JPH05123162A - Method for selecting koji taking out operation in production of koji - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need of preheating by selecting the presence or absence of operation to allow steamed rice to cool in KOJI (yeast)-producing operation and utilizing the residual heat in a KOJI-producing chamber for the next operation. CONSTITUTION:Whether operation to allow steamed rice to cool is performed or not in taking out KOJI which is the final work in KOJI producing operation is selected. When the operation to allow the steamed rice to cool is not carried out, the residual heat in the KOJI-producing chamber is utilized for preheating in the next KOJI-producing operation to save time and energy for the preheating at that time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a koji-making operation selection method in koji making.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the brewing of high-quality sake, in order to obtain high-quality koji called smashed-out koji, steamed rice is traditionally stored in many book-making boxes (koji lids). A koji lid method in which the positions of koji lids are manually replaced so as to maintain the same environment in the environment room is adopted, but as a mechanical koji making method and device relatively close to this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-269482 The method shown in is known. The above device is a thin box-shaped container that holds steamed rice and is hung with a chain so as to be stacked,
In order to make the environmental conditions uniform in the environment room, it is moved up and down and to the left and right. These transshipment devices (circulation mechanism) use sprockets and chains inside the environment room, and thus do not contain impurities against steamed rice. However, it is difficult to maintain the device, and it is difficult to measure the product temperature as a standard for environmental control. On the other hand, the applicant of the present invention stacks a large number of containers containing steamed rice in which koji mold is planted in an environmental chamber to form an ascending row (line) and a descending row (line), and performs mutual movement of the containers between the rows. It proposes a circulation mechanism (see Fig. 1) for transferring and moving containers in a stacked state.

The koji making operation is not limited to the above koji making equipment.
Generally, it takes about 24 hours to complete a series of processes from preparation work such as steamed rice assortment to the start of koji production, intermediary work, finishing work, and koji making. It is preferable to prepare the koji making room and its internal equipment steamed rice container to the environmental conditions at the starting point of koji making, and preheat by spending 1 to 2 hours so as to prevent a decrease in the steamed rice temperature at the start of koji making.

[0004]

However, when the koji-making work is completed in one time, there is no choice but to start from preheating again when the next work is carried out after the koji-making, but when it is continuously carried out, the koji-making is carried out. rear,
The environment inside the cooled koji making room, the arranging device, the container, etc. need to be preheated again over time, which wastes time and energy costs, and the koji making cycle, which ends approximately every day, is scheduled. There is a drawback in that the work cannot be performed, and there is a slight time lag every day, and the working time of the worker becomes irregular. The present invention is intended to solve these problems.

[0005]

According to the method of the present invention, at the end of the koji making operation, the koji making room and the steamed rice are cooled to stop the growth of koji, and the koji is finished. You can freely choose between the case of performing the operation and the case of taking the container out of the koji making room without cooling and cooling it and performing the next koji making operation continuously while maintaining the residual heat state in the koji making room. In this way, the environment control for adjusting the koji-making conditions in the koji-making chamber 1 which houses the container 2 in which steamed rice is placed and the operation control of the intermediary work and the finishing work accompanied by the agitation of the steamed rice after the start of the environment control In the method of performing the koji operation after the operation, one of the operation of cooling the steamed rice and the operation of removing the steamed rice from the koji making chamber is selected during the above-mentioned koji operation.

[0006]

When the steamed rice is taken out and cooled without cooling at the end of the koji making, preheating of the koji making chamber 1 is not necessary or only a short time is required when continuing the continuous work. If the koji is cooled within 1, the growth of koji is stopped and the time for taking out the koji can be arbitrarily selected.

[0007]

1 is a front view of a koji making apparatus housed in a koji making chamber 1 whose environment is controlled by a control device (not shown). In this embodiment, the koji making device carries a large number of kneading lids 2 on which a kneading fungus is planted with steamed rice, and a large number of koji lids 2 after the kneading are loaded and stacked, and each koji is placed in the stacked state. A circulation mechanism 4 for raising and lowering and transferring circulation (rotation) in order to uniformly apply the koji-making conditions such as temperature, humidity, and CO ₂ concentration to the lid 2, and a raised shape is formed on the circulation mechanism 4 as necessary. And a stirring device 6 for changing and homogenizing fermentation conditions in each koji lid 1.

Hereinafter, each of these devices and mechanisms and their respective operations will be described in detail. A. Koji Manufacturing Room As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the koji manufacturing room 1 has a space for accommodating the koji manufacturing chamber device inside and a non-water-containing peripheral wall so as to form an environment room isolated from the external environment. And a function of being able to adjust the temperature and humidity and the air volume through the hood 7 and other oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, etc., through the hood 7, which is made of a heat insulating material and which purifies the outside air by the air conditioner 5 installed outdoors. I have it. Furthermore, in the koji making room 1, a thermometer 9a, a hygrometer 9b, and a carbon dioxide gas (CO ₂ ) which are connected to a host computer 8 composed of an external personal computer to measure and control the internal environment as described above are sampled and measured. Densitometer 10
Etc. are installed. The operation control of each part to which a slave computer 11 such as a sequencer is connected is performed between the host computer 8 and each operating part (described later) of the arranging device 3, the circulation mechanism 4 and the stirring device 6. The host computer 8 includes a display device 12 such as a display screen, a storage unit 25 such as a hard disk 13 and a floppy disk 14, and the air conditioner 5 is connected to the host computer 8 online (RS-
232C) and is controlled.

B. Arrangement device The arranging device 3 is provided with a hopper 18 for charging the steamed rice 15 on the frame 16 via a load sensor 17 for measuring the load based on the amount of strain, and below the hopper 18, the koji lid 2 is attached. A carry-in line 19 composed of a belt conveyor for placing and standing by is installed in the left-right direction. The carry-in line 19 is connected to a lower transfer line 27a described later. The carry-in line 19 is a carry-in frame 2 horizontally projecting below the right side of the frame 26 of the circulation mechanism 4.
0 is inserted into the lower part of the frame 16 of the arranging device 3, and is freely attached to the frame 16 side.

Steamed rice 1 in which a predetermined amount of Aspergillus oryzae is planted from a discharge tube 21 provided at the lower end of a hopper 18 on the koji lid 2
5 is discharged and dropped, and is piled up. At this time, the damper 22 provided in the upper part of the cylindrical discharge port 21 is opened and closed by the driving portion 22a such as a cylinder so that the amount of steamed rice discharged and fed (arrangement) is always constant. Is set to. Arrangement device 3
First, the steamed rice is piled up in an initial shape, and the koji lid 2 after being piled up is fed into the circulation mechanism 4 on the left side in FIG.

Below the hopper discharge cylinder 21 in the carry-in line 19, there is an actuator 38c with a receiving plate 37 such as an air cylinder for supporting and elevating the koji lid 2 sent to the carry-in line 19 from below. The actuator 38c is provided such that the inner bottom surface of the koji lid 2 comes up to a position where it abuts against the lower end opening of the discharge tube 21 and closes it, and when the damper 22 is opened with the discharge tube 21 closed, A fixed amount of steamed rice corresponding to the volume is dropped and stored in the discharge cylinder 21. Then, the damper 22 is closed, and the actuator 38c is operated to lower the koji lid 2 until it is supported on the carry-in line 19, so that the steamed rice 15 in the discharge tube 21 has an ideal chevron shape in the koji lid 2. After being laid up in the initial shape, the laying up is completed, and is fed into the circulation mechanism 4 by the carry-in line 19 and the lower transfer line 27a described later.

C. Circulation Mechanism (a) Lower Transfer Line Below the frame 26 of the circulation mechanism 4, a lower transfer line 27a, which is integrated with the conveyor of the carry-in line 19 so as to be connected or interconnected, is inserted in the left-right direction. There are two front and rear endless belts 28, a pulley 29 at the right end of the arranging device 3 and a motor 3 at the left end of the circulation mechanism 4.
A guide pulley 33, which is wound around a drive pulley 32 attached with 1, and supports the belt 28 and the koji lid 2 under the upper side of the belt 28.
Is supported at an appropriate pitch.

(B) Ascending / descending line In the frame 26, the koji lids 2 are provided in the vertical direction in the frame in multiple stages (in the illustrated example, eight stages are provided with at least one empty space in each row). An ascending line 36a and a descending line 36b are formed along the guide (not shown) so as to be adjacent to each other in two rows and to be stacked in parallel. Belts 28, 2 below the lifting lines 36a, 36b
Between the eight, actuators 38a and 38b, which are air cylinders with a receiving plate 37 that receives the lowermost koji lid 2 from below or lifts it up and down, are installed upward. The ascending line 36a is a mechanism for intermittently ascending the koji lid 2 sent by the lower transfer line 27a upward one by one by the actuator 38a at regular time intervals, and the descending line 36b is an upper transfer line 2 described later.
When the koji lid 2 is transferred to the uppermost stage by 7b, it is a mechanism for lowering it one stage at a time by operating the actuator 38b in accordance with the ascending interval in the ascending line.
For these operations, in addition to the actuators 38a and 38b, stopper mechanisms 39 provided before and after each line are interlocked.

(C) Structure of Koji Lid The koji lid 2 is composed of, for example, a 500 × 700 × 120 (mm) box-shaped wooden tray, and its inner center is divided into left and right by a left / right partition plate (not shown). Has been. A handle 40 having an angled cross section is laterally attached to the front and back of the koji lid 2. Each koji lid 2 is configured to have a gap or a ventilation window through which air can be ventilated from the side surface or the like in the stacked state.

(D) Operation of Stopper Mechanism and Elevating Line The stopper mechanism 39 is attached to a stopper frame (not shown) which is fixedly erected on the frame 26 side, and is installed at the front and rear positions of the elevating lines 36a and 36b. Is provided. In the stopper mechanism 39, the koji lids 2 stacked on the elevating lines 36a and 36b are lifted and lowered by a predetermined amount by the lower actuators 38a and 38b, or lowered and lifted to make the koji lid 2
The upper and lower moving lines 2 in contact with the left and right ends of the handle 40
Both ends of the handles 40 of the koji making 2 in the next stage on 7a and 27b are supported from below, and the koji lids 2 on the raising and lowering lines 36a and 36b are moved up and down by one stage.

(E) Upper transfer line The lower transfer line 27a has the belt 28 as described above.
Also, the motor 31 is shared with the carry-in line 19, and the koji lid 2 descended from the descending line 36b is the transfer line 27a.
Is transferred to a localization value below the ascending line 36a. On the other hand, on the elevating lines 36a and 36b, the frame 26 is provided with an upper transfer line 27b for horizontally transferring the koji lid 2 at the uppermost position of each line from left to right, and the transfer line 27b is provided on the frame 26. It consists of a sprocket 57 pivotally supported by brackets 56 at the front and rear ends of the left and right sides, two chains 58 wound around the sprocket 57 in the left and right directions, and a motor (not shown) for driving the sprockets 57 and the chain 58. A transfer drive unit is provided. Then, when the koji lid 2 rises to the uppermost position on the ascending line 36a and the uppermost position of the descending line 36b becomes an empty space, the koji lid 2 slides horizontally from above the ascending line 36a to above the descending line 36b. It is moved and transferred. The front and rear chains 58 are stretched along the handle 40 of the koji lid 2, and a predetermined locking portion 61 for locking the left and right ends of the handle 40 to feed the koji lid 2 in the left-right direction is provided. It is provided at a pitch of.

D. Stirrer The stirrer 6 changes the shape of the steamed rice put up by the putting apparatus 3, and this change makes the entire koji in the koji lid 2 under uniform conditions according to the progress of the koji making. In order to koji, it is carried out after every rotation or at several rotation intervals. The stirrer 6 includes a bracket 63 projecting on the ascending line 36a, a swing arm 64 made up of front and rear parallel links pivotally supporting the bracket 63 at a base end portion or a bending point, and a tip end of the swing arm 64. A stirring unit 67 with a motor 66 attached to the front and rear,
The air cylinder 68 is attached to the frame 26 side so as to swing the right end of the swing arm 64 up and down.

In the stirring section 67, the koji lid 2 is moved up the line 36a.
When the transfer is started from above to the descending line 36b, it descends from above and continues reverse rotation interlocking alternately, and is rocked upward by the cylinder 68 before the peripheral wall abuts the stirring section 67 by the transfer of the koji lid 2. And is stored in the standby position for the next stirring operation. By this operation, the koji in the koji lid 2 is stirred,
The speed of the upper transfer line 27b may be changed or the shaking of the stirring section 67 may be repeated as necessary to obtain a desired heap shape. The agitation and changing of the filling shape are done after the first arrangement and transshipment (rotation),
Rotation is performed during work such as koji work and koji, and each work has a different growth stage of koji. Therefore, different agitation and change of shape to change heat dissipation and evaporation, and other environmental control Also corresponds to each stage.

E. Setting and Rotating Koji Lid Next, the first setting method of the koji lid 2 in the circulation mechanism 4 will be described. First, the lowermost stage of the ascending line 36a and the uppermost and lowermost stages of the descending line 36b are made empty spaces. As described above, the koji lids are stacked and set on each line, and the koji lids are set under the hopper 18.

Next, after performing the arranging operation described as the arranging operation of the arranging device 3, the koji lid 2 is transferred to the empty space at the lowermost stage of the ascending line 36a, and then the ascending line 36.
While the koji lid 2 is pushed up by one step by the actuator 38a of a to set the koji lid, the actuator 38b of the descending line 36b lowers the koji lid on the descending line side by one stage to support the second or more stages, and the ascending line 3b is fed by the upper transfer line 27b.
The uppermost koji lid 2 of 6a is transferred to the empty space at the uppermost stage of the descending line 36b. The koji lid 2 lowered onto the belt 28 is transferred to the lower part of the hopper 18, and the same operation is performed thereafter.
The automatic arranging work is completed by repeating the number of times, and the koji making work accompanied by the rotation of the next koji lid 2 is started.

F. Product temperature sensor Vertical guide rods 71 are erected on both left and right sides of the frame 26 of the circulation mechanism 4 in parallel with the operation of the elevating lines 36a and 36b, and the magnet rods 72 with cords are respectively elevated on the guide rods 71. It is slidably attached. On the other hand, a product temperature sensor 73 for detecting the product temperature of the steamed rice is installed inside the koji lid 2 on the opposite sides of the ascending / descending lines 36a and 36b, and at the lowermost position on the ascending line 36a. Product temperature sensor 7
3 and the magnet plug 72 are attracted and connected, and the magnet plug 72 also rises as the ascending line 36a is driven,
During that time, the product temperature of the koji lid 2 is constantly sampled and measured. The koji lid 2 with the product temperature sensor 73 is the upper transfer line 2.
When moved to the right at 7b, the magnet plug 72 separates from the article temperature sensor 73 and descends due to its own weight or the like, and waits for the next koji lid 2 with the article temperature sensor.

Similarly, in the descending line 36b, the magnet plug 72 is adsorbed to the koji lid 2 with the article temperature sensor 73 at the uppermost stage and descends to the lower stage of the descending line 36b to sample and measure the article temperature of the koji lid 2. The koji lid with the sensor is moved up by the operation of the lower moving line 27a.
When moved to the 6a side, the connection between the article temperature sensor 73 and the magnet plug 72 is released and the magnet plug 72 is released.
Moves up along the guide rod 71 by the hoisting machine 74 to the uppermost stage of the descending line 36b, and stands by for the next product temperature measurement.

In the above example, the koji lid 2 with the article temperature sensor 73
Is arranged at each of the circulation symmetrical positions of the ascending / descending lines 36a, 36b, and serves as a mechanism for detecting a more average product temperature of the whole koji lid 2. The detected value is the koji-making state of steamed rice during koji-making. Or the reference value for temperature control in the koji making room 1.

G. Environmental control a, computer control In the above-mentioned koji making device, the environmental conditions similar to the temperature, humidity, CO ₂ concentration, etc., which were given in the koji making process when the conventional manual work was performed, were set. , Which is controlled by the host computer 8 so as to obtain the most ideal koji sexual feeling. Of these, the temperature and humidity of steamed rice are controlled in the koji making room 1.
The koji lid 2 is set in the circulation mechanism 4 to adjust the conditions at the start of koji making control, and for example, spending 1 to 2 hours to adjust the preheating and humidity so that the temperature of the steamed rice product at the start of the control does not decrease. , It will be started after the steamed rice is arranged.

B, Setting of working point reference As shown in the condition setting table of FIG. 4 and the graph of FIG. 3, this control is performed during the koji making from the start of control until after the start of koji. The time standard of the work stage of each work time point A to D of koji is set, the ideal product temperature and humidity are set for each work point A to D, and an ideal product temperature curve is formed for the temperature. The product temperature is controlled so as to follow this in a fuzzy manner. All of the graphs and tables of FIGS. 3 to 4 are displayed on the display device 12, and the above numerical values are set in FIG.
The setting table is set or changed by a keyboard or cursor operation and stored in the storage device 25. However, it may be stored in the floppy disk 14 as stored data (program) and used again. In addition, after the completion of the koji-koji work, it may be taken out immediately for the convenience of later work.
Koji chamber 1 as it is with the growth of koji stopped by rapid cooling
In some cases, it may be placed in a standby state.

C, Replenishment of set value between works Koji control is generally sufficient by setting control values only at points A to D as described above, but each work in FIG. 4 is different due to differences in steamed rice characteristics and other conditions. It is also possible to perform high-precision control at even finer intervals by setting one or more numerical values for the work in the blanks between points A to D while setting the basic values as points A to D (imagination in FIG. 3). (Refer to the line), each time it is possible to control according to the koji making conditions, and it is possible to contribute to quality improvement.

D, Control during continuous work When the koji making is carried out, depending on whether or not the next koji making work is carried out continuously, when the koji making is carried out, as shown in FIG. While adjusting the room temperature to, for example, 30 ° C and the humidity at a fixed value of around 80% (with loosening by stirring if necessary), take the steamed rice out of the room with the container, and then take the steamed rice out of the container and release it up to around 10 ° C. Cool to stop the growth of koji. On the other hand, while maintaining the indoor environment as it is, or while compensating for excess and deficiency of temperature and humidity with respect to preheating, a container with residual heat is set in the circulation mechanism 4 and steamed rice is laid, and then preheating is hardly performed (or The next follow-up control is started in a short time even if performed, and continuous product temperature control between A and D is performed. These operations can be carried out in a regular timed cycle of about 24 hours.

E, During discontinuous work On the other hand, when the koji making work is not continuously carried out, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), at the time of the koji making operation, the temperature of the koji is about 10 ° C. and the humidity is agitated and cooled at a fixed value of about 40% to stop the growth of the koji. The container 2 and the steamed rice can be taken out of the room at an arbitrary time or immediately depending on the convenience of the next timing. In this case, it is necessary to preheat the koji making room or the like during the next koji making operation.

[0029]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, when it is necessary to delay the work timing of malted rice during koji making, the malted rice is allowed to cool (cool) and wait until the scheduled time for taking malt. By doing so, you can freely select and adjust the koji making work, and if the steamed rice is taken out without cooling in the koji making room at the time of koji making, you do not have to preheat the koji making room or It becomes possible to carry out the next koji-making operation continuously in a state where short-time preheating is sufficient due to the residual heat of the various devices and containers in the room. Therefore, in this continuous work, the koji-making work, which is performed in a cycle of about 24 hours, can be started and finished on a daily basis on a regular basis, which allows regular management by regularizing the work cycle and preheating cost. There are advantages such as saving time and time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall front view of a koji making device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of koji making control.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a humidity curve of a product temperature showing a temperature and a temperature control state in koji making.

FIG. 4 is a table of setting values such as product temperature corresponding to the above graph.

5 (A) and 5 (B) are process diagrams showing selection of presence / absence of cooling during koji-making in koji-making control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Koji making room 2 Container (koji lid)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Environmental control for adjusting koji-making conditions in a koji-making room (1) containing a container (2) on which steamed rice is placed, and for intermediary work and finishing work involving stirring of steamed rice after the start of environmental control. In the method of performing the koji operation after performing operation control, selection of the koji operation in the koji making in which the steaming rice cooling operation or the operation of taking the steamed rice out of the koji making room is selected Method.