUCCEEDING STAGE UNDER CONTROLLED TEMPERTURE CONDITIONS, AND MECHANICAL SEPARATION OF THE COARSE SOLIDS, WHEREBY FINALLY TO PRODUCE SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY EXHAUSTED COARSE SOLIDS WASTE; THE MAKE-UP WATER FOR THE SYSTEM BEING DELIVERED TO THE LAST OF SAID STAGES, AND THE LIQUID FRACTION FROM THE MECHANICAL SEPARATION OF THE FIRST STAGE BEING DELIVERED TO SAID SLURRYING VESSEL AS THE MASH MAKE-UP LIQUID.