Abstract: An improved method of mashing and lautering. A mash is formed having a high malt to water ratio in the range of about 0.30 to 0.45 to 1. After mashing, and prior to lautering, the mash is diluted with water to produce an equivalent malt-to-water ratio below 0.25 to 1 and generally in the range of about 0.19 to 0.22 to 1. The diluted mash is then lautered by standard procedures to separate the wort from the spent grains. Due to the high concentration of malt in the mash, the conversion yield, or the amount of dissolved solids extracted from the malt, is increased and the dilution prior to lautering not only reduces the time for lautering but also upsets the concentration equilibrium between the liquids and grains, causing a further improvement in the extract yield.

Abstract: Malt beverages such as beer containing small quantities of proteinaceous and tannin materials which react to form a precipitate that renders the beverage hazy or cloudy when chilled are stabilized by passing the beverage through a fluidized bed of adsorbent particles such as polyvinylpyrrolidone or silica gel to adsorb the proteinaceous and/or tannin materials. A portion of the adsorbent bed containing adsorbed material is continuously removed and regenerated by separating the adsorbed material from the adsorbant particles, and the regenerated adsorbant particles are returned to the bed. The use of the fluidized bed provides a high concentration of adsorbant to promote increased efficiency, while enabling the adsorbant to be continuously regenerated and reused.