JPS6028274B2 - Ventilated koji making equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention This invention is a koji making device for the general enzyme industry and brewing industry, in which a koji substrate is deposited in a high layer or a thin layer on a ventilated culture bed, and the temperature and moisture of the substrate are adjusted. In the aerated mechanical koji making equipment that produces koji, we create an environment with optimal temperature and humidity on the culture bed to naturally dissipate the fermentation heat of the koji, eliminating the need for outside air to control product temperature.
This relates to an automatic koji making device that reduces the ventilation load, adjusts the carbon dioxide concentration required for koji making, prevents the proliferation of bacteria, arbitrarily adjusts the moisture content of the koji, and improves the quality of the koji made. .

In the conventional koji production method, the upper and lower chambers of the koji substrate deposited on the culture bed are connected by a circulation duct, and an air conditioning device is installed in the circulation path, making the circulating air suitable for controlling the temperature of the koji substrate. This was done by adjusting the temperature and humidity and using forced ventilation.

The air blowing conditions in aeration-type koji making differ depending on the koji making conditions of the koji substrate, but to give an example of the conventional method, when the koji product temperature is 2yo, the ventilation temperature 2 is ~230○, and the room temperature is 97~100%.
After passing through the koji substrate, the temperature was 27q0, and the humidity was 100%. Therefore, the temperature of the koji substrate varies between the upper and lower parts of the deposited layer, making it difficult to produce uniform koji.
In addition, using such circulating air during the peak heating period of koji will impede the heat exchange efficiency of the air conditioner and make it difficult to control the product temperature. It used to be common practice to introduce outside air and condition it for ventilation, but introducing outside air is more effective in increasing the heat exchange efficiency of air conditioners than recycling hot and humid air. Even if it were, it would cause many problems in the koji making process. By introducing outside air, the above-floor room is connected to the atmosphere, reducing the negative pressure inside the room and becoming atmospheric pressure, increasing the dynamic pressure in the under-floor room, leading to an increase in the air blowing load. Koji generates carbon dioxide gas as mycelia grow, but a certain concentration of carbon dioxide affects the quality of the koji. When outside air is introduced, there is an excess of oxygen, which dilutes the carbon dioxide gas, causing the koji to undergo oxidation. and inhibits the penetration of koji mold into the substrate. Ventilating a large amount of outside air may also be a factor in drying out the moisture in the substrate, but
After ventilation, the air is hot and humid and comes into contact with the ceiling and walls of the above-floor room, becoming a drain and promoting the growth of bacteria. Depending on the type of koji, some types require temporary drying of the substrate surface.
The influence of the moisture content of the released koji on the enzyme titer is significant; for example, using soy sauce koji, the protase activity of the koji with a 28% moisture content and the koji with a 34% moisture content is 2.9 times that of the former. The latest technology and research in soy sauce brewing). The outside air contains many bacteria that are not necessary for koji making, and causes contamination of the koji matrix.When the outside air that is introduced at 100 per minute is washed with a shower washing device, it is washed. The water recorded a general bacterial contamination of 400,000 to 500,000 ppm after one hour. Using outside air containing general bacteria to aerate the product for temperature control will increase the proliferation of bacteria on the substrate, reduce the enzyme titer, and affect the quality of the target product. be. In order to correct the defects in koji production during koji production, this invention automatically maintains the indoor air in the chamber above the koji substrate accumulation bed at the optimum temperature and humidity environment for koji production. The heat generated by growth is brought to a state of natural dissipation, thereby equalizing the temperature of the substrate in the deposited layer.The air used to ventilate the material temperature control eliminates the use of large amounts of outside air, and uses regulated air in the above-floor room for circulation. The purpose is to improve the quality of the koji by increasing its efficiency and minimizing the amount of air flowing into the koji substrate, suppressing the loss of moisture from the substrate, and thereby preventing the proliferation of various bacteria.

In addition, the carbon dioxide gas that is inevitably generated during koji making is generated depending on the progress of koji making, and the concentration of this carbon dioxide gas has a subtle effect on the growth of koji mold during koji making and enzyme production. For,
If the concentration is higher than necessary, it is possible to adjust the concentration by supplying clean air in order to adjust the carbon dioxide concentration and to make the ideal koji. The effects of this invention are particularly remarkable in culturing substrates with high fermentation heat during koji making. An example of the implementation of the apparatus of this invention will first be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

1 is the insulating wall of the koji making room, 3 is the ventilated culture bed, 16
is the koji substrate deposited on the culture bed.

2 is an above-bed chamber separated by a culture bed, and 4 is an under-floor chamber.

6 is the main body of the adjustment means for adjusting the air in the chamber above the culture bed;
, 5' circulation duct.

7 is a blower fan for circulating indoor air above the floor; 8 is a temperature sensor that detects the indoor temperature; and 8' is a humidity sensor.

9 is the main body of a humidifying and cooling means for controlling the koji substrate product line provided on the other side; 10 is a humidifying device with a built-in spray nozzle that prevents the koji substrate from drying by ventilation; 11 is a blower fan; 12
, 12' is a circulation duct that connects the above-floor chamber and the under-floor chamber via a humidifying cooling blower fan, 15 is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the koji product, and 13 is a working part for loading and unloading the koji substrate. ``14 is the maintenance work part.

Next, the effects of the above device will be explained.

Koji production is carried out by depositing pretreated koji substrate on an aerated culture bed.

The koji generates heat as the hyphae grow, and the room temperature and humidity in the above-floor chamber 2 rise. When the temperature sensor 8 installed in the room above the floor detects the temperature, the circulation fan 7 is activated, and indoor air is sucked through the circulation duct 5, passes through the adjustment means 6, and is sent into the room from the duct 5'. . Simultaneously with the operation of the blower fan 7, cold water is passed through the cooler provided in the adjustment means main body 6,
Cool the circulating air. When the temperature in the above-floor room 2 reaches a predetermined temperature, water flow to the blower fan and cooler is stopped. Even when the humidity in the above-floor room 2 rises above the set humidity, the adjustment means is activated by the detection by the humidity sensor, cooling is carried out within the main body 6, and excess humidity is dehumidified. Kayo On,
For example, when making koji, the temperature of the product is 25℃ by the operation of the humidity adjustment means.
In the case of
When adjusted to 5%, the heat generated by the koji is allowed to radiate naturally, and the koji room is kept dry, which inevitably helps prevent the growth of bacteria. When the temperature of the koji substrate reaches a set temperature or higher, the circulation fan 11 is activated by the detection by the temperature sensor 15, and the adjusted air in the above-floor room is sucked through the duct 12 and sent to the humidifying cooling body. The product is humidified and cooled, and then sent into the underfloor chamber 4 through the duct 12', where it is vented to the koji substrate to control the product temperature. The temperature of the ventilated air is normally 22 to 23°C and the humidity is 97% to 100%, but it can be freely adjusted according to the progress time of koji making. The deposited and solidified koji matrix is disintegrated appropriately by the handling machine, and the heat is naturally dissipated, so a small amount of air is needed for a short period of time to control the product temperature, and the product temperature in the upper and lower layers is always maintained. It is possible to control the temperature to be uniform, reduce the loss of substrate moisture due to aeration, and produce high-moisture koji. Introducing outside air to help control the temperature of the product during koji making is done by releasing indoor air outdoors, and the carbon dioxide gas released as the koji mold grows is also diluted by the introduced outside air. However, in this invention, since the air used for overflow control is indoor air circulation, carbon dioxide gas is inevitably emitted indoors, but the concentration of carbon dioxide gas is adjusted as appropriate using the clean air of the micro-islands. Under the carbon dioxide concentration, it is useful for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the room above the floor, as well as creating the optimal environment for making koji.

In order to control the product temperature when using indoor air for circulation, the static pressure in the above-floor chamber and the dynamic pressure in the above-floor chamber are kept in balance by minimizing the passage resistance of the koji substrate, which reduces the ventilation load on the substrate. This improves the heat exchange efficiency of humidification and cooling when the air passes through the humidification and cooling means for the conditioned air in the above-floor room, minimizing the amount of ventilation and preventing oxidation of the koji matrix.
When outside air is introduced, the koji making that floats in the air contains a lot of unnecessary harmful general bacteria, but the indoor circulating air is free of that contamination, allowing clean koji making with high enzyme titer to be completed. It is something that can be done. As detailed above, the present invention provides temperature and humidity adjustment means in the chamber above the culture bed in aerated koji production, creates an optimal indoor environment for koji production, and humidifies and cools the above-bed chamber and under-bed chamber. This is an aeration-type koji making device that is connected by a duct that circulates and blows air through a means to correct defects in the conventional method of making koji, thereby improving the quality of the koji.

3 and 4 show application examples of the present invention, with FIG. 3 being a vertical sectional view and FIG. 4 being a plan view. This application example is an example in which the apparatus of the present invention is installed in a room made of heat-insulating walls, and the humidifying and cooling means can be installed either indoors or outdoors. Numbers 1 to 16 in these figures indicate the same parts as in Figures 1 and 2, and 17 indicates a circulator, which illuminates the indoor air to improve uniformity of temperature and humidity. be.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus of this invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are applied koji making apparatuses of this invention. In the figure, 1...Insulating wall body, 2...Upper floor chamber, 3...Culture bed, 4...Underfloor chamber, 5
, 5'... Circulation duct, 6... Adjustment means, 7... Circulation fan, 8... Temperature sensor, 8'......・Humidity sensor, 9...
Humidification cooling means, 10... Spray nozzle, 11
......Circulation fan, 12'...Duct, 13...Incorporation, working part for removing koji, 14...
... Maintenance work part, 15... Product temperature sensor,
16... Koji substrate, 17... Circulator. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In koji making equipment for general enzyme industry and brewing industry,
In aeration-type koji making, in which a culture chamber configured with a heat insulator is partitioned into an above-floor chamber and an under-floor chamber by a ventilable culture bed, and culture is carried out by aerating the koji substrate deposited on the culture bed, the above-floor chamber is An automatic temperature and humidity adjustment means is installed to adjust the air in this room to a preset constant temperature and humidity to create the optimal indoor environment for koji making, and humidifies the above-mentioned above-floor chamber and under-floor room.
It is connected by a duct that circulates and blows air through a cooling blowing means, thereby eliminating the use of a large amount of outside air in temperature control of the koji substrate product, and reducing the blowing load through the means of an appropriate care machine. The method is characterized in that the carbon dioxide concentration that inevitably occurs as the koji mold progresses is adjusted appropriately using a small amount of clean air, and the quality of the koji is improved under the carbon dioxide concentration. Automatic koji making equipment.