Oat Milk Manufacturing Equipment

The first steps in oat milk production

Before starting with the production of oat milk, the crucial step is to prepare the raw material – oats. Once harvested, oats are passed under a magnetic separator, as well as a series of rotating or oscillating screens, to remove foreign objects. Oats are indigestible before processing. To change that, oats must be removed from their hard husks. This process, called dehulling, happens in modern mills – oat milk processing equipment where oats fall into the center of a rotating disc and travel through a series of impact rings on the dehuller’s wall results in the separation.

From oat milk processing equipment to the to-oat-lly delicious beverage

Making oat milk is a quite simple formula, mixing rolled oats with water, a ratio of 1:2.7. Soaking them in warm water causes the breakage of the hull, which results in a slurry. The critical step in the production of oat milk, especially when it comes to the beverage’s flavor, is the process of adding enzymes to the slurry. For instance, in a production process called hydrolysis, α-amylase (77.78 mg per 1 kg of oats) is added to break down the starch into simpler sugars which is the answer to why oat milk tastes sweeter than plain oats.

Oat-standing sustainability metrics

 Not only is the oat milk industry one of the fastest-growing plant-based milk industries, but it is also leading in the possible sustainability metrics compared to its alternatives. Firstly, compared to dairy milk, oat milk production uses 60% less energy, 80% less land, and emits 80% fewer gases. The oat milk manufacturing process emits no methane and only 0.18 kilograms of carbon dioxide for a 200-milliliter glass. Furthermore, oats require the least amount of water to grow compared to other plants.

Namely, 1 liter of oat milk requires 48 liters of water, which is significantly less than dairy and other plant-based kinds of milk, especially almond which requires 8 times more water. Finally, oats can be cultivated in most parts of the world, benefiting the soil and agrobiodiversity.