Process and apparatus for concentrating wort

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CONCENTRATED BREWERS'' WORT, THE STEPS COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY PREHEATING A STREAM OF CLEAR WORT TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 185* TO 230*F., EVAPORATING THE PREHEATED WORT BY PASSING THE WORT THROUGH A SERIES OF EVAPORATIVE EFFECTS IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FILM IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH A HEATING MEDIUM TO CONCENTRATE THE WORT TO A SOLIDS CONTENT GREATER THAN 78% BY WEIGHT AND PROVIDE A VAPORIZED COMPONENT, SEPARATING THE CONCENTRATED WORT FROM THE VAPORIZED COMPONENT AFTER EACH STEP OF EVAPORATION, COOLING THE CONCENTRATED WORT TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 105*F., AND MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF WORT THROUGH SAID SYSTEM AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO PERFORM SAID STEPS OF PREHEATING, EVAPORATING, SEPARATING AND COOLING IN A PERIOD LESS THAN 10 MINUTES.