Process for the production of acidified malt

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD OF PRODUCING ACIDIFIED MALT WHICH COMPRISES PREPARING A CEREAL MASH, SEEDING SAID MASH WITH A CULTURE CONTAINING PREDOMINANTLY THERMOPHILIC GRAM POSITIVE STRAIN OF LACTOBACILLI AT A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING 60* C., FERMENTING SAID MASH WHEREBY AN ACID STEEP LIQUOR CONTAINING LACTIC ACID IS FORMED, INTRODUCING A FIRST CHANGE OF GERMINATED CEREAL AND SAID ACID STEEP LIQUOR INTO AN ACID STEEPING ZONE, THE ACID STEEP LIQUOR EMPLOYED AT NOT TIME BEING MORE THAN 16 DAYS OLD FROM THE TIME OF COLLECTION OF SAID ACID STEEPING LIQUOR FROM SAID CEREAL MASH AND BEFORE ANY EVIDENCE OF PROPAGATION OF MOULDS APPEAR, SEPARATING THE FIRST CHANGE OF ACID STEEPED GERMINATED CEREAL FROM THE RESIDUAL ACID STEEP LIQUOR, CONVEYING SAID FIRST CHANGE OF ACID STEEPED GERMINATED CEREAL TO A DRYING ZONE, CONVEYING THE FIRST RESIDUAL ACID STEEP LIQUOR TO A STORAGE ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 45-50* C., ADDING TO SAID FIRST RESIDUAL ACID STEEP LIQUOR ADDITIONAL FRESH ACID STEEP LIQUOR WHICH AT NO TIME IS MORE THAN 16 DAYS OLD FROM THE TIME OF COLLECTION OF SAID ACID STEEPING LIQUOR FROM SAID CEREAL MASH AND IN WHICH THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF MOULD PROPAGATION, WHEREBY THE ACID ABSORBED BY THE FIRST CHARGE OF GERMINATED CEREAL IS REPLENISHED, STEEPING A SECOND CHARGE OF GERMINATED CEREAL IN THE REPLENISHED ACID STEEP LIQUOR, SEPARATING SAID SECOND CHARGE OF ACID STEEP GERMINATED CEREAL FROM A SECOND RESIDUAL ACID STEEPING LIQUOR, CONVEYING SAID SECOND CHARGE OF ACID STEEPED GERMINATED CEREAL TO A DRYING ZONE, AND REPLENISHING SAID SECOND RESIDUAL ACID STEEPING LIQUOR WITH SAID ACID STEEPING LIQUOR WHICH AT NO TIME IS MORE THAN 16 DAYS OLD FROM THE TIME OF COLLECTION OF SAID ACID STEEPING LIQUOR FROM SAID CEREAL MASH AND IN WHICH THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF MOULD PROPAGATION.