US3924007A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Continuous preparation of fermented milk products
Assignee: STICHTING BEDRIJVEN VAN HET
•
Filing: 1973-04-09
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Granted: 1975-12-02
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Expires: 1993-04-09
Abstract
Abstract Yogurt and other fermented milk products are prepared in a continuous process in which a continuous stream of milk is added to a fermenting mixture of milk and a starter in a prefermenting tank. The pH of the mixture in the prefermenting tank is maintained above the value at which stirring of the mixture will cause syneresis to occur in the final product. A portion of the prefermented mixture is sprayed into a coagulating tank in which further fermentation and coagulation take place to form a gel structure. In the coagulating tank, the mixture, when its pH surpasses the acidity at which stirring will no longer cause syneresis, is subjected to shearing forces by stirring the gel structure near the bottom of the tank to form a smooth consistency without disturbing that part of the gel structure upstream in the coagulating tank in which sufficient acidity has not been produced and thereafter filling into containers the product having a smooth consistency through a discharge pipe in the bottom of the coagulating tank.
Inventors
- 👤 Fransiscus M Driessen
- 👤 Jacobus J Stadhouders
- 👤 Jacob Ubbels
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:19
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01J; A01J11/00; A23; A23C; A23C9/00; A23C9/12; A23C9/122; A23C9/1223; A23C9/123; A23C9/1236; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/8215; Y10S435/822; Y10S435/853; Y10S435/885
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINOUS PREPARATION OF YOGHURT COMPRISING ADDING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF MILK TO A FERMENTING MIXTURE CONSISTING OF MILK AND STARTER IN A PREFERMENTING TANK WHILE MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE AT 42*-48*C. TRANSFERRING A SIMILAR QUANTITY OF THE FERMENTING MIXTURE WHICH HAS A PH NOT BELOW ABOUT 5.3 INTO A COAGULATING TANK IN WHICH FURTHER FERMENTATION AND COAGULATION TAKE PLACE, COOLING THE FERMENTING MIXTURE DURING PASSAGE INTO THE COAGULATING TANK, SPRAYING THE FERMENTING MIXTURE INTO THE 0COAGULATING TANK, ALLOWING THE FERMENTING MIXTURE TO FLOW DOWNWARD THROUGH THE COAGULATING TANK AND COAGULATE AND FORM A GEL STRUCTURE, AND NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK WHERE THE ACIDITY IS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A PH OF THE GEL STRUCTURE OF ABOUT 4.7 OR BELOW AND THE ACIDITY IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PREVENT SYNERESIS BY STIRRING, STIRRING THE GEL STRUCTURE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK TO FORM A SMOOTHE CONSISTENCY WITHOUT DISTURBING THAT PART OF THE GEL STRUCTURE UPSTREAM IN THE COAGULATING TANK IN WHICH SUFFICIENT ACIDITY HAS NOT BEEN PRODUCED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY FILLING CONTAINERS WITH THE RESULTING PRODUCT THROUGH A DISCHARGE PIPE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE COAGULATING TANK.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINOUS PREPARATION OF YOGHURT COMPRISING ADDING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF MILK TO A FERMENTING MIXTURE CONSISTING OF MILK AND STARTER IN A PREFERMENTING TANK WHILE MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE AT 42*-48*C. TRANSFERRING A SIMILAR QUANTITY OF THE FERMENTING MIXTURE WHICH HAS A PH NOT BELOW ABOUT 5.3 INTO A COAGULATING TANK IN WHICH FURTHER FERMENTATION AND COAGULATION TAKE PLACE, COOLING THE FERMENTING MIXTURE DURING PASSAGE INTO THE COAGULATING TANK, SPRAYING THE FERMENTING MIXTURE INTO THE 0COAGULATING TANK, ALLOWING THE FERMENTING MIXTURE TO FLOW DOWNWARD THROUGH THE COAGULATING TANK AND COAGULATE AND FORM A GEL STRUCTURE, AND NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK WHERE THE ACIDITY IS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A PH OF THE GEL STRUCTURE OF ABOUT 4.7 OR BELOW AND THE ACIDITY IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PREVENT SYNERESIS BY STIRRING, STIRRING THE GEL STRUCTURE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK TO FORM A SMOOTHE CONSISTENCY WITHOUT DISTURBING THAT PART OF THE GEL STRUCTURE UPSTREAM IN THE COAGULATING TANK IN WHICH SUFFICIENT ACIDITY HAS NOT BEEN PRODUCED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY FILLING CONTAINERS WITH THE RESULTING PRODUCT THROUGH A DISCHARGE PIPE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE COAGULATING TANK.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the coagulating tank walls are coated with a surface-active compound.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the speed of the fermenting mixture in the coagulating tank is at most 5 cm/minute at a temperature of 37*C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the temperature at which the fermenting mixture is transferred coagulating tank is held constant.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 in which the temperature near the bottom of the tank is about 33* to 37*C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 in which the pH of the fermenting mixture transferred into the coagulating tank is about 5.3 to 5.8.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 1 in which the gel structure is stirred by moving a perforated partition plate upward in the coagulating tank while causing the gel structure to pass downward through the perforations in said perforated plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1 in which the gel structure is stirred by temporarily interrupting the downward flow of the fermenting mixture with a partition plate and stirring the gel structure below said partition plate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
193 words
A process for the continuous preparation of Bulgarian yoghurt comprising adding a continuous stream of milk to a fermenting mixture consisting of milk and starter in a prefermenting tank while maintaining the temperature of the mixture at 42*-48*C, transferring a similar quantity of the fermenting mixture which has a pH not below about 5.3 into a coagulating tank in which further fermentation and coagulation take place, cooling the fermenting mixture during passage into the coagulating tank, spraying the fermenting mixture into the coagulating tank, allowing the fermenting mixture to flow downward through the coagulating tank and coagulate and form a gel structure, and near the bottom of the tank where the acidity is sufficient to produce a pH of the gel structure of about 5.1 or below and the acidity is sufficiently high to prevent syneresis by stirring, stirring the gel structure near the bottom of the tank to form a smooth consistency without disturbing that part of the gel structure upstream in the coagulating tank in which sufficient acidity has not been produced, and subsequently filling containers with the resulting product through a discharge pipe in the bottom of the coagulating tank.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
193 words
A process for the continuous preparation of Bulgarian yoghurt comprising adding a continuous stream of milk to a fermenting mixture consisting of milk and starter in a prefermenting tank while maintaining the temperature of the mixture at 42*-48*C, transferring a similar quantity of the fermenting mixture which has a pH not below about 5.3 into a coagulating tank in which further fermentation and coagulation take place, cooling the fermenting mixture during passage into the coagulating tank, spraying the fermenting mixture into the coagulating tank, allowing the fermenting mixture to flow downward through the coagulating tank and coagulate and form a gel structure, and near the bottom of the tank where the acidity is sufficient to produce a pH of the gel structure of about 5.1 or below and the acidity is sufficiently high to prevent syneresis by stirring, stirring the gel structure near the bottom of the tank to form a smooth consistency without disturbing that part of the gel structure upstream in the coagulating tank in which sufficient acidity has not been produced, and subsequently filling containers with the resulting product through a discharge pipe in the bottom of the coagulating tank.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 9 in which the coagulating tank walls are coated with a surfaceactive compound.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 9 in which the speed of the fermenting mixture in the coagulating tank is at most 5 cm/minute at a temperature of 37*C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 9 in which the temperature at which the fermenting mixture is transferred into the coagulating tank is held constant.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 9 in which the temperature near the bottom of the tank is about 33* to 37*C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 9 in which the pH of the fermenting mixture transferred into the coagulating tank is about 5.3 to 5.8.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 9 in which the gel structure is stirred by moving a perforated partition plate upward in the coagulating tank while causing the gel structure to pass downward through the perforations in said perforated plate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 9 in which the gel structure is stirred by temporarily interrupting the downward flow of the fermenting mixture with a partition plate and stirring the gel structure below said partition plate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
186 words
A process for the continuous preparation of cultured buttermilk or lactic starter comprising adding a continuous stream of milk to a fermenting mixture consisting of milk and starter in a pre-fermenting tank while maintaining the temperature of the mixture at 20*-35*C, transferring a similar quantity of the fermenting mixture which has a pH not below about 5.3 into a coagulating tank in which further fermentation and coagulation take place, spraying the fermenting mixture into the coagulating tank, allowing the fermenting mixture to flow downward through the coagulating tank and coagulate and form a gel structure, and near the bottom of the tank where the acidity is sufficient to produce a pH oF the gel structure of about 4.7 or below and the acidity is sufficiently high to prevent syneresis by stirring, stirring the gel structure near the bottom of the tank to form a smooth consistency without disturbing that part of the gel structure upstream in the coagulating tank in which sufficient acidity has not been produced, and subsequently filling containers with the resulting product through a discharge pipe in the bottom of the coagulating tank.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
186 words
A process for the continuous preparation of cultured buttermilk or lactic starter comprising adding a continuous stream of milk to a fermenting mixture consisting of milk and starter in a pre-fermenting tank while maintaining the temperature of the mixture at 20*-35*C, transferring a similar quantity of the fermenting mixture which has a pH not below about 5.3 into a coagulating tank in which further fermentation and coagulation take place, spraying the fermenting mixture into the coagulating tank, allowing the fermenting mixture to flow downward through the coagulating tank and coagulate and form a gel structure, and near the bottom of the tank where the acidity is sufficient to produce a pH oF the gel structure of about 4.7 or below and the acidity is sufficiently high to prevent syneresis by stirring, stirring the gel structure near the bottom of the tank to form a smooth consistency without disturbing that part of the gel structure upstream in the coagulating tank in which sufficient acidity has not been produced, and subsequently filling containers with the resulting product through a discharge pipe in the bottom of the coagulating tank.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 17 in which the coagulating tank walls are coated with a surface active compound.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 17 in which the speed of the fermenting mixture in the coagulating tank is at most 5 cm/minute at a temperature of 35*C.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 17 in which the temperature at which the fermenting mixture is transferred into the coagulating tank is held constant.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 17 in which the pH of the fermenting mixture transferred into the coagulating tank is about 5.3 to 5.8.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 17 in which the gel structure is stirred by moving a perforated partition plate upward in the coagulating tank while causing the gel structure to pass downward through the perforations in said perforated plate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 17 in which the gel structure is stirred by temporarily interrupting the downward flow of the fermenting mixture with a partition plate and stirring the gel structure below said partition plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2908575A
Cited
US3432306A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-01 | 1979-06-02 | 1979-12-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-01 | 1983-06-02 | 1983-12-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-01 | 1987-06-02 | 1987-12-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |