Direct Steam Injection Heating for Food and Beverage Processing

Creating a consistent and safe product that looks and tastes the same during every batch can be challenging for any food or beverage manufacturer.

To ensure product quality, achieve exact temperature and reduce energy usage, processors can look no further than Hydro-Thermal for a customized heating solution. Our patented heating system works by mixing steam and process liquids completely while delivering precise temperature and instantaneous heating. Not only do our heating solutions provide optimized temperatures & processes for the food industry, but we can improve your bottom line. See how much our steam Jetcookers & Hydroheaters can improve your ROI with our Energy Savings Calculator. For more information on our advanced culinary steam injection technology, click here.

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Applications for Food and Beverage Processing

Direct steam injection heating utilizing the Hydroheater

No matter what your industry or application Hydro-Thermal’s heating solutions will assure you saving energy costs, reducing maintenance down-time, and more.

With instantaneous heating when you need it, our products are ideal for anywhere maintaining a precise temperature is critical. Our most popular heating applications include:

COOKING/ HOT FILL/ ASEPTIC

We can heat a variety of products from baby food to tomato paste specifically to your recipe without fouling or degradation of the product. The result is great tasting product, consistent batches, a bacteria-free environment and ultimately cost savings.
Hydro-Thermal's solution offers processors the flexibility to batch or continuous cook, including cooking to package directly. Our heaters also have the ability to heat liquid in high particulate products such as salsa while maintaining particulate integrity.
Click here for an aseptic paste case study.
Click here for a tomato sauce case study.

ON DEMAND COOKING

Hydro-Thermal understands the importance of a consistent product after each and every batch. Therefore, we developed the SilverLine, a continuous, polished stainless system designed to cook recipes exactly as specified.
There are a variety of benefits to utilizing the SilverLine compared to heat exchangers or kettles including energy efficiency, reduced footprint, low maintenance, and recipe versatility. To learn more about the SilverLine and its capabilities, click here.

PASTEURIZATION

From tunnel pasteurizers, retorts, to HTST and UHT pasteurization standards, Hydro-Thermal has the right solution.
Our heaters and systems will kill microorganisms ensuring product safety and reducing the risk of a recall. Whether heating dairy products, soups, and everything in between, we have the experience and knowledge to pasteurize your product safely and effectively.
Click here for a case study.

CAN TOPPING

Cans or jars are automatically filled with product and then topped off with a brine or water solution at very specific temperatures (typically (185-190ºF).
By heating the brine to exact temperatures, Hydro-Thermal’s solutions can kill bacteria and increase shelf life. With health concerns, FDA recalls over E-coli and other bacterial contamination, meeting exact temperature requirements for sanitization and pasteurization is critical in the canning process.
In the resources section below, there is a can topping document with more information.

STARCH COOKING

Bloom starches without excessive shear to maintain viscosity.
Hydro-Thermal’s solution helps expand starch molecules to stir and thicken product. This reaction also helps provide texture and prevent separation, while eliminating the concern of scaling and fouling which is common among kettles and heat exchangers. Maintaining a constant pressure drop across our heaters will optimize shear, mixing characteristics, and overall performance efficiency. Adjustments can be made to maintain the optimal pressure drop during operation even as process conditions change. This is done by adjusting the size of the gap between the combining tube and nozzle.
Click here for a mayonnaise starch base cooking example.
Click here for a seafood starch cooking case study.
Click here for a high fructose corn syrup starch example.

INGREDIENT WATER OR TANK HEATING

Easily and efficiently heats tanks on in-feed or in recirc mode, trim heat.
We can heat the fluid going into the tank; re-circulate the tank to maintain a specific temperature, or leave the tank cold and heat the liquid exiting the tank, producing hot water on demand. Hydro-Thermal’s solution can be used for utility or 3A sanitary ingredient water. By heating to exact temperatures, processors have greater recipe control ensuring a consistent product. Many customers see a return on investment (ROI) in less than three months.
Click here to learn why tank heating is more efficient utilizing a Hydroheater vs. a sparger.

EMERSION COOKING (COOK IN A BAG)

Ensure exact temperature and eliminate steam loss utilizing our proven gentle, but effective heating method.
Emersion cooking requires precise temperature. If the temperature is too high then the bag may burst or the product may be overcooked. If the temperature is too low then the product won't be properly cooked causing time and production delays. Hydro-Thermal's solution can heat within +/- 1ºF (0.5ºC) improving product quality. In addition, manufacturers can eliminate tank shaking and tank damage which is common among spargers.
Click here for a case study.

WASTEWATER/ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

Realize major cost savings with precise temperature control to aid anaerobic digestion, keeping microorganisms at 100F to optimize effectiveness and drive more methane gas to power boilers.
Hydro-Thermal's patented designs are able to handle highly viscous slurries without burn on, plugging, or fouling found with other solutions. In addition, companies can achieve thousands of dollars in energy savings by reusing the waste in their plants and utilizing it to heat or power their facility.
Click here for a whey waste example.

ADDITIONAL WATER HEATING APPLICATIONS

For additional information on our water heating applications, click here.

Technical Papers

Enhanced functionality of pea-rice protein isolate blends through direct steam injection processing

Washington State University students researched the effects of direct steam injection on pea-rice protein.

To view the abstract and download the full article, click here.

A summary of their findings:

The study demonstrated that using Hydro-Thermal’s Direct Steam Injection (DSI) technology, that the functional properties of Pea and Rice Protein isolates are enhanced while not degrading, but maintaining the amino acid composition and overall protein quality.
The high shear and temperature in combination with high pH resulted in creation of modified proteins that become more hydrophilic and improve solubility. Therefore, allowing food processors to have components that disperse better and more easily.
DSI also improved emulsifying activity, foam stability, and oil holding capacity. All of which are crucial for food companies requiring natural methods of creating stability in complex food systems that customers constantly demand.

Direct Steam Injection Heating for Food and Beverage Processing

Creating a consistent and safe product that looks and tastes the same during every batch can be challenging for any food or beverage manufacturer.

Applications for Food and Beverage Processing

Direct steam injection heating utilizing the Hydroheater

COOKING/ HOT FILL/ ASEPTIC

ON DEMAND COOKING

PASTEURIZATION

CAN TOPPING

STARCH COOKING

INGREDIENT WATER OR TANK HEATING

EMERSION COOKING (COOK IN A BAG)

WASTEWATER/ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

ADDITIONAL WATER HEATING APPLICATIONS

Technical Papers

Enhanced functionality of pea-rice protein isolate blends through direct steam injection processing

Resources

Can topping overview

Overview of the Sanitary Hydroheater

Vegetable processing diagram

Overview of the EZ Heater

Overview of the EZ Skid

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