JP2024027125A - beer taste drinks - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a beer-taste beverage that has a good taste derived from wheat, has a suitable drinking sensation, and is suppressed from unsuitable wateriness. [Solution] The malt ratio is 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, the alcohol content is 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%, and the apparent degree of fermentation is 5%. A beer-taste beverage having a content of at least 65%. [Selection diagram] None

Description

The present invention relates to beer-taste beverages.

BACKGROUND ART Various beer-taste beverages have been considered and offered in response to the diversified tastes of recent consumers.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a beer-taste beverage containing predetermined amounts of proline and amino nitrogen and having an alcohol concentration of less than 1% (v/v).

JP 2021-180688 Publication

Beer-taste beverages with a low alcohol content tend to feel watery or lack a satisfying drinking sensation.
Therefore, there is a need for a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage that is less watery and has a good drinking sensation.

The present invention provides a beer-taste beverage with a low alcohol content whose malt ratio and degree of external fermentation are adjusted to a predetermined range.
That is, the present invention includes inventions of the following aspects.
[1]
The malt ratio is 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass,
The alcohol content is 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%,
A beer-taste beverage having an external fermentation degree of 5% or more and less than 65%.
[2]
The beer-taste beverage according to [1], which has a proline content of 1 to 80 mg/100 mL.
[3]
The beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of pyroglutamic acid is 1 to 300 mg/L.
[4]
The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the total nitrogen amount is 1 to 200 mg/100 mL.
[5]
The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], which has a carbohydrate content of more than 0.5 g/100 mL.
[6]
The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], which is a packaged beverage.
[7]
A method for producing a beer-taste beverage having a malt ratio of 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass and an alcohol content of 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%, the method comprising external fermentation. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of adjusting the alcohol content to 5% or more and less than 65%.
[8]
A method for improving the taste of a beer-taste beverage having a malt ratio of 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass and an alcohol content of 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%, A method for improving the taste of a beer-taste beverage, the method comprising adjusting the degree of fermentation in appearance to 5% or more and less than 65%.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage with a good taste derived from barley is provided. Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage having a suitable drinking sensation is provided. Further, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage with suppressed unsuitable wateriness is provided.

Regarding the numerical ranges described in this specification, the upper and lower limits can be arbitrarily combined. For example, when a numerical range is described as "preferably 3.0 to 15, more preferably 3.2 to 13", the range is "3.0 to 13" or "3.2 to 15". Ranges are also included within the numerical ranges set forth herein. Also, for example, when the numerical range is described as "preferably 30 or more, more preferably 40 or more, and preferably 100 or less, more preferably 80 or less", "30 to 80" The range and the range "40 to 100" are also included in the numerical ranges described herein.
In addition, as a numerical range described in this specification, for example, the description "60 to 100" means a range of "60 or more (60 or more than 60) and 100 or less (100 or less than 100)". do.
Further, in defining the upper limit value and lower limit value described in this specification, the numerical range from the lower limit value to the upper limit value can be defined by appropriately selecting from each option and combining them arbitrarily.
In addition, a plurality of the various requirements described as preferred embodiments described herein can be combined.

1. Beer-taste beverage As used herein, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to an alcohol-containing carbonated beverage that has a beer-like flavor. That is, the beer-taste beverage in this specification includes any carbonated beverage that has a beer flavor, unless otherwise specified.
Therefore, "beer-taste beverages" include not only beer, which is a malt-fermented beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water using yeast, and fermented beer-taste beverages, but also esters, hops, and water. It also includes carbonated drinks to which beer flavorings containing higher alcohols and lactones have been added, as well as happoshu (low-malt beer) and sparkling liqueurs as defined in Japan's Liquor Tax Law. The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is beer.

Examples of beer flavorings include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, isoamyl propionate, linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG) , 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 1,4-cineole, 1,8-cineole, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, γ-decanolactone, γ-undeca Lactone, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl n-butyrate, myrcene, citral, limonene, maltol, ethylmaltol, phenylacetic acid, furaneol, furfural, methional, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3 -Methyl-2-butanethiol, diacetyl, ferulic acid, gellanic acid, geranyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, 9-decenoic acid, nonanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, propanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, γ -Butyrolactone, 2-aminoacetophenone, ethyl 3-phenylpropionate, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, dimethylsulfone, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2 -Methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, hexanal, hexanol, cis-3-hexenal, 1-octen-3- All, β-eudesmol, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one, β-caryophyllene, β-myrcene, furfuryl alcohol, 2-ethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylbutyl acetate, Examples include isoamyl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one, trans-2-hexenal, nonanal, and phenethyl alcohol.

Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be an ale beer-taste beverage brewed through a fermentation process using top-fermenting yeast (such as Saccharomyces), or may be an ale beer-taste beverage brewed using a bottom-fermenting yeast (such as Saccharomyces). It may also be a lager beer-taste drink, a pilsner beer-taste drink, etc. brewed through a fermentation process. Moreover, "fermentation" as used herein may be alcoholic fermentation in which alcohol is produced, or non-alcoholic fermentation in which alcohol is not produced.

A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. As used herein, "low alcohol" refers to a beer-taste beverage with an alcohol content (ethanol content) of 0.5 (v/v)% or more and less than 5.0 (v/v)%. The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 0.6 (v/v)% or more, more preferably 0.7 (v/v), from the viewpoint of making the beer-taste beverage satisfying to drink. % or more, more preferably 0.8 (v/v) % or more, even more preferably 0.9 (v/v) % or more, particularly preferably 1.0 (v/v) % or more, and 1. 1 (v/v)% or more, 1.2 (v/v)% or more, 1.3 (v/v)% or more, 1.4 (v/v)% or more, 1.5 (v/v) % or more, 1.6 (v/v)% or more, 1.7 (v/v)% or more, 1.8 (v/v)% or more, 1.9 (v/v)% or more, 2.0 (v/v)% or more, 2.1 (v/v)% or more, 2.2 (v/v)% or more, 2.3 (v/v)% or more, 2.4 (v/v)% or more, 2.5 (v/v)% or more, 2.6 (v/v)% or more, 2.7 (v/v)% or more, 2.8 (v/v)% or more, 2.9 ( v/v)% or more, 3.0 (v/v)% or more, 3.1 (v/v)% or more, 3.2 (v/v)% or more, 3.3 (v/v)% or more , 3.4 (v/v)% or more, or 3.5 (v/v)% or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving drinkability, the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 4.9 (v/v)% or less, more preferably 4.8 (v/v). % or less, more preferably 4.7 (v/v) % or less, even more preferably 4.6 (v/v) % or less, even more preferably 4.5 (v/v) % or less, particularly preferably 4. less than .5(v/v)%, and 4.4(v/v)% or less, 4.3(v/v)% or less, 4.2(v/v)% or less, 4.1 (v/v)% or less, 4.0 (v/v)% or less, 3.9 (v/v)% or less, 3.8 (v/v)% or less, 3.7 (v/v)% Below, 3.6(v/v)% or less, 3.5(v/v)% or less, 3.4(v/v)% or less, 3.3(v/v)% or less, 3.2( v/v)% or less, 3.1 (v/v)% or less, 3.0 (v/v)% or less, 2.9 (v/v)% or less, 2.8 (v/v)% or less , 2.7(v/v)% or less, 2.6(v/v)% or less, 2.5(v/v)% or less, 2.4(v/v)% or less, 2.3(v /v)% or less, 2.2 (v/v)% or less, 2.1 (v/v)% or less, or 2.0 (v/v)% or less.
Note that in this specification, the alcohol content is expressed as a percentage ((v/v)%) on a volume/volume basis. Further, the alcohol content of a beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, by a vibrating density meter.
The alcohol content can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, the type of raw materials (malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of enzyme addition, and the adjustment in the brewing tank. Saccharification time, protein decomposition time in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation process (wort production process from adding malt to before addition of yeast), amount of acid added for pH adjustment, pH Adjustment timing (during preparation, fermentation, completion of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration, etc.), set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), pre-fermentation liquid Original extract concentration, original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast proliferation number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration) ), spirits, brewed alcohol, etc. can be added as appropriate.

The apparent degree of fermentation of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 5% or more and less than 65%. Beer-taste beverages with a high degree of fermentation can suppress the feeling of fullness, but have a lower umami flavor and a watery taste. Therefore, in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, by adjusting the saccharification conditions and fermentation conditions so that the apparent degree of fermentation is 5% or more and less than 65%, it has a satisfying taste even with low alcohol content and is not watery. It is possible to produce a beer-taste beverage that effectively suppresses the oxidation and enhances the rich taste derived from barley.

The apparent degree of fermentation of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is less than 65% from the above viewpoint, preferably 65% or less, more preferably 64% or less, still more preferably 63% or less, even more preferably 62% or less, more preferably 61% or less, particularly preferably 60% or less, and 59% or less, 58% or less, 57% or less, 56% or less, 55% or less, 54% or less, 53% or less, 52% or less, 51% or less, 50% or less, 49% or less, 48% or less, 47% or less, 46% or less, 45% or less, 44% or less, 43% or less, 42% or less, 41% or less, or It may be 40% or less.
On the other hand, the apparent degree of fermentation of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is 5% or more, but from the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that suppresses inappropriate satiety, it is preferably 6% or more, more preferably 7% or more. % or more, more preferably 8% or more, even more preferably 9% or more, particularly preferably 10% or more, and also 11% or more, 12% or more, 13% or more, 14% or more, 15% or more, 16% or more. % or more, 17% or more, 18% or more, 19% or more, 20% or more, 21% or more, 22% or more, 23% or more, 24% or more, 25% or more, 26% or more, 27% or more, 28% or more , 29% or more, 30% or more, 31% or more, 32% or more, 33% or more, 34% or more, 35% or more, 36% or more, 37% or more, 38% or more, 39% or more, 40% or more, 41 % or more, 42% or more, 43% or more, 44% or more, 45% or more, 46% or more, 47% or more, 48% or more, 49% or more, or 50% or more.

As used herein, the term "apparent degree of fermentation" refers to the proportion of the sugar concentration that can be consumed by yeast as a nutrient source for alcoholic fermentation, out of the total sugar concentration contained in the liquid before fermentation. For example, the appearance degree of fermentation AA of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be calculated from the following formula (1).
Formula (1): AA (%) = 100 x (P-Es)/P
In the above formula (1), "P" is the original extract (original wort extract), and is specified in the "BCOJ beer analysis method (edited by Japan Brewing Association Fermentation and Beer Brewers Association, revised edition on November 1, 2004)". It can be measured by the method described.
Moreover, "Es" indicates the appearance extract of the beer-taste beverage. The appearance extract can be calculated from the following formula (2), for example, as described in "BCOJ beer analysis method (edited by Japan Brewing Association Fermentation, Beer Brewery Association, revised edition November 1, 2004)" .
Formula (2): Es=-460.234+662.649×D-202.414×D ²
(In formula (2), D is the specific gravity of the gas-free beer-taste beverage.)
In addition, since the appearance extract "Es" may take a negative value due to D in the above formula (2), the calculated appearance fermentation degree may exceed 100%.

The appearance of beer-taste beverages can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, types of raw materials (malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), amounts of raw materials, types of enzymes, and enzymes (carbohydrases, isomers). (including saccharification enzymes, etc.), temperature during enzyme reaction, timing of enzyme addition, saccharification time, pH during saccharification, temperature during saccharification, preparation process (wort manufacturing process from inputting malt to before addition of yeast) ), temperature during the preparation process, time for wort filtration, set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), original extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, and during the fermentation process. original extract concentration, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast proliferation number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), cooling timing, cooling This can be done by appropriately setting the temperature, cooling time, etc.

The original extract (O-Ex) concentration (original wort concentration) in the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is 1 to 20% by mass. When the original extract concentration in a beer-taste beverage increases, it becomes less watery. Therefore, the original extract concentration of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 1.5% by mass or more, more preferably 2% by mass or more (2.0% by mass or more), and even more preferably 2.5% by mass or more. , particularly preferably 3% by mass or more (3.0% by mass or more), 3.1% by mass or more, 3.2% by mass or more, 3.3% by mass or more, 3.4% by mass or more, 3 .5 mass% or more, 3.6 mass% or more, 3.7 mass% or more, 3.8 mass% or more, 3.9 mass% or more, 4.0 mass% or more, 4.1 mass% or more, 4. 2% by mass or more, 4.3% by mass or more, 4.4% by mass or more, 4.5% by mass or more, 4.6% by mass or more, 4.7% by mass or more, 4.8% by mass or more, 4.9 Mass % or more, 5 mass % or more, 5.1 mass % or more, 5.2 mass % or more, 5.3 mass % or more, 5.4 mass % or more, 5.5 mass % or more, 5.6 mass % or more , 5.7% by mass or more, 5.8% by mass or more, 5.9% by mass or more, 6.0% by mass or more, 6.1% by mass or more, 6.2% by mass or more, 6.3% by mass or more, 6.4% by mass or more, 6.5% by mass or more, 6.6% by mass or more, 6.7% by mass or more, 6.8% by mass or more, 6.9% by mass or more, 7.0% by mass or more, 7 .1% by mass or more, 7.2% by mass or more, 7.3% by mass or more, 7.4% by mass or more, 7.5% by mass or more, 7.6% by mass or more, 7.7% by mass or more, 7. 8% by mass or more, 7.9% by mass or more, 8.0% by mass or more, 8.1% by mass or more, 8.2% by mass or more, 8.3% by mass or more, 8.4% by mass or more, 8.5 Mass% or more, 8.6 mass% or more, 8.7 mass% or more, 8.8 mass% or more, 8.9 mass% or more, 9.0 mass% or more, 9.1 mass% or more, 9.2 mass% % or more, 9.3 mass% or more, 9.4 mass% or more, 9.5 mass% or more, 9.6 mass% or more, 9.7 mass% or more, 9.8 mass% or more, 9.9 mass% 10.0% by mass or more, 10.5% by mass or more, 11.0% by mass or more, 11.5% by mass or more, 12.0% by mass or more, 12.5% by mass or more, 13.0% by mass or more , 13.5% by mass or more, 14.0% by mass or more, 14.5% by mass or more, or 15.0% by mass or more.
Further, the original extract concentration of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 18% by mass or less, more preferably 17% by mass or less, and even more preferably is 16% by mass or less, particularly preferably 15% by mass or less, and 14% by mass or less, 13.9% by mass or less, 13.8% by mass or less, 13.7% by mass or less, 13.6% by mass or less , 13.5% by mass or less, 13.4% by mass or less, 13.3% by mass or less, 13.2% by mass or less, 13.1% by mass or less, 13.0% by mass or less, 12.9% by mass or less, 12.8% by mass or less, 12.7% by mass or less, 12.6% by mass or less, 12.5% by mass or less, 12.4% by mass or less, 12.3% by mass or less, 12.2% by mass or less, 12 .1% by mass or less, 12.0% by mass or less, 11.9% by mass or less, 11.8% by mass or less, 11.7% by mass or less, 11.6% by mass or less, 11.5% by mass or less, 11. 4% by mass or less, 11.3% by mass or less, 11.2% by mass or less, 11.1% by mass or less, 11.0% by mass or less, 10.9% by mass or less, 10.8% by mass or less, 10.7 mass% or less, 10.6 mass% or less, 10.5 mass% or less, 10.4 mass% or less, 10.3 mass% or less, 10.2 mass% or less, 10.1 mass% or less, 10.0 mass% % or less, 9.5% by mass or less, 9.0% by mass or less, 8.5% by mass or less, or 8.0% by mass or less.
The original extract concentration can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, types of raw materials (malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), amount of raw materials, wort filtration time, wort filtration pH, boiling time, boiling temperature, The amount of spirits added, the amount of brewed alcohol added, etc. can be set appropriately.
The original extract (original wort extract) of the beer-taste beverage according to the present invention is, for example, the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, edited by the Beer Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee], expanded in 2013). It can be measured by the method described in the revision.

The real extract concentration in the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is 0.1 to 15% by mass. Real extracts are dissolved in fermented beverages, and are extracted by gently heating the beverage (after filtering out any insoluble matter such as yeast or protein coagulation) to remove moisture, alcohol, carbon dioxide, and Refers to the solid substance itself (soluble evaporation residue) that remains after all other volatile components have been evaporated, or its content (% by mass). The real extract concentration of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.7% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of making the beer-taste beverage less watery. Preferably 1.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.1% by mass or more, still more preferably 1.2% by mass or more, still more preferably 1.3% by mass or more, still more preferably 1.4% by mass or more, Particularly preferably 1.5% by mass or more, 1.6% by mass or more, 1.7% by mass or more, 1.78% by mass or more, 1.8% by mass or more, 1.9% by mass or more, 2 .0 mass% or more, 2.1 mass% or more, 2.2 mass% or more, 2.3 mass% or more, 2.37 mass% or more, 2.4 mass% or more, 2.5 mass% or more, 2. 6% by mass or more, 2.7% by mass or more, 2.8% by mass or more, 2.9% by mass or more, 3.0% by mass or more, 3.1% by mass or more, 3.2% by mass or more, 3.3 Mass% or more, 3.4 mass% or more, 3.5 mass% or more, 3.6 mass% or more, 3.7 mass% or more, 3.8 mass% or more, 3.9 mass% or more, 4.0 mass% % or more, 4.1 mass% or more, 4.2 mass% or more, 4.3 mass% or more, 4.4 mass% or more, 4.5 mass% or more, 4.6 mass% or more, 4.7 mass% 4.8% by mass or more, 4.86% by mass or more, 4.9% by mass or more, 5.0% by mass or more, 5.5% by mass or more, 6.0% by mass or more, 6.42% by mass or more , 6.5% by mass or more, 6.83% by mass or more, 7.0% by mass or more, 7.5% by mass or more, 8.0% by mass or more, 8.5% by mass or more, 8.93% by mass or more, Alternatively, it may be 9.0% by mass or more.
On the other hand, the real extract concentration of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is preferably 14.8% by mass or less, more preferably 14.6% by mass, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that suppresses inappropriate feelings of satiety. The following is more preferably 14.4% by mass or less, even more preferably 14.2% by mass or less, particularly preferably 14.0% by mass or less, 13.8% by mass or less, 13.54% by mass or less , 13.6% by mass or less, 13.4% by mass or less, 13.2% by mass or less, 13.0% by mass or less, 12.8% by mass or less, 12.6% by mass or less, 12.4% by mass or less, 12.2% by mass or less, 12.0% by mass or less, 11.8% by mass or less, 11.6% by mass or less, 11.4% by mass or less, 11.2% by mass or less, 11.0% by mass or less, 10 .8 mass% or less, 10.6 mass% or less, 10.4 mass% or less, 10.2 mass% or less, 10.0 mass% or less, 9.8 mass% or less, 9.6 mass% or less, 9. 4% by mass or less, 9.2% by mass or less, 9.0% by mass or less, 8.8% by mass or less, 8.6% by mass or less, 8.4% by mass or less, 8.2% by mass or less, 8.0 mass% or less, 7.8 mass% or less, 7.6 mass% or less, 7.4 mass% or less, 7.2 mass% or less, 7.0 mass% or less, 6.8 mass% or less, 6.6 mass% % or less, 6.4 mass% or less, 6.2 mass% or less, 6.0 mass% or less, 5.8 mass% or less, or 5.4 mass% or less.

The real extract concentration can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, types of raw materials (malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), amount of raw materials, wort filtration time, wort filtration pH, boiling time, boiling temperature, The amount of spirits added, the amount of brewed alcohol added, etc. can be set appropriately.
The real extract concentration of the beer-taste beverage according to the present invention is described, for example, in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, edited by the Beer and Sake Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee], revised and expanded in 2013). It can be measured by the following method.

The proline content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is such that the beer-taste beverage suppresses unsuitable wateriness, and has a rich taste derived from barley, texture, depth of taste, and complexity of taste. From the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage with improved at least one of the above, the concentration is 1 mg/100 mL or more, preferably 3 mg/100 mL or more, more preferably 5 mg/100 mL or more, even more preferably 7 mg/100 mL or more, especially Preferably it is 10 mg/100 mL or more, and 11 mg/100 mL or more, 12 mg/100 mL or more, 13 mg/100 mL or more, 14 mg/100 mL or more, 15 mg/100 mL or more, 16 mg/100 mL or more, 17 mg/100 mL or more, 18 mg/100 mL or more. , 19 mg/100 mL or more, 20 mg/100 mL or more, 21 mg/100 mL or more, 22 mg/100 mL or more, 23 mg/100 mL or more, 24 mg/100 mL or more, 25 mg/100 mL or more, 26 mg/100 mL or more, 27 mg/100 mL or more, 28 mg/100 mL or more , 29 mg/100 mL or more, or 30 mg/100 mL or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that does not give a feeling of fullness, the proline content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is 80 mg/100 mL or less, preferably 75 mg/100 mL or less, and more preferably 70 mg/100 mL. Below, more preferably 65 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 60 mg/100 mL or less, still more preferably 55 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 52 mg/100 mL or less, still more preferably 50 mg/100 mL or less, still more preferably 45 mg/100 mL or less. , particularly preferably 40 mg/100 mL or less, 39 mg/100 mL or less, 38 mg/100 mL or less, 37 mg/100 mL or less, 36 mg/100 mL or less, 35 mg/100 mL or less, 34 mg/100 mL or less, 33 mg/100 mL or less, 32 mg/ 100 mL or less, 31 mg/100 mL or less, 30 mg/100 mL or less, 29 mg/100 mL or less, 28 mg/100 mL or less, 27 mg/100 mL or less, 26 mg/100 mL or less, 25 mg/100 mL or less, 24 mg/100 mL or less, 23 mg/100 mL or less, 22 mg/ It may be 100 mL or less, 21 mg/100 mL or less, or 20 mg/100 mL or less.
As used herein, the proline content can be measured using, for example, an automatic amino acid analyzer model L-8800A manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.

Proline is an amino acid contained in nitrogen-containing raw materials such as malt, and is not used as a nutrient source by yeast during the fermentation process, so it has the above-mentioned effect on the flavor of the final beer-taste beverage. Proline may be included in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, or may be added separately in the manufacturing process (for example, purified proline).
The proline content can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, the type of amino acid-containing raw materials (malt, wheat, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, purified proline, etc.), the amount of raw materials, and the amount of enzyme. Type (proteolytic enzyme, etc.), amount of enzyme added, timing of enzyme addition, saccharification time in the preparation tank, proteolysis time in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation tank, preparation process (from adding malt to before adding yeast) wort production process), the amount of acid added during pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (at the time of preparation, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration, etc.), the wort Setting temperature and holding time for each temperature range during preparation (including during saccharification), original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, addition of yeast) The amount, number of yeast proliferation, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewed alcohol, etc. can be set as appropriate.

The content of pyroglutamic acid in the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is such that the beer-taste beverage suppresses unsuitable wateriness, and the rich taste derived from barley, the texture, the thickness of the taste, and the taste. From the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage with improved at least one of complexity, it is 1 mg/L or more, preferably 3 mg/L or more, more preferably 5 mg/L or more, even more preferably 6 mg/L or more, Even more preferably 7 mg/L or more, still more preferably 8 mg/L or more, even more preferably 9 mg/L or more, particularly preferably 10 mg/L or more, and 15 mg/L or more, 20 mg/L or more, 25 mg/L 30 mg/L or more, 34 mg/100 mL or more, 35 mg/L or more, 37.5 mg/L or more, 40 mg/L or more, 42.5 mg/L or more, 45 mg/L or more, 47.5 mg/L or more, 50 mg/L or more L or more, 55 mg/100 mL or more, 60 mg/100 mL or more, 64 mg/100 mL or more, 68 mg/100 mL or more, 70 mg/100 mL or more, 75 mg/100 mL or more, 80 mg/100 mL or more, 85 mg/100 mL or more, 89 mg/100 mL or more, 90 mg/ 100 mL or more, 95 mg/100 mL or more, 98 mg/100 mL or more, 100 mg/100 mL or more, 102 mg/100 mL or more, 105 mg/100 mL or more, 110 mg/100 mL or more, 115 mg/100 mL or more, 120 mg/100 mL or more, 125 mg/100 mL or more, or , It may be 127 mg/100 mL or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of suppressing acidity unsuitable for beer-taste drinks, the content of pyroglutamic acid is 300 mg/L or less, preferably 250 mg/L or less, more preferably 242 mg/100 mL or less, and more preferably 230 mg/L. Below, more preferably 200 mg/L or less, even more preferably 190 mg/L or less, more preferably 185 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 180 mg/L or less, even more preferably 170 mg/L or less, even more preferably 160 mg/L. The following is more preferably 150 mg/L or less, further preferably 140 mg/L or less, particularly preferably 130 mg/L or less, and 125 mg/L or less, 120 mg/L or less, 115 mg/L or less, 110 mg/L or less, It may be 105 mg/L or less, 100 mg/L or less, 95 mg/L or less, 90 mg/L or less, 85 mg/L or less, or 80 mg/L or less.

Pyroglutamic acid may be included in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, or may be added separately in the manufacturing process (for example, purified pyroglutamic acid).
The content of pyroglutamic acid can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, adding purified pyroglutamic acid, or raw materials containing pyroglutamic acid (malt, wheat, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, purified proline, etc.) type, amount of raw materials, enzyme reaction time during the preparation process (from inputting raw materials such as malt to wort production process before addition of yeast), pH during the preparation process, amount of acid used for pH adjustment, Timing of pH adjustment (during preparation, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration, etc.), set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), pre-fermentation liquid original extract concentration, original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast proliferation number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide) (concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewed alcohol, etc. can be set as appropriate.
Note that in this specification, the content of pyroglutamic acid can be measured, for example, by high performance liquid chromatography.

The total nitrogen content of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is 1 mg/ml from the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that has improved at least one of the rich taste derived from wheat, the texture, and the thickness of the taste. 100 mL or more, preferably 5 mg/100 mL or more, more preferably 10 mg/100 mL or more, even more preferably 15 mg/100 mL or more, particularly preferably 20 mg/100 mL or more, and 22 mg/100 mL or more, 25 mg/100 mL or more, 26 mg/100 mL or more, 27 mg/100 mL or more, 28 mg/100 mL or more, 29 mg/100 mL or more, 30 mg/100 mL or more, 31 mg/100 mL or more, 32 mg/100 mL or more, 33 mg/100 mL or more, 34 mg/100 mL or more, 35 mg/100 mL or more, 36 mg/100 mL or more, 37 mg/100 mL or more, 38 mg/100 mL or more, 39 mg/100 mL or more, 40 mg/100 mL or more, 41 mg/100 mL or more, 42 mg/100 mL or more, 43 mg/100 mL or more, 44 mg/100 mL or more, 45 mg/100 mL or more, 50 mg/100 mL or more, 55 mg/100 mL or more, 57 mg/100 mL or more, 60 mg/100 mL or more, 63 mg/100 mL or more, 66 mg/100 mL or more, 70 mg/100 mL or more, 75 mg/100 mL or more, 80 mg/100 mL or more, 82 mg/100 mL or more, It may be 85 mg/100 mL or more, 90 mg/100 mL or more, 94 mg/100 mL or more, or 100 mg/100 mL or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of making the beverage less likely to give a feeling of fullness, the total nitrogen amount of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is 200 mg/100 mL or less, preferably 190 mg/100 mL or less, more preferably 180 mg/100 mL or less, More preferably 170 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 160 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 156 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 150 mg/100 mL or less, even more preferably 140 mg/100 mL or less, particularly preferably 130 mg/100 mL or less. Also, 125 mg/100 mL or less, 120 mg/100 mL or less, 115 mg/100 mL or less, 110 mg/100 mL or less, 105 mg/100 mL or less, 100 mg/100 mL or less, 95 mg/100 mL or less, 90 mg/100 mL or less, 85 mg/100 mL or less, 82 mg/ It may be 100 mL or less, or 80 mg/100 mL or less.

The "total nitrogen amount" in the present invention is the total amount of all nitrogen compounds such as proteins and amino acids.
The total nitrogen content of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be controlled by adjusting the amount of raw materials that can be assimilated by yeast. Specifically, the total nitrogen amount can be increased by increasing the amount of malt or the like that has a high nitrogen content. Examples of raw materials with a high nitrogen content include malt, soybeans, yeast extract, peas, and ungerminated grains. Examples of ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, oats, soybeans, and peas. Other ingredients include corn (corn protein, etc.), rice, raw milk, skim milk powder, milk ingredients such as whey, collagen protein, collagen peptides, and yeast extract. In addition to adjusting the total nitrogen amount by adding dilution water or carbonated water and selecting the amount and type of raw materials used, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzymes, etc.) added, and the amount of enzyme added can be adjusted. Timing, protein decomposition time in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation process (wort production process from adding malt to before addition of yeast), time for wort filtration, and various factors when preparing wort. Setting temperature and holding time of the temperature range, boiling time and pH in the boiling process, original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast type, amount of yeast added) , yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), cooling timing, cooling temperature, cooling time, beer filtration conditions (flow rate, temperature, etc.), beer filtration format ( Diatomaceous earth, membranes, sheets, cartridges, filters, etc.), stabilizers added during beer filtration (silica gel, PVPP (polyvinyl polypyrrolidone), bentonite, tannin, bentonite, clay, acid clay, etc.) can be set and adjusted as appropriate. .
The total nitrogen content of the beer-taste beverage according to the present invention is described, for example, in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, edited by the Beer and Sake Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee], expanded and revised in 2013). It can be measured by the following method.

The total amount of polyphenols in the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is preferably from the viewpoint of providing a beer-taste beverage with improved at least one of the rich taste derived from wheat, the texture, and the thickness of the taste. 1 mass ppm or more, more preferably 4 mass ppm or more, more preferably 5 mass ppm or more, even more preferably 10 mass ppm or more, even more preferably 13 mass ppm or more, even more preferably 15 mass ppm or more, particularly preferably 20 mass ppm or more. Mass ppm or more, and 25 mass ppm or more, 30 mass ppm or more, 35 mass ppm or more, 36 mass ppm or more, 40 mass ppm or more, 45 mass ppm or more, 50 mass ppm or more, 55 mass ppm or more, 59 mass ppm or more ppm or more, 65 mass ppm or more, 68 mass ppm or more, 70 mass ppm or more, 75 mass ppm or more, 80 mass ppm or more, 85 mass ppm or more, 90 mass ppm or more, 95 mass ppm or more, 100 mass ppm or more, 103 mass ppm or more ppm or more, 107 mass ppm or more, 110 mass ppm or more, 115 mass ppm or more, 120 mass ppm or more, 125 mass ppm or more, 130 mass ppm or more, 134 mass ppm or more, 140 mass ppm or more, 145 mass ppm or more, 150 mass ppm or more ppm or more, 154 mass ppm or more, or 160 mass ppm or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of making the beverage less likely to give a feeling of satiety, the total amount of polyphenols in the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is, for example, 260 mass ppm or less, preferably 255 mass ppm or less, more preferably 250 mass ppm or less, or more. Preferably 240 mass ppm or less, more preferably 230 mass ppm or less, particularly preferably 220 mass ppm or less, and 215 mass ppm or less, 212 mass ppm or less, 210 mass ppm or less, 205 mass ppm or less, 200 mass ppm Below, 195 mass ppm or less, 190 mass ppm or less, 185 mass ppm or less, 180 mass ppm or less, 175 mass ppm or less, 170 mass ppm or less, 165 mass ppm or less, 161 mass ppm or less, 160 mass ppm or less, 155 mass ppm Below, 150 mass ppm or less, 145 mass ppm or less, 140 mass ppm or less, 135 mass ppm or less, 134 mass ppm or less, 130 mass ppm or less, 125 mass ppm or less, 120 mass ppm or less, 115 mass ppm or less, 112 mass ppm Below, it may be 110 mass ppm or less, 105 mass ppm or less, or 100 mass ppm or less.

As used herein, polyphenol refers to a compound in which two or more hydrogen atoms of an aromatic hydrocarbon are substituted with hydroxyl groups. Examples of polyphenols include flavonols, isoflavones, tannins, catechins, quercetin, and anthocyanins.
The "total amount of polyphenols" in the present invention is the total amount of these polyphenols contained in the beer-taste beverage.

The total amount of polyphenols can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, type of raw materials (malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), amount of raw materials, type of enzyme, amount of enzyme added, timing of enzyme addition, and adjustment of the preparation tank. polyphenol polymerization conditions (temperature, stirring speed, etc.), pH in the brewing tank, pH during the brewing process (wort production process from malt input to before yeast addition), wort filtration time, and when preparing wort. Setting temperature and holding time for each temperature range (including during saccharification), original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast Number of growth, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), cooling timing, cooling temperature, cooling time, beer filtration format (diatomaceous earth, membrane, sheet, cartridge, filter, etc.), activated carbon This can be carried out by appropriately setting the stabilizer (silica gel, PVPP (polyvinyl polypyrrolidone), bentonite, tannin, bentonite, etc.) added during beer filtration.
Further, the total amount of polyphenols in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be controlled, for example, by adjusting the amount of raw materials with a high polyphenol content, such as malt and malt husks. Specifically, the total amount of polyphenols can be increased by increasing the amount of raw materials such as malt that have a high polyphenol content.

In general, malt with a husk has a high content of nitrogen and polyphenols, while soybeans, yeast extract, peas, corn, processed corn products (corn grits, corn protein, etc.), wheat, wheat malt, etc. It has a high nitrogen content but a low polyphenol content. Therefore, the total nitrogen amount and total polyphenol amount in the beer-taste beverage can be increased or decreased by adjusting the blending ratio of the raw materials. Typical methods (1) to (4) for increasing and decreasing the total nitrogen amount and total polyphenol amount are listed below.
(1) By increasing the amount of malt with husk, etc., the total nitrogen content and total polyphenol content of the beer-taste beverage is increased.
(2) By increasing or decreasing the amount of soybean, yeast extract, etc. used, the total nitrogen amount of the beer-taste beverage is increased or decreased while maintaining the total polyphenol amount.
(3) Increase the total amount of polyphenols while maintaining the total nitrogen amount by increasing the amount of malt with husk and decreasing the amount of soybean, yeast extract, etc.
(4) Reduce the amount of polyphenols while maintaining the total nitrogen amount by reducing the amount of malt with husk and increasing the amount of soybean, yeast extract, etc.

The total polyphenol content of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is described, for example, in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, edited by the Beer and Sake Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee], expanded and revised in 2013). It can be measured by the following method.

In the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, at least a portion of the nitrogen or polyphenol is malt, from the viewpoint of providing a beverage with improved at least one of the rich taste, texture, and thickness of taste suitable for beer-taste beverages. It is preferable that it is derived from
In addition, in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the crispness typical of a beer-taste beverage, at least a portion of the nitrogen or polyphenol is contained in soybeans, yeast extract, peas, corn, and processed corn products (corn grits). etc.), wheat, wheat malt, etc.

Further, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may further contain a spirit (distilled liquor) derived from grains as an alcohol component.
In this specification, spirits are made from grains such as wheat, rice, buckwheat, corn, potatoes, sugar cane, etc., which are saccharified using malt or enzymes if necessary, fermented using yeast, and then distilled. means alcoholic beverages obtained by As the grain that is a raw material for spirits, plants belonging to the Poaceae family are preferable, and wheat is more preferable.

The carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is more than 0.5 g/100 mL, 0.6 g/100 mL or more, 0.7 g/100 mL or more, and 0.8 g from the viewpoint of making the beverage more satisfying to drink. /100mL or more, 0.9g/100mL or more, 1.0g/100mL or more, 1.1g/100mL or more, 1.2g/100mL or more, 1.3g/100mL or more, 1.4g/100mL or more, 1.5g/ 100mL or more, 1.6g/100mL or more, 1.7g/100mL or more, 1.8g/100mL or more, 1.9g/100mL or more, 2.0g/100mL or more, 2.1g/100mL or more, 2.2g/100mL 2.3 g/100 mL or more, 2.4 g/100 mL or more, 2.5 g/100 mL or more, 2.6 g/100 mL or more, 2.7 g/100 mL or more, 2.8 g/100 mL or more, 2.9 g/100 mL or more , 3.0 g/100 mL or more, 3.1 g/100 mL or more, 3.2 g/100 mL or more, 3.3 g/100 mL or more, 3.4 g/100 mL or more, 3.5 g/100 mL or more, 3.6 g/100 mL or more, 3.7 g/100 mL or more, 3.8 g/100 mL or more, 3.9 g/100 mL or more, 4.0 g/100 mL or more, 4.1 g/100 mL or more, 4.2 g/100 mL or more, 4.3 g/100 mL or more, 4 .4g/100mL or more, 4.5g/100mL or more, 4.6g/100mL or more, 4.7g/100mL or more, 4.8g/100mL or more, 4.9g/100mL or more, or 5.0g/100mL or more Good too.
The upper limit of the carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of making the beverage less likely to give a feeling of fullness, examples include 15 g/100 mL or less, 14 g/100 mL or less, 13.5 g/100 mL or less, and 13.5 g/100 mL or less. 100 mL or less, 13 g/100 mL or less, 12.5 g/100 mL or less, 12 g/100 mL or less, 11.5 g/100 mL or less, 11 g/100 mL or less, 10.5 g/100 mL or less, 10 g/100 mL or less, 9.9 g/100 mL or less , 9.8 g/100 mL or less, 9.7 g/100 mL or less, 9.6 g/100 mL or less, 9.5 g/100 mL or less, 9.4 g/100 mL or less, 9.3 g/100 mL or less, 9.2 g/100 mL or less, 9.1g/100mL or less, 9.0g/100mL or less, 8.9g/100mL or less, 8.8g/100mL or less, 8.7g/100mL or less, 8.6g/100mL or less, 8.5g/100mL or less, 8 .4 g/100 mL or less, 8.3 g/100 mL or less, 8.2 g/100 mL or less, 8.1 g/100 mL or less, 8.0 g/100 mL or less, 7.9 g/100 mL or less, 7.8 g/100 mL or less, 7. 7g/100mL or less, 7.6g/100mL or less, 7.5g/100mL or less, 7.4g/100mL or less, 7.3g/100mL or less, 7.2g/100mL or less, 7.1g/100mL or less, 7.0g /100mL or less, 6.9g/100mL or less, 6.8g/100mL or less, 6.7g/100mL or less, 6.6g/100mL or less, 6.5g/100mL or less, 6.4g/100mL or less, 6.3g/ 100 mL or less, 6.2 g/100 mL or less, 6.1 g/100 mL or less, 6.0 g/100 mL or less, 5.9 g/100 mL or less, 5.8 g/100 mL or less, 5.7 g/100 mL or less, 5.6 g/100 mL Hereinafter, it may be 5.5 g/100 mL or less, 5.4 g/100 mL or less, 5.3 g/100 mL or less, 5.2 g/100 mL or less, 5.1 g/100 mL or less, or 5.0 g/100 mL or less.

In addition, in this specification, "carbohydrate" is based on the nutrition labeling standards for foods (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification No. 176 of 2003, partially revised Consumer Affairs Agency Notification No. 8 of September 27, 2013). It refers to carbohydrates, and specifically refers to carbohydrates from which proteins, fats, dietary fibers, ash, alcohol, and water have been removed. Therefore, the carbohydrate content in a food can be calculated by subtracting the amounts of protein, fat, dietary fiber, ash, and water from the weight of the food.
Here, the amounts of protein, lipid, dietary fiber, ash, and moisture can be measured by the method listed in the Nutrition Labeling Standards. Specifically, the amount of protein was measured using the nitrogen quantitative conversion method, the amount of lipid was measured using the ether extraction method, the amount of dietary fiber was measured using the Prosky method, and the amount of ash was measured using the direct ashing method. However, the amount of moisture can be measured by a reduced pressure heat drying method.

Note that the carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention depends on the addition of dilution water or carbonated water, the type of enzyme, the amount and timing of addition of the enzyme, and each temperature range when preparing the saccharified liquid. setting temperature and holding time, composition of the pre-fermentation solution (original extract concentration, sugar composition, protein content, dietary fiber content, ash content, etc.), conditions of the fermentation process (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast amount added, number of yeast multiplications, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, type of enzyme, amount of enzyme added, timing of enzyme addition, etc.), cooling timing, cooling temperature, cooling time, etc. It can be adjusted by setting appropriately.

The pH of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the beverage, the pH is preferably 3.0 or higher, more preferably 3.2 or higher, even more preferably 3.3 or higher, and more. More preferably 3.4 or more, even more preferably 3.5 or more, 3.6 or more, 3.7 or more, 3.8 or more, 3.9 or more, 4.0 or more, or 4.1 It may be more than that. In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the generation of microorganisms, the pH of the beer-taste beverage is preferably 5.0 or less, more preferably 4.9 or less, even more preferably 4.8 or less, even more preferably 4.7 or less, Particularly preferably 4.6 or less, and also 4.55 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.4 or less, 4.3 or less, 4.2 or less, 4.1 or less, or 4.0 or less. good.
The pH can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, the type of raw materials (malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of enzyme addition, and the saccharification time in the preparation tank. , protein decomposition time in the brewing tank, pH in the brewing tank, pH in the brewing process (wort production process from adding malt to before adding yeast), type of acid used for pH adjustment (lactic acid, phosphoric acid) , malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, etc.), amount of acid used for pH adjustment, timing of pH adjustment (during preparation, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration, etc.), wort Setting temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing (including during saccharification), original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, yeast The amount of addition, number of yeast multiplications, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure settings, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), cooling timing, cooling temperature, cooling time, etc. can be set appropriately.

The beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention has a ratio of original extract concentration (X) (unit: mass %) to external fermentation degree (Y) (unit: %) from the viewpoint of providing a good drinking sensation. (X)/(Y)] is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.5 or more, more preferably 2.0 or more, even more preferably 2.5 or more, even more preferably 3.0 or more, and Preferably 3.5 or more, particularly preferably 4.0 or more, and 5.0 or more, 5.8 or more, 6.0 or more, 7.0 or more, 8.0 or more, 9.0 or more, 10 .0 or more, 10.5 or more, 11.0 or more, 11.5 or more, 12.0 or more, 12.5 or more, 13.0 or more, 13.5 or more, 14.0 or more, 14.5 or more, 15 It may be .0 or more, 15.8 or more, 20.0 or more, 20.8 or more, 23.0 or more, or 30.0 or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of creating a beer-taste beverage with a light drinking taste, the ratio of the original extract concentration (X) (unit: mass %) to the apparent degree of fermentation (Y) (unit: %) [(X)/(Y) ] is 150.0 or less, preferably 140.0 or less, more preferably 135.0 or less, even more preferably 130.0 or less, particularly preferably 125.0 or less; 115.0 or less, 110.0 or less, 100.0 or less, 90.0 or less, 80.0 or less, 70.0 or less, 60.0 or less, 50.0 or less, 45.0 or less, 40.0 or less, It may be 35.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 23.0 or less, 20.8 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.8 or less.

The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention has an original extract concentration (X) (unit: mass %) and a real extract concentration (Z) ( The ratio [(X)/(Z)] is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.1 or more, more preferably 1.2 or more, even more preferably 1.3 or more, More preferably 1.5 or more, particularly preferably 1.7 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.1 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.3 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.5 or more, It may be 2.6 or more, 2.7 or more, 2.8 or more, 2.9 or more, or 3.0 or more.
Also, from the same viewpoint as above, the ratio [(X)/(Z)] between the original extract concentration (X) (unit: mass %) and the real extract concentration (Z) (unit: mass %) is 3.5. It is preferably 3.4 or less, more preferably 3.3 or less, even more preferably 3.2 or less, even more preferably 3.1 or less, particularly preferably 3.0 or less, and 2 It may be .9 or less, 2.8 or less, 2.7 or less, 2.6 or less, 2.5 or less, or 2.0 or less.

The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention has a proline content (A) (unit: mg/100 mL) and a total nitrogen amount (B) from the viewpoint of making the beverage less watery and more satisfying to drink. (Unit: mg/100mL) [(A)/(B)] is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.2 or more, even more preferably 0.3 or more, and 0. 28 or more, 0.29 or more, 0.31 or more, 0.32 or more, 0.33 or more, 0.34 or more, 0.35 or more, 0.38 or more, 0.40 or more, or 0.50 or more There may be. In addition, from the viewpoint of creating a drink that does not give a feeling of fullness, the ratio of proline content (A) (unit: mg/100 mL) to total nitrogen amount (B) (unit: mg/100 mL) [(A)/(B )] is preferably 0.5 or less, more preferably 0.4 or less, even more preferably 0.3 or less.

The beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is suitable for packaging in containers. Examples of containers include bottles, plastic bottles, cans, and barrels, and cans, bottles, and plastic bottles are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of easy portability.
Note that when using colorless and transparent bottles or PET bottles, they are exposed to sunlight and fluorescent light, unlike when using regular cans or colored bottles.

Optional additive raw materials such as grains and sweeteners that can be used to produce the beer-taste beverage of the present invention are detailed in "1.1 Raw Materials".

1.1 Raw materials The main raw materials for the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention are water and malt, but it is preferable to use hops, and in addition, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fibers, bittering agents, or bittering agents. , antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, salts, etc. may also be used.

Malt is the germinated, dried, and root-removed seeds of barley, such as barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, and oats. It's okay.
In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use barley malt. Barley malt is one of the malts most commonly used as a raw material for Japanese beer-taste beverages. There are several types of barley, such as two-rowed barley and six-rowed barley, and any of them may be used. Furthermore, in addition to normal malt, colored malt can also be used. In addition, when using colored malt, different types of colored malt may be used in appropriate combination, or one type of colored malt may be used.

The malt used in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention preferably has a modification of 80% or more. If the modification is less than 80%, the viscosity or turbidity of the wort increases, resulting in poor production efficiency such as wort filterability and beer filterability. Therefore, it is preferable to use malt with a modification of 80% or more. In the Examples and Comparative Examples described below, malt with a modification of 80% or more was used. The modification is MEBAK Raw Materials Barley Adjuncts Malt Hops And Hop Products Published by the Chairman Dr. 3.1.3.8 Modification and Homogenity (Calcof) Fritz Jacob Self-published by MEBAK 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany 2011 luor Carlsberg Method-EBC).
Note that in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the malt used is preferably selected appropriately depending on the color of the desired beer-taste beverage, and the selected malt may be alone. , two or more types may be used in combination.

Malt contains proline, pyroglutamic acid, nitrogen compounds and polyphenols. Therefore, in the present invention, in order to keep the proline, pyroglutamic acid, total nitrogen content, and total polyphenol content of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention within the ranges specified herein, the ratio of malt in the raw material is adjusted to a certain level. It is preferable to set it within a range. Specifically, the malt ratio (the usage ratio of all malts) is preferably 5% by mass or more, and also 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more. % or more, 35 mass% or more, 40 mass% or more, 45 mass% or more, 50 mass% or more, 51 mass% or more, 52 mass% or more, 53 mass% or more, 54 mass% or more, 55 mass% or more, 56 mass% % or more, 57 mass% or more, 58 mass% or more, 59 mass% or more, 60 mass% or more, 61 mass% or more, 62 mass% or more, 63 mass% or more, 64 mass% or more, 65 mass% or more, 66 mass% % or more, 67 mass% or more, 68 mass% or more, 69 mass% or more, 70 mass% or more, 71 mass% or more, 72 mass% or more, 73 mass% or more, 74 mass% or more, 75 mass% or more, 76 mass% % or more, 77 mass% or more, 78 mass% or more, 79 mass% or more, 80 mass% or more, 81 mass% or more, 82 mass% or more, 83 mass% or more, 84 mass% or more, 85 mass% or more, 86 mass% % or more, 87 mass% or more, 88 mass% or more, 89 mass% or more, 90 mass% or more, 91 mass% or more, 92 mass% or more, 93 mass% or more, 94 mass% or more, or 95 mass% or more There may be. By improving the malt ratio, it is possible to produce a beer-taste beverage that has a rich taste derived from malt and a stronger taste of barley.
Further, from the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is unlikely to give an inappropriate feeling of fullness, the malt ratio of the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably less than 100% by mass, and is 99% by mass or less and 98% by mass or less. , 97% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 94% by mass or less, 93% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, 91% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 89% by mass or less, 88% by mass or less , 87% by mass or less, 86% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 84% by mass or less, 83% by mass or less, 82% by mass or less, 81% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 79% by mass or less, 78% by mass or less , 77% by mass or less, 76% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 74% by mass or less, 73% by mass or less, 72% by mass or less, 71% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 69% by mass or less, 68% by mass or less , 67% by mass or less, less than 67% by mass, 66.6% by mass or less, 66% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 64% by mass or less, 63% by mass or less, 62% by mass or less, 61% by mass or less, 60% by mass % or less, 59 mass% or less, 58 mass% or less, 57 mass% or less, 56 mass% or less, 55 mass% or less, 54 mass% or less, 53 mass% or less, 52 mass% or less, 51 mass% or less, 50 mass% % or 50% by mass or less.
In this specification, the malt ratio means a value calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Law and the Notification on Interpretation of Liquor Administration Related Laws, etc., which is the construction date of April 1, 2018.

When suppressing the malt ratio, it is preferable to increase the amount of raw materials other than malt (carbon source, nitrogen source) that can be assimilated by yeast. Carbon sources of raw materials that can be assimilated by yeast include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, their sugar solutions, liquid sugar containing carbon sources, etc. Nitrogen sources include yeast extract, soybean protein, malt, Examples include soybeans, yeast extract, peas, malted wheat, ungerminated grains, and their decomposition products. Examples of ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, oats, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, corn, potatoes, beans (soybeans, (peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, millet, etc. Furthermore, starches obtained from these grains and extracts thereof may also be used.

Fruits, pericarp, bark, leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and seeds of plants other than grasses, such as wheat, that can be used as raw materials can be selected as appropriate.
Specific examples of plants other than grasses include citrus fruits, soft fruits, herbs, and spices. Examples of citrus fruits include oranges, yuzu, lemons, limes, tangerines, grapefruit, Iyokan, kumquats, kabosu, daidai, shikuwasa, and sudachi.
Examples of soft fruits include peaches, grapes, bananas, apples, grapes, pineapples, strawberries, pears, muscats, and cassis. Herbs and spices include coriander, pepper, fennel, Japanese pepper, Japanese pepper, cardamom, caraway, nutmeg, mace, juniper berry, allspice, vanilla, elderberry, grains of paradise, anise, star anise, etc. Can be mentioned.
These may be used as they are, may be used after being crushed, may be used in the form of an extract extracted with an extraction solvent such as water or ethanol, or may be used after squeezing (fruit juice, etc.) You may. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The above can be used as appropriate according to the consumer's preference, but in order to enjoy the clean and refreshing taste typical of beer, the above citrus fruits, soft fruits, herbs, and spices should not be used at all or in the amount used as raw materials. It is preferable to minimize. In particular, since cassis imparts an unsuitable milky aroma to beer, it is preferable not to use cassis or cassis fruit juice as a raw material at all, or to minimize the amount used.

Examples of the form of hops used in one aspect of the present invention include pellet hops, powdered hops, hop extracts, and the like. Further, the hops used may be processed hop products such as iso-ized hops and reduced hops.
The amount of hops added is adjusted as appropriate, but is preferably 0.0001 to 1% by mass based on the total amount of the beverage. Moreover, a beer-taste beverage using hops as a raw material is a beverage containing iso-α acid, which is a component derived from hops.

Sweeteners include commercially available saccharification solutions made by decomposing grain-derived starches with acids or enzymes, sucrose, commercially available sugars such as starch syrup, trisaccharides or higher sugars, sugar alcohols, high-fructose sugar, natural sweeteners such as stevia, etc. and artificial sweeteners.
The form of these saccharides may be liquid such as a solution or solid such as powder.
Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the type of raw material grain for starch, the method for refining starch, and treatment conditions such as hydrolysis with enzymes or acids. For example, by appropriately setting the conditions for hydrolysis by enzymes or acids, saccharides with a higher proportion of maltose may be used. Others: sucrose, fructose, glucose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, xylose, rhamnose, ribose, fucose, lactose, maltose, trehalose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, isomaltose, isomaltotriose, isomalt Tetraose, isomaltopentaose, lactosucrose, 4'-galactosyllactose, 1-kestose, nystose, fructofuranosylnystose, raffinose, stachyose, xylobiose, xylotriose, panose, and their solutions (sugar solution), etc. You can also use
Further, examples of artificial sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), sucralose, neotame, and the like.
These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of water-soluble dietary fibers include indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, guar gum decomposition products, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidin, and carrageenan. , indigestible dextrin or polydextrose are preferred.

In beer-taste beverages, bitterness is preferably imparted by hops or the like, but a bittering agent or a bittering agent may also be used.
The bittering agent or bitterness imparting agent is not particularly limited, and those used as bitterness imparting agents in ordinary beer and low-malt beer can be used. Ingredients: lily, laurel, citrus, quasin, citrus extract, bittern extract, coffee extract, tea extract, bitter melon extract, lotus germ extract, aloe aloe extract, stone rose extract, litchi extract, laurel extract sage extract, caraway extract, mugwort extract, absinthin, alginic acid, etc.

The antioxidant is not particularly limited, and those used as antioxidants in ordinary beer and low-malt beer can be used, such as ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, catechin, and the like.

The flavoring agent is not particularly limited, and common beer flavoring agents can be used. Beer flavoring agents are used to impart beer-like flavor, and include brewing components generated through fermentation.
Note that the beer-taste beverage contains ethyl acetate produced by alcohol fermentation, and the ethyl acetate has a function as a flavoring agent. Therefore, when alcohol fermentation is involved in the manufacturing process of a beer-taste beverage, there is little need to separately add beer flavoring, but beer flavoring may be added as desired.
Examples of beer flavorings other than ethyl acetate include esters and higher alcohols, such as isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, and isoamyl propionate. , linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG), 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 1,4-cineole, 1,8-cineol, 2,3 -Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, γ-decanolactone, γ-undecalactone, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, n-ethyl butyrate, myrcene, citral, limonene, maltol, ethylmaltol, phenylacetic acid, furaneol, furfural , methional, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, diacetyl, ferulic acid, gellanic acid, geranyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, 9-decenoic acid, Nonanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, propanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, γ-butyrolactone, 2-aminoacetophenone, ethyl 3-phenylpropionate, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, Dimethylsulfone, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, Hexanal, hexanol, cis-3-hexenal, 1-octen-3-ol, β-eudesmol, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one, β-caryophyllene, β-myrcene, furfuryl alcohol, 2 -Ethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylbutyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one, trans-2-hexenal, nonanal, phenethyl alcohol can be mentioned. These fragrances may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The acidulant is not particularly limited as long as it has a sour taste, but examples include phosphoric acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phytic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, glucono delta-lactone, and their like. Salt is an example.
Among these acidulants, phosphoric acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phytic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid or salts thereof are preferred; Salts of are more preferred, and phosphoric acid, lactic acid, or salts thereof are particularly preferred. These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The amount of the acidulant added is preferably 50 to 3000 ppm by mass, more preferably 100 to 2800 ppm by mass, and still more preferably 200 to 2600 ppm by mass.

Examples of the preservative include benzoic acid; benzoates such as sodium benzoate; benzoic acid esters such as propyl paraoxybenzoate and butyl paraoxybenzoate; dimethyl dicarbonate, and the like. Moreover, as a preservative, a commercially available preparation such as Strong Sunprezer (manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd., a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate) may be used. These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The amount of the preservative added is preferably 5 to 1200 mass ppm, more preferably 10 to 1100 mass ppm, still more preferably 15 to 1000 mass ppm, even more preferably 20 to 900 mass ppm.

Examples of salts include sodium chloride, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, monosodium citrate, Examples include disodium citrate and trisodium citrate.
These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.2 Carbon dioxide gas The carbon dioxide gas contained in the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention may be obtained by using carbon dioxide gas contained in raw materials, or by dissolving it by mixing with carbonated water or adding carbon dioxide gas. It's okay.
Since the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention undergoes alcohol fermentation, the carbon dioxide gas generated in this fermentation process can be used as is, but carbonated water may be added as appropriate to adjust the amount of carbon dioxide gas. .

The carbon dioxide concentration of the beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is preferably 0.30 (w/w)% or more, more preferably 0.35 (w/w)% or more, and even more preferably 0.40 (w/w)%. /w)% or more, even more preferably 0.42 (w/w)% or more, particularly preferably 0.45 (w/w)% or more, and preferably 0.80 (w/w)% % or less, more preferably 0.70 (w/w) % or less, even more preferably 0.60 (w/w) % or less, even more preferably 0.57 (w/w) or less, particularly preferably 0. 55(w/w)% or less, and 0.54(w/w)% or less, 0.53(w/w)% or less, 0.52(w/w)% or less, 0.51( w/w)% or less, or 0.50(w/w)% or less.
In this specification, the carbon dioxide concentration is measured by measuring the gas volume after adjusting the temperature of the beverage to 20°C by soaking the container containing the target beverage in a 20°C water tank for 30 minutes or more while shaking it occasionally. It can be measured using a device (eg, GVA-500 (manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Co., Ltd.)).

When the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is a packaged beverage, the carbon dioxide pressure of the packaged beverage may be adjusted as appropriate within the range that provides the above carbon dioxide concentration, but the carbon dioxide pressure of the beverage is 5. 0 kg/cm ² or less, 4.5 kg/cm ² or less, or 4.0 kg/cm ² or less, and 0.20 kg/cm ² or more, 0.50 kg/cm ² or more, or 1.0 kg/cm ² These are the above, and any of these upper and lower limits may be combined. For example, the carbon dioxide pressure of a beverage is 0.20 kg/cm ² or more and 5.0 kg/cm ² or less, 0.50 kg/cm ² or more and 4.5 kg/cm ² or less, or 1.0 kg/cm ² or more and 4. It may be 0 kg/cm ² or less.
In this specification, gas pressure refers to gas pressure within a container, except in special cases.
Pressure can be measured using a method well known to those skilled in the art, for example, fixing a sample at 20°C on a gas pressure gauge, opening the stopcock of the gas pressure gauge to release the gas, closing the stopcock again, It can be measured by shaking the pointer and reading the value when the pointer reaches a certain position, or by using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device.

1.3 Other Additives Various additives may be added to the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention, as necessary, as long as they do not impede the effects of the present invention.
Examples of such additives include colorants, foam-forming agents, fermentation accelerators, yeast extracts, protein-based substances such as peptide-containing substances, and seasonings such as amino acids.
The coloring agent is used to give the beverage a beer-like color, and caramel coloring or the like can be used. Foam-forming agents are used to form beer-like foam in beverages or to maintain foam in beverages, and include saponin-based substances extracted from plants such as soybean saponin and Quillaja saponin, as well as plant-extracted saponin substances such as corn and soybeans. Proteins, peptide-containing substances such as collagen peptides, yeast extracts, raw materials originating from milk, etc. can be used as appropriate.
The fermentation accelerator is used to promote fermentation by yeast, and for example, yeast extract, bran components such as rice and wheat, vitamins, mineral agents, etc. can be used alone or in combination.

1.4 Packaged Beverage The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a packaged beverage packed in a container. Containers of any form and material may be used for packaged beverages, and examples of containers include bottles, cans, barrels, and PET bottles. However, from the viewpoint of ease of transportation, cans, Bottles or plastic bottles are preferred.

2. Method for producing a beer-taste beverage The present invention also relates to a method for producing a beer-taste beverage. Specifically, in the production method of one embodiment of the present invention, the malt ratio is 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, and the alcohol content is 1.0 (v/v)% or more and 4.5 (v/v). This is a method for producing a beer-taste beverage of less than 5%, in which the degree of external fermentation is adjusted to 5% or more and less than 65%.
Further, more specifically, the manufacturing method of one embodiment of the present invention may include the following steps (1) to (3).
- Step (1): A step of performing at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment, and solid content removal treatment on the raw material to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.
- Step (2): A step of cooling the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to obtain a cooled pre-fermentation liquid.
- Step (3): A step of adding yeast to the cooled pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (2) and performing alcoholic fermentation.

Further, the production method of one embodiment of the present invention may include a step of confirming and/or adjusting the alcohol content and the apparent degree of fermentation, in addition to the above steps (1) to (3). This step will be described later as step (4). Note that the manufacturing method of one embodiment of the present invention does not include a dealcoholization step.

<Step (1)>
Step (1) is a step in which various raw materials are subjected to at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment, and solid content removal treatment to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.
For example, when malt is used as various raw materials, various raw materials including water and malt are put into a brewing kettle or a brewing tank, and if necessary, before fermentation, polysaccharides are added to promote changes in the components derived from the raw materials. Enzyme agents such as degrading enzymes and proteolytic enzymes may be added.
Examples of the enzyme agent include amylase, protease, purine nucleosidase, deaminase, polyphenol oxidase, glucanase, xylase, pectinase, cellulase, lipase, glucosidase, xanthine oxidase, transglucosidase, glucoamylase, uricase, and the like. These enzyme agents may be heat-resistant or non-heat-resistant. Further, the type of enzyme agent can be used depending on the timing of addition and the step of addition. In addition, the above-mentioned enzyme agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition, in Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Act and Liquor Administration Related Laws and Regulations Notification (revised June 27, 2018), "7. Articles not handled as raw materials for alcoholic beverages", "(3) During the brewing process for the purpose of streamlining sake brewing, etc. Enzymes that correspond to the following enzymes to be added can be mentioned.
By adding these enzyme agents, the component composition of the resulting beer-taste beverage can be efficiently adjusted. As various raw materials other than malt, hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fibers, bittering agents or bittering agents, antioxidants, flavors, acidulants, salts, etc. may be added. These may be added before performing the saccharification treatment, may be added during the saccharification treatment, or may be added after the saccharification treatment is completed. Further, these may be added during or after the alcohol fermentation in the next step.

A mixture of various raw materials is heated to undergo saccharification treatment by saccharifying the starch of the raw materials. In this specification, the degree of saccharification in the saccharification treatment is not particularly limited, and for example, all or part of the starch may be saccharified.
The temperature and time of the saccharification treatment are adjusted as appropriate, taking into account the type of malt used, the malt ratio, water and other raw materials other than malt, the type and amount of enzymes used, the original extract concentration of the final beverage, etc. It is preferable to do so. In one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of adjusting the degree of external fermentation of the beer-taste beverage within the above range, the temperature of the saccharification treatment is preferably 55 to 80°C, and the time of the saccharification treatment is preferably 1 to 240 minutes. In order to further reduce the degree of fermentation in appearance, it is preferable to perform the saccharification treatment at 76 to 85°C. After the saccharification treatment, filtration is performed to obtain a saccharified liquid.

Note that this saccharified liquid is preferably subjected to a boiling treatment.
When performing this boiling treatment, when using hops, bittering agents, etc. as raw materials, it is preferable to add these. Hops, bittering agents, etc. may be added between the start of boiling of the saccharified liquid and before the end of boiling.
In addition, instead of the above-mentioned saccharified liquid, a pre-fermentation liquid may be prepared by adding hops, a bittering agent, etc. to a mixture of malt extract and hot water, and boiling the mixture.

In addition, as various raw materials, if malt is not used, liquid sugar containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source as a raw material containing wheat or amino acids other than malt, hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, and bittering agents. Alternatively, a pre-fermentation solution can be prepared by mixing bittering agents, antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, salts, etc. with warm water to prepare a liquid sugar solution, and then boiling the liquid sugar solution. good.
When using hops, they may be added before the boiling process, or between the start of boiling the liquid sugar solution and before the end of boiling.

<Step (2)>
Step (2) is a step of cooling the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to obtain a cooled pre-fermentation liquid.
After the boiling process is completed, the mixture is transferred to a whirlpool and cooled to 0 to 23°C. After cooling, the concentration of the original extract may be adjusted by removing solids such as coagulated proteins.
Through such treatment, a cooled pre-fermentation liquid is obtained.

<Step (3)>
Step (3) is a step of adding yeast to the cooled pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (2) to perform alcoholic fermentation.
The yeast used in this step can be selected appropriately considering the type of fermented beverage to be produced, the desired flavor, fermentation conditions, etc. Top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast may be used. good.

Yeast may be added to the raw material as a yeast suspension, or a slurry obtained by concentrating yeast by centrifugation or sedimentation may be added to the pre-fermentation liquid. Alternatively, after centrifugation, the supernatant may be completely removed and added. The amount of yeast added to the stock solution can be set as appropriate, and is, for example, about 5×10 ⁶ cells/mL to 1×10 ⁸ cells/mL.

Conditions such as fermentation temperature and fermentation period when performing alcoholic fermentation can be set as appropriate, but from the viewpoint of adjusting the degree of fermentation in appearance, for example, fermentation is carried out at 8 to 25 ° C. for 5 to 10 days. It is preferable. The temperature (increase or decrease in temperature) or pressure of the fermentation liquid may be changed during the fermentation process.
The apparent degree of fermentation of a beer-taste beverage can be adjusted by appropriately setting the type, amount, and timing of addition of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes such as transglucosidase and amylase. It can also be adjusted by changing the temperature (increasing or decreasing the temperature) or the pressure.
Further, after completing this step, yeast may be removed using a filter or the like, and additives such as water, flavoring agents, acidulants, and pigments may be added as necessary.
In this way, the degree of external fermentation of the resulting beer-taste beverage can be adjusted to a desired range by appropriately adjusting the conditions of the saccharification treatment in step (1) and the alcohol fermentation in step (3). .

<Step (4)>
Step (4) is a step of checking and/or adjusting the alcohol content and the apparent degree of fermentation.
Alcohol content and apparent degree of fermentation can be determined by appropriately setting the variety of raw materials, their blending amount, preparation conditions (timing of addition of raw materials, etc.), yeast species, fermentation conditions, etc. in steps (1) and (2). Can be adjusted. Therefore, in step (4), it is preferable to measure these to confirm whether they are within the above ranges. If it is outside the range, it is preferable to make adjustments by adding an alcohol raw material or diluting it. In this step, the alcohol content is preferably adjusted by dilution by adding water or carbonated water.

Adjustment of alcohol content and appearance fermentation degree may be performed in parallel with step (1), step (2) and/or step (3), or may be performed between step (1) and step (2). It may be carried out between step (2) and step (3), or may be carried out after step (3). Further, the alcohol content and the appearance degree of fermentation may be checked at any of the above timings.

After these steps, steps such as a storage step and a filtration step, which are well known to those skilled in the art, may be performed in the production of beer-taste beverages.
The beer-taste beverage thus obtained is filled into a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a product.
The method of packaging the beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and any method well-known to those skilled in the art can be used. In the container filling process, the beer-taste beverage is filled into a container and sealed. In the container filling process, containers of any form and material may be used, and examples of containers are as described above.

3. Method for improving the flavor of beer-taste beverages The present invention also relates to a method of improving the flavor of beer-taste beverages. Specifically, in the flavor improving method of one aspect of the present invention, the malt ratio is 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, and the alcohol content is 1.0 (v/v)% or more and 4.5 (v/v)%. ) A method for improving the taste of a beer-taste beverage with a fermentation rate of less than 5% and less than 65%.

In the present specification, the "flavor" of a beer-taste beverage includes the flavor of barley, the rich taste derived from barley, the texture, and the depth of taste. In addition, in this specification, "improving flavor" or "improving flavor" refers to a beverage whose malt ratio, alcohol content, and degree of external fermentation are adjusted to satisfy the above ranges. This means that at least one of the following is achieved: an increase in the rich taste derived from barley, an improvement in drinking sensation, and a reduction in wateriness compared to a beverage without barley.

The method for adjusting the malt ratio, alcohol content, and apparent degree of fermentation is as described in "1. Beer-taste beverage" and "2. Method for producing beer-taste beverage" above.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited by these Examples.
In addition, in the examples, the original extract concentration, real extract concentration, total nitrogen amount, and total polyphenol amount were determined using the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, Beer Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee]) It was measured based on the method described in the 2013 revised edition).

<Beverage preparation>
After putting the crushed barley malt into a preparation tank containing 120 L of warm water, the temperature was raised and maintained in stages, and the malt lees etc. were removed by filtration. After filtration, the raw material liquid and hops were put into a boiling pot, and the volume was adjusted to 100 L with warm water to obtain hot wort.
The obtained hot wort was cooled and aerated with oxygen to obtain 60 L of pre-fermentation liquid before addition of yeast.

After adding beer yeast (bottom-fermenting yeast) to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in this way and fermenting it for about one week, after an additional maturation period of about one week, the yeast is removed by filtration and the extract is adjusted. Water was added to prepare a beer-taste beverage.
In each Example and Comparative Example, the amounts and types of raw materials such as malt, liquid sugar, and hops, mashing patterns, types of proteolytic enzymes, amount and timing of addition, and temperature ranges when preparing wort are explained. By setting the set temperature, holding time, pH adjustment, turbidity during wort filtration, hop addition timing, boiling time, fermentation conditions, etc. as appropriate, the malt ratio, original extract concentration, and real extract concentration shown in Tables 1 to 3 are obtained. , proline content, pyroglutamic acid content, total nitrogen content, total polyphenol content, alcohol content, and carbohydrate content.

<Sensory evaluation>
The resulting beer-taste beverages were evaluated by the same six panelists who tasted each beverage as follows.

Each panelist tasted 350 mL of a beer-taste beverage that had been cooled to around 4°C, and concluded that it had a "suitable barley taste typical of a beer-taste beverage,""a suitable drinking sensation typical of a beer-taste beverage," and "a watery taste unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage." Based on the following scoring criteria, the evaluation item "Posa" was evaluated in the range of 3.0 (maximum value) to 1.0 (minimum value) in 0.1 increments. The average value of the scores was calculated.
For the evaluation, samples whose evaluation items corresponded to the following standards "1.0", "2.0", and "3.0" were prepared in advance, and the standards were unified among the panelists. Furthermore, in the sensory evaluations of all Examples and Comparative Examples, no difference in scores of 2.0 or more was observed between panelists for the same beverage.

[Suitable barley taste typical of beer-taste drinks]
- "3.0": A very strong barley taste typical of a beer-taste drink can be felt.
- "2.5": A suitable barley taste typical of a beer-taste drink is strongly felt.
- "2.0": A suitable barley taste typical of a beer-taste drink can be felt.
- "1.5": The suitable barley taste typical of a beer-taste drink cannot be felt very much.
- "1.0": The suitable barley taste typical of a beer-taste drink is hardly felt.
[Suitable drinking response typical of a beer-taste drink]
- "3.0": The drinking sensation typical of a beer-taste beverage can be felt very strongly.
・“2.5”: A strong drinking sensation typical of a beer-taste beverage is felt.
・“2.0”: The drinking sensation typical of a beer-taste beverage can be felt.
- "1.5": The drinking sensation typical of a beer-taste drink is not felt very much.
- "1.0": The drinking sensation typical of a beer-taste beverage is hardly felt.
[Waterness unsuitable for beer-taste drinks]
- "3.0": Wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is not felt at all.
- "2.5": Almost no sense of wateriness, which is inappropriate for beer-taste beverages.
- "2.0": Wateriness, which is unsuitable for beer-taste drinks, is not felt very much.
- "1.5": A watery taste unsuitable for a beer-taste drink is felt.
・“1.0”: Strong wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages.

In addition, based on the three evaluation items mentioned above, a comprehensive evaluation was performed according to the following criteria.
[comprehensive evaluation]
- "A": All average scores of the three verified sensory evaluation items are 2.5 or higher.
- "B": Does not correspond to "A" or "C".
- "C": Any one or more of the average scores of the three verified sensory evaluation items is less than 2.0.

From the results of the examples, the malt ratio in the beer-taste beverage is 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, the alcohol content is 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%, If the appearance degree of fermentation is 5% or more and less than 65%, it will have the "suitable barley taste typical of a beer-taste beverage" and the "suitable drinking feel typical of a beer-taste beverage," but will be "water unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage." We were able to provide a drink with less bitterness.

Claims (8)

The malt ratio is 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass,
The alcohol content is 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%,
A beer-taste beverage having an external fermentation degree of 5% or more and less than 65%. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, having a proline content of 1 to 80 mg/100 mL. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of pyroglutamic acid is 1 to 300 mg/L. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total nitrogen amount is 1 to 200 mg/100 mL. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a carbohydrate content of more than 0.5 g/100 mL. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is a packaged beverage. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage having a malt ratio of 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass and an alcohol content of 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%, the method comprising external fermentation. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of adjusting the alcohol content to 5% or more and less than 65%. A method for improving the taste of a beer-taste beverage having a malt ratio of 5% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass and an alcohol content of 1.0 (v/v)% or more and less than 4.5 (v/v)%, A method for improving the taste of a beer-taste beverage, the method comprising adjusting the degree of fermentation in appearance to 5% or more and less than 65%.