JP7184551B2 - Method for producing alcoholic beverage - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for producing alcoholic beverages, and more particularly to a method for producing brewed liquor.

Alcoholic beverages refer to beverages containing a substantial amount of ethyl alcohol. Beverages with a volume alcohol content of 1% or more are defined as alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Law of Japan. This alcoholic beverage is an example of an alcoholic beverage. As used herein, the term "alcohol" means ethyl alcohol.

Conventional alcoholic beverages are roughly classified into brewed liquor, distilled liquor, and mixed liquor according to the manufacturing method. Brewed alcoholic beverages include beer, wine, and Japanese sake.

An important factor that determines the flavor of brewed liquor is the aroma component produced during fermentation. Aroma components are metabolites of yeast, and their types and amounts are determined depending on how the pre-fermentation liquid is fermented. The fermentation state of the pre-fermentation liquid varies depending on fermentation conditions such as the type of yeast, the type and amount of nutrients given to the yeast, the fermentation temperature, the fermentation time, and the amount of oxygen. In addition, the flavor means a taste combined with the aroma, and the aroma means an aroma.

Beer, which is a type of brewed liquor, is a beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, water, and the like using brewer's yeast as raw materials. Beer is a highly palatable beverage having malt aroma, fermentation aroma and sourness, hop aroma and bitterness, and moderate alcohol stimulation. However, some consumers do not like the aroma of beer, and the demand for beer with less aroma tends to increase.

Conventionally, as a method of adjusting the flavor of beer, a method of increasing the amount of amino acids assimilated by yeast in the fermentation process, or a method of aerating for a certain period of time during fermentation to promote fermentation is known.

In Patent Document 1, in a method for producing fermented alcoholic beverages such as beer and miscellaneous sake, a part of the raw material is a decomposition product of a protein raw material containing high assimilation of beer yeast such as wheat gluten or soybean protein, or It is described that the use of the preparation promotes fermentation by brewer's yeast and enhances the taste and flavor of fermented alcoholic beverages.

In Patent Document 2, corn protein hydrolyzate contains more leucine, which is one of the branched amino acids, than malt, etc., and when this is added as an amino acid source to the fermented liquid and yeast fermentation is performed, It is described that the isoamyl acetate content can be so high that a beer-like flavor can be imparted to fermented beverages using no or only a small amount of malt as an ingredient.

In Patent Document 3, in the production of a fermented malt beverage in which yeast is added to wort and fermented, fermentation is accelerated by performing aeration for a certain period of time during fermentation after adding yeast to the fermentation tank, and It describes the production of a fermented malt beverage with a well-balanced flavor and excellent flavor.

Amino acids are components that are metabolized by yeast to change into aroma components such as higher alcohols or esters, and impart a fermented aroma to beer. Amino acids are essential nutrients for yeast to grow, and if they are deficient, the yeast's metabolic function will be abnormal, and an unpleasant sulfur odor called an unfavorable fermentation odor is likely to occur. Non-Patent Document 1, page 233 describes that the necessary amount of α-amino nitrogen in wort is 20 mg/liter or more.

If the amount of amino acids in the wort is reduced by, for example, reducing the amount of malt used as a raw material to be saccharified, if the wort is fermented as it is, the umami and richness derived from the malt will be lost, and the fermentation will be sufficient. It does not proceed to fermentation, and an irregular fermentation odor is generated.

Therefore, when producing an alcoholic beverage using the brewing method, it is difficult to suppress the fermentation aroma without generating an unfavorable fermentation odor.

JP-A-2006-158268 JP 2012-105673 A JP 2003-102458 A

"Beer Brewing Technique" written by Hideo Miyaji, Shokuhin Sangyo Shimbun Co., Ltd., December 28, 1999, first edition, pp. 231-234

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the purpose thereof is to produce an alcoholic beverage that has a deep brew-derived flavor and drinkability, a suppressed fermentation aroma, and no fermentation impure odor. It is to provide a method.

The present invention provides an alcoholic beverage comprising the step of subjecting a pre-fermentation solution containing a carbon source and having an amino nitrogen concentration of 3.0 mg/100 ml or less to alcoholic fermentation using yeast to obtain a fermented solution. A manufacturing method is provided.

In one certain form, the carbon source is at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose.

In one certain form, the concentration of the amino nitrogen is less than 2.0 mg/100 ml.

In one form, the pre-fermentation liquid contains 2-20% (w/v) carbon source.

In one certain form, the manufacturing method of the said alcoholic beverage does not include the process of containing a pigment|dye.

In one certain form, the alcoholic beverage has a chromaticity of 1.0 EBC or less.

In one aspect, the alcoholic beverage has an alcohol concentration of 4-6% (v/v).

The present invention also includes a step of mixing any of the above alcoholic beverages and distilled liquor.

According to the method of the present invention, it is possible to produce an alcoholic beverage that has a deep brew-derived flavor and drinkability, a suppressed fermentation aroma, and no unpleasant aroma such as a sulfur smell.

[Carbon source]
The pre-fermentation liquid used in the method of the present invention contains a carbon source. As used herein, the carbon source refers to a carbohydrate that is ingested by yeast and used as nutrition during alcoholic fermentation. Carbon sources are generally monosaccharides, disaccharides and trisaccharides such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and maltotriose. Preferred carbon sources are glucose, maltose and sucrose. A more preferred carbon source is sucrose. A single type or a plurality of types of carbon sources may be used.

The pre-fermentation liquid may contain carbohydrates in addition to the carbon source. Carbohydrates that may be contained in the pre-fermentation liquid include, for example, polysaccharides of tetrasaccharides or more, oligosaccharides, starch hydrolysates, dietary fibers, and the like. These carbohydrates are not ingested by the yeast during alcoholic fermentation, remain in the fermented liquid even after the alcoholic fermentation, and enhance the body and texture of the resulting alcoholic beverage.

The amount of carbon source contained in the pre-fermentation liquid is appropriately determined in consideration of the alcohol concentration of the resulting alcoholic beverage. The alcoholic beverage of the present invention has an alcohol concentration of 1-10% (v/v). In such a case, the amount of carbon source contained in the pre-fermentation solution is 2-20% (w/v), preferably 4-16% (w/v), more preferably 8-12% (w/v). v).

[Amino Nitrogen]
The concentration of amino nitrogen in the pre-fermentation solution used in the method of the present invention is limited to 3.0 mg/100 ml or less. By fermenting in a state where there is almost no nitrogen source, unpleasant odors such as sulfur odor are suppressed, resulting in a light and refreshing aroma. If the amino nitrogen concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid is 3.0 to 10 mg/100 ml, an unpleasant sulfur smell is likely to occur. The amount of amino nitrogen contained in the pre-fermentation liquid is preferably less than 2.0 mg/100 ml, more preferably 1.0 mg/100 ml or less. The pre-fermentation liquid may not contain amino nitrogen.

Amino acids that can be used in the pre-fermentation solution are specifically those contained in starchy raw materials such as wheat, malt, corn, potato, rice and soybeans, those contained in yeast extract, and those contained in enzymatic decomposition products of proteins. things, etc.

[Manufacture of alcoholic beverages]
The production of the alcoholic beverage in the present invention is carried out according to the method and conditions that are usually used when producing general beer, except that the pre-fermentation liquid that satisfies the above conditions is used.

As a raw material for the pre-fermentation liquid, for example, an aqueous solution of water-soluble carbohydrates is used. Specific examples of water-soluble carbohydrates include saccharides, starch hydrolysates, dietary fibers, and the like. For the purpose of imparting or improving flavor, spices, herbs, fruits, etc. substantially free of amino acids and proteins may also be used as raw materials.

Dissolve the above water-soluble carbohydrates in drinking water and, if necessary, add amino acid-containing ingredients. At that time, the types and amounts of raw materials used are adjusted so that the concentrations of the carbon source and amino nitrogen satisfy the above conditions.

The resulting aqueous solution is boiled according to the method and conditions commonly used in beer production. For example, the aqueous solution is transferred to a boiling pot, hops are added, and the water is boiled. Hops may be mixed at any stage from the start of boiling to before the end of boiling. The boiled aqueous solution is transferred to a sedimentation tank called a whirlpool, and after removing hop residue and insoluble matter generated by boiling, it is cooled to an appropriate fermentation temperature with a plate cooler. A pre-fermentation liquid is obtained by the above boiling operation.

The pre-fermentation liquid is then fermented. Fermentation may be performed according to a conventional method. For example, the cooled saccharified liquid is inoculated with yeast, transferred to a fermentation tank, and fermented. The type of yeast ingested in the pre-fermentation liquid is selected in consideration of the desired flavor. The yeast used for fermentation is preferably brewer's yeast, more preferably bottom-fermenting brewer's yeast.

The amount of yeast to be inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid varies depending on the fermentation conditions, but it is 5×10 ⁶ to 50×10 ⁶ , preferably 10×10 ⁶ to 45×10 6 , more preferably 10×10 6 to 45×10 ⁶ per 1 ml of pre-fermentation liquid. It is preferably selected from the range of 15×10 ⁶ to 40×10 ⁶ .

Fermentation temperature varies depending on fermentation conditions, but is selected from the range of 0 to 25°C, preferably 5 to 20°C, more preferably 10 to 15°C. The aroma of the resulting alcoholic beverage increases as the fermentation temperature increases. If the fermentation temperature exceeds 25°C, fermentation may not proceed normally depending on the type of yeast used.

The fermentation period varies depending on fermentation conditions, but is selected from the range of 1-20 days, preferably 2-10 days, more preferably 3-6 days.

Furthermore, as an aging step, the obtained fermented liquid is aged in a storage tank and stored under a low temperature condition of about 0° C. for stabilization. Next, as a filtration step, yeast and the like are removed by filtering the fermented liquid after maturation, and the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is obtained.

The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may further optionally contain additives commonly used in the field of alcoholic beverages, such as sweeteners, acidulants, vitamins, amino acids, water-soluble dietary fibers, flavors, stabilizers, emulsifiers and antifoaming agents. You may use the additive currently used. However, it is preferable that these additives do not affect the appearance of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, which has a suppressed flavor and low color.

Conventionally, in beer-taste beverages, pigments are used for the purpose of reproducing the appearance of beer. Colors used in beer-taste beverages include caramel color, safflower color, gardenia color, korian color, cochineal color, carrot color, publica color, red cabbage color, grape color, purple corn color, elderberry color, and beet color. , Red Koji pigment, Turmeric pigment, and the like, or Food Red No. 102, Food Red No. 104, Orange No. 201, Food Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 201. The pigment is mixed with the liquor before or after fermentation.

It is preferable not to use pigments in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention for the purpose of not affecting the low chromatic appearance.

The alcoholic beverages of the present invention have an alcohol concentration of 1-10% (v/v), preferably 2-8% (v/v), more preferably 4-6% (v/v).

Since the amino nitrogen contained in the pre-fermentation liquid is assimilated by the yeast, the amino nitrogen concentration in the fermentation liquid does not exceed the amino nitrogen concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid. The amino nitrogen concentration can be measured, for example, by the ninhydrin method (Beer Brewers Association: Beer Analysis Method, 8.18 (1990)).

Also, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention has a chromaticity of 3.0 EBC or less, preferably 2.0 EBC or less, more preferably 1.0 EBC or less. The chromaticity can be measured by the Analytica-EBC standard method of EBC (European Brewery Convention) or a method based thereon. EBC is a unit of chromaticity in beer analysis, and the intensity of the color of beer is numerically measured by a comparator with nine glass discs of EBC chromaticity, or based on absorbance at a wavelength of 430 nm. ).

The alcoholic beverage of the present invention does not emit an unpleasant aroma, has a suppressed fermentation aroma, and has a deep brew-derived flavor and a satisfying drinkability. However, the deep flavor and texture derived from brewing can be a negative factor in terms of drinkability. On the other hand, for example, distilled liquor is a beverage that has only the aroma derived from raw materials and processes, so it is easy to drink but does not have a pleasant feeling.

By mixing with distilled liquor, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention has a light taste in the latter half while having a drinking response derived from brewing, is easy to drink, and can realize a flavor that has not existed in conventional alcoholic beverages. can.

The distilled liquor to be mixed with the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains alcohol. For example, it may be alcohol for raw materials, spirits, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, tequila , gin, distilled liquor such as shochu. As the distilled liquor used in the present invention, the alcohol concentration can be increased without significantly affecting the taste of the beverage of the present invention. Sake is preferred, and raw material alcohol is more preferred.

The mixing ratio of the alcoholic beverage and distilled liquor of the present invention may be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the desired flavor. , preferably 2/8 to 8/2, more preferably 4/6 to 6/4.

<Example 1>
Addition of sucrose and yeast extract to drinking water yielded 0.1, 3.0, 5.2, 7.4 and 15.5 mg/100 ml with an extract concentration of 12% (w/w). Five types of sugar solutions were prepared, each having an amino nitrogen concentration.

After adding a predetermined amount of hops to the obtained sugar solution, it was boiled. Then, the sugar solution was transferred to a sedimentation tank to separate and remove the precipitate, and then cooled to about 8°C. A sugar solution was added to a fermenter with a volume of 200 L, and bottom-fermenting brewer's yeast was inoculated to 30×10 ⁶ cells/ml, and fermented at 10° C. for 7 days. By adjusting the amount of sucrose and hops, and the fermentation conditions, all of the five types of alcoholic beverages 1 to 5 obtained were 20B. U.S.A. and an alcohol concentration of 5% (v/v).

The amino nitrogen concentration of the alcoholic beverage 1 was measured by the ninhydrin method (Beer Brewers Association: Beer Analysis Method, 8.18 (1990)). The result was 0.1 mg/100 ml.

The chromaticity of Alcoholic Beverage 1 was measured according to the EBC (European Brewery Convention) Analytica-EBC standard method. The result was 0.6 EBC.

Also, an alcoholic beverage was produced in the same manner as above except that the fermentation temperature was changed to 15°C. The five alcoholic beverages 6-10 obtained were all 20B. U.S.A. and an alcohol concentration of 5% (v/v).

Concerning the aroma of each of the obtained alcoholic beverages, eight well-trained panelists specializing in beer evaluated the sulfur odor and the specific organoleptic aroma. The sulfur smell was evaluated on a 5-point scale, with a score of 1 indicating no sulfur smell and a score of 5 when the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the liquid was 30 ppb. Panelists commented on the specific sensory aspects of the scent. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[Table 1]

[Table 2]

Alcoholic beverages 1, 2, 6 and 7 are alcoholic beverages brewed using pre-fermentation solutions having amino nitrogen concentrations of 0.1 mg/100 ml and 3 mg/100 ml. They exhibited a light fruity odor and no sulfur odor.

Alcoholic beverages 3, 4, 8 and 9 are alcoholic beverages brewed using pre-fermentation solutions having amino nitrogen concentrations of 5.2 mg/100 ml and 7.5 mg/100 ml. They exhibited a sulfur odor.

Alcoholic beverages 5 and 10 are alcoholic beverages brewed using a pre-fermentation liquid having an amino nitrogen concentration of 15.5 mg/100 ml. These showed fermented incense such as ginjo incense and yeast incense.

<Example 2>
A 5% (v/v) aqueous solution of alcohol was prepared by diluting the starting alcohol with drinking water. This 5% (v / v) alcohol aqueous solution and the alcoholic beverage 1 (alcohol content 5% (v / v)) produced in Example 1 are mixed at a predetermined volume ratio, and the mixing ratio is changed. made liquor.

[Table 3]
Mixing ratio of alcoholic beverage 1 and aqueous alcohol solution

Regarding the flavor of each alcoholic beverage obtained, three well-trained panelists specializing in beer evaluated and scored the complex taste, response, ease of drinking, and overall balance. Complex taste refers to a complex and deep flavor derived from brewing. The scoring criteria for each evaluation item are as follows.

(complex taste)
5: very strong 4: strong 3: somewhat strong 2: somewhat weak 1: weak

(Drinkable)
5: very strong 4: strong 3: somewhat strong 2: somewhat weak 1: weak

(ease of drinking)
5: Very easy to drink 4: Easy to drink 3: Somewhat strong 2: Slightly difficult to drink 1: Difficult to drink

(Overall balance)
5: Very good 4: Good 3: Neutral 2: Somewhat bad 1: Bad

The average score of all the panelists was adopted as the evaluation value. Table 4 shows the results.

[Table 4]

With reference to Table 4, alcoholic beverage A is excellent in complex taste and drinkability, but inferior in ease of drinking. The 5% (v/v) alcohol aqueous solution E is excellent in drinkability, but lacks complex taste and drinkability. By mixing the alcoholic beverage A and the 5% (v / v) aqueous alcohol solution E at a ratio in the range of 20/80 to 80/20, the complex taste of the alcoholic beverage, the response and the ease of drinking. I was able to find a balance.

<Example 3>
A sugar solution having an extract concentration of 12% (w/w) and an amino nitrogen concentration of 0.1 mg/100 ml was prepared by adding sucrose and yeast extract to drinking water. The resulting sugar solution was filtered using a wort filter tank. After adding a predetermined amount of hops to the filtered sugar solution, it was boiled. Then, the sugar solution was transferred to a sedimentation tank to separate and remove the precipitate, and then cooled to about 7°C. A sugar solution was added to a 2-liter fermentation tank, and bottom-fermenting yeast was inoculated to 20×10 ⁶ cells/ml, and fermented at 10° C. for 7 days.

In the above process, by adjusting the amounts of sucrose and hops and fermentation conditions, 20B. U.S.A. and alcohol concentrations of 2, 4, 6 and 8% (v/v).

2, 4, 6 and 8% (v/v) aqueous solutions of alcohol were prepared by diluting the starting alcohol with drinking water. These aqueous alcohol solutions and alcoholic beverages having the same alcohol concentration as produced were mixed at a predetermined volume ratio to produce mixed alcoholic beverages with varying alcohol concentrations and mixing ratios.

[Table 5]
Mixed liquor formula

Regarding the flavor of each alcoholic beverage obtained, four well-trained panelists specializing in beer evaluated and scored the response, ease of drinking, and complex taste. The scoring criteria for each evaluation item are as described above. The average score of all the panelists was adopted as the evaluation value. Table 6 shows the results.

[Table 6]

With reference to Table 6, in a mixed liquor with a proportion of the alcoholic beverage (brewed product) of the present invention of 20 to 80% and an alcohol concentration of 4 to 6% (v / v), the drinkability, ease of drinking, flavor The results showed a good balance in the three items of complexity, and a high average score.

Claims (8)

A method for producing an alcoholic beverage, comprising the step of subjecting a pre-fermentation liquid having an amino nitrogen concentration of 1.0 mg/100 ml or less and containing a carbon source to alcoholic fermentation using brewer's yeast to obtain a fermented liquid. . 2. The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, wherein said carbon source is at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose. The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pre-fermentation liquid contains amino acids contained in wheat, malt, corn, potato, rice, soybean, yeast extract, and enzymatic decomposition product of protein. The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pre-fermentation liquid contains 2 to 20% (w/v) of carbon sources. The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which does not include the step of containing a pigment. The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the alcoholic beverage has a chromaticity of 3.0 EBC or less. The method for producing an alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the alcoholic beverage has an alcohol concentration of 4 to 6% (v/v). A method for producing an alcoholic beverage, comprising the step of mixing the alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and distilled liquor.