PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process and apparatus for producing soymilk which is obtained by completely deactivating various kinds of enzymes responsible for a grassy smell, while preventing heating unevenness, and inducing appropriate thermal denaturation of protein and a rich flavor, and which can be processed by coagulation into tofu high in water retentivity and elasticity and rich in flavor.SOLUTION: The apparatus includes a submerged friction-grinding unit M having a friction-grinding portion in which soybeans are friction-ground together with soybean-grinding water to obtain a raw soybean soup, a heating unit N for heating the raw soybean soup obtained in the submerged friction-grinding unit M, a connecting pipe P2 for connecting the submerged grinding unit M and the heating unit N, and a preheating unit Y1 attached to the connecting pipe P2 for preheating the raw soybean soup, whereby the raw soybean soup obtained in the submerged friction-grinding unit M is fed into the heating unit N while being preheated, and is then further heated in the heating unit N. The heating step may be divided into multiple stages.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】加熱ムラを防止しつつ、青臭みの原因である各種酵素の失活を完結させ、さらに、適度なタンパク質の熱変性と、適度な風味の形成を起こさせることによって、得られた豆乳を凝固させたときに、保水性の高い、弾力のある、風味豊かな豆腐品質に加工することができる豆乳製造方法及び豆乳製造装置を提供する。【解決手段】大豆を挽き水とともに磨砕部において液中磨砕して呉液とする液中磨砕装置Mと、液中磨砕装置Mで得られた呉液を加熱する蒸煮缶Nと、液中磨砕装置Mと蒸煮缶Nとを接続する接続パイプP2と、接続パイプP2に取り付けられ呉液を予熱する予熱装置Y1とを備え、液中磨砕装置Mにより得られた呉液を予熱しながら蒸煮缶Nに送り、更に蒸煮缶Nで加熱する。加熱工程は数段階に分けておこなっても良い。【選択図】図1
