1. Oat milk is a plant protein beverage that is a substitute/alternative for animal dairy products. It is becoming more and more popular among young people and beverage consumption trends because of its remarkable superiority. Oat milk is low in overall calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat and high content of protein and fiber than cow milk, which also meets the needs of lactose-intolerant consumers.
2. Oat-based milk beverage is made from whole oat groats/rolled oats/oat flour/oat powder, which looks like dairy milk. The main equipment for producing oat milk is oat soaking machine, oat milling machine, oat milk hydrolysis and separating machine, oat milk blending, homogenizing and sterilizing system, oat milk filling and packing system, CIP cleaning system, RO water treatment system.
3. In the end products of the oat milk, certain ingredients will be added like pure water, vegetable oil, salt, stabilizers, acids, vitamin and mineral blends, sweeteners, and flavors to make the end product more favorable and higher in nutrition.
4. The capacity of the oat milk processing line is from 500LPH-10000LPH, and the end product can be filled into bottles, cartons and other consumable packages. The whole processing line is highly flexible and modular, which can meet different technological processes and packages.
5. The oat milk production process involves milling oats into oat slurry, adding enzymes to break down the oats into a more soluble form and decompose the starch, filtering the oat slurry to remove insoluble fibers, mixing it with water and flavor agent,  homogenizing, pasteurizing/UHT sterilizing, and packaging it into containers.
6. The processing line is equipped with a CIP system, which can ensure the hygiene conditions of the equipment and save labor greatly.
7. The oat milk processing plant can also process other similar grains such as quinoa, millet, rice, and chia into milk-based products.
8. You can check the problems and solutions when processing oat milk in industrial scale.

Gable top carton oat milk: For this package, the oat milk can be pasteurized and then cold filling into cartons, The shelf life is 5-7 days in the freezer.

Brick carton oat milk: The oat milk after blending with ingredients, then UHT sterilizing and filling into brick cartons. The whole process is aseptic, so the end products can be stored at ambient temperature and the shelf life is 6 months to one year available.

Bottled or canned oat milk: The oat milk will be pasteurized, then hot filling into bottles or cans, after filling, the package needs to do the secondary sterilizing with retort sterilizer or cooling tunnel sterilizer. The shelf life reaches 12 months.

When the raw material is raw oat grains or rolled oats: The rolled oats feed into the colloid mill through the screw elevator, at the same time RO water also will be measured into the oat mill, through the colloid mill process, we get the oat slurry. Then the amylase will be added to the oat slurry to break down starch to prevent oat milk gelatinization and thickening at high temperatures in the enzymatic hydrolysis tank. After that, we use one decanter centrifuge separator to extract milk from the oat slurry, the decanter will separate solid and liquid to obtain the oat milk, then add the ingredients one by one to the blending tank according to the formula table. To make more flavor and longer shelf life products, the mixed oat milk will be sent to a homogenizer, degasser and UHT sterilizer for further processing, then the end product will be filled into cartons or bottles for consumption.

When the raw material is oat flour/oat powder: The oat flour/oat powder will be fed into the water powder mixer to dissolve the oat powder into liquid state through circulating with a tank, then the oat slurry will be enzymolysised and separated by centrifuge separator, then it will be pumped into the blending tank, in the blending tank, all the ingredients will be added and mixed evenly according to the recipe, then the oat milk will be homogenized, UHT sterilized and degassed. At last, the oat milk will be filled into containers.

The oat rolls will be blanched in the hot water to inactivate the enzymes in oats and soften the oat for a higher milling yield rate. The blanching process will be heating the rolled oats to 90℃ and holding for 5 minutes. The blancher can be a SUS304 soaking tank or screw blanching machine.

A colloid mill or wet-type milling machine is used to grind oats into a fine and uniform oat slurry. During the milling process, the oats are mixed with water and continuously sheared to form a smooth soft mixture suitable for further enzymatic treatment and homogenization.

The colloid mill is typically manufactured from food-grade SUS304 stainless steel, ensuring hygienic processing and corrosion resistance. The grinding fineness can reach approximately 2–50 μm, which helps improve oat extraction efficiency, product smoothness, and the stability of the final oat milk beverage.

In industrial oat milk production, rolled oats are typically mixed with water at a ratio of approximately 1:3 to 1:5 during wet milling. After grinding and slurry preparation, 1000 kg of rolled oats can produce approximately 4000–6000 L of oat slurry before enzymatic treatment and fibre separation. After formulation and standardization, the final commercial oat milk output may reach 8000–12000 L, depending on the product recipe and solids content.

During oat beverage production, amylase enzymes are added into the enzymatic hydrolysis tank to break down starch into smaller carbohydrates. This process helps reduce viscosity, improve pumpability, increase natural sweetness, and enhance the overall mouthfeel and sensory properties of the final product. Compared with traditional processing methods, enzymatic treatment can also improve extraction efficiency and product stability.

The heating, enzymatic hydrolysis, and enzyme inactivation steps can all be completed inside the same hydrolysis tank. In many production lines, the oat slurry is typically hydrolyzed at around 55°C for 2–4 hours, although the exact time depends on processing temperature and enzyme activity. After hydrolysis is completed, the slurry is usually heated to approximately 90°C for 60–80 seconds to deactivate the amylase enzyme. The product is then cooled to around 50–60°C before entering the decanter centrifuge for fibre separation.

One model process of the enzymatic hydrolysis of oat milk: The dosage of medium temperature amylase is 0.1%, the action temperature is 85℃, and the time is 60 min; the saccharification conditions are: the dosage of compound glucoamylase is 0.09%, and the action time is 70 min. The total solid content of oat milk prepared under this process reached 10.03%, the protein content was 1.37 g/100 mL, the reducing sugar content was 3.09 g/100 mL, the relative viscosity was 3.52, the emulsion particle median diameter was 1.747 μm, and the product viscosity and sweetness moderate, smooth taste, good stability.

After enzymatic treatment, the oat slurry is processed through a decanter centrifuge to achieve efficient fibre separation and high liquid yield. The system removes insoluble fibres, oat shells, and coarse particles while maximizing soluble solids recovery, helping produce a smoother and more stable oat base for further processing.

The separation temperature is typically controlled at around 55°C to optimize separation efficiency and product flowability. After decanter separation, approximately 90% of coarse fibre can be removed, while 85–95% of soluble solids are recovered. The particle size of the separated oat base is usually reduced to below 50–80 microns, helping improve mouthfeel, reduce sedimentation, and enhance product stability in the final oat milk beverage.

During Oat Milk production, oats are mixed with hot water in blending tanks, causing the starch to gelatinize and rapidly increase the viscosity of the oat slurry. Therefore, agitator design is critical for producing stable, high-quality oat milk products.

A paddle-and-scraper combined agitator is recommended for viscous oat milk processing because it can effectively scrape, circulate, and mix the oat slurry while improving heat transfer and preventing material sticking. Compared with traditional agitators, it provides more uniform mixing and temperature distribution. High-shear mixers and circulation systems are also commonly used to improve ingredient dispersion and increase production efficiency.

The blending tank is used to mix ingredients such as water, vegetable oil, stabilizers, gums, sugar, vitamins, and minerals. Industrial oat milk blending tanks are usually designed with a triple-layer structure for steam heating and insulation, and equipped with agitators, temperature sensors, level sensors, and sample valves. Ingredient dosing can be accurately controlled by flowmeters or weighing systems, while advanced production lines may use mix-proof valve clusters to ensure a higher hygienic standard during processing.

In an industrial Oat Milk processing line, the homogenizer plays a critical role in improving product stability, texture, and mouthfeel. During homogenization, the fat globules and suspended particles in the oat milk are reduced into much smaller sizes under high pressure, helping create a smooth and stable emulsion. The typical homogenization pressure for oat milk is around 25-40 MPa, and a two-stage homogenization system is commonly used to achieve better emulsification, reduce sedimentation, and improve shelf-life stability.

A vacuum degasser is also an important component in oat milk processing. It removes dissolved oxygen and entrapped air from the beverage under a vacuum degree of approximately 70–80 kPa. Degassing helps minimize oxidation, reduce foaming during filling, improve product appearance, and extend the shelf life of the final oat milk product.

There are generally two main sterilization methods used in commercial oat milk production, depending on the packaging type and desired shelf life.

For bottled oat milk and gable top carton oat milk, pasteurization is widely used. The oat milk is typically heated to 85–95°C and held for 15–30 seconds to reduce microbial activity while maintaining product flavour and nutrition. After filling, a secondary container sterilization or post-pasteurization process is usually required to ensure stable shelf life and product safety during storage and distribution.

For aseptic brick carton oat milk, Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) sterilization is the most common process. Traditional oat milk UHT systems typically use indirect tubular sterilization at approximately 135°C for 3–5 seconds. However, direct steam injection (DSI) technology is becoming increasingly popular in modern oat milk factories because of its ultra-short heating and cooling time. In a DSI system, the product can be heated rapidly to 150–160°C for around 0.1 second, then cooled instantly. This advanced sterilization method significantly reduces thermal damage and helps preserve the natural flavour, colour, nutritional value, and freshness of the oat milk beverage.

In modern oat milk factories, the aseptic tank serves as a buffer between the UHT sterilizer and the aseptic filling machine, ensuring stable continuous production and preventing contamination during storage and transfer.

Oat milk aseptic tanks are essential for the production and storage of aseptic oat milk. These tanks are designed to maintain the quality and safety of the oat milk during aseptic processing, storage, and transportation. During aseptic carton oat milk processing, it is crucial to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms that can spoil the product or cause foodborne illness. Aseptic tanks provide a sterile environment that prevents contamination and ensures the freshness and quality of the oat milk.

Aseptic tanks used for oat milk processing are typically made of high-quality food-grade SUS 304 or SUS316L. These tanks are designed to be easy to clean and sanitize, with smooth surfaces that prevent the accumulation of bacteria and other contaminants. Aseptic tanks also feature specialized equipment such as agitators and pumps, which are used to mix and transfer the oat milk during processing. These features help to ensure that the oat milk is uniformly processed and prevent any separation or settling of the product.

For bottled or canned oat milk, we use a bottle/can washing filling and capping/sealing machine, after the milk is filled into bottles or cans, the secondary sterilizing process(121℃for 15min) is adopted by a retort sterilizer to obtain the stable shelf life of the end products. When the oat milk is filled into the bottles or cans, there are two sterilizing processes (before and after filling), and the filling temperature is also hot filling, so the oat milk flavor or nutrients will be damaged by the heat treatment. When using the oat flour to process oat milk, the bottles/cans package is suggested.

The carton package is the most popular package when processing oat milk products due to its stable shelf life and minimum chemical changes of the end products. The oat milk after UHT sterilization will be filled into aseptic cartons at room temperature. After filling, there is no need for the secondary sterilizing process, and the end product’s shelf life can reach 6-12months.