Process for treating cereal grains

Claim 1

A method of treating cereal grain intended for use in the preparation of consumable products, which comprises: forming an initial soaking mixture containing water, cereal grain and a member selected from the group consisting of (a) liquid grape concentrate and (b) crystalline fructose, said cereal grain being present in an amount from about 40 to about 60 wt.%, said liquid grape concentrate having a solids content from about 60 to about 75 wt.% and being present in an amount from about 3 to about 8 wt.%, said crystalline fructose being present in an amount from about 0.55 to about 0.85 wt.%, and said water being present in an amount to make 100 wt.%; maintaining said initial soaking mixture at a temperature from about 72° to about 84° F. for an initial soaking period of about 10 to about 16 hours; adding proteolytic enzyme to said initial soaking mixture upon completion of said initial soaking period to define a final soaking mixture and maintaining said final soaking mixture at a temperature from about 72° to about 84° F. for a final soaking period of about 10 to about 62 hours, said proteolytic enzyme being a member selected from the group consisting of (a) bromelin and (b) papain, said bromelin having an enzyme potency of about 1,400 to about 1,600 gelatin digestive units per gram and being present in the final soaking mixture in an amount from about 0.016 to about 0.024 wt.% and said papain having an enzyme potency of about 2,800 to about 3,000 gelatin digestive units per gram and being present in the final soaking mixture in an amount from about 0.008 to about 0.012 wt.%; and separating said cereal grain from said final soaking mixture.

Claim 2

A method of treating cereal grain intended for use in the preparation of consumable products, which comprises: forming an initial soaking mixture containing water, cereal grain and a member selected from the group consisting of (a) liquid grape concentrate and (b) crystalline fructose, said cereal grain being present in an amount from about 40 to about 60 wt.%, said liquid grape concentrate having a solids content from about 60 to about 75 wt.% and being present in an amount from about 3 to about 8 wt.%, said crystalline fructose being present in an amount from about 0.55 to about 0.85 wt.%, and said water being present in an amount to make 100 wt.%; maintaining said initial soaking mixture at a temperature from about 72° to about 84° F. for an initial soaking period of about 10 to about 16 hours; adding proteolytic enzyme to said initial soaking mixture upon completion of said initial soaking period to define a final soaking mixture and maintaining said final soaking mixture at a temperature from about 72° to about 84° F. for a final soaking period of about 10 to about 62 hours, said proteolytic enzyme being a member selected from the group consisting of (a) bromelin and (b) papain, said bromelin having an enzyme potency of about 1,400 to about 1,600 gelatin digestive units per gram and being present in the final soaking mixture in an amount from about 0.016 to about 0.024 wt.% and said papain having an enzyme potency of about 2,800 to about 3,000 gelatin digestive units per gram and being present in the final soaking mixture in an amount from about 0.008 to about 0.012 wt.%; and separating said cereal grain from said final soaking mixture.