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WO2025068956A1 - Procédé et système de traitement de matière organique - Google Patents

Procédé et système de traitement de matière organique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2025068956A1
WO2025068956A1 PCT/IB2024/059441 IB2024059441W WO2025068956A1 WO 2025068956 A1 WO2025068956 A1 WO 2025068956A1 IB 2024059441 W IB2024059441 W IB 2024059441W WO 2025068956 A1 WO2025068956 A1 WO 2025068956A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
organic matter
fraction
harvested
separator
processing line
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/IB2024/059441
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English (en)
Inventor
Brian Clayton
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Waimea West Land Holdings Ltd
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Waimea West Land Holdings Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2023903133A external-priority patent/AU2023903133A0/en
Application filed by Waimea West Land Holdings Ltd filed Critical Waimea West Land Holdings Ltd
Publication of WO2025068956A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025068956A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
    • A23B7/00—Preservation of fruit or vegetables; Chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
    • A23B7/04—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23B7/0408—Materials being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powders, granules or flakes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
    • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
    • A23B2/80—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23B2/85—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of or treatment with chemicals
    • A23B2/88—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of or treatment with chemicals with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid N2 at cryogenic temperature
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
    • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
    • A23B2/80—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23B2/803—Materials being transported through or in the apparatus, with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powders, granules or flakes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
    • A23B7/00—Preservation of fruit or vegetables; Chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
    • A23B7/04—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23B7/05—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of chemicals or treatment with chemicals other than cryogenics, before or during cooling, e.g. in the form of an ice coating or frozen block
    • A23B7/055—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of chemicals or treatment with chemicals other than cryogenics, before or during cooling, e.g. in the form of an ice coating or frozen block with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid N2, at cryogenic temperature
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
    • A61K36/00—Medicinal preparations of undetermined constitution containing material from algae, lichens, fungi or plants, or derivatives thereof, e.g. traditional herbal medicines
    • A61K36/18—Magnoliophyta (angiosperms)
    • A61K36/185—Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons)
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
    • B07B9/00—Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g. flow sheets
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12C—BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION; PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER
    • C12C3/00—Treatment of hops
    • C12C3/04—Conserving; Storing; Packing
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12C—BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION; PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER
    • C12C3/00—Treatment of hops
    • C12C3/04—Conserving; Storing; Packing
    • C12C3/06—Powder or pellets from hops
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/02—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P10/00—Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products
    • A23P10/20—Agglomerating; Granulating; Tabletting
    • A23P10/25—Agglomeration or granulation by extrusion or by pressing, e.g. through small holes, through sieves or between surfaces
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
    • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
    • B02C19/00—Other disintegrating devices or methods
    • B02C19/18—Use of auxiliary physical effects, e.g. ultrasonics, irradiation, for disintegrating
    • B02C19/186—Use of cold or heat for disintegrating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
    • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
    • B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
    • B02C23/08—Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating
    • B02C23/14—Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating with more than one separator
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
    • B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
    • B07B1/18—Drum screens
    • B07B1/22—Revolving drums
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
    • B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
    • B07B1/46—Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens
    • B07B1/50—Cleaning
    • B07B1/54—Cleaning with beating devices

Definitions

  • This disclosure relates to a method, process, and system for processing organic matter, which may include hops or buds.
  • Hop cones typically comprise green matter including strigs, bracts, and bracteoles, and also include yellowish and waxy lupulin glands (referred to as "lupulin”).
  • Lupulin is a sticky, waxy oleoresin that imparts a desirable aroma and flavour to beer.
  • Lupulin contains alpha acids which provide beer with a bitter flavour and antiseptic properties, as well as essential oils which provide beer with pleasant flavours and aromas such as "pine” and "citrus".
  • Thiol precursors are often adding during the beer brewing process in addition to hop lupulin. Thiol precursors are believed to unlock otherwise trapped aroma potential in hops. They do this during the beer fermentation stage where biotransformation occurs. They are said to bring out "tropical notes" in hops, and may be sourced from a variety of different fruits.
  • Lupulin is separable from the strigs, bracts, and bracteoles of hop cones at freezing temperatures using an arrangement of sieves or sifters, and this ability to effectively and efficiently separate lupulin is typically a key design requirement for hop processing plants.
  • This lupulin can be concentrated into powder or pellets to be used during the beer brewing process.
  • pellets are generally preferable to powders due to ease of handling, and the fact that powders typically form a "raft" on top of liquids during the brewing process.
  • the stickiness and adhesiveness of lupulin and can result in bridging or sticking of the hops during processing, which makes it desirable to maintain a cool processing environment in hop processing facilities (below 10 C°).
  • Hop bracts, bracteoles, and strigs are said to contribute a bitter flavour and pleasant aroma to beer, particularly for higher resin hop varieties.
  • a hop extract which may comprise more bracts, bracteoles, and strigs, may be still used in production of hop pellets to harness the unique properties of the bracts, bracteoles and strigs.
  • Hop bracts, bracteoles, and strigs also possess a high concentration of polyphenols, which allows bracts, bracteoles, and strigs to be repurposed for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical purposes in supplements.
  • a common metric for pellet quality for hop pellets is a ratio of the weight of the pellet relative to the weight of the hops used to produce the pellet, which is commonly referred to as the "type".
  • the standard hop pellet types are Type 90 ("T90") and Type 45 ("T45").
  • T90 pellets possess about 90% of the weight of the hop cones they are produced from, whereas T45 pellets possess about 45% of the weight of the hop cones they are produced from.
  • the hop cones are milled, and the pellets are then formed without separating the bracts, bracteoles, and strigs from the hops, or just doing so to a limited extent.
  • T45 pellets a major proportion of the bracts, bracteoles, and strigs are removed from the hops to improve the lupulin concentration.
  • a hop production system is configured to produce T45 or T90 pellets only.
  • Hops and cannabis are very closely related plant species botanically, allowing for hop processing facilities to be repurposed for cannabis extract production with limited adjustment.
  • Female hop plants have flower cones which include spikes and bracts.
  • the cannabis "cola” or cluster of individual buds is very similar to the hop cone.
  • the trichome glands (referred to as “trichomes") which are on the on the bracts and calyx of the flower have high concentrations of aromatic oils, terpenes, and terpenoids, and psychoactive cannabinoids including THC, CBD, and CBG.
  • the trichomes are also said to be contribute the most flavour of the parts of the cannabis bud.
  • the trichomes are also said to contribute the most flavour of the parts of the cannabis bud.
  • the trichomes on the exterior of a cannabis bud are very similar anatomically to the lupulin trichomes within a hop cone. Powder concentrated with trichomes can be used to produce cannabinoid products, but as with hop lupulin extract products, pellets are more desirable for ease of use and handling to contribute a pleasant flavour. Similar to hop lupulin, cannabis trichomes can be separated through cryogenic cooling and sifting or sieving.
  • hop and cannabis processing plants discard a large quantity of the non-extract organic matter during the separation stage, which often goes to waste. This organic matter is frequently treated as low value product.
  • a hop processing system comprising: cooling the harvested organic matter (to produce a cooled harvested organic matter), milling the cooled harvested organic matter (to produce a cooled and milled harvested organic matter), sifting the cooled and milled harvested organic matter into at least three harvested organic extract fractions with varying extract concentration, buffering each of the at least three fractions separately, adjustably conveying the fractions to a mixer to provide for a variable concentration of each fraction, mixing the at least three fractions to form a combined product, pelletising the combined product to form the blended harvested organic extract pellet(s).
  • the harvested organic matter is a hop cone or cones.
  • the harvested organic matter is a cannabis flower.
  • the cooling is cryogenic cooling.
  • the conveying step comprises varying a speed of one or more conveying means associated with each fraction, allowing or providing for the ratio of each fraction entering the mixer to be adjusted.
  • a method for producing a combined harvested organic matter product comprising: cryogenically cooling harvested organic matter, feeding the cryogenically cooled hops into a separation system to separate the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter into at least three fractions, each of the at least three fractions having one or more predetermined properties, adjustably releasing at least two of the at least three fractions into a mixing stage in a predetermined ratio that is adjustable within a range, and mixing the at least two of the at least three fractions to produce a combined harvested organic matter product.
  • the harvested organic matter is a hop cone or cones.
  • the harvested organic matter is a cannabis flower.
  • the one or more predetermined properties include one or more of: a relative coarseness, a concentration of extract, a proportion of vegetative matter, or a weight ratio.
  • the combined and/or homogenized and/or blended harvested organic matter product comprises a variable relative coarseness and/or concentration and/or weight ratio of harvested organic matter.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of milling or otherwise breaking up the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter prior to separation.
  • the step of milling or otherwise breaking up comprises cracking the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter.
  • the milling comprises passing the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter through a shredding or cutting system with rotating members.
  • the separating step comprises a first separating process cascading into a second separating process.
  • the separation system comprises a first separator and a second separator in combination.
  • the separating step comprises feeding an output of the first separator into an input of the second separator.
  • the at least three fractions comprise a fine fraction, a medium fraction, and a course fraction.
  • the separating step comprises feeding the broken harvested organic matter into a first separator to separate the milled or otherwise broken harvested organic matter into a fine fraction and an intermediate fraction, and feeding the intermediate fraction into a second separator to separate the intermediate fraction into a medium fraction and a course fraction.
  • the separating step comprises: feeding the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter into the first separator to separate the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter into the fine fraction and an intermediate fraction, and feeding the intermediate fraction into the second separator to separate the intermediate fraction into the medium fraction and the course fraction.
  • a first output of the first separator provides the fine fraction
  • a first output and a second output of the second separator provide the medium fraction and the coarse fraction, respectively.
  • the one or more predetermined properties of the at least three fractions are adjustable within a range.
  • the one or more predetermined properties of the at least three fractions are adjustable within a range.
  • the cryogenic fluid is one or more of the following in a liquid and/or gaseous state: helium- 3, helium-4, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, air, fluorine, argon, oxygen, methane, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).
  • the method or process comprises the step of spraying the cryogenic fluid to cool the harvested organic matter.
  • the harvested organic matter is hop cones
  • the cryogenic cooling of the hop cones forms fine droplets of frozen lupulin
  • the separation step comprises separation of the frozen lupulin from a remainder of the hop cones.
  • the separating step comprises rotating and/or vibrating the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter such that a finer harvested organic matter passes through a mesh to an unders outlet, and a coarser harvested organic matter product moves through the separation step to an overs outlet.
  • the separating step comprises a first and a second separator in combination.
  • the separating step comprises sieving the cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter to separate finer cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter from coarser cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter.
  • the first and second separators comprise a mesh to provide for a sieving of the harvested organic matter.
  • the mesh size of one or both of the first separator and the second separator is adjustable.
  • an output of the first separator is fed into an input of the second separator.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of feeding an output of the first separator into an input of the second separator.
  • the first separator has a finer mesh size than the second separator.
  • the first separator has a mesh size of about 1.0 mm to about 1.5 mm and the second separator has a mesh size of about 1.5 mm to about 5.0 mm.
  • the first separator has a mesh size of about 1.1 mm to about 1.3 mm
  • the second separator has a mesh size of about 3.3 mm to about 3.4 mm.
  • the at least three fractions comprise a fine fraction, a medium fraction, and a course fraction.
  • the fine fraction comprises a higher proportion of extract
  • the coarse fraction comprises a higher proportion of vegetative matter.
  • the fine fraction comprises about 50% to about 100% lupulin
  • the medium fraction comprises about 25% to about 75% lupulin
  • the coarse fraction comprises about 0% to about 50% lupulin.
  • the fine fraction comprises about 66% to about 100% lupulin
  • the medium fraction comprises about 33% to about 66% lupulin
  • the coarse fraction comprises about 0% to about 33% lupulin.
  • the harvested organic matter is separated into the fine fraction
  • about 45% of the weight of the harvested organic matter is separated into the medium fraction
  • about 10% of the weight of the harvested organic matter is separated into the coarse fraction.
  • the first output of the first separator provides the fine fraction
  • a first and a second output of the second separator provide the medium and coarse harvested organic matter fractions respectively.
  • the method or process comprises the step of storing each fraction in a respective storage unit.
  • the method or process comprises the step of agitating the first, second and third fractions within the respective first, second and third storage units.
  • the storage units comprise silos.
  • the adjustable releasing step comprises adjusting a relative coarseness and/or a variable concentration and/or a weight ratio of a resulting harvested organic matter powder and/or a fraction mix and/or blend through the adjustable releasing of at least one of the at least three harvested organic matter fractions into a mixer.
  • the step of adjustably releasing into a mixer further comprises an intermediary step of releasing the fractions into a conveyor system.
  • the step of adjustable releasing further comprises the step of adjustably conveying one or two or each fraction.
  • the step of adjustably releasing further comprises the step of adjustably conveying one or two or each fraction into the mixing stage in the predetermined ratio.
  • the adjustable conveying comprises the step of adjusting the speed of a respective conveyor associated with each fraction to adjustably convey the fractions.
  • the step of adjustably conveying further comprises the step of adjusting the speed of a respective conveyor associated with each fraction to adjust the ratio of the fractions entering the mixing stage according to the predetermined ratio.
  • the adjustable conveying provides for a ratio of each fraction entering the mixing stage to be adjusted.
  • adjusting the ratio of each fraction entering the mixing stage provides for adjustment of one or more properties of the harvested organic matter in the mixing stage.
  • the one or more properties of the harvested organic matter in the mixing stage include one or more of: a relative coarseness, a concentration of extract, a proportion of vegetative matter, or a weight ratio.
  • the adjusting of the ratio of each fraction entering the mixing stage may provide for adjustment of a weight ratio of the organic matter entering the mixing stage.
  • the ratio of each fraction entering the mixing stage may provide for adjustment of a concentration of extract entering the mixing stage.
  • the method or process comprises the step of pelletising the combined and/or homogenized harvested organic matter product to form an organic matter pellet.
  • the method or process comprises the step of cooling the harvested organic matter pellet.
  • the cooling step is air cooling.
  • the method or process comprises the step of sieving the harvested organic matter pellet to remove a first recycle, the first recycle comprising harvested organic matter powder, petals, leaves, and/or stems.
  • the method or process comprises the step of sieving the organic matter pellet to remove a first recycle, the first recycle comprising organic matter powder or vegetative matter.
  • the method or process comprises the step of conveying the first recycle to the mixer.
  • the recycling step recycles the first recycle via air conveyance.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of sieving the harvested organic matter pellet to remove a second recycle, the second recycle comprising harvested organic matter powder, petals, leaves, and/or stems,
  • the method or process further comprises the step of sieving the harvested organic matter pellet to remove a second recycle, the second recycle comprising harvested organic matter powder or vegetative matter.
  • the method or process comprises the step of conveying the second recycle to the mixer.
  • the recycling step recycles the second recycle with air conveyance.
  • the method or process comprises the step of packaging the organic matter pellets.
  • the step of conveying comprises one or more of: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers.
  • the reusing or recycling of the cryogenic fluid step comprises transporting the cryogenic fluid to one or more of ducting, airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, and/or augers,
  • the organic matter product comprises any one or more of: hop pellets, lupulin pellets, hop powder, lupulin powder, hop extract, lupulin extract, hop capsules, lupulin capsules, or hop fractions.
  • the organic matter product comprises any one or more of: trichome pellets or cannabinoid pellets.
  • the harvested organic matter product is mixed with other materials during mixing to create a blended harvested organic matter pellet.
  • the other materials comprise thiol precursors.
  • the thiol precursors comprise a thiol rich harvested organic fruit extract.
  • the thiol precursors comprise one or more or: grapefruit, lychee, passionfruit, and/or blackcurrant product.
  • the thiol precursors comprise processed grape marc or skins.
  • a method for processing harvested organic matter as claimed in preceding claim comprising: cryogenically cooling harvested organic matter with a cryogenic fluid in a cryogenic cooler, and recirculating the cryogenic fluid to at least one component in a harvested organic matter processing system, such that the cryogenic fluid provides a further cooling effect to the at least one component.
  • the recirculated cryogenic fluid comprises one or more of: liquids or gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of exhausting the cryogenic fluid to atmosphere.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a mill of a harvested organic matter processing system such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively low temperature during a milling process.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a separator of a separation system of a harvested organic matter processing system such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively lower temperature during a separation process.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid into a mixer of a harvested organic matter processing system such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively lower temperature during a mixing process.
  • the method or process comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a pelletiser of a harvested organic matter processing system, such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively lower temperature during a pelletising step.
  • the method or process comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a pellet cooler of a harvested organic matter processing system, such that a pellet cooling step can be performed at least partially by the recirculated cryogenic fluid.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to one or more of the: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers via at least one conduit and/or ducting.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to one or more of: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers forming at least part of a conveyance system of a harvested organic matter processing system.
  • the method or process further comprises the step or recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a bale breaker.
  • cryogenic fluid is exhausted from any of the components described herein.
  • cryogenic fluid is exhausted via a valving system.
  • a method for processing harvested organic matter comprising: cryogenically cooling harvested organic matter with a cryogenic fluid in a cryogenic cooler to obtain cryogenically cooled harvested organic matter, recirculating the cryogenic fluid to at least one component in a harvested organic matter processing system such that it provides a cooling effect.
  • the recirculated cryogenic fluid comprises gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling.
  • the harvested organic matter is a hop cone.
  • the harvested organic matter is a cannabis flower.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of exhausting the cryogenic fluid to atmosphere.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a mill of a harvested organic matter processing system such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively low temperature during a milling process.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of milling the cooled harvested organic matter to break apart the harvested organic matter, wherein the cryogenic fluid is exhausted via a mill in the milling step.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of exhausting the cryogenic fluid from the mill.
  • the cryogenic fluid is one or more of the following in a liquid and/or gaseous state: helium- 3, helium-4, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, air, fluorine, argon, oxygen, methane, CO 2 .
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a separator of a separation system of a harvested organic matter processing system such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively lower temperature during a separation process.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of separating the harvested organic matter into harvested organic matter fractions (optionally at least 3 harvested organic matter fractions), wherein the cryogenic fluid is exhausted via a separator in the separating step (optionally comprising a first separating step and a second separating step preceding the first separating step), and wherein the cryogenic fluid is exhausted via a first separator and a second separator.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of exhausting the cryogenic fluid from the at least one separator.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid into a mixer of a harvested organic matter processing system such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively lower temperature during a mixing process.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of mixing (optionally adjustably mixing) the separated harvested organic matter fractions, wherein the cryogenic fluid is exhausted via a mixer in the mixing step.
  • the method or process further comprises the step of exhausting the cryogenic fluid from the mixer.
  • the harvested organic matter comprises hop cones
  • the cooling step comprises cooling the harvested organic matter such that frozen lupulin is formed.
  • the method or process comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a pelletiser of a harvested organic matter processing system, such that the harvested organic matter is retained at a relatively lower temperature during a pelletising step.
  • the method or process comprises the step of pelletising the mixed harvested organic matter, wherein the cryogenic fluid is exhausted via a pelletiser in the pelletising step.
  • cryogenic fluid is fed into the pelletiser via at least one conduit and/or ducting.
  • cryogenic fluid is exhausted from the pelletiser via a valving system.
  • the method or process comprises the step of recirculating the cryogenic fluid to a pellet cooler of a harvested organic matter processing system, such that the pellet cooling can be performed at least partially by the recirculated cryogenic fluid.
  • cryogenic fluid is exhausted from the pellet cooler via a valving system.
  • the harvested organic matter is transferred between components of the system by one or more of: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers, and the cryogenic fluid is fed into one or more of the: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers to maintain the harvested organic matter at a low temperature during conveyance.
  • cryogenic fluid is recirculated to one or more of the: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers via at least one conduit and/or ducting.
  • cryogenic fluid is exhausted via one or more of the: airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, and/or augers through a valving system after it has been used to cool the harvested organic matter during transportation.
  • a system configured to provide a first and a second harvested organic matter product, comprising: a first processing line, and a second processing line, wherein the first and second processing lines are selectively connected, the first processing line comprising a first mill, a mixer, and a pelletiser, each operatively connected in sequence, the second processing line comprising a cryogenic cooler, a second mill, and at least one separator, each operatively connected in sequence, wherein in a first product production mode, the system is configured such that the first processing line is active, the second processing line is inactive, and the first product is produced, wherein in a second product production mode, the system is configured such that the first processing line is active, the second processing line is active, the first processing line diverts harvested organic matter to the second processing line, harvested organic matter is returned to the first processing line after passing through the second processing line, and the second product is produced.
  • the harvested organic matter is a hop cone.
  • the harvested organic matter is a cannabis flower.
  • the first product is a harvested organic matter pellet
  • the second product is an enriched organic matter pellet
  • the first product is T90 hop pellets and the second product is T45 hop pellets.
  • the first process receives hop bales, and further comprises breaking up the hop bales with a bale breaker prior to the milling step.
  • the first mill is configured to be operable in a pass-through mode such that harvested organic matter transits the first mill without being milled.
  • the output of the first mill of the first processing line is operatively connected to the input of the cryogenic cooler of the second processing line to feed diverted harvested organic matter when the system is operated in the second product production mode.
  • the mill is a hammer mill.
  • the pass-through mode results in the second product being produced
  • the method comprises the step of milling the organic matter after the pass-through process.
  • a filtration system comprises magnets and is configured to remove metal/ferrous objects from the organic matter with a magnet.
  • the organic matter is diverted from the output of the filtration system to the input of the cryogenic cooler by a conveyance system when the second product is being produced.
  • the organic matter is selectively expelled from the filtration system with an air lock.
  • the organic matter is fed through a hopper and bin arrangement to create a steady stream of hops into the cryogenic cooler.
  • the organic matter is transported by two screw conveyors.
  • the cryogenic fluid is one or more of the following in a liquid and/or gaseous state: helium- 3, helium-4, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, air, fluorine, argon, oxygen, methane, CO 2 .
  • the cryogenic cooler is a cryo tunnel.
  • the cryogenic cooler is a cryo screw tunnel.
  • the organic matter is sprayed with the cryogenic fluid.
  • the organic matter is hop cones, and the hop cones are cryogenically cooled such that fine droplets of frozen lupulin are formed.
  • the milling comprises passing the cryogenically cooled organic matter through a shredding or cutting system with rotating members.
  • the milling comprises passing the cryogenically cooled organic matter through a cracking system.
  • the at least one separator is a sifter.
  • the at least one sifter is a vibrosifter.
  • the at least one sifter comprises a sieve such that a finer harvested organic matter passes through the sieve, and a coarser harvested organic matter moves through the sifter.
  • the organic matter is rotated by a motor and vibrated, and internal beater bars move the organic matter through a sieve jacket, such that the finer organic matter passes through the sieve jacket to an unders outlet, and the coarser organic matter moves through to an overs outlet.
  • the organic matter is rotated and moved through a sieve such that the finer organic matter passes through a first outlet, and the coarser organic matter passes through a second outlet.
  • the first and second separators are configured such that the harvested organic matter is separated into two fractions in the first separator, and the resulting second fraction is fed into the second separator.
  • the first separator comprises a finer separating means, optionally a mesh size, than the second separator.
  • the first separator has a mesh size of about 1.0 mm to about 1.5 mm and the second separator has a mesh size of about 1.5 mm to about 5.0 mm.
  • the first separator has a mesh size of about 1.1 mm to about 1.3 mm
  • the second separator has a mesh size of about 3.3 mm to about 3.4 mm.
  • the second separator comprises two further fraction outputs.
  • the at least one separator is configured to produce a fine fraction, a medium fraction, and a coarse fraction, each of the fractions having one or more predetermined properties.
  • the one or more predetermined properties include one or more of: a relative coarseness, a concentration of extract, a proportion of vegetative matter, or a weight ratio.
  • the fine fraction comprises a higher proportion of lupulin
  • the coarse fraction comprises a higher proportion of bracts, bracteoles, and strigs.
  • the fine fraction comprises a higher concentration of extract, and the coarse fraction comprises a higher proportion of vegetative matter.
  • the fine fraction comprises about 50% to 100% lupulin
  • the medium fraction comprises about 25% to 75% lupulin
  • the coarse fraction comprises about 0% to 50% lupulin
  • the fine fraction comprises about 66% to about 100% lupulin
  • the medium fraction comprises about 33% to about 66% lupulin
  • the coarse fraction comprises about 0% to about 33% lupulin.
  • the first output of the first separator releases the fine fraction
  • first and second outputs of the second separator release the medium and coarse fractions respectively.
  • the organic matter is returned to the input of the mixer of the first process after exiting the at least one separator.
  • the output of the at least one separator is operatively connected to the input of the mixer to return the harvested organic matter to the first processing line.
  • the first, second, and third fractions are stored in at least three corresponding storage units after being separated into fractions.
  • the at least one separator is configured to separate the harvested organic matter into at least three fractions, and wherein the second processing line further comprises at least three storage units to store the first, second, and third fractions after separation.
  • fractions are agitated and/or mixed in the units to reduce sticking and/or bridging.
  • the output of the at least three storage units are operatively connected to the input of the mixer to return the harvested organic matter to the first processing line.
  • the second processing line further comprises an adjustable release system operatively connected to the outputs of the storage units, wherein the adjustable release system provides for adjusting a ratio of each fraction entering the mixing stage, such that the harvested organic matter in the mixing stage have one or more predetermined properties.
  • the one or more predetermined properties include one or more of: a relative coarseness, a concentration of extract, a proportion of vegetative matter, or a weight ratio.
  • the at least three storage units are silos.
  • the adjustable release system comprises a variable speed conveyor associated with each fraction, such that a speed of each conveyor is adjustable to provide for adjusting the ratio of each fraction entering the mixing stage.
  • the output of the storage units of the second processing line are operatively connected to the input of the mixer of the first processing line to return the harvested organic matter to the first processing line.
  • a second mixer on the second processing line wherein the output of the second mixer is operatively connected to the input of the pelletiser of the first processing line to return the harvested organic matter to the first processing line.
  • the first or second processing line(s) further comprise(s) a first recycling system, and optionally a second recycling system, configured to separate one or more of: harvested organic matter powder or vegetative matter, from the harvested organic matter pellets and recycle them to the mixer.
  • a first recycling system and optionally a second recycling system, configured to separate one or more of: harvested organic matter powder or vegetative matter, from the harvested organic matter pellets and recycle them to the mixer.
  • each fraction is transported by a common conveyor.
  • the organic matter is combined and/or homogenised by a mixer as part of the second process.
  • the mixer of the second process is a blender.
  • the mixer is a vertical agitator.
  • the mixer of the second process is a live bin, wherein the organic matter is agitated and mixed.
  • the harvested organic matter pellets are cooled by a pellet cooler.
  • the second process further comprises forming pellets with a pelletiser after mixing.
  • the second process further comprises cooling the pellets with a pellet cooler after they are formed.
  • the harvested organic matter powder, petals, leaves and/or stems are separated as the organic matter pellets pass through the pellet cooler.
  • the second recycling stage comprises sieving the organic matter fines from the pellets with a sieve.
  • the first and/or the second recycling stages transport the organic matter powder, petals, leaves and/or stems to the mixer with air conveyance.
  • the organic matter is returned from the output of the pellet cooler of the second process to the recycling stage of the first process.
  • the first process further comprises packaging the organic matter product with a packaging system.
  • the packaging system is a bagging system.
  • the bagging system is configured to use any one of: foil, plastic, or cloth bags.
  • the bagging system is configured to use any one of: paper bags, compostable bags, biodegradable plastic bags, compostable film bags, and/or compostable paper bags.
  • the organic matter is conveyed between stages of the first and second processes by one or more of: ducting, airlocks, air conveyors, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, and/or augers.
  • the first and/or second organic matter products comprise any one or more of: hop pellets, lupulin pellets, hop powder, lupulin powder, hop extract, lupulin extract, hop capsules, lupulin capsules, or hop fractions.
  • the first and/or second organic matter products comprise any one or more of: trichome pellets or cannabinoid pellets.
  • organic matter product is mixed with other materials to create a blended organic matter pellet during mixing.
  • the other materials comprise thiol precursors.
  • the thiol precursors comprise a thiol rich organic fruit extract.
  • the thiol precursors comprise one or more or: grapefruit, lychee, passionfruit, and/or blackcurrant product.
  • the thiol precursors comprise processed grape marc or skins.
  • a system for processing organic matter comprising: a cryogenic cooler configured to cool organic matter with a cryogenic fluid, at least one separator that is operatively connected to the cryogenic cooler to receive the cryogenically cooled organic matter and separate the cryogenically cooled organic matter into at least three fractions, an adjustable release system that is configured to adjustably release the at least three fractions into a mixer, wherein the mixer is configured to combine and/or homogenise an adjustable quantity of each of the at least three organic matter fractions to form a combined and/or homogenised organic matter product.
  • a system for processing organic matter comprising: a cryogenic cooler configured to cool the organic matter with a cryogenic fluid, thereby providing a cryogenically cooled organic matter, a cryogenic fluid reuse system operatively connected to the cryogenic cooler which is configured to recirculate the cryogenic fluid from the cryogenic cooler to at least one component in the system such that the cryogenic fluid provides a further cooling effect to the at least one component after use in the cryogenic cooler.
  • a cryogenic cooler configured to cool the organic matter with a cryogenic fluid, thereby providing a cryogenically cooled organic matter
  • a cryogenic fluid reuse system operatively connected to the cryogenic cooler which is configured to recirculate the cryogenic fluid from the cryogenic cooler to at least one component in the system such that the cryogenic fluid provides a further cooling effect to the at least one component after use in the cryogenic cooler.
  • an organic matter product produced by the process, method, or system of any of the example embodiments described above or herein.
  • Figure 1 shows an example embodiment of a high-level view of an organic matter processing system as disclosed herein.
  • FIG. 2 shows an alternative example embodiment of an organic matter processing system as disclosed herein.
  • Figure 3 shows an example embodiment of a separation system as disclosed herein.
  • Figure 4 shows an example embodiment of a separation and adjustable release system as disclosed herein.
  • Figure 5 shows an example embodiment of a high-level view of a cryogenic fluid reuse system as disclosed herein.
  • Figure 6 shows an alternative example embodiment of a cryogenic fluid reuse system as disclosed herein.
  • Figure 7 shows an example embodiment of a two-processing line system as disclosed herein.
  • the present invention provides for a system and method for producing hop pellets from an input organic matter, for example, hop cones or hop bales.
  • Figures 1 and 2 are example embodiments of a schematic flowchart of a system, and may produce an enriched hops pellet which is concentrated with lupulin.
  • the present invention may alternatively provide a process, method, or system for producing trichome pellets or powder from cannabis buds, wherein the relative concentration of trichomes, and calyx and bract are altered to provide for a product for high concentration of trichome "cannabinoids" and a pleasant flavor.
  • the present invention may alternatively provide a process, method, or system that can be generally applied to the production of an organic matter produced from any form of bud, strobile, flower, cone, or any harvested organic material that features a stem and sporangia forming structures extending from and surrounding the stem.
  • Figures 1 -2 illustrate a first example embodiment of a system and process for producing an organic extract pellet from organic matter 100, 200 according to a first embodiment.
  • the organic matter may be a bud, for example a hop cone or cannabis flower, comprising lupulin or trichome extracts, respectively, concentrated into the pellets.
  • the organic matter may be fed into the system in the form of bales, whole buds, or powder, and/or the organic matter may be prefrozen or otherwise pre-processed.
  • the system may include a system entry point.
  • the system entry point may allow organic matter to be loaded into a loading system or arrangement such as a chute or gravity fed hopper, or a dedicated loading conveyor, which may be configured to provide for a steady flow into a conveyance system.
  • the system may include input conveyors which include a shutdown system.
  • the shutdown system may be configured to shutdown the input conveyors if a problem is detected anywhere the conveyance system, for example if a conveyor feeding organic matter into the cooler 130, 230 jams or loses power.
  • the shutdown system may be configured for automatic fault detection and shutdown, and may additionally allow for manual operator shutdown.
  • any part of the conveyance system may comprise a similar shutdown system.
  • the organic matter may be fed between the system components by conveyance means or systems.
  • the conveyance systems may include air conveyors, augers, airlocks, screw conveyors, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, ducting, or a combination of these.
  • the conveyance systems may be configured to provide adjustable flow rates or throughputs of organic matter at various points in the system, for example, parts of the conveyance systems may be variable speed drive (VSD) controllable.
  • VSD variable speed drive
  • Figures 5-6 illustrate an example embodiment of a process for cooling a system for producing an organic extract pellet from organic matter 500, 600.
  • the conveyance systems 511, 611 may be kept substantially cool (for example below 10 °C) by a thermoelectric heat pump, radiators, air cooled heat exchangers, water cooled heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, chillers, convection based freezing systems, or any other means or cooling known in the art.
  • the cryogenic fluid used by a cryogenic cooler 530, 630 and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be recirculated to keep the conveyance system substantially cool with conduits and/or ducting. It may also be reused to facilitate the conveyance of the organic matter by gas conveyance.
  • the organic matter may be transported between at least one of the system components.
  • This may include manual transportation, or vehicle or robotic system transportation.
  • the organic matter may be baled, bagged, boxed, plastic wrapped, or otherwise packaged, and a system for removing the packing such as a packaging removal bay may be used to remove the packaging to prepare the organic matter for processing.
  • a system for removing the packing such as a packaging removal bay may be used to remove the packaging to prepare the organic matter for processing.
  • the system may be configured to process bales.
  • the conveyance system may feed the bales into a bale breaker 115, 215 to be gently broken up into buds and/or a coarse powder where the whole buds are left substantially intact.
  • the bale breaker may be a cutter head breaker, paddle breaker, an auger-type breaker, a vibrating breaker, a rotary drum breaker, a hydraulic breaker, a screw conveyor breaker, or any combination thereof, or a manual bale breaking arrangement wherein the bales can be broken apart with hooks, knives, cutters, paddles, frails, bars, spikes, or rakes.
  • the organic matter may be passed through a washing component so that it may be washed to remove dirt and/or other pollutants.
  • the washing component may additionally administer an antiseptic treatment in preparation for processing to improve the food safety value of the product.
  • the organic matter may be passed through a filtration system 120, 220 to remove undesired objects or unwanted particulates or other material.
  • the system may include VSD conveyors configured to transport organic matter from a system entry point to the filtration system 120, 220.
  • the filtration system 120, 220 may be configured to remove substandard product including rotten, mouldy, stale, contaminated, and low-quality organic matter, and undesired objects including vegetative matter, ferrous objects, soil, insects, and packaging, which may include relatively heavy objects such as rocks, tools, and phones.
  • the filtration system 120, 220 may be configured to allow relatively heavy objects to fall out due to gravity.
  • the filtration system 120, 220 may include an air filter configured to remove particulates from air or gases entering the filtration system.
  • the air filter may comprise a high- efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, an ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filter, a carbon filter, an electrostatic precipitator, an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system, a bag filter, a pleated filter, a mesh filter, or a combination of these.
  • HEPA high- efficiency particulate air
  • ULPA ultra-low penetration air
  • UVGI ultraviolet germicidal irradiation
  • the air filter may be configured to blow air across the organic matter to remove finer pollutant particles.
  • the filtration system 120, 220 may include a computer vision detection system which detects substandard product and/or undesired objects for removal, which may further comprise a robotic arm or actuating filtration system to remove the substandard product and/or objects, and/or may provide an alert with a flagging system comprising a speaker or display.
  • the objects may be manually observed, and/or may be removed at a separation station.
  • the filtration system 120, 220 may include vibrating or oscillating sieves, rotary drum separators, air separators, gravity tables, suction or aspiration systems, electrostatic separators, electrostatic separators, vacuum separators, and/or magnetic separators to remove objects including ferrous objects.
  • the filtration system 120, 220 may include an air lock that may selectively expel organic matter into a next processing stage after it has passed through the filtration system 120, 220.
  • the air lock may be configured to control the flow rate of organic matter exiting the filtration system, such as through a VSD control system.
  • the airlock may comprise any suitable type of airlock such as a cyclone airlock (rotary airlock) or sliding gate airlock.
  • the organic matter may be cooled by a cooler 130, 230 such that it becomes substantially frozen.
  • the cooling may be cryogenic (below -153 °C) which may result in the organic product becoming highly brittle for ease of milling, and the cooler 130, 230 may be a cryogenic cooler.
  • the cryogenic cooler may be any type for substantially freezing organic matter, and may include a cryo tunnel, or a cryo screw tunnel, a Stirling cryocooler, a pulse-tube cryocooler, a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler, a sorption cryocooler, a Joule-Thomson cryocooler, an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator, a dilution refrigerator, a reciprocating compressor cryocooler, a centrifugal compressor cryocooler, a turboexpander cryocooler, a screw compressor cryocooler, a hybrid cryocooler, a cryogenic liquid refrigeration system, a cryogenic expander, and/or a cryogenic cold box.
  • the cooling 130, 230 may be accomplished using a cryogenic fluid, which may be applied to the organic matter, to induce freezing.
  • a cryogenic fluid which may be applied to the organic matter, to induce freezing.
  • the organic matter may be sprayed, misted, flooded, flashed, and/or coated, or otherwise have the cryogenic fluid imparted.
  • the organic matter may be cooled as it passes through a chamber such as a tunnel, spiral, and/or cabinet.
  • the cryogenic fluid as described herein could be any one or more of helium-3, helium-4, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, air, fluorine, argon, oxygen, methane, CO 2 , or any other inert fluid, or liquefied gas that provides a cooling effect.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be stored in an isolation tank, which may provide for subsequent use in the cryogenic cooler 130, 230.
  • the tank may be any type suitable for storing low temperature and/or pressurized fluid, and may be insulated and pressurised accordingly.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be delivered from an external facility in cryogenic transport tanks and may be subsequently loaded into the isolation tank.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be delivered from the isolation tank to the cryogenic cooler 130, 230 via any suitable transportation means for low temperature and/or pressurized fluid, which may include piping such as vacuum insulated piping, conduits and/or ducting.
  • the isolation tank may be situated outside the processing facility.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be liquid nitrogen.
  • a machine that produces cryogenic fluid may be used.
  • the machine may produce the cryogenic fluid using any suitable means known in the cryogenics field, and may be a cryogenic distillation system, a liquefaction system, a cryogenic refrigeration system, a cryogenic expansion system, or any other cryocooling system.
  • Cryogenic fluid may be delivered from the machine to the cryogenic cooler 130, 230 via any suitable transportation means for low temperature and/or pressurized fluid, which may include piping such as vacuum insulated piping, conduits and/or ducting.
  • there may an isolation tank which may be configured to store the cryogenic fluid after it has been made by the machine, which may be an intermediate stage before it may be transported to the cooler 130, 230.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be liquid nitrogen.
  • the system may be configured such that cryogenic fluid may be adjustably released into the cooler 130, 230 with an adjustable cryogenic fluid release system, which may comprise adjustable input valves.
  • the adjustable release of cryogenic fluid may allow the cooling capacity of the cooler 130, 230 to be varied, which may be adapted for specific hop varietals with varying resin levels, which require differing cooling capacities, or differing quantities of cryogenic fluid to be imparted before they will substantially freeze.
  • the cooling 130, 230 as described herein could alternatively be performed by an air cooler, a mechanical freezer, a thermoelectric heat pump, radiators, air cooled heat exchangers, water cooled heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, chillers, convection based freezing systems, or any other means of cooling known in the art.
  • the cooling 130, 230 may be sufficient to render an extract or extractable substance substantially frozen such that it is sufficiently brittle to form a fine granular powder during milling 140, 240.
  • the organic matter may be selectively expelled into a pre-bin or buffer bin system immediately before being cooled in order to build up the organic matter to create a constant feed into the cooler 130, 230.
  • This may include a gravity fed hopper which feeds the organic matter into the pre-bin system.
  • the pre-bin or buffer system may include air knives, which may be used to dislodge bridging or sticking organic matter, to clean the pre-bin or buffer system, to cool the pre-bin or buffer system and the organic matter, reduce oxygen levels to improve organic matter quality, or a combination of these.
  • the air knives may use pressurised gases such as air, or alternatively, may use cryogenic fluid, which may be produced using a generator, sourced from a storage unit, or recycled from elsewhere in the system such as from the cooler 130, 230.
  • Any of the other pre-bin, buffer systems, or temporary storage compartments may include a similar air knives arrangement.
  • organic matter may be manually pushed or worked by workers as it passes through the pre-bin or buffer system before the cooler 130, 230, or any of the other pre-bin, buffer systems, or temporary storage compartments of the system.
  • the organic matter may be transported to the cooler 130, 230 by screw conveyors, or any of the other conveyance means disclosed herein.
  • the screw conveyors may be configured such that the flow rate of organic matter entering the cooler 130, 230 may be adjustably controlled, for example the screw conveyors may be VSD controllable.
  • the screw conveyors may be configured to feed the organic matter into a pre-bin or buffer system as described above, which may be configured to subsequently feed the organic matter into the cooler 130, 230.
  • the organic matter may be conveyed or transported between a system entry point 110, 210 and a cooler 130, 230 via one or more of the conveyors or transport methods or systems described herein.
  • the system may include vacuum conveyance between the filtration system 120, 220 and the cooler 130, 230, which may be sealed from atmosphere by the airlock.
  • the vacuum conveyance system may act to preserve the organic matter by ensuring a low temperature is maintained and oxygen exposure is reduced, which may improve the effectiveness of the cooler 120, 220.
  • the system may be configured to receive pre-frozen organic matter as an input.
  • the organic matter may be conveyed or transported from a system entry point 110, 210 to a mill 140, 240 via one or more of the conveyors or transport methods or systems described herein.
  • the system may include vacuum conveyance between the cooler 130, 230, and the mill 140, 240, which may act to maintain the low temperature induced by the cooler 130, 230.
  • the organic matter may be milled 140, 240 in a grinding, cutting, or crushing system. This may be performed in a sufficiently gentle fashion to separate the extract from the bud without grinding the entire bud into a fine particulate. This may facilitate ease of separation 150 of the extract from the vegetative matter of the bud.
  • the bracts, bracteoles, and strigs may remain as intact as possible for ease of separation from the lupulin, and in the case of cannabis flowers, the calxys, seeds, and stems may remain as intact as possible for ease of separation 150 from the trichomes.
  • the milling 140, 240 may be accomplished with an industrial mill, such as a cracker, a fluid energy mill, a cage mill, a cutter mill, a bead mill, an attritor mill, a jet mill, a pin mill, a roller mill, a hammer mill, a cone mill, a fine-cut mill, a coarse-cut mill, a wet-grinding mill, a ball mill, a tube mill, a disc mill, a roller mill, a shredder, a rod mill, a pebble mill, a grate-discharge mill, an air-swept mill, a grit blaster, a vibration mill, or any other mill capable of grinding, cutting, or crushing the buds.
  • the organic matter may be milled by cracking, and may be passed the through rotating shredding or cutting members, which may be interlaced cylinders.
  • the mill 140, 240 may be food grade and/or stainless steel, or otherwise configured to be corrosion resistant and sanitary.
  • the mill 140, 240 may be an adjustable mill, which may, for example include a means of adjusting the milling intensity, or the size the organic matter particles are reduced to during milling.
  • the adjustable parameters may for example include the milling speed, the duration of milling, the milling forces, or a combination of these.
  • the speed of operation of the mill may for example be adjustable through a variable speed drive.
  • the milling intensity may be finely tuned to the properties of the buds being processed, such as various hop varietals.
  • the organic matter may be conveyed or transported between a mill 140, 240 and a separation system 150 via one or more of the conveyors or transport methods or systems described herein.
  • the system may include vacuum conveyance between the mill 140, 240 and the separation system 150, which may act to maintain the low temperature such that sticking or bridging is prevented.
  • Figure 2 illustrates an example embodiment of a process wherein organic matter is separated into fractions 252, 254, and adjustably releasing 260 the fractions into a mixing stage 270.
  • Figures 3-4 illustrate an example embodiment of a process and a system 300, 400 for separating organic matter into fractions, and adjustably releasing the fractions into a mixing stage.
  • Each of the fractions may have its own unique set of properties that differ from the other fractions.
  • the properties may include a coarseness or average particle size of the organic matter particles relative to the other fractions, a concentration of extract such as alpha acids, beta acids, essential oils, or flavonoids in the case of hops, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) in the case of cannabis.
  • the properties may also include a proportion of vegetative matter relative to lupulin in the case of hops, or a proportion of vegetative matter relative to trichomes in the case of cannabis.
  • the properties may include a weight ratio of the product in the fraction relative to the weight of the product filtered out and used in one or more other fractions.
  • vegetative matter such as leaves and stems may be filtered out into its own fraction, leaving a remaining fraction with higher concentration of extract.
  • the organic matter processing system may be configured to provide for the ratio of the organic matter fractions entering the mixing stage to be customisably adjusted within ranges, for example the percentage of each fraction entering the mixing stage may be varied to provide for 0-100% of the fraction in the final blended product, which may provide for tuning of the properties of the organic matter product.
  • properties may include a coarseness relative to the other fractions, a concentration of extract such as alpha acids, beta acids, essential oils, or flavonoids, a proportion of vegetative matter, lupulin, or trichomes, or a weight ratio.
  • each of the organic matter at various points throughout the system may be repeatedly tested while the system is being commissioned or adjusted to ensure that the requisite extract concentrations and weight ratios are met. Such testing may provide for the organic processing line to be tuned to specific varietals of organic matter, for example varietals of hops or cannabis, which may have varying properties including extract concentrations.
  • incoming organic matter such as hops bales would be tested at the input of the system to determine the concentration of one or more of: alpha acids, beta acids, essential oils, or flavonoids, and the hop fractions and blended hops product would also be independently tested and optionally weighed in a similar fashion to assist with tuning the system to a specific recipe.
  • such a configuration allows for customised products to be produced according to a predefined recipe, and customised orders to be fulfilled which, in the case of hop pellets for example, allow the pellets to be used by customers in a variety of unique brewing arrangements, which may have varying levels of effluent, providing more flexibility than typical brewing processes which only provide for product with a specific weight ratio or concentration of extract.
  • hop pellets for example, allow the pellets to be used by customers in a variety of unique brewing arrangements, which may have varying levels of effluent, providing more flexibility than typical brewing processes which only provide for product with a specific weight ratio or concentration of extract.
  • the extract may be separated from the frozen and milled organic matter with a separation system 150, 355, 455.
  • the separation system 150, 355, 455 may be configured to separate the extract from the vegetative matter of the bud.
  • This separation system 150, 355, 455 may include at least one sifter 252, 254, 352, 354, 452, 454, where a powdered form of the extract may be sifted from the vegetative matter of the bud. This may separate the organic matter into fractions 359, which may have varying levels of coarseness.
  • Each sifter may comprise a mesh which may be configured to allow finer organic matter particles to pass through to a first "fines outlet"
  • the separation system 150, 355, 455 may include an air filtration system configured to reduce blockages and increase organic matter processing efficiency.
  • the air filtration system may comprise adjustable air valves, and may be adjusted for different hop different varietals with different resin quantities.
  • the organic matter may be separated into at least three fractions 359, a first fraction 356, a second fraction 357, and a third fraction 358, which may have varying levels of coarseness. These may include a fine fraction 356, a medium fraction 357, and a coarse fraction 358.
  • the fine fraction 356 may be finer that the medium 357 and coarse fractions 358 and may have a smaller average particle size than the medium 357 and coarse fractions 358.
  • the medium fraction 357 may be coarser than the fine fraction 356 and finer than the coarse fraction 358, and may have a larger average particle size than the fine fraction 356 but a smaller average particle size than the coarse fraction 358.
  • the coarse fraction 358 may be coarser that the fine 356 and medium 357 fractions and may have a larger average particle size than the fine 356 and medium fractions 357.
  • the coarse fraction 358 may contain more coarse matter such as vegetative matter and the fine fraction 356 may contain finer particulate matter containing a higher concentration of the extract.
  • the use of three fractions may allow for a broader range of organic matter blends to be produced, and for the properties of the blended organic matter to be more precisely tuned.
  • product with a high ratio of both extract and vegetative matter could be produced by selectively combining a fine fraction with the highest concentration of extract with a coarse fraction with the highest proportion of vegetative matter, allowing for a product to be produced with the advantages and flavors of both the extract and the vegetative matter.
  • Such a blend would not be possible with standard hop processing plant where coarser vegetative matter is typically sifted out and discarded.
  • lupulin may be separated from the bracts, bracteoles, and strigs at the separation stage 150, 355, 455, and for cannabis flowers, trichomes may be separated from the calyxs, seeds, and stems at the separation stage 150, 355, 455.
  • the fine fraction 356 may comprise about 50%-100% extract, the medium fraction 357 may comprise about 25%-75% extract, and the coarse fraction 358 may comprise about 0%-50% extract.
  • the fine fraction 356 may comprise about 66%-100% extract, the medium fraction 357 may comprise about 33%-66% extract, and the coarse fraction 358 may comprise about 0%-33% extract.
  • the fine fraction 356 may be formed of about 100% extract, and the coarse fraction 358 may be formed of about 0% extract.
  • the fine fraction 356 may be about 80%-90% extract, and the coarse fraction 358 may be about 5%-10% extract. It will be understood a range of extract concentrations may be envisaged and would fall within the scope of this invention.
  • most of the constitution of each fraction that is not extract may be vegetative matter. In an embodiment, this may be at least 90-99% of the remaining organic matter.
  • 45% of the weight of the organic matter may be in the fine fraction 356, 45% of the weight of the organic matter may be in the medium fraction 357, and 10% of the weight of the organic matter may be in the coarse fraction 358.
  • the at least one sifter 355, 455 may have sufficiently narrow apertures such that the extract passes through a sieve and exits a fines outlet, but sufficiently broad apertures that the vegetative matter of the buds do not pass through the sieve and exit the sifter through a separate overs outlet.
  • a sifter with a mesh size of around 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm may be used, as lupulin particles are typically around 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm in diameter.
  • the at least one sifter 355, 455 may be a filter cloth, a tumbler sieve, drum sieve, static sieve, air classifier, vibratory sieve, gyratory sieve, rotary sieve, centrifugal sieve, check sieve, grading sieve, linear sieve, vacuum sieve, pressure sieve, and/or batch sieve.
  • the sifters of the separation system 150, 355, 455 may include sieves with varying mesh sizes.
  • the mesh sizes for each sifter may be adjustable during or before operation of the system to provide for tuning of the properties of the fractions according to a predefined recipe, for example the average particle sizes may be tuned in each fraction as is desirable.
  • the mesh size may be adjusted in the system when different hop varietals with different properties and extract concentrations are used, for example, high resin hop varietals may be stickier and may require a larger mesh size to pass through.
  • a rotating drum sifter 355, 455 with internal beater-bars may be used, where the milled organic matter may be vibrated and rotated, and the sifted material may be pushed through a stationary sieve along the rotational axis with the unsifted product passing through an overs outlet.
  • air may be circulated through the system to assist with forcing the organic matter through the sifter.
  • the flow of air may also be adjustable with a variable air flow system, which may include a fan, for example.
  • the air flow may be changed according to the different hop varietals fed into the system, as specific varieties may be more prone to sticking or bridging.
  • more than one sifter may be used in combination to produce at least three fractions.
  • the overs outlet of a first sifter 352, 452 may feed into a second sifter 354, 454.
  • the two sifters may be configured to provide multiple fractions 359 of varying coarseness.
  • the two sifters 352, 354, 452, 454 may produce at least three fractions 356, 357, 358 of varying coarseness.
  • the sifters 355, 455 may be configured such that the first fraction 356 may be fed from the unders outlet of the first sifter 352, 452, and the second fraction 357 and third fraction 358 may be fed from the unders and overs outlets of the second sifter 452, 454.
  • the first sifter 352, 452 may have a mesh size of about 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm
  • the second sifter 354, 454 may have a mesh size of about 1 .0 mm to 5 mm.
  • a first sifter 352, 452, for example at process step 352, 452 in figures 3 and 4 may have a mesh size of about 1.0 mm to 1.5mm.
  • the mesh size may be about 1.1 mm to 1.3 mm.
  • the mesh size may be 1.11 mm, 1.12 mm, 1.13 mm, 1.14 mm, 1.15 mm, 1.16 mm, 1.17 mm, 1.18 mm, 1.19 mm, 1.20 mm, 1.21 mm, 1.22 mm, 1.23 mm, 1.24 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.26 mm, 1.27 mm, 1.28 mm, 1.29 mm, or 1.30 mm.
  • such a mesh size may provide for about 45% of the weight of the organic matter in a first fraction 356, and about 55% of the weight of the organic matter in an intermediate fraction.
  • the intermediate fraction may be coarser than the first fraction 356.
  • a second sifter 354, 454, for example at process step 354, 454 in figures 3 and 4 may have a mesh size of about 1 .5 mm to 5.0 mm.
  • the mesh size may be about 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm.
  • the mesh size may be 3.01 mm, 3.02 mm, 3.03 mm, 3.04 mm, 3.05 mm, 3.06 mm, 3.07 mm, 3.08 mm, 3.09 mm, 3.10 mm, 3.11 mm, 3.12 mm, 3.13 mm, 3.14 mm,
  • the example mesh sizes of the first sifter 352, 452 and the second sifter 254, 454 may provide for about 45% of the weight of the organic matter in a first fraction 356, and about 45% of the weight of the organic matter in a second fraction 357, and 10% of the organic matter in a third fraction 357.
  • the fractions may be produced by a recursive sifting arrangement wherein a fraction from an overs outlet of a sifter 352, 452 may be fed back into an input of the sifter to provide further sifting.
  • a mesh size of the sifter 352, 452 may be adjustable during use to provide for multiple fractions of varying coarseness during use.
  • At least three fractions of varying coarseness may be provided.
  • the sifters 355, 455 may be configured in a parallel arrangement wherein the milled organic matter may be simultaneously fed into at least two sifters 352, 452, 354, 454.
  • the sifters 355, 455 may be configured to produce at least three fractions 356, 357, 358 of varying coarseness.
  • the three fractions 356, 357, 358 may include a fine fraction 356, a medium fraction 357, and a coarse fraction 358.
  • one sifter in a parallel arrangement may have a larger mesh size, and another sifter in a parallel arrangement may have a smaller mesh size.
  • the at least two sifters 352, 452, 354, 454 may have differing mesh sizes to provide for hop fractions of varying coarseness.
  • the first sifter 352, 452 may have a mesh size of around 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, or any of the suitable mesh sizes disclosed herein, and the second sifter 354, 454 may have a mesh size of around 1 .0 mm to 5 mm, or any of the suitable mesh sizes disclosed herein.
  • the process step 355, 455 may comprise three or four or more sifters 352, 354, 355, 452, 454, 455. This may result in four or more fractions 359, 459 being produced by the system, each with varying concentration or coarseness as described herein.
  • the internals of the mill 540, 640 may be cooled during the milling process to maintain the temperature of the organic matter. This may ensure that the organic matter stays brittle during milling 540, 640. This may be accomplished using any of the cooling means outlined herein for the cooling stage.
  • cryogenic fluid that was used in a cooler to cool the organic matter may be reused in the mill, and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling, for example as part of exhausting of the cryogenic fluid and/or the resulting gases.
  • the hop bracts, bracteoles, and strigs may be used in pellet production for a "lower grade" hop pellet with a lower concentration of the lupulin extract.
  • the hop bracts, bracteoles, and strigs may be repurposed for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical purposes in supplements.
  • the hop bracts, bracteoles, and strigs may be used to produce compost, or biodegradable packaging.
  • any of the above uses may be applied to a coarser hop fraction, for example the fraction 358 as shown in figure 3, that has been separated from the whole hop buds, the coarser hop fraction, for example the fraction 358 as shown in figure 3, comprising a higher concentration of bracts, bracteoles, and strigs.
  • the method, process, or system described herein may allow one or more of the fractions to be repurposed as described herein.
  • hop fractions for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3, of varying coarseness may be "buffered", or stored in a storage system 459 to produce a backlog. This may facilitate controlled dispensing of the fractions.
  • fractions of milled and separated organic matter may be stored in storage units 459.
  • Each separated fraction may have its own corresponding storage unit 459, and there may be three storage units 456, 457, 458 to store three fractions.
  • Each storage unit 459 may be a silo, vat, container, reservoir, cistern, barrel, cask, bin, hopper, tub, drum, or cylinder.
  • Each storage unit 459 may have an input to receive a fraction, and output to release the fraction.
  • each output may be controllably toggled to release the fraction.
  • the outputs may include a release valve or tap arrangement, a pneumatic outlet slide, and/or a manual release mechanism.
  • Each fraction may be turned, stirred, and/or agitated within each storage unit 459 using stirrers to avoid "bridging" or sticking.
  • the storage units 456, 457, 458 may include air knives, which may be used to dislodge bridging or sticking organic matter, for example from walls or stirrers of the storage units.
  • the air knives may also be used to clean the storage units 456, 457, 458, to cool the storage units 456, 457, 458 and the organic matter, reduce oxygen levels to improve organic matter quality, or a combination of these.
  • the air knives may use pressurised gases such as air, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, which may be cooled.
  • the air knives use nitrogen gas, which may be produced using a nitrogen generator. Alternatively, the nitrogen gas may be sourced from a storage container, or recycled from elsewhere in the system.
  • the air knives may be periodically activated automatically by a timer system, which may activate the air knives with a solenoid or similar actuator.
  • organic matter may be manually pushed or worked by workers as it passes through the storage units 456, 457, 458.
  • the internals of the storage units 559, 659 may be cooled. This may keep the fractions, for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3, substantially frozen during storage. This may be accomplished using any of the cooling means described herein.
  • cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling 130, 230 may be used to cool the organic matter in a cooler 130, 230 may be recirculated to the storage units, for example as part of exhausting of the cryogenic fluid and/or the gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling.
  • the system may include vacuum conveyance between the separation system 150 and the storage units 456, 457, 458, which may act to maintain the low temperature such that sticking or bridging is prevented in the storage units.
  • fractions of separated organic matter may be adjustably released 260, 460 into a conveyance system.
  • the fractions 359 may be released 260, 460 into a common conveyor, which may produce a mixture of the fractions, for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3.
  • the common conveyor may feed the fractions into a common mixer 170, 270, 470.
  • the fractions may be separately conveyed into separate mixers, or cascaded interconnected mixers.
  • the conveying may be carried out by any of the conveying systems described herein.
  • the concentration of the extract may be customisable through the adjustable releasing 260, 460 of the fractions.
  • fractions of separated organic matter may be adjustably released 260, 460 directly into separate mixers, or cascaded interconnected mixers, or a common mixer.
  • the fractions may be adjustably released 460 into a storage system to be subsequently fed into at least one mixer 170, 270, 470 as described herein.
  • fractions of separated organic matter may be adjustably released 260, 460 by any form of dispensing system.
  • This may include adjustable speed conveyors, screw feeders, vibratory feeders, belt feeders, pneumatic conveyors, bucket elevators, rotary valves, slide gates, live silos or bins, silo or bin unloaders, loss-in- weight feeders, batching systems, or auger feeders.
  • the adjustable dispensing system may include an adjustable speed conveyance system corresponding to each fraction, where the speed corresponding to each fraction may be adjustable. Any suitable conveyance system may be used, including conveyor belts, screw conveyors, augers, or any of the other conveyance means disclosed herein. This may allow the ratio of each fraction entering the mixer 270, 470 to be adjusted through adjustment of the speed of each conveyor.
  • the adjustable release of the fractions of separated organic matter may be provided by an associated VSD conveyor at an output of each of the storage units 456, 457, 458, and each of the VSD conveyors may feed into a common conveyance system, allowing the ratio of each of the fractions of separated organic matter to be tuned through speed adjustment of each of the associated VSD conveyors.
  • the common conveyance system each of the associated conveyors feeds into may be a corkscrew conveyor, which may be a VSD corkscrew conveyor.
  • the common conveyance system may then feed into an elevator conveyance system, such as a bucket elevator conveyance system, which may transport the organic matter to a next system stage, which may be a mixing stage 170, 270, 470.
  • the adjustable release of fractions 260, 460 of separated organic matter may facilitate the tuning of the weight ratio of the product.
  • the weight ratio means the ratio of the weight of the outgoing product relative to the weight of the incoming organic matter with respect to the organic matter processing system, which measures how much of the organic matter remains in the product after processing is complete. This may be used to measure product purity, as lower weight ratio products typically contain higher extract concentrations, as more of the non-extract organic matter has been discarded.
  • the system may be configured to allow a hop product of any weight ratio to be produced between TO and T100, where TO means 0% of the weight of organic matter that entered the system remains in the product, and T100 means 100% of the weight of organic matter that entered the system remains in the product.
  • TO means 0% of the weight of organic matter that entered the system remains in the product
  • T100 means 100% of the weight of organic matter that entered the system remains in the product.
  • T99, or T100 pellets may be produced.
  • T95 to T97 may be the highest configurable weight ratio.
  • the adjustable release 260, 460 of fractions of separated organic matter may facilitate tuning of the weight ratio of the formed product relative to the weight of the incoming organic matter after the fractions are combined to form a product.
  • the adjustable releasing may be tuned based on known weight information.
  • the weight of each fraction may be calculated.
  • the fractions, for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3 may be weighed, and may be weighed within the system, or in an external facility. The weight may be measured by any configuration of weight sensors, including strain gauges, compression load cells, tension load cells, piezoelectric load cells, capacitive load cells, vibrating wire load cells, single-point load cells.
  • the adjustable release of fractions of separated organic matter may facilitate tuning of the concentration of extract in the formed product after the fractions, for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3, are combined to form a product.
  • the proportion of vegetative matter may also be tuned, as the proportion of vegetative matter may be known for each fraction, or may be calculated based on the concentration of extract.
  • the weight of the extract portion added to the weight of the vegetative matter portion may add up to the total weight of the organic matter at least approximately, allowing the concentration of one portion to be used to calculate the other.
  • the concentration of extract may increase as the weight ratio is decreased, and the mathematical relationship may be known and/or characterized.
  • the concentration of the extract in each fraction for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3, may be measured.
  • the concentration may be measured in the system 200, 400, or in an external facility.
  • the concentration may be measured by any configuration of concentration sensors, including mass spectrometers, pH sensors, conductivity sensors, image sensors, and/or testing strips.
  • the coarse fraction for example the fractions 358 as shown in figure 3
  • the adjustable release system 260, 460 may be used to tune the concentration of extract in the product.
  • a product with a high concentration of both vegetative matter and a high concentration of extract may be desirable, due to a desire for the high polyphenol properties of the vegetative matter.
  • the medium fraction for example the medium fractions 357 as shown in figure 3, may not be released by the adjustable release system 260, 460, or may be released to a reduced extent, and only the fine and coarse fractions, for example the fine and coarse fractions 356, 358 as shown in figure 3, may be used.
  • the weight and/or extract concentration of the formed product may be measured or calculated using any of the means described herein.
  • This weight and/or extract concentration data may be used to tune the adjustable releasing 260, 460 of the fractions, for example the fractions 359 as shown in figure 3.
  • a computer-based control system may be used to process the weight and/or concentration data described herein, and may be used to control the adjustable releasing 260, 460 of the fractions to produce a product with a predetermined weight ratio and/or extract or petal, leaf, and/or stem concentration.
  • product may be produced with any concentration of vegetative matter as may be desired, and product with any concentration of extract may be produced as may be desired.
  • product may be formed with a high concentration of extract to take advantage of the unique beneficial properties of the extract, and product may also be produced with a high concentration of the vegetative matter to utilise the unique beneficial properties of the vegetative matter. This may prevent a substantial portion of the organic matter from going to waste. A large portion of the vegetative matter is typically discarded in trichome and lupulin pellet production.
  • separated fractions of organic matter for example the fractions 359 in figure 3, may be combined and/or homogenised in a mixer.
  • the mixer 370, 470 is a blending silo, blending tank, or live bin configured to blend and/or meter the organic matter mixture.
  • the mixer 370, 470 may be a tumble mixer, a ribbon mixer, a screw mixer, a paddle mixer, a drum blender, a fluidized bed mixer, a vacuum blender, a rotary valve mixer, a batch mixer, a continuous mixer, a live bin, and/or a customised mixing system.
  • the mixing may be performed manually in a mixing bay.
  • the at least one mixer 170, 270, 470 may include air knives, which may be used to dislodge bridging or sticking organic matter, to clean the at least one mixer 170, 270, 470, to cool the mixer 170, 270, 470 and the organic matter being mixed, or a combination of these.
  • the air knives may use pressurised gases such as air, or alternatively, may use cryogenic fluid, which may be produced using a generator, sourced from a storage container, or recycled from elsewhere in the system.
  • the amount of fluid flow generated by the air knives may be tuned to the properties of the organic fractions or the hop varietals being fed into the system.
  • organic matter may be manually pushed or worked by workers as it passes through the at least one mixer 170, 270, 470.
  • the system may include vacuum conveyance between the storage units 456, 457, 458 and the mixer 370, 470, which may provide for adjustable release or throughput of organic matter for example with a VSD controllable conveyance system.
  • fractions of separated organic matter may be combined and/or homogenised in more than one mixer 370, 470.
  • Each fraction for example the fractions 359 in figure 3, may have its own corresponding mixer 370, 470 which may be configured to produce product from only that fraction 359.
  • Multiple mixers may be connected in a cascaded arrangement, where the output of one mixer 370, 470 may feed into the input of a subsequent mixer 370, 470 to facilitate more thorough combining and/or homogenising of the organic matter.
  • cryogenic fluid that was used to cryogenically cool the organic matter and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be recirculated to the mixer 570, 670 to keep the organic matter cool during mixing.
  • the fractions of separated organic matter may be combined with other substances during mixing 370, 470 to provide the product with desirable properties.
  • the fractions of organic matter for example the fractions 359 in figure 3, may be combined with thiol precursors, which may include thioesters, sulfur-containing amino acids, sulfur-containing glucosides, or dimethyl sulfide.
  • the thiol precursors may comprise a thiol rich organic fruit product which may be one or more or: grapefruit, lychee, passionfruit, blackcurrant, and/or grape marc and/or grape skins. One or more of these may be combined with the organic matter.
  • the organic matter may be formed into pellets by a pelletiser 180, 280.
  • the pelletiser 180, 280 may be stainless steel and/or industrial grade, or otherwise corrosion resistant and sanitary, and may be a pellet press.
  • the pelletiser 180, 280 may be any type suitable for forming hop and/or cannabis pellets including a flat die pellet mill, ring die pellet mill, extrusion pelletiser, press pelletiser, hydraulic press pelletiser, roller compactor, or screw extruder.
  • cryogenic fluid that was used to cryogenically cool the organic matter and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be recirculated to the pelletiser 680 to keep the organic matter cool during pellet formation.
  • the product may be cooled in a product cooler which may help to stabilise the product and may reduce the risk of spoilage.
  • the product cooler may be any of the types of cooler described herein, for example an air cooler.
  • the product cooler may be a pellet cooler 185, 285.
  • cryogenic fluid that was used to cryogenically cool the organic matter and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be recirculated to the pellet cooler 185, 285 for use in the cooling of the pellets.
  • organic matter may be encapsulated in a capsule filling machine to produce organic matter capsules. These may be used for nutraceutical and/or pharmaceutical purposes.
  • a recycling system 187, 287 may be used to separate organic matter powder or vegetative matter from the product as recycle.
  • the recycling system 187, 287 may separate the recycle from the product using any of the separation means described herein.
  • the separation may be accomplished via a sieve, which may be a pellet sieve.
  • the mesh size may be sufficient to allow organic matter powder or vegetative matter to pass through but not the product, which may be pellets.
  • the recycling system may also be adapted to remove unwanted pellets such as elongate pellets.
  • the recycling system 187, 287 may use any one or more of the separation configurations described above in relation to the separation system 150, 355, 455.
  • the recycling system 187, 287 may include a sieve with an adjustable mesh size, and may include a vibrating sieve arrangement.
  • the recycle may be conveyed to the mixer 170 where it may be combined and/or homogenised with the other organic matter.
  • the recycle may be conveyed to the at least one mixer 170 via any of the conveyance means described herein.
  • the recycle may be transported using air conveyance, which may be facilitated via a ducting arrangement.
  • the recycling may occur directly after the product is cooled 185, 285.
  • the recycling system may be integrated in with the product cooling system 185, 285.
  • a second recycling system 289 may be used in a cascaded arrangement with a first recycling system 288 which may be configured to capture organic matter powder or vegetative matter as a second recycle that may not have been separated from the product by the first recycling system 288.
  • the second recycle may be finer than the first recycle.
  • the second recycling system 289 may separate the second recycle from the product using any of the separation means described herein.
  • the separation may be accomplished via a sieve, which may be a pellet sieve.
  • the mesh size of the sieve of the second recycling system may be finer than the mesh size of the sieve of the first recycling system to capture finer particles not captured by the first recycling system.
  • the second recycle may be conveyed to the at least one mixer 270 where it may be combined and/or homogenised with the other organic matter.
  • the second recycle may be conveyed to the at least one mixer 270 via any of the conveyance means described herein.
  • the second recycle may be transported using air conveyance, which may be facilitated via a ducting arrangement.
  • step 287 in figure 1, or step 289 in figure 2 there may be a quality check stage after the product is formed.
  • the product may be tested to ensure that it may have the expected extract concentration levels.
  • the product may be visually inspected.
  • there may be a computer vision detection system which detects substandard product for removal, which may further comprise a robotic arm or actuating filtration system to remove the product, and/or may provide an alert with a flagging system comprising a speaker or display.
  • the objects may be manually observed, and/or may be removed at a separation station.
  • a packaging system 290 may be used to package the product for subsequent transportation and/or shipping, which may also ensure product preservation and/or quality.
  • the packaging system 290 may be a bagging system that bags the product.
  • the bagging system may be any type suitable for organic matter products including hops or cannabis products, which may include a vertical form-fill-seal machine, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine, an open-mouth bagging machine, or a valve bag filling machine.
  • cooled gas such as nitrogen may be used to cool the organic matter and prevent oxidization while it is bagged by the bagging system.
  • the product may also be bagged in nitrogen flush bags to further prevent oxidisation.
  • the product may be bagged in any bag that seals the product from atmosphere, which may include vacuum-sealed bags, nitrogen flushed bags, and/or heat-sealed bags.
  • the bags may be made of any plastic including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, or nylon.
  • the bags may be metallic, and may be formed or foil or metallised films.
  • the bags may be formed of paper.
  • the bags may be compostable, and may be formed of biodegradable plastics, compostable films, or compostable paper.
  • the product may be boxed, and may be palletised for ease of transportation.
  • the components may include any one or more of the following as shown in figures 1 -4: a system entry point 1 10, 210, a packaging removal bay or system, a bale braker 215, a washing component, a filtration system 120, 220, a cooler 130, 230, a pre-bin or buffer bin system, a mill 140, 230, a separation system 150, 355, 455, a storage system 459, an adjustable release system 260, 460, a mixer 170, 270, 370, 470, a pelletiser 180, 280, a pellet cooler 185, 285, a recycling system 187, a first recycling system 288, a second recycling system 289, a quality check stage, a packaging system 290, and/or a system output 199, 299. It will also be understood that the conveyance may vary depending on the embodiment in question. For example:
  • conveyance and/or transportation between each of these components may be envisaged.
  • the system may allow product to be produced with minimal or no wastage of the organic matter. All or nearly all of the product may be used in the product formation process. Product with a varying weight ratio may be produced, which may utilise all parts of the buds. Additionally, product with a variety of extract concentrations, and petal, leaf, and/or stem concentrations may be produced, which may use all parts of the buds.
  • the system may allow the coarsest organic matter fraction with the most vegetative matter to be used to make a different product, which may be most suitable for the vegetative matter and may utilise their high polyphenol properties.
  • This new product may be compost, biodegradable packaging, supplements, or any of the other suitable product types disclosed herein. It may also still be used in beer manufacture.
  • the fine and medium fractions may still be used to produce product with a varying weight ratio and/or extract concentration, which may be hop or trichome pellets.
  • the embodiment that contains three storage units 459 and the adjustable release system 460 enables improved product standardisation and/or consistency. It allows for improved fine tuning of the blend recipe, by providing more blending sources than a typical 2 storage unit system.
  • cooling of any of the system components described herein may be envisaged, for example steps 535, 635 in figures 5 and 6.
  • the cooling may be configured to maintain a low temperature environment inside the working chambers of components to keep the organic matter cool during processing (under 10°C), which may avoid spoilage or aid quality of the organic matter, and may prevent bridging or sticking during processing.
  • the cooling may be configured to keep the machinery and/or electronics of the system components cool to prevent overheating, which may prevent damage to system electronics, or other elements of the system components.
  • the cooling may also be configured to keep the organic matter cool during conveyance and/or transportation, and may be used to keep the conveyance and/or transportation systems cool.
  • the cooling may be achieved by any of the means disclosed herein.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be stored in an isolation tank, which may provide for subsequent use in the cryogenic cooler 530, 630.
  • the tank may be any type suitable for storing low temperature and/or pressurized fluid, and may be insulated and pressurised accordingly.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be delivered from an external facility in cryogenic transport tanks and may be subsequently loaded into the isolation tank.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be delivered from the isolation tank to the cryogenic cooler 530, 630 via any suitable transportation means for low temperature and/or pressurized fluid, which may include piping such as vacuum insulated piping, conduits and/or ducting.
  • the isolation tank may be situated outside the processing facility.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be liquid nitrogen.
  • a machine that produces cryogenic fluid may be used.
  • the machine may produce the cryogenic fluid using any suitable means known in the cryogenics field, and may be a cryogenic distillation system, a liquefaction system, a cryogenic refrigeration system, a cryogenic expansion system, or any other cryocooling system.
  • Cryogenic fluid may be delivered from the machine to the cryogenic cooler 530, 630 via any suitable transportation means for low temperature and/or pressurized fluid, which may include piping such as vacuum insulated piping, conduits and/or ducting.
  • there may an isolation tank which may be configured to store the cryogenic fluid after it has been made by the machine, which may be an intermediate stage before it may be transported to the cooler.
  • the cryogenic fluid may be liquid nitrogen.
  • cryogenic fluid used by the cryogenic cooler 530, 630 to cool the organic matter and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be recirculated to any of the components described herein to provide further cooling with a cryogenic reuse system 535, 635.
  • the components being cooled may include any combination of the conveyance systems between components of the system disclosed herein.
  • the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be transported to any of the system components by any of the fluid transportation means disclosed herein, including conduits and/or ducting.
  • the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be exhausted from the system 536, 636 after it has been reused in any of the components, including any of the conveyance systems, and may be exhausted 536, 636 outside the building, which may prevent entry of the fluid and/or gases into the air of the building.
  • a fan unit may be used to exhaust cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling 536, 636 from the building, which may be placed on the roof of the building, and may avoid exhaustion of the fluid and/or gases 536, 636 into spaces that may be occupied by people.
  • a valving system integrated with any of the system components or conveyance systems described herein that may remove the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling from the components or conveyance systems at any system stage for subsequent exhaustion 536, 636.
  • Any type of valving arrangement suitable for low temperature and/or pressurized fluid may be used, including butterfly valves, check valves, globe valves, needle valves, diaphragm valves, pressure relief valves, safety valves, plug valves, solvent valves, pinch vales, and/or control valves.
  • the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be exhausted 536, 636 from the building after it has been removed from any of the components or conveyance systems by the valving system.
  • cooled gas such as nitrogen that is not cooled to cryogenic levels may be used to cool the organic matter and prevent oxidisation instead of cryogenic fluid.
  • cryogenic fluid reuse system 535, 635 may detect when the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling has exceeded a suitable temperature for cooling the organic matter and/or system components. If the detected temperature is above a threshold, the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be exhausted 535, 636 and may be substituted with sufficiently cool cryogenic fluid, or an alternative cooling system or method, which may be any of the cooling systems disclosed herein. Alternatively, the cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be recooled with an active cooling system, which may be any of the active cooling systems described herein.
  • the temperature sensor may be any type suitable for use with low temperature and/or pressurised fluids, which may include thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors, thermistors, infrared temperature sensors, bimetallic temperature sensors, gas expansion temperature sensors, liquid expansion temperature sensors, fiber optic temperature sensors, and/or microelectromechanical system (MEMS) temperature sensors.
  • thermocouples resistance temperature detectors
  • thermistors infrared temperature sensors
  • bimetallic temperature sensors gas expansion temperature sensors
  • liquid expansion temperature sensors liquid expansion temperature sensors
  • fiber optic temperature sensors fiber optic temperature sensors
  • MEMS microelectromechanical system
  • the temperature of the fluid at various system stages may be calculated, which may be done by with a heat characterisation modelling of the system at its various stages. Cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling may be replaced or recooled as is necessary according to the temperature changes that may be predicted by this model.
  • This modelling may be used in addition to temperature sensing in any combination of the various system stages, this may have the advantage of allowing less temperature sensors to be used.
  • the cooling system described herein allows the organic matter to be kept cool at all system stages up to formation of the product, which may preserve the organic matter and/or prevent it from bridging or sticking such the end product may be unspoiled, and may be of a high quality.
  • organic matter that may otherwise stick and get trapped in components or conveyors of the system may also reach the product formation stage, which may improve the input to output efficiency of the system by preventing organic matter wastage.
  • cryogenic fluid and/or any gases resulting from the cryogenic cooling used by the cryogenic cooler is reused in the cooling of the system components, for example at steps 535, 635 in figures 5 and 6, there may be efficiency improvements.
  • a lower volume of cryogenic fluid may need to be applied at various stages of the system for cooling.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates an example embodiment of a two-processing line system 700, where the first processing line 701 may be used to produce a first product, and the first processing line 701 and second processing line 702 may be used in combination to produce a second product.
  • system 700 may be configured to produce a first product.
  • system may be configured to additionally produce a second product.
  • the first product may be produced by a first processing line 701.
  • the components of the first processing line 701 may be connected in sequence by any of the conveyance and/or transportation means disclosed herein.
  • the second product may be produced by a first processing line 701 and a second processing line 701 in combination.
  • the second processing line 702 may be separate to the first processing line 701 .
  • the second processing line 702 may be attached to a pre-existing first processing line 701.
  • the components of the second processing line 702 may be connected in sequence by any of the conveyance and/or transportation means disclosed herein.
  • the second processing line 702 may be configured such that when used in combination with the first processing line 701, it may produce an enriched product.
  • the system 700 may be configured to divert organic matter from the first processing line 701 to the second processing 702 line at any system stage.
  • the organic matter may be diverted by any sufficiently gentle diversion arrangement suitable for hop cones and/or cannabis flowers, and may include a bypass conveyor.
  • the diversion system may feed into any conveyance system disclosed herein that may feed the organic matter to any system component of the second processing line.
  • a conveyance system of the diversion arrangement may include a temporary storage compartment configured to temporarily receive and store organic matter as it is diverted between the first processing line 701 and the second processing line 702.
  • the temporary storage compartment may comprise a bin arrangement, such as a buffer bin, surge bin, or pre-bin, a hopper arrangement, or similar.
  • the temporary storage compartment may include air knives, which may be used to dislodge bridging or sticking organic matter, to clean the temporary storage compartment, to cool the temporary storage compartment and the organic matter, reduce oxygen levels to improve organic matter quality, or a combination of these.
  • the air knives may use pressurised gases such as air, or alternatively, may use cryogenic fluid, which may be produced using a generator, sourced from a storage unit, or recycled from elsewhere in the system such as from the cooler 130, 230.
  • organic matter may be manually pushed or worked by workers as it passes through the temporary storage compartment.
  • the system 700 may be configured to return diverted organic matter from the second processing line 702 back to the first processing line 701 at any system stage.
  • the organic matter may be returned by any sufficiently gentle returning arrangement suitable for hop cones and/or cannabis flowers, or cannabis or hop product which may include pelleted product.
  • the returning arrangement and may include a bypass conveyor.
  • the returning system may feed into any conveyance system disclosed herein that may feed the organic matter and/or product to any system component of the first processing line 701.
  • the first processing line may include a system entry point 710, which may be configured to receive unprocessed organic matter for processing.
  • the system entry point 710 may be configured according to any of the configurations disclosed herein, which may include a loading conveyor
  • the first processing line 701 may include a packaging removal bay for manual packaging removal, and/or a packaging removal system to automatically remove packaging.
  • the packaging removal bay and/or system may be configured according to any of the configurations disclosed herein.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a bale breaker 715, which may be configured to be gently broken up into buds and/or a coarse powder where the whole buds are retained largely intact.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a washing component so that the organic matter may be washed to remove dirt and/or other pollutants.
  • the washing component may additionally administer an antiseptic treatment in preparation for processing to improve the food safety value of the product.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a filtration system 720 to remove undesired objects from the organic matter and/or substandard product as disclosed herein.
  • the filtration system 720 may be configured to allow relatively heavy objects to fall out due to gravity.
  • the filtration system 720 may be configured according to any of the suitable configurations disclosed herein.
  • the first processing line may include a mill 740a, which may be configured to grind, cut, or crush the organic matter.
  • the mill 740a may include any of the suitable types disclosed herein, which may include a hammer mill.
  • the mill 740a will be configurable to operate in a pass-through mode.
  • Pass- through mode may allow the organic matter to pass through the mill 740a without being ground, cut, crushed, or otherwise milled. This may be accomplished by switching off any grinding, cutting, or crushing components of the mill 740a and leaving the conveyance components of the mill 740a that transport are configured to organic matter in operation.
  • pass-through mode may be used such that the organic matter buds are diverted to the second processing line 702 largely intact. In an embodiment, this may allow the organic matter to be frozen, and subsequently milled by the second processing line 702, which may be performed in a more controlled or less destructive manner than the milling of the first processing line 701. The more controlled milling may assist with the separation of the extract from the ground buds.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a mixer 770a, which may be configured to combine and/or homogenised the organic matter.
  • the mixer 770a may be any of the suitable types disclosed herein, which may include a blending tank or silo.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a pelletiser 780a, which may be configured to form pellets from the organic matter.
  • the pelletiser 780a may be any of the suitable types of pelletiser disclosed herein, which may include a pellet press arrangement.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a pellet cooler 785a.
  • the pellet cooler 785a may be any of the suitable types disclosed herein.
  • the pellet cooler may be an air cooler.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a recycling system 788 that may separate organic matter powder or vegetative matter from the organic matter as recycle, which may be subsequently fed back to the mixer.
  • the recycling system 788 may have any of the recycling system configurations disclosed herein.
  • the recycling system 788 may use a sieve, and may use air conveyance to transport the recycle to the mixer.
  • the first processing line 701 may include an additional second recycling system 789 that may separate powder or vegetative matter from the organic matter that was not captured by the first recycling system 788 as a second recycle, which may also be subsequently fed back to the mixer 770a.
  • the second recycling system 789 may be configured according to any of the recycling system configurations disclosed herein.
  • the second recycling system 789 may use a sieve, and may use air conveyance to transport the second recycle to the mixer.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a first recycling system that may separate organic matter powder or vegetative matter from the organic matter as recycle, which may be subsequently fed back to the mixer 770b.
  • the first recycling system may have any of the recycling system configurations disclosed herein.
  • the first recycling system may use a sieve, and may use air conveyance to transport the recycle to the mixer 770b.
  • the second processing line 702 may include an additional second recycling system that may separate powder, or vegetative matter from the organic matter that was not captured by the first recycling system as a second recycle, which may also be subsequently fed back to the mixer 770b.
  • the second recycling system may be configured according to any of the recycling system configurations disclosed herein.
  • the second recycling system may use a sieve, and may use air conveyance to transport the second recycle to the mixer 770b.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a packaging system 790, which may be configured to package the product at the end of production.
  • the packaging system 790 may include any of the suitable types of packaging system disclosed herein, which may include a bagging system, which may use foil bags.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a cooler 730, which may be configured to cool the organic matter.
  • the cooler 730 may include any of the suitable types of cooler disclosed herein, including a cryogenic cooler, which may cool the organic material by spraying it with cryogenic fluid.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a mill 740b.
  • the mill 740b may be any of the suitable types disclosed herein.
  • the mill 740b may be a cracker which may be adapted to grind or crack frozen hop cones.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a separation system 750, which may be configured to separate the organic matter into fractions, for example the fractions 359 shown in figure 3, wherein the fractions may be at least three fractions, and wherein the fractions may be of varying levels of coarseness.
  • the separation system 750 may be configured according to any of the embodiments described herein, which may include a sifter arrangement, and which may include two sifters in a cascaded arrangement.
  • the second processing line 702 may include storage units 759 to store the organic matter after separation by the separation system.
  • Each separated fraction may have its own corresponding storage unit, for example the storage units 459 shown in figure 4.
  • the storage units may be any of the suitable storage unit types or configurations disclosed herein.
  • Each storage unit may have an input to receive a fraction, and output to release the fraction.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a mixer 770b, which may be configured to combine and/or homogenised the organic matter.
  • the mixer 770b be any of the suitable types or configurations disclosed herein, which may include a blending tank or silo.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a pelletiser 780b, which may be configured to form pellets from the organic matter.
  • the pelletiser 780b may be any of the suitable types or configurations disclosed herein, which may include a pellet press arrangement.
  • the second processing line 702 may include a pellet cooler 785b.
  • the pellet cooler 785b may be any of the suitable types or configurations disclosed herein.
  • the pellet cooler may be an air cooler.
  • the system 700 may be configurable to operate in a first production mode.
  • the system 700 may be configured such that the first processing line 701 is active, and may additionally be configured such that the second processing line 702 is not active.
  • organic matter may not be diverted from the first processing line 701 to the second processing line 702, and the first processing line 701 may be used in isolation from start to finish.
  • the first production mode the first product may be produced.
  • the system 700 may be configurable to operate in a second production mode.
  • the system 700 may be configured such that the first processing line 791 is active, and may additionally be configured such that the second processing line is active 702. It may also be configured such that the second processing line 702 may receive diverted organic matter from the first processing line 701, and organic matter may be returned to the first processing line 701 after it has passed through the second processing line 702 from start to finish.
  • the second product may be produced.
  • the first processing line 701 may be a preexisting or pre-designed processing line that the second processing line 702 may be installed onto, integrated with, or otherwise connected to.
  • the first processing line 701 may include a mill 740a, a mixer 770a, a pelletiser 780a, a pellet cooler 785a, and recycling system 788
  • the second processing line 702 may include a cooler 730, a mill 740b, and a separation system 750.
  • the organic matter may pass through the first processing line only 701, passing through the mill 740a, the mixer 770a, the pelletiser 780a, the pellet cooler 785a, and the recycling system 788.
  • a first product may be produced.
  • the organic matter may also pass through the second recycling system 789 of the first processing line 701 , or may instead be passed directly to the output stage 789 instead of passing through either recycling system.
  • the organic matter may pass through the mill of the first processing line 740a in pass-through mode, may be diverted to the second processing line 702 where the organic matter may be passed through the cooler 730, the mill 740b, and the separation system 750. The organic matter may then be returned to the first processing line 701 where it may be passed through the mixer 770a, the pelletiser 780a, the pellet cooler 785a, and the recycling system 788.
  • the organic matter may also pass through the second recycling system 789 of the first processing line 701, or may instead be passed directly to the output stage 789 instead of passing through either recycling system.
  • the second processing line 702 may further include storage units 759 after the separation system 750, and may divert the organic matter from the output of the storage units 759 to the first processing line 701 to be passed through the mixer 770a, the pelletiser 780a, the pellet cooler 785a, and the recycling system 788.
  • the organic matter may also pass through the second recycling system 789 of the first processing line 701 , or may instead be passed directly to the output stage 789 instead of passing through either recycling system.
  • the second processing line 702 may further include storage units 759 and a mixer 770b after the separation system 750, and may divert the organic matter from the output of the mixer 770b to the first processing line 701 to be passed through the pelletiser 780a, the pellet cooler 785a, and the recycling system 788.
  • the organic matter may also pass through the second recycling system 789 of the first processing line 701, or may instead be passed directly to the output stage 789 instead of passing through either recycling system.
  • the second processing line 702 may further include storage units 759, a mixer 770b, and a pelletiser 780b, after the separation system 750, and may divert the organic matter from the output of the pelletiser 780b to the first processing line 702 to be passed through the pellet cooler 785a, and the recycling system 788.
  • the organic matter may also pass through the second recycling system 789 of the first processing line 701, or may instead be passed directly to the output stage 789 instead of passing through either recycling system.
  • the second processing line 792 may further include storage units 759, a mixer 770b, a pelletiser 780b, and a pellet cooler 785b after the separation system 750, and may divert the organic matter from the output of the pellet cooler 785b to the first processing line 701 to be passed through the recycling system 788.
  • the organic matter may also pass through the second recycling system 789 of the first processing line 701, or may instead be passed directly to the output stage 789 instead of passing through either recycling system.
  • the two-processing line 700 arrangement may allow for capital cost savings by allowing for the second processing line 701 to be connected to a pre-existing first processing line 702. This may avoid the purchase of additional system components, such as a bale breaker, filtration system, recycling system and bagging machine. This may also reduce procurement risk, and may reduce the risk of implementation delay.
  • the use of a pre-existing first processing line 701 may also provide for operational familiarity, which may speed up commissioning, and may assist with process controls integrations, It may also be advantageous in terms of repairs and maintenance.
  • the embodiment that features the separation system 455 and the adjustable release system 260, 460 may produce a standardised product with a stronger flavour and aroma than other means known in the art. This may be facilitated through the ability to consistently deliver a higher concentration of lupulin to the product, which may enhance flavour and aroma.
  • the embodiment that features the separation system 455 and the adjustable release system 260, 460 may produce product with a higher concentration of extract than other means known in the art. This may lead to less product needing to be produced to deliver the same concentration of extract. The lower amount of required product may lead to improved efficiencies during storage and shipping. This may additionally lead to reduced packaging and brewing waste, and may lead to better beer yields, which may help reduce environmental footprint.
  • the embodiment that features the separation system 455 and the adjustable release system 260, 460 may also produce more product from the same quantity of hop material, as the whole buds can be used to produce product with varying weight ratios and extract concentrations, and the vegetative matter may be separately used to produce the specific products disclosed herein.
  • This may lead to higher yields of saleable hop product or cannabis product for the same quantity of input cones or flowers, and may increase revenue due to the improved efficiency and ability to produce more products from the same organic matter.
  • the embodiment that features the separation system 455 and the adjustable release system 260, 460 may reduce "hop creep" in beer brewing, as monosaccharides and enzymes found in bract are believed to contribute to hop creep. Reducing the quantity of vegetative matter - petals, leaves, and/or stems - may therefore lessen the potential for "hop creep”. "Hop creep" can reduce beer quality, and the methods and systems disclosed herein may lead to improved beer quality in this respect.
  • the embodiment that features two sifters 252, 254, 352, 354, 452, 454 at the separation stage 355, 455, and the adjustable release mechanism 260, 460, and is configured to process hop cones may provide for more flexibility to create different lupulin to "green material" (bracts, bracteoles, strigs) blends, and may lead to better standardisation of the end product due to the precise ability for custom mixing.
  • This may allow different blends to be produced for different customers depending on market demand, and may also provide the ability to have a consistent standardised end product for customers for whichever blend they choose.
  • This may also lead to advantages in dosing of additives, for example, the thiol precursor products may be added and combined into the blend more effectively with the precise adjustable mixing system disclosed herein.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne au moins un procédé de production d'un produit de matière organique récolté. Le procédé comprend les étapes consistant à refroidir du houblon par cryogénie, à introduire la matière organique refroidie par cryogénie dans un système de séparation pour séparer la matière organique récoltée refroidie par cryogénie en au moins trois fractions, à libérer de manière réglable au moins deux desdites fractions dans un étage de mélange, et à mélanger lesdites fractions pour produire un produit de matière organique récolté combiné.
PCT/IB2024/059441 2023-09-29 2024-09-27 Procédé et système de traitement de matière organique Pending WO2025068956A1 (fr)

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Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4051771A (en) * 1976-03-04 1977-10-04 Asahi Breweries, Ltd. Apparatus for obtaining lupulin-rich products from hops
WO2019055587A1 (fr) * 2017-09-12 2019-03-21 Yakima Chief Hops, Llc Granules de trichome de lupulin de houblon ou de trichome de cannabis cryogéniques
WO2020248071A1 (fr) * 2019-06-12 2020-12-17 Lunaverse Inc. Procédé et système d'isolement des trichomes
WO2023023459A1 (fr) * 2021-08-18 2023-02-23 U.S. Nutraceuticals, Inc., d/b/a Valensa International Composition de complément alimentaire ayant un lsesr amélioré pour maintenir et favoriser la fonction urinaire et prostatique, favoriser la santé et la croissance des cheveux, et son procédé de fabrication
US11766678B1 (en) * 2023-04-21 2023-09-26 AGT-USA, Inc. Cryogenic processing system for plant material

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4051771A (en) * 1976-03-04 1977-10-04 Asahi Breweries, Ltd. Apparatus for obtaining lupulin-rich products from hops
WO2019055587A1 (fr) * 2017-09-12 2019-03-21 Yakima Chief Hops, Llc Granules de trichome de lupulin de houblon ou de trichome de cannabis cryogéniques
WO2020248071A1 (fr) * 2019-06-12 2020-12-17 Lunaverse Inc. Procédé et système d'isolement des trichomes
WO2023023459A1 (fr) * 2021-08-18 2023-02-23 U.S. Nutraceuticals, Inc., d/b/a Valensa International Composition de complément alimentaire ayant un lsesr amélioré pour maintenir et favoriser la fonction urinaire et prostatique, favoriser la santé et la croissance des cheveux, et son procédé de fabrication
US11766678B1 (en) * 2023-04-21 2023-09-26 AGT-USA, Inc. Cryogenic processing system for plant material

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