JP7132270B2 - beer-taste beverages - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to beer-taste beverages.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, various beer-taste beverages have been studied and provided in response to recent diversified tastes of consumers.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beer-taste beverage containing 0.3 to 5 ppm quasine and/or 0.5 to 5 ppm quinine for the purpose of providing a beer-taste beverage having beer-like bitterness and aftertaste. Have been described.

JP 2017-6077 A

Under these circumstances, there is a demand for new beer-taste beverages (for example, beer-taste beverages that have a strong body (deep flavor) but have reduced heaviness and residual unpleasant taste).

The present invention provides a beer-taste beverage prepared with a malt ratio and ΔE calculated from the following formula below a predetermined value.
That is, the present invention includes inventions of the following aspects.
[1] The malt ratio is 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less,
A beer-taste beverage having a ΔE calculated from the following formula (I) of 0.09 or less.
・ Formula (I): ΔE = (Eh - Ej - 0.952 x Ez) x 5
(In the above formula, Eh is the absorbance of the Eh measurement sample containing the beer-taste beverage, phosphate buffer, and iodine solution, and Ej is the absorbance of the Ej measurement sample containing the phosphate buffer and iodine solution. and Ez is the absorbance of the Ez measurement sample containing the beer-taste beverage and phosphate buffer.The absorbance is a value measured at 578 nm by placing each sample in a 4 cm cuvette.)
[2] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] above, wherein the beer-taste beverage is beer.
[3] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2] above, which has a raw wort extract concentration of 6.0% by mass or more.
[4] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, which has an alcohol content of 4.5 (v/v)% or more.
[5] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the total polyphenol content is 60 mass ppm or more based on the total amount of the beer-taste beverage.
[6] A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [5] above,
A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the following steps (1) to (2).
- Step (1): A step of preparing a fermentation raw material liquid by saccharifying a mixture containing water and malt.
- Process (2): The process of adding yeast to the said fermentation raw material liquid, and performing alcoholic fermentation.
[7] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to [6] above, which does not include the step of adding grain-derived spirits.

A beer-taste beverage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be a beverage that has a strong body feeling and is suppressed in heavyness and residual unpleasant taste.

1. Beer-taste Beverage The beer-taste beverage of the present invention has a malt content of 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and satisfies the requirements that ΔE calculated from formula (I) is 0.09 or less.
As used herein, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to an alcohol-containing or non-alcoholic carbonated beverage having a beer-like flavor. Therefore, "beer-taste beverages" include not only beer, which is a fermented malt beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water with yeast, but also beer containing esters, higher alcohols, etc. It also includes carbonated beverages with added flavors and beer flavor.
Moreover, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a fermented beer-taste beverage that has undergone a fermentation process using yeast, or may be a non-fermented beer-taste beverage that has not undergone a fermentation process.
Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be an alcohol-containing beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 1 (v/v)% or more, or a non-alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of less than 1 (v/v)%. It may be a beer-taste beverage.
The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be a non-alcoholic fermented beer-taste beverage produced by removing the alcohol produced in the fermentation process after the fermentation process, or beer without the fermentation process. It may be a non-alcoholic, non-fermented beer-taste beverage prepared to have a similar flavor.

Among these, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a fermented-beer-taste beverage, more preferably an alcohol-containing fermented-beer-taste beverage, and even more preferably beer.

As described above, the malt ratio of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, but is 55% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more. 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, or less than 70% by mass.
That is, the malt ratio of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is, for example, 55% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 60% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, 65% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or more and 100% by mass. 50% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, 50% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, 50% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or more and less than 70% by mass.
As used herein, the term “malt ratio” means a value calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Act and liquor administration-related laws and regulations, which was implemented on April 1, 2018.

As described above, a high malt ratio beer-taste beverage with a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more has a rich taste and a strong body, but at the same time, it has a noticeable heaviness and unpleasant taste. The beverage tends to be difficult to drink.
Therefore, in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, ΔE calculated from the following formula (I) is 0.09 or less in order to make a beverage with a strong body feeling and suppressed heaviness and unpleasant residual taste. is adjusted so that

・ Formula (I): ΔE = (Eh - Ej - 0.952 x Ez) x 5
In the above formula, Eh is the absorbance of the Eh measurement sample containing the beer-taste beverage, phosphate buffer, and iodine solution, and Ej is the absorbance of the Ej measurement sample containing the phosphate buffer and iodine solution. and Ez is the absorbance of the Ez measurement sample containing the beer-taste beverage and phosphate buffer. The absorbance is a value measured at 578 nm by placing each sample in a 4 cm cuvette.

More specifically, Eh is the absorbance at 578 nm of an Eh measurement sample prepared through the following operations (i) to (viii), and Ej is 0.02 N in 4.0 mL of phosphate buffer. Ez is the absorbance at 578 nm of the sample for Ej measurement prepared by adding 200 μL of iodine solution, and Ez is the absorbance at 578 nm of the sample for Ez measurement prepared in the following operation (vii).
- Operation (i): Deaerate the beer-taste beverage.
Operation (ii): Dispense 20 mL of ethanol into a centrifuge tube, add 5 mL of the solution after operation (i), and shake with a shaker for 10 minutes.
Operation (iii): The solution after operation (ii) is centrifuged at 20°C at 2500 rpm for 5 minutes using a centrifugal separator.
- Operation (iv): The liquid layer of the solution after operation (iii) is removed to obtain a precipitate.
Operation (v): Add 10 mL of phosphate buffer to the precipitate after operation (iv), and shake with a shaker for 10 minutes.
Operation (vi): The solution after operation (v) is centrifuged at 20° C. and 2500 rpm for 5 minutes using a centrifugal separator.
Operation (vii): Add 3.2 mL of phosphate buffer to 0.8 mL of the centrifugation supernatant after operation (vi) to prepare the Ez measurement sample.
Operation (viii): 200 μL of 0.02N iodine solution is added to the Ez measurement sample after operation (vii) to prepare the Eh measurement sample.

ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) serves as an index indicating the amount of undegraded starch and dextrin present in the beer-taste beverage. That is, it can be said that the smaller the ΔE, the less the undegraded starch and dextrin of the beverage.

Starch and dextrin react with iodine contained in an iodine solution (a solution containing a polymer of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (polyvinylpyrrolidone) and povidone-iodine, which is a complex of iodine) to turn blue. As the amount of starch or dextrin derived from the beer-taste beverage present in the Eh measurement sample increases, the Eh measurement sample changes its color to blue, so the absorbance Eh in the above formula (I) becomes a larger value. That is, ΔE, which is the difference between the absorbance Eh value, the absorbance Ej value of the Ej measurement sample containing the iodine solution, and the absorbance Ez value of the Ez measurement sample before adding the iodine solution, is the value of starch and dextrin. It can be said that the value is due to the discoloration due to the reaction between iodine and iodine. Note that "0.952" in formula (I) is a factor that takes into account the difference in capacity between the Eh measurement sample, the Ej measurement sample, and the Ez measurement sample. In addition, “×5” in formula (I) is a factor considering that 3.2 mL of phosphate buffer was added to 0.8 mL of centrifugal supernatant to dilute “5-fold”.

The above operations (i) to (viii) are described in Examples below, described on pages 53 to 55 of MEBAK Wort Beer Beer-based Beverages (Published by the Chairman Dr. Fritz Jacob, 2013), and this Each operation may be performed with appropriate reference to the descriptions of the references described in the literature.

The present inventors speculated that undegraded starch and dextrin present in the beverage are the factors that make beer-taste beverages with a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more feel heavy and have a strong aftertaste. Then, based on that speculation, in beer-taste beverages with a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more, by adjusting the value of ΔE to 0.09 or less to reduce undecomposed starch and dextrin, a strong body feeling can be obtained. It was found that, despite having a That is, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beverage completed based on the findings.

In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, ΔE calculated from the formula (I) is 0.09 or less. 08 or less, 0.07 or less, 0.06 or less, 0.05 or less, 0.04 or less, 0.03 or less, or 0.02 or less.
In addition, from the viewpoint of a beverage having a stronger body, ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) is 0.001 or more, 0.005 or more, 0.01 or more, 0.015 or more, 0.02 or more , 0.03 or more, 0.04 or more, or 0.05 or more.
Note that the range of ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) can be appropriately selected from options for the upper limit value and the lower limit value described above, and can be defined by any combination.

Note that ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) is the presence or absence of pretreatment of malt as a raw material and the type of pretreatment, the set temperature and holding time when preparing the saccharified solution, the type of enzyme used, the addition Desired ΔE can be adjusted by appropriately setting the amount, timing of addition, and fermentation conditions such as fermentation temperature and fermentation time.

In addition, in order to make the ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) a desired value, the ΔE of the semi-finished product during production such as wort before fermentation is measured, and depending on the value, the next step and subsequent steps Various conditions may be set as appropriate.
In addition, when measuring ΔE of a semi-finished product during production such as wort before fermentation, in the above operation (i), after degassing the solution, using a centrifugal separator at 0 ° C., 7000 rpm, It is preferable to carry out the operation after operation (ii) after performing centrifugation for 30 minutes.

In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the raw wort extract (O-Ex) concentration is preferably 6.0 to 6.0 from the viewpoint of imparting a light taste to the beverage and improving the ease of drinking. 20.0% by mass, more preferably 7.0 to 18.0% by mass, still more preferably 8.0 to 16.0% by mass, even more preferably 9.0 to 15.0% by mass, particularly preferably 9 .5 to 13.5% by mass.
In addition, the "original wort extract concentration" in this specification refers to the extract content under the Japanese Liquor Tax Law in alcohol-containing beverages with an alcohol content of 1 (v/v)% or more, that is, at a temperature of 15 ° C. It refers to the number of grams of non-volatile components contained in the original volume of 100 cm ³ . In addition, in non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of less than 1 (v / v)%, the analysis method (BOCJ beer analysis method (Japan Brewing Association fermentation, It refers to the extract value (% by mass) measured in accordance with Beer Brewers Association, 2013 revised edition)).

In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the content of total polyphenols is based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the beer-taste beverage, and from the viewpoint of making it a beer-taste beverage that has a good taste and is more beer-like, It is preferably 60 mass ppm or more, more preferably 70 mass ppm or more, still more preferably 80 mass ppm or more, and even more preferably 90 mass ppm or more. From the viewpoint of an easy-to-drink beverage, it is preferably 200 mass ppm or less, more preferably 170 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 150 mass ppm or less, and even more preferably 130 mass ppm or less.

As used herein, "total polyphenol content" means the total amount of polyphenols contained in the total amount (100% by mass) of the beer-taste beverage.
Polyphenol means a compound in which two or more hydrogen atoms of an aromatic hydrocarbon are substituted with hydroxyl groups, and specifically includes flavonol, isoflavone, tannin, catechin, quercetin, anthocyanin, and the like.

In this specification, the content of total polyphenols is, for example, described in the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, Beer Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] edited and revised in 2013). It can be measured by the method described in

The total polyphenol content can be controlled by adjusting the amount of polyphenol-rich raw materials such as malted barley and malt husks.
In general, malt with husks (grain husks) has a high polyphenol content, while soybean, yeast extract, wheat, wheat malt, etc. have a low polyphenol content. By appropriately selecting such raw materials and adjusting the amount used, it is possible to adjust the polyphenol content to a desired range.

As described above, the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be an alcohol-containing beer-taste beverage or a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage.
When it is an alcohol-containing beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 4.5 (v/v)% from the viewpoint of making the beverage feel refreshingly stimulating. above, more preferably 4.7 (v/v)% or more, still more preferably 5.1 (v/v)% or more, even more preferably 5.4 (v/v)% or more, particularly preferably 5. 7 (v/v)% or more.
In addition, from the viewpoint of an easy-to-drink beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content is preferably 20.0 (v / v)% or less, more preferably 15.0 (v / v)% or less, still more preferably 10.0 ( v/v)% or less.
In addition, in this specification, alcohol content shall be shown by the percentage ((v/v)%) of a volume/volume basis. Also, the alcohol content of the beverage can be measured by any known method, and for example, it can be measured by a vibrating density meter.

In addition, in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, in order to adjust the alcohol content, it is conceivable to further include and adjust grain-derived spirits as the alcohol component.
Here, spirits are alcoholic beverages obtained by saccharifying grains such as wheat, rice, buckwheat, and corn using malt or, if necessary, using an enzyme agent, fermenting them using yeast, and then further distilling them. means.
However, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention preferably does not contain spirits from the viewpoint of making it a beer-taste beverage that has a good taste and is like beer.

Moreover, from the same viewpoint as above, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably beer.
As used herein, "beer" refers to a beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water as raw materials using yeast. It means what is defined in the Liquor Tax Act and the Liquor Administration Related Laws and Regulations Interpretation Notice on the date of implementation.
That is, when the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is beer, the alcohol content is adjusted by a fermentation process using yeast.

The color of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be amber or golden like normal beer, black like dark beer, or colorless and transparent, or a coloring agent. etc. may be added to give the desired color. The color of the beer-taste beverage can be determined with the naked eye, but may be defined by total light transmittance, chromaticity, or the like.

The pH of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2.0 to 4.5, more preferably 2.5 to 4.2, and still more preferably 3.0 to 4.0. be. If the pH of the beer-taste beverage is 4.5 or less, the generation of microorganisms can be suppressed, and if the pH is 2.0 or more, the flavor of the beverage is likely to be improved.

The beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be in any form as long as the beverage is packed in a container, and examples of the container include bottles, PET bottles, cans, and barrels, which are particularly easy to carry. cans, bottles, and PET bottles are preferable.

2.1 Ingredients The main ingredients of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention are water and malt, but it is preferable to use hops. , antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, and the like may be used.

Malt refers to the germinated, dried, and rooted barley seeds of barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, and oats. may
In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use malted barley. Barley malt is one of the most commonly used malts as a raw material for Japanese beer-taste beverages. There are two kinds of barley, such as two-rowed barley and six-rowed barley, and any of them may be used. In addition to normal malt, colored malt can also be used. When using colored malt, different types of colored malt may be appropriately combined and used, or one type of colored malt may be used.

Grains other than malt may also be used together with malt.
Examples of such grains include wheat (barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, oats, etc.) that do not fall under malt, rice (polished rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, koryan, potato, etc. , beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barley, and starches obtained therefrom, extracts thereof, and the like.

Examples of forms of hops used in one aspect of the present invention include pellet hops, powdered hops, hop extracts, and the like. As the hops to be used, processed hops such as isoformed hops and reduced hops may be used.
The amount of hops to be added is appropriately adjusted, but is preferably 0.0001 to 1% by mass relative to the total amount of the beverage.
Also, a beer-taste beverage using hops as a raw material is a beverage containing iso-α acids, which are components derived from hops. The iso-α acid content of the beer-taste beverage using hops may be more than 0.1 ppm by mass, or more than 1.0 ppm by mass, based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the beer-taste beverage. There may be.
In this specification, the content of iso-α acids is described in the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, Beer Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] edited 2013 supplementary revision). It means a value measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical method.

Examples of sweeteners include commercially available saccharified solutions obtained by decomposing grain-derived starch with acids or enzymes, sugars such as commercially available starch syrup, sugars of trisaccharides or higher, sugar alcohols, natural sweeteners such as stevia, and artificial sweeteners. mentioned.
The form of these sugars may be liquid such as solution, or solid such as powder.
In addition, there are no particular restrictions on the type of starch raw material grains, the method of purifying starch, and the treatment conditions such as hydrolysis with enzymes or acids. For example, sugars with a higher proportion of maltose may be used by appropriately setting conditions for hydrolysis with an enzyme or acid. In addition, sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, trehalose, maltotriose, solutions of these (sugar solutions), and the like can also be used.
Artificial sweeteners include, for example, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), sucralose and the like.

Examples of water-soluble dietary fibers include indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, guar gum decomposition products, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidin, carrageenan, and the like, from the viewpoint of versatility such as stability and safety. , indigestible dextrin or polydextrose are preferred.

In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, bitterness is preferably imparted by hops or the like, but a bittering agent or bitterness imparting 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. , Ganoderma lucidum, laurel, quasin, citrus extract, bittern extract, coffee extract, tea extract, bitter gourd extract, lotus germ extract, aloe vera extract, stonecrop extract, litchi extract, laurel extract, sage extract products, caraway extracts, and the like.

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

Flavors are not particularly limited, and common beer flavors can be used. Beer flavors are used to impart a beer-like flavor, and include brewing components and the like generated by fermentation.
Note that the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention contains ethyl acetate produced by alcoholic fermentation in the fermentation process, and the ethyl acetate functions as a flavoring agent. Therefore, the beer-taste beverage undergoes a fermentation process, so it is not particularly necessary to separately add a beer flavor, but a beer flavor may be added as desired.
Beer flavors other than ethyl acetate include esters and higher alcohols, and specific examples include isoamyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, and acetaldehyde.

The acidulant is not particularly limited as long as it is a substance having a sour taste. salt.
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, and phosphoric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid or is more preferred.
These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

2.2 Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide contained in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be carbon dioxide contained in raw materials, or may be dissolved by mixing with carbonated water or adding carbon dioxide. may
The carbon dioxide gas generated in the fermentation process of the beer-taste beverage can be used as it is, but the amount of carbon dioxide gas may be adjusted by adding carbonated water as appropriate.

Although the amount of carbon dioxide contained in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is represented by the carbon dioxide pressure of the beverage, this is not particularly limited as long as it does not interfere with the effects of the present invention. Typically, the upper limit of the carbon dioxide pressure of the beverage is 5.0 kg/cm ² , 4.5 kg/cm ² or 4.0 kg/cm ² and the lower limit is 0.20 kg/cm ² , 0.50 kg/cm 2 . cm ² or 1.0 kg/cm ² , and any combination of these upper and lower limits may be used. For example, the carbon dioxide pressure of the 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 more4. It may be 0 kg/cm ² or less.
In the present specification, gas pressure refers to gas pressure within a container, except in special cases.
The pressure is measured by a method well known to those skilled in the art. For example, after fixing a sample heated to 20° C. to a gas pressure gauge, open the stopcock of the gas pressure gauge once to release the gas, close the stopcock again, and can be measured using a method of reading the value when the pointer reaches a certain position by shaking the pointer, or using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device.

2.3 Other Additives Various additives may be added to the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, as necessary, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
Examples of such additives include coloring agents, foaming agents, fermentation promoters, yeast extracts, protein substances such as peptide-containing substances, and seasonings such as amino acids.
A coloring agent is used to impart a beer-like color to a beverage, and caramel coloring and the like can be used. The foam-forming agent is used to form a beer-like foam in a beverage or to retain the foam of the beverage. Protein and peptide-containing substances, protein-based substances such as bovine serum albumin, yeast extract, and the like can be used as appropriate.
Fermentation promoters are used to promote fermentation by yeast. For example, yeast extract, bran ingredients such as rice and wheat, vitamins, minerals, etc. can be used alone or in combination.

2.4 Method for Producing Beer-Taste Beverage A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may be any method as long as it includes a step of adding yeast to raw materials containing water and malt and performing alcoholic fermentation. Specifically, a method having the following steps (1) to (2) can be mentioned.
- Step (1): A step of preparing a fermentation raw material liquid by saccharifying a mixture containing water and malt.
- Process (2): The process of adding yeast to the said fermentation raw material liquid, and performing alcoholic fermentation.

In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of producing a beverage that has a good taste and resembles beer, it is preferable not to include a step of adding spirits derived from grains.

In steps (1) and (2), it is preferable to appropriately set various processing conditions so that ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) falls within the above range. ΔE is the presence or absence of pretreatment of the raw material malt and the type of pretreatment, the set temperature and holding time when preparing the saccharified solution, the type of enzyme used, the amount and timing of addition, and the fermentation temperature and It can be adjusted by appropriately setting fermentation conditions such as fermentation time.
Further, with respect to the fermentation raw material liquid after the step (1) is completed, each sample may be prepared based on the above operations (i) to (viii), the absorbance may be measured, and ΔE may be calculated. Then, the conditions of step (2) can be appropriately set from the value of ΔE of the fermentation raw material liquid.
In addition, when calculating ΔE of the fermentation raw material liquid, in the above operation (i), after degassing the solution, using a centrifugal separator at 0 ° C., 7000 rpm, 30 minutes after performing centrifugal separation treatment. , it is preferable to perform operations after operation (ii).

<Step (1)>
Step (1) is a step of saccharifying a mixture containing water and malt to prepare a fermentation raw material liquid.
The mixture is adjusted so that the malt ratio is 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
As a method for preparing the fermentation raw material liquid, raw materials such as water and malt are put into a brewing pot or a brewing tank, enzymes such as amylase are added as necessary to prepare a mixture, and then saccharification is performed. mentioned. After that, it is preferable that the obtained fermentation raw material liquid is filtered and boiled, and solid contents such as coagulated protein are removed in a clarification tank.

In addition to water and malt, hops, dietary fiber, sweeteners, antioxidants, bittering agents, flavors, acidulants, pigments, and the like may be added to the mixture for saccharification.
These may be added before the saccharification treatment, may be added during the saccharification treatment, or may be added after the saccharification treatment is completed. Alternatively, these may be added after alcoholic fermentation in the next step.

In this step, the mixture to which the raw materials have been added is heated to saccharify the starch of the raw materials.
The temperature and time of saccharification treatment are appropriately adjusted depending on the type of malt used, the ratio of malt, water and raw materials other than malt, the type and amount of enzyme used, and the like. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, the saccharification temperature is 40 to 85° C., and the saccharification treatment time is is preferably 30 to 240 minutes. In addition, from the above viewpoint, it is divided into a low temperature range of 40 to 55 ° C., a medium temperature range of 55 to 70 ° C., and a high temperature range of 70 to 85 ° C., and is maintained in each temperature range for a certain period of time. It is preferable to gradually increase the temperature in the region and then to the high temperature region. The holding time in each temperature range is preferably 1 to 60 minutes, more preferably 5 to 50 minutes.

<Step (2)>
Step (2) is a step of adding yeast to the fermentation raw material liquid obtained by the saccharification treatment in step (1) and performing alcoholic fermentation.
The yeast used in this step can be appropriately selected in consideration of the type of fermented beverage to be produced, the desired flavor and fermentation conditions, etc. Top-fermenting yeast may be used, and bottom-fermenting yeast may be used. good.

The yeast may be added to the raw material solution as it is in yeast suspension, or a slurry obtained by concentrating the yeast by centrifugation or sedimentation may be added to the raw solution. Alternatively, after centrifugation, the supernatant may be completely removed and added. The amount of yeast to be added to the undiluted solution can be appropriately set, and is, for example, about 5×10 ⁶ cells/ml to 1×10 ⁸ cells/ml.

Fermentation conditions for alcohol fermentation can be set as appropriate, but from the viewpoint of adjusting the value of ΔE calculated from the above formula (I) and the alcohol content within the above range, the fermentation temperature is 5 to 25 ° C. is preferably In addition, the ΔE value and the alcohol content calculated from the above formula (I) can be adjusted by appropriately setting the type, amount and timing of addition of the polysaccharide-degrading enzyme such as transglucosidase. Accordingly, the temperature (increase or decrease) or pressure of the fermented liquid may be changed during the fermentation process.

After alcoholic fermentation, the yeast is removed with a filter or the like, and additives such as water, flavors, acidulants, and pigments may be added as necessary.

The beer-taste beverage thus obtained is filled in a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a product.
The method for packing the beer-taste beverage into a container is not particularly limited, and a container-packing method well known to those skilled in the art can be used. The beer-taste beverage is filled and sealed in the container by the container-packing process. A container of any shape and material may be used in the container filling step, and examples of the container are as described above.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited by these examples.
In addition, ΔE of each beverage was calculated from the following formula (I).
・ Formula (I): ΔE = (Eh - Ej - 0.952 x Ez) x 5
Methods of measuring Eh, Ej and Ez in the above formulas are as follows.

<Method for measuring Eh>
For each beverage, refer to the method described on pages 53-55 of MEBAK Wort Beer Beer-based Beverages (Published by the Chairman Dr. Fritz Jacob, 2013), and through the following operations (i) to (viii), each sample was prepared.
• Operation (i): Degas each beverage.
Operation (ii): Dispense 20 mL of ethanol into a centrifuge tube, add 5 mL of the solution after operation (i), and shake with a shaker for 10 minutes.
- Operation (iii): The solution after operation (ii) is centrifuged at 20 ° C. for 5 minutes at 2500 rpm using a centrifuge (manufactured by Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd., product name "CR22G"). I do.
- Operation (iv): The liquid layer of the solution after operation (iii) is removed to obtain a precipitate.
Operation (v): Add 10 mL of phosphate buffer to the precipitate after operation (iv), and shake for 10 minutes with the above shaker.
Operation (vi): The solution after operation (v) is centrifuged at 20° C. and 2500 rpm for 5 minutes using the above centrifugal separator.
Operation (vii): 3.2 mL of phosphate buffer is added to 0.8 mL of the centrifugal supernatant after operation (vi) to prepare a sample for Ez measurement.
Operation (viii): Add 200 μL of 0.02N iodine solution to the Ez measurement sample after operation (vii) to prepare an Eh measurement sample.
Then, the Eh measurement sample prepared through the above operations (i) to (viii) is placed in a 4 cm cuvette, and a spectrophotometer (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, product name “UV-2600”) is used to measure the The absorbance at 578 nm of the sample for Eh measurement was measured. Then, the measured value was defined as Eh in the above formula (I).

<Method for measuring Ej>
An Ej measurement sample prepared by adding 200 μL of 0.02N iodine solution to 4.0 mL of phosphate buffer is placed in a 4 cm cuvette, and the Ej measurement sample is measured at 578 nm using the above spectrophotometer. Absorbance was measured. Then, the measured value was defined as Ej in the above formula (I).

<Method for measuring Ez>
The Ez measurement sample prepared in the above operation (vii) was placed in a 4 cm cuvette, and the absorbance of the Ez measurement sample at 578 nm was measured using the above spectrophotometer. Then, the measured value was defined as Ez in the above formula (I).

Examples 1-4, Comparative Examples 1-3
<Preparation of beverage>
After putting the pulverized barley malt and the polysaccharide-degrading enzyme into a preparation tank containing 40 L of hot water maintained at 52°C, A saccharified solution was prepared by gradually raising the temperature while maintaining each temperature region of the high temperature region for a predetermined time (ranging from 1 minute to 60 minutes). For example, in Example 1, the temperature was increased stepwise by holding at 52° C. for 30 minutes, holding at 65° C. for 40 minutes, and holding at 76° C. for 5 minutes. After that, the malt cake was removed by filtration to obtain wort. Sucrose was added to the obtained wort so that the malt ratio shown in Table 1 was obtained, hops were further added, and the mixture was boiled. The wort after boiling is subjected to solid-liquid separation treatment, the obtained clear wort is cooled, yeast is added, and the fermentation temperature and fermentation time, the amount and timing of addition of polysaccharide degrading enzymes such as transglucosidase are determined. A fermented liquid was prepared by adjustment, and the fermented liquid was filtered to prepare a test beverage, which is beer.
In each example and comparative example, the type of enzyme, the amount and timing of addition, the set temperature and holding time of each temperature range when preparing the saccharified solution, fermentation conditions such as fermentation temperature and fermentation time, etc. It was set appropriately and adjusted so that the total amount of polyphenols and the alcohol content shown in Table 1 were obtained. In addition, the presence or absence of pretreatment of barley malt and the type of pretreatment, the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing the saccharified solution, the type of enzyme, the amount and timing of addition, and the fermentation temperature and fermentation time. Fermentation conditions such as were set appropriately, and each was adjusted so that ΔE shown in Table 1 was obtained.

<Sensory evaluation>
Regarding the obtained beverages, five panelists who had been trained on a daily basis evaluated each beverage's "presence or absence of difference in taste", "refreshingness after drinking" and "overall evaluation" based on the following score criteria. , in the range of 5 (maximum value) to 1 (minimum value), and evaluated in increments of 0.1, and the average score of the five panelists was calculated. Table 1 shows the results.
In the evaluation, samples conforming to the following criteria "5", "4", "3", "2" and "1" were prepared in advance to unify the criteria among the panelists. Moreover, in any of the sensory evaluations in Table 1, no difference in score value of 2.0 or more was observed between panelists for the same beverage.
[Score criteria for body presence/absence]
- "5": A very rich taste is felt, and it has a very good body feeling.
- "4": A good rich taste is felt, and it has a good body feeling.
- "3": Sufficiently rich taste is felt, and it has sufficient body feeling.
- "2": The taste is somewhat unsatisfactory, and the body feeling is slightly inferior.
・“1”: The taste is strongly unsatisfactory, and the body feeling is inferior.
[Score criteria for suppression of heaviness and residual taste]
· "5": No feeling of heaviness or unpleasant taste remaining, and the effect of suppressing these is very high.
- "4": Almost no feeling of heaviness or unfavorable taste remains, and the effect of suppressing these is high.
· "3": Slightly felt heavyness and residual unpleasant taste, but the effect of suppressing them is sufficient.
- "2": Some degree of feeling of heaviness and unfavorable taste remains, and the effect of suppressing these is insufficient.
・“1”: Strong heaviness and unfavorable residual taste, which are hardly suppressed.

From Table 1, it was found that the beers prepared in Examples 1 to 4 had a strong body (deep taste), but were sufficiently suppressed in heavyness and remaining unpleasant taste. On the other hand, although the beverages prepared in Comparative Examples 1 to 3 had a strong body, they were difficult to drink because they felt heavy and had an unpleasant taste.

Claims (7)

The malt ratio is 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less,
A beer-taste beverage having a ΔE calculated from the following formula (I) of 0.09 or less.
・ Formula (I): ΔE = (Eh - Ej - 0.952 x Ez) x 5
(In the above formula, Eh is the absorbance of the Eh measurement sample containing the beer-taste beverage, phosphate buffer, and iodine solution, and Ej is the absorbance of the Ej measurement sample containing the phosphate buffer and iodine solution. and Ez is the absorbance of the Ez measurement sample containing the beer-taste beverage and phosphate buffer.The absorbance is a value measured at 578 nm by placing each sample in a 4 cm cuvette.) The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein said beer-taste beverage is beer. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the raw wort extract concentration is 6.0% by mass or more. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has an alcohol content of 4.5 (v/v)% or more. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the total polyphenol content is 60 mass ppm or more based on the total amount of the beer-taste beverage. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the following steps (1) to (2).
- Step (1): A step of preparing a fermentation raw material liquid by saccharifying a mixture containing water and malt.
- Process (2): The process of adding yeast to the said fermentation raw material liquid, and performing alcoholic fermentation. 7. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 6, which does not have a step of adding grain-derived spirits.