METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TONIC BEVERAGE CONCENTRATE Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: food- processing industry. SUBSTANCE: method involves extracting basic material; filtering and cooling extract; introducing basic material into final-grade massecuite at component ratio of 1:5-1:10; holding mixture for 10-20 min at temperature of 70-80 C and providing continuous mixing; cooling to room temperature till hardening of extract, with following mechanical grinding of extract. Basic material is tea, coffee or raw berry. Apparatus has cylindrical housing with drive shaft and partition wall equipped with by-pass openings. Partition wall separates mixing chamber equipped with charging branch pipes and mixing device from feeding chamber. The latter is equipped with outlet branch pipe. Apparatus is further equipped with concentrate collecting vessel. Cylindrical housing is arranged in inclined position at an angle of 5-20 deg to horizontal plane. Feeding chamber is made in the form of perforated drum. Outlet branch pipe is positioned in drum end wall. Feeding chamber is equipped with scraper for cleaning side wall of perforated drum. Method allows soluble sugar-containing concentrates of tea, coffee or other raw plant material to be produced. EFFECT: increased biological value of concentrate by retention of gustatory and aromatic qualities of basic product, reduced time of production cycle and simplified technology. 5 cl, 3 ex