JP7234443B2 - Top-fermented beer-taste beverage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to top-fermented beer-taste beverages.

Conventionally, various beer-taste beverages have been developed and distributed on the market in response to recent diversified tastes of consumers.
For example, in Patent Document 1, for the purpose of providing a beer-taste beverage having beer-like bitterness and aftertaste without using hops, quasine of 0.3 to 5 ppm and / and 0.5 to 5 p
An invention is described for a beer-tasting beverage comprising pm quinine.

JP 2017-6077 A

Under these circumstances, there is a demand for novel beer-taste beverages that have various characteristics typical of beer-taste beverages (for example, taste, rich aroma, and high-quality bitterness).

The present invention provides the following aspects [1] to [15].
[1]
The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL ,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
A top-fermented beer-taste beverage that uses corn grits as an ingredient.
[2]
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage [3] according to [1] above, wherein the usage ratio (X) of corn grits is 1 to 28% by mass based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops.
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to the above [1] or [2], which is a beverage using malt as a raw material.
[4]
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to [3] above, wherein the malt usage ratio (Y) is 80% by mass or less based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops.
[5]
[3] or [4] above, wherein the ratio [(Y)/(X)] of the malt use ratio (Y) and the corn grits use ratio (X) is 0.1 to 80.0. Top-fermented beer-taste beverage.
[6]
[3] to [5] above, wherein the total usage ratio of the corn grits usage ratio (X) and the malt usage ratio (Y) is 20 to 100% by mass based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of the items.
[7]
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein the content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g/100 mL or more.
[8]
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [7] above, which has an original extract concentration of 5.0 to 20.0% by mass.
[9]
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [8] above, which has a free amino nitrogen concentration of 3.5 to 16.0 mg/100 mL.
[10]
A method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [9] above, comprising the following steps (1) to (2).
- Step (1): A step of subjecting a raw material containing water, malt, and corn grits to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and removal of solids to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.
- Step (2): A step of adding top-fermenting yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to perform alcoholic fermentation.
[11]
The method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to [10] above, further comprising the following step (3).
- Step (3): a step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of the total nitrogen content and the bitterness value.
[12]
The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL ,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
A top-fermented beer-taste beverage having an original extract concentration of 5.0 to 20.0% by mass.
[13]
The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL ,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
A top-fermented beer-taste beverage having a free amino nitrogen concentration of 3.5 to 16.0 mg/100 mL.
[14]
The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL ,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
A top-fermented beer-taste beverage having a ratio of original extract concentration (unit: mass %) to total nitrogen content (unit: mg/100 mL) [original extract concentration/total nitrogen] of 0.050 to 0.900.
[15]
The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL ,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
The ratio of free amino nitrogen concentration (unit: mg/100 mL) to total nitrogen content (unit: mg/100 mL) [free amino nitrogen concentration/total nitrogen] is 0.010 to 0.800. Fermented beer-taste beverage.

The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one preferred aspect of the present invention can be a beverage with improved characteristics typical of beer-taste beverages (taste, rich aroma, high-quality bitterness, etc.), and is a further preferred aspect of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage. In addition to these properties, beer-taste beverages can, for example, reduce the feeling of fullness when drunk and suppress wateriness that is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages.

1. Top-Fermented Beer-Taste Beverages As used herein, the term “top-fermented beer-taste beverages” refers to alcohol-containing or A non-alcoholic carbonated drink.
Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention has an alcohol content of 1 (v/
v)% or more alcohol-containing top-fermented beer-taste beverage, or non-alcoholic top-fermented beer-taste beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 (v/v)%.
The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be a non-alcoholic fermented beer-taste beverage produced by removing the alcohol generated in the fermentation process after the fermentation process, and the fermentation process using yeast may be performed by removing alcohol. It may be a beverage produced by stopping at a level of less than 1 (v/v)%.
In addition, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a malt-using beer-taste beverage that uses malt as a raw material, or may be a malt-free top-fermented beer-taste beverage that does not use malt. However, top-fermented beer-taste beverages using malt are preferred, and top-fermented beer-taste beverages using barley malt are more preferred.
And the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention includes spirits, whiskey,
It may be a distilled liquor-containing beer-taste beverage containing distilled liquor such as shochu, and among these, a spirits-containing top-fermented beer-taste beverage is preferable.

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

The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention has a total nitrogen content of 5 to 85 mg/100 m
L or less, has a bitterness value of 5 to 40 BUs, and uses corn grits as a raw material,
It is a beer-taste drink.

Common beer-taste beverages contain nitrogen compounds such as proteins and amino acids. Beer-taste beverages containing a large amount of these nitrogen compounds are likely to give a feeling of fullness when drunk, and are also a factor in causing a decrease in drinkability. Here, by reducing the content of nitrogen compounds in beer-taste beverages, it is possible to reduce the feeling of fullness when drinking.
At the same time, wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages tends to stand out. In addition, a new problem may arise in that various properties required for beer-taste beverages, such as taste, rich aroma, and good bitterness, are lowered.
In order to solve such problems, the present inventors conducted various studies. As one solution to the problem, in a beer-taste beverage with a reduced total nitrogen content derived from nitrogen compounds,
By adjusting the bitterness value to a predetermined range and using corn grits as a raw material to make a beverage that has been top-fermented, it reduces the feeling of fullness when drunk, while maintaining the wateriness that is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages. The inventors have found that it is possible to obtain a beverage with improved characteristics (taste, rich aroma, high-quality bitterness, etc.) typical of beer-taste beverages. A top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention was completed based on this finding.
As another solution to the above problem, in a beer-taste beverage in which the total nitrogen content derived from nitrogen compounds is reduced, the bitterness value and the concentration of the original extract and/or the concentration of free amino nitrogen are adjusted within a predetermined range. A top-fermented beer-taste beverage may also be used. Therefore, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of another aspect of the present invention includes those completed based on the findings.

The total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is 85 mg/100 mL or less, but from the viewpoint of further reducing the feeling of fullness when drinking and making it a beer-taste beverage with excellent drinkability, And, from the viewpoint of a beer-taste beverage that can further enhance the effect of improving the rich aroma by top fermentation, it is preferably 80 mg / 100 mL or less, more preferably 77 mg / 100 mL or less, even more preferably 75 mg / 100 mL or less, even more preferably. 70 mg/100 mL or less, particularly preferably 65 mg/100 mL or less,
Furthermore, 60 mg/100 mL or less, 55 mg/100 mL or less, or 50 mg/100
It is good also as less than mL.
In addition, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that can further enhance the effect of improving the taste associated with the adjustment of the bitterness value and the content of 1 to 3 sugars, the total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is 5 mg. /100 mL or more, preferably 10 mg/100 mL or more,
more preferably 15 mg/100 mL or more, still more preferably 20 mg/100 mL or more,
Even more preferably 25 mg/100 mL or more, particularly preferably 30 mg/100 mL or more, furthermore, 35 mg/100 mL or more, 37 mg/100 mL or more, or 40 mg/100 mL or more
g/100 mL or more.

In the present invention, the "total nitrogen content" is the total amount of all nitrogen compounds such as proteins and amino acids.
The total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention can be controlled by adjusting the amount of raw materials that can be assimilated by yeast. Specifically, the total nitrogen content can be reduced by reducing the amount of malt or the like with a high nitrogen content. Raw materials with a high nitrogen content include, for example, malt, soybeans, yeast extract, peas, and ungerminated grains. Examples of ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats,
Pigeon barley, oat barley, soybeans, peas and the like can be mentioned.
In addition to the items related to raw materials, the total nitrogen content depends on the type of enzyme, amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzyme) added, timing of enzyme addition, protein decomposition time in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation tank, barley Set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing soup, boiling time and pH in boiling process, original extract concentration in pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration in fermentation process, fermentation conditions (yeast variety, addition of yeast It can also be adjusted by appropriately setting factors such as the amount of yeast, the number of yeast multiplied, the timing of removing the yeast, the fermentation temperature, the fermentation time, the pressure setting, and the like.
In this specification, the total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage is, for example, revision B
COJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan〔
Analysis Committee] Edited 2013 Supplementary Revision).

From the viewpoint of producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage in which the total nitrogen content is adjusted to the above range, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a beverage using malt as a raw material.
From the above viewpoint, in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the ratio (Y) of malt used is 80% by mass or less based on the total amount (100% by mass) of raw materials excluding water and hops.
75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less,
Alternatively, it may be 50% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more.
In this specification, the usage ratio (Y) of malt can be calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Act and liquor administration-related laws and regulations, etc., which came into force on April 1, 2018.

The bitterness value of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is 5 BUs or more, but preferably, from the viewpoint of making the beer-taste beverage improved in balance between the rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages and the high-quality bitterness. 7 BUs or more, more preferably 9 BUs or more, still more preferably 12 BUs or more, even more preferably 15 BUs or more, particularly preferably 17 BUs or more
BUs or more, and from the viewpoint of suppressing bitterness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages and producing beer-taste beverages with good bitterness, it is 40 BUs or less, preferably 35 B
Us or less, more preferably 32 BUs or less, more preferably 30 BUs or less, still more preferably 28 BUs or less, even more preferably 27 BUs or less, and particularly preferably 25 BUs or less.

The bitterness value of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is an indicator of the bitterness imparted by the hop-derived component containing isohumulone as the main component.
And it can be controlled by appropriately adjusting the timing of addition.
In addition, in this specification, the "bitterness value" of a beverage is defined as "8 .15 Bitterness value".

The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention reduces the feeling of fullness when drunk, suppresses wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages, and improves the taste. It is preferred to use corn grits as raw material.
In the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the usage ratio of corn grits (
X) is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and still more preferably It is 7% by mass or more, more preferably 9% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 10% by mass or more, and suppresses grain-like aroma and has a beer-taste beverage with a rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages. Therefore, it is preferably 28% by mass or less, more preferably 26% by mass or less, still more preferably 25% by mass or less, still more preferably 23% by mass or less, particularly preferably 20% by mass or less, and further preferably 18% by mass or less. , 17% by mass or less, 1
It may be 6% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less.
In this specification, the usage ratio (X) of corn grits can be calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Act and Liquor Administration Related Laws and Regulations, etc., which came into force on April 1, 2018.

In addition, in the beverage with a reduced total nitrogen content, from the viewpoint of further improving the taste and making it a beer-taste beverage having a rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention contains raw materials As the preferred, corn grits and malt are used.
From the above point of view, the ratio of the malt usage ratio (Y) and the corn grits usage ratio (X) [(Y
)/(X)] is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.3 or more, more preferably 0
. 5 or more, more preferably 0.7 or more, even more preferably 0.9 or more, particularly preferably 1.2 or more, and furthermore, 1.3 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.7 or more, 2.0 above, 2.3
2.5 or more, 2.7 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.3 or more, or 3.5 or more, preferably 80.0 or less, more preferably 70.0 or less, more preferably is 60.
0 or less, more preferably 50.0 or less, even more preferably 40.0 or less, particularly preferably 30.0 or less, and further 27.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 22.0 or less, 20.0
18.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.0
7.0 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, or 5.0 or less.

In addition, in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the usage ratio (X) of corn grits and the usage ratio of malt are used from the viewpoint of making the beverage with a further improved taste in the beer-taste beverage with a reduced total nitrogen content. The total usage ratio of (Y) is preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 23% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, and still more preferably 27% by mass or more, based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops. , More preferably 30% by mass or more, particularly preferably 35% by mass or more, furthermore, 40% by mass or more, 42% by mass or more,
45% by mass or more, 47% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 52% by mass or more, 55% by mass or more,
Or it may be 57% by mass or more, and 100% by mass or less, 98% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 93% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 88% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 83% by mass or less , 80% by mass or less, 78% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 73% by mass or less, or 70
% by mass or less.

The original extract concentration of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage, suppressing the wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages and improving the taste. From the viewpoint of an improved beverage, preferably 5.0% by mass or more, more preferably 6.0% by mass or more, more preferably 7.0% by mass or more, still more preferably 8.0% by mass or more, even more preferably is 9.0% by mass or more, more preferably 10.0% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 11.0% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of a beer-taste beverage, preferably 2
0.0% by mass or less, more preferably 18.0% by mass or less, more preferably 17.0% by mass
Below, it is more preferably 16.0% by mass or less, still more preferably 15.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 14.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 13.0% by mass or less.

In addition, in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the total nitrogen content (unit: mg
/100 mL) to the original extract concentration (unit: mass %) [original extract concentration/total nitrogen content] suppresses the wateriness that is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages and improves the taste. From the viewpoint, it is preferably 0.050 or more, more preferably 0.100 or more, more preferably 0.120 or more, still more preferably 0.150 or more, still more preferably 0.170 or more, and particularly preferably 0.200 or more. , and furthermore, 0.210 or more, 0.210 or more.
It may be 220 or more, 0.230 or more, 0.240 or more, 0.250 or more, or 0.260 or more, and it is a beer-taste beverage that further reduces the feeling of fullness when drunk and has excellent drinkability. From the viewpoint of, preferably 0.900 or less, more preferably 0.80
0 or less, more preferably 0.700 or less, still more preferably 0.600 or less, even more preferably 0.500 or less, particularly preferably 0.450 or less, furthermore 0.420 or less, 0.400 or less, It may be 0.370 or less, 0.360 or less, 0.350 or less, 0.340 or less, or 0.330 or less.

As used herein, the “original extract concentration” 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, the original volume of 100 cm at a temperature of 15 ° C. ³ refers to the number of grams of non-volatile components contained in
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)).

The concentration of free amino nitrogen in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 3.5 mg from the viewpoint of suppressing the wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages and improving the taste of the beverage. /100 mL or more, more preferably 4.0 mg/100 mL or more, more preferably 4.5 mg/100 mL or more, still more preferably 5.0 mg/100 mL or more, still more preferably 6.0 mg/100 mL or more, still more preferably6. 5 mg/100 mL
above, more preferably 7.0 mg/100 mL or more, particularly preferably 7.5 mg/1
00 mL or more, and furthermore, 8.0 mg/100 mL or more, 8.3 mg/100 mL or more, 8.5 mg/100 mL or more, 8.7 mg/100 mL or more, or 8.9 mg/10
It may be 0 mL or more, and it is preferably 16.0 mg / 100 mL or less, more preferably 15.0 mg / 100 mL or less, more preferably 14.0 mg/10
0 mL or less, more preferably 13.5 mg/100 mL or less, particularly preferably 13.
0 mg/100 mL or less, further 12.5 mg/100 mL or less, 12.0 mg
/100 mL or less, 11.5 mg/100 mL or less, 11.0 mg/100 mL or less, 1
It may be 0.5 mg/100 mL or less, or 10.0 mg/100 mL or less.

In the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the total nitrogen content (unit: mg/10
0 mL) to free amino nitrogen concentration (unit: mg/100 mL) [free amino nitrogen concentration/total nitrogen] suppresses wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages and improves taste. From the viewpoint of making a drink, preferably 0.010 or more, more preferably 0.030
above, more preferably 0.050 or more, still more preferably 0.070 or more, even more preferably 0.100 or more, particularly preferably 0.120 or more, and further preferably 0.130 or more,
0.140 or more, 0.150 or more, 0.160 or more, 0.170 or more, 0.180 or more,
Or it may be 0.190 or more, and it is preferably 0.800 or less, more preferably 0.700, from the viewpoint of further reducing the feeling of fullness when drinking and making a beer-taste beverage with excellent drinkability. or less, more preferably 0.600 or less, still more preferably 0.50
0 or less, more preferably 0.400 or less, particularly preferably 0.350 or less, and further 0.300 or less, 0.280 or less, 0.270 or less, 0.260 or less, 0.250
Below, it may be 0.240 or less, or 0.230 or less.

As used herein, the free amino nitrogen concentration is the method described in "8.18 Free amino acid nitrogen (IM) ninhydrin colorimetric method" of the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (edited by the International Technical Committee of the Beer Brewers Association, 2013). can be measured in
In addition, the concentration of free amino nitrogen is, for example, the type of raw material (malt, corn grits, etc.),
Type of enzyme, amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzyme) added, timing of enzyme addition, proteolytic time in the brewing tank, pH in the brewing tank, set temperature for each temperature range when preparing wort, and Retention time, boiling time and pH in the boiling process, original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation solution, original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature , fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) can be set and adjusted as appropriate. For example, in the process of preparing raw materials, prolonging the decomposition time of proteins contained in raw materials such as malt promotes the decomposition of proteins and increases the concentration of free amino nitrogen. On the other hand, in the fermentation process, by increasing the yeast concentration or raising the fermentation temperature, the amount of amino acids consumed by the yeast increases and the concentration of free amino nitrogen can be reduced.

In the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the beverage with a reduced total nitrogen content further improves the taste, and from the viewpoint of making the beverage more improved in the good-quality bitterness typical of beer-taste beverages, monosaccharides, The content of sugars selected from disaccharides and trisaccharides (hereinafter referred to as "1 to 3
Also referred to as "sugar content") is preferably 0.40 g / 100 mL or more, more preferably 0
. 42 g/100 mL or more, more preferably 0.45 g/100 mL or more, still more preferably 0.47 g/100 mL or more, even more preferably 0.50 g/100 mL or more, particularly preferably 0.55 g/100 mL or more, and 0.60 g/100 mL or more,
0.70 g/100 mL or more, 0.80 g/100 mL or more, 0.90 g/100 mL or more, or 1.00 g/100 mL or more, and 5.0 g/100 mL or less,
4.5 g/100 mL or less, 4.0 g/100 mL or less, 3.5 g/100 mL or less, 3
. 0 g/100 mL or less, 2.5 g/100 mL or less, 2.0 g/100 mL or less, 1.
8 g/100 mL or less, 1.7 g/100 mL or less, 1.6 g/100 mL or less, 1.5
g/100 mL or less, or 1.4 g/100 mL or less.

In this specification, the 1-3 sugar content means the total sugar content of glucose, sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, maltotriose, isomalttriose, and fructose contained in the beverage. , the content of these sugars can be measured, for example, by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
In addition, the content of 1 to 3 sugars in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is adjusted by adjusting the amount and ratio of sweeteners such as liquid sugar containing 1 to 3 sugars and grains used as raw materials, Adjusting the type of enzyme (type of raw material containing the enzyme, etc.), the amount of enzyme added, and the timing of adding the enzyme, and adjusting the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing the saccharified solution. , Fermentation process conditions (yeast variety, amount of yeast added, timing of yeast addition, timing of yeast removal, timing of yeast reduction, yeast growth number, yeast growth time, yeast activity, yeast size (cell size ), oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) can be adjusted to a desired content.

As described above, the top-fermented 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.
In the case of an alcohol-containing beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is 1.0 (v/v)% or more, 1.5 (v/v)% or more; 0 (v/v)% or more, 2.5 (v/v)% or more, 3.0 (v/v)% or more,3.
5 (v/v)% or more, 4.0 (v/v)% or more, 4.5 (v/v)% or more, 5.0 (v/v)
v)% or more, 5.5 (v/v)% or more, or 6.0 (v/v)% or more,
20.0 (v/v)% or less, 17.0 (v/v)% or less, 15.0 (v/v)% or less, 13.0 (v/v)% or less, 12.0 ( v/v)% or less, 11.0 (v/v)% or less, 10.0 (v/v)% or less, 9.0 (v/v)% or less, or 8.0 (v/v)% can be:
In addition, in this specification, the alcohol content is a volume / volume-based percentage ((v / v)%
). 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 top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, in order to adjust the alcohol content, it is conceivable to further include spirits derived from cereals as an alcohol component for adjustment.
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 top-fermented 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 with good taste.

Moreover, from the same viewpoint as above, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably beer.
As used herein, the term “beer” refers to malt, hops, and water as raw materials.
Refers to a beverage obtained by fermentation using yeast, specifically defined in the Liquor Tax Act and Liquor Administration Related Laws and Regulations Interpretation Notice effective April 1, 2018.
That is, when the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is beer, the alcohol content is adjusted by a fermentation process using yeast.

The pH of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2.0 to 5.0, more preferably 3.0 to 4.6, and still more preferably 4.0 to 4.0. 55
is. If the pH of the beer-taste beverage is 4.5 or less, the generation of microorganisms can be suppressed, and p
If H is 2.0 or more, the flavor of the beverage is likely to be improved.

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

1.1 Ingredients As main ingredients of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, malt may be used together with water and corn grits, or malt may not be used. Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage using hops or a beverage without hops as a raw material, but preferably a beverage using hops. .
In addition, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fibers, bittering agents or bitterness imparting agents, antioxidants, flavors, acidulants, salts, and the like may be used.

1.1.1 Malt, when malt is used as a cereal raw material other than malt , the malt refers to germinated seeds of barley, wheat, rye, oat, oat, pigeon, oat, etc. It refers to dried and rooted plants, and any production areas and varieties may be used.
Barley malt is preferable as the malt used in one aspect of the present invention. 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 regular malt,
Colored malt and the like 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.
In addition, in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the malt to be used is preferably appropriately selected according to the desired chromaticity of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage. There may be one, or two or more may be used in combination.

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.

In addition, when malt is not used, top-fermented beer-taste beverages using liquid sugar containing a carbon source, amino acid-containing materials such as the above-mentioned grains other than malt (for example, soybean protein, etc.) as a nitrogen source are mentioned. be done.

In one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage with excellent taste, it is preferable that the amount of barley used before malting is as small as possible.
The above-mentioned "malting" means the process of germinating barley to produce malt. For example, barley
After going through the malting process, it becomes barley malt. By malting barley through the malting process, umami can be imparted, and by using malt, a beer-taste beverage with a rich taste can be obtained. On the other hand, top-fermented beer-taste beverages using barley before malting have poor taste. In particular, a beverage using barley before malting may become a beverage with a pronounced cereal-like aroma, which is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages.
From the above viewpoint, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is preferably a barley-free beer-taste beverage that does not substantially use barley before malting, and at least substantially barley before malting. It is more preferable that the barley-free beer-taste beverage is not used for alcohol.

In this specification, the provision that "pre-manufacturing barley (barley) is not substantially used" is a provision that denies the use of pre-manufacturing barley (barley) for a predetermined purpose, It is not a provision that denies even the manner in which unintentionally or unavoidably unmanufactured wheat (barley) is mixed or present in raw materials.
However, in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, barley before malting (barley)
is preferably as low as possible. Specifically, the proportion of wheat (barley) used before malting is unintentionally or unavoidably mixed or present in 100 parts by mass of malt used as a raw material. , usually less than 20 parts by mass, but less than 10 parts by mass,
It may be less than 5 parts by weight, less than 1 part by weight, less than 0.1 parts by weight, less than 0.01 parts by weight, less than 0.001 parts by weight, or less than 0.0001 parts by weight.

1.1.2 Hops When hops are used in one aspect of the present invention, examples of the form of the hops include pellet hops, powdered hops, and hop extracts. As the hops to be used, processed hops such as isoformed hops and reduced hops may be used.
When hops are used in one aspect of the present invention, the amount of hops added is preferably adjusted as appropriate so that the bitterness value falls within the above range.

1.1.3 Preservative The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage containing a preservative.
Preservatives used in one embodiment of the present invention include, for example, benzoic acid; benzoates such as sodium benzoate; benzoate esters such as propyl parahydroxybenzoate and butyl parahydroxybenzoate; and dimethyl dicarbonate. Moreover, as a preservative, a commercially available preparation such as Strong Samprezer (a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate, manufactured by San-Eigen FFI Co., Ltd.) may be used.
These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

When a preservative is blended in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the amount of the preservative is preferably 5 to 1200 ppm by mass, more preferably 10 to 1100 ppm by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 1000 ppm by mass. weight ppm, more preferably 20 to 900
mass ppm.

1.1.4 Sweetener The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage further containing a sweetener.
Sweeteners used in one embodiment of the present invention include commercially available saccharified solutions obtained by decomposing grain-derived starch with acids or enzymes, saccharides such as commercially available starch syrups, sugars of trisaccharides or higher, sugar alcohols, and natural sweeteners such as stevia. ingredients, artificial sweeteners, and the like.
These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
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.

1.1.5 Bittering agent and bitterness-imparting agent The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage further containing one or more selected from bittering agents and bitterness-imparting agents.
In the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the bitterness may be imparted by hops, and the following bittering agent or bitterness imparting agent may be used together with the hops.
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, bay leaf, quassin, caffeine, absinthine, naringin, citrus extract, bittern extract, coffee extract, tea extract, bitter gourd extract, lotus germ extract, aloe vera extract, stonecrop extract, lychee extract , laurel extract, sage extract, caraway extract and the like.
These bittering agents and bitterness-imparting agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.1.6 Antioxidant The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may further contain an antioxidant.
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.
These antioxidants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.1.7 Perfume The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage further containing a flavor.
Flavors are not particularly limited, and common beer flavors can be used. Beer flavors are used for beer-like flavoring.
Beer flavors include esters and higher alcohols, and specific examples include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, linalool, 4-vinylguaiacol and the like.
These perfumes may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.1.8 Acidulant The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be a beverage further containing an acidulant.
The acidulant is not particularly limited as long as it is a substance having a sour taste. salt.
Among these, at least one selected from tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid and salts thereof is preferable, and tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, At least one selected from tartaric acid, acetic acid and salts thereof is more preferred, and at least one selected from tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid and lactic acid is even more preferred.
These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In addition, in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the content of the acidulant is 5
000 mg/L or less, 4500 mg/L or less, 4000 mg/L or less, 3500 mg/L
3000 mg/L or less, 2500 mg/L or less, or 2000 mg/L or less.
In addition, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention preferably contains phosphoric acid from the viewpoint of imparting a refreshing feeling typical of beer-taste beverages, and the phosphoric acid content is preferably 50 mg/L or more. more preferably 100 mg/L or more, still more preferably 150 mg/L or more, and still more preferably 200 mg/L or more; More preferably 700 mg/L or less, still more preferably 650 mg/L or less, still more preferably 6
00 mg/L or less.
Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention preferably contains lactic acid from the viewpoint of imparting a beer-taste beverage-like taste, and the content of lactic acid is preferably 20 mg/L or more, more preferably 50 mg/L or more, more preferably 80 mg
/L or more, more preferably 100 mg/L or more, preferably 800 mg/L or less, more preferably 750 mg, from the viewpoint of suppressing sourness that is unsuitable for beer-taste beverages.
/L or less, more preferably 700 mg/L or less.

1.1.9 Salts The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be a beverage further containing salts.
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, and ammonium sulfate.
These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.2 Carbon dioxide The carbon dioxide contained in the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be carbon dioxide contained in raw materials, or may be obtained by mixing with carbonated water or adding carbon dioxide. May be dissolved.
The carbon dioxide gas generated in the fermentation process of the top-fermented 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.

The carbon dioxide gas concentration of the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is preferably 0.30.
(w/w)% or more, more preferably 0.35 (w/w)% or more, more preferably 0.40
(w/w)% or more, more preferably 0.42 (w/w)% or more, particularly preferably 0
. 45 (w/w)% or more, preferably 0.80 (w/w)% or less, more preferably 0.70 (w/w)% or less, still more preferably 0.60 (w/w)% )% or less, more preferably 0.57 (w/w) or less, and particularly preferably 0.55 (w/w) or less.
In this specification, the carbon dioxide gas concentration is measured by immersing the container containing the target beverage in a water tank at 20°C for 30 minutes or longer while occasionally shaking the beverage to adjust the temperature of the beverage to 20°C, and then measuring the gas volume. It can be measured using an apparatus (eg, GVA-500 (manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.)).

When the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention is a container-packed beverage, the carbon dioxide pressure of the container-packed beverage may be appropriately adjusted within the above range of carbon dioxide gas concentration, but is 5.0 kg.
/cm ² or less, 4.5 kg/cm ² or less, or 4.0 kg/cm ² or less, or 0.20 kg/cm ² or more, 0.50 kg/cm ² or more, or 1.0 kg/cm ² It is good as above. 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 more and 4.0 kg/c
m 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.

1.3 Other Additives Various additives may be added to the top-fermented 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. Proteins, peptide-containing materials such as collagen peptides, yeast extracts, 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.

1.4 Packaged Beverage The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention may be a packaged beverage packed in a container. Containers of any shape and material may be used for packaged beverages, and examples of containers include bottles, cans, barrels, and PET bottles. Bottles and PET bottles are preferred.

2 Method for Producing Top-Fermented Beer-Taste Beverage A method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it includes a step of adding top-fermenting yeast and carrying out alcoholic fermentation. .
As a specific method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention, for example,
A method having the following steps (1) to (2) may be mentioned.
- Step (1): A step of subjecting a raw material containing water, malt, and corn grits to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and removal of solids to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.
- Step (2): A step of adding top-fermenting yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to perform alcoholic fermentation.

In addition, it is preferable to further include the following step (3).
- Step (3): a step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of the total nitrogen content and the bitterness value.
Each step in the method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

2.1 Step (1)
Step (1) is a step of subjecting a raw material containing water, malt, and corn grits to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and removal of solids to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.
The malt used as a raw material is as described above, but malted barley is preferred.
In this step, the raw materials are put into a preparation pot or a preparation tank, and enzymes such as amylase and protease are added as necessary. Raw materials other than malt and corn grits include liquid sugar, hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, bittering agents or bitterness imparting agents, antioxidants, flavors, acidulants, salts, various additives such as pigments. may be added. 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.

The mixture of raw materials is heated to saccharify the starch of the raw materials to perform a saccharification treatment.
The temperature and time of the saccharification treatment are adjusted appropriately taking into account the type of malt used, the ratio of malt, water and raw materials other than malt, the type and amount of enzymes used, the concentration of the original extract in the final beverage, etc. preferably. For example, it is preferable that the saccharification treatment temperature is 55 to 75° C. and the saccharification treatment time is 30 to 240 minutes.

The saccharified liquid is preferably subjected to boiling treatment.
When using hops, a bittering agent, etc. as raw materials when performing this boiling treatment, 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. At this time, it is preferable to appropriately adjust various conditions of the boiling treatment (boiling temperature, boiling temperature, etc.) according to the bitterness value of the desired top-fermented beer-taste beverage.

After the boiling treatment is completed, it is preferable to transfer the product to a whirlpool to remove solids such as coagulated protein and hop residue. After the removal treatment with a whirlpool, cooling to 0 to 25° C.,
A pre-fermentation liquid is obtained.

Instead of the above saccharified solution, a pre-fermentation solution may be prepared by adding hot water to malt extract, adding hops, a bittering agent, etc., and subjecting the mixture to boiling treatment.
In addition, as various raw materials, liquid sugar containing a carbon source, nitrogen source as an amino acid-containing raw material other than wheat or malt, hops, dietary fiber, preservatives, sweeteners, antioxidants, bitterness imparting agents, flavors,
Acidulants, pigments, etc. may be mixed with hot water to prepare a liquid sugar solution, and the liquid sugar solution may be subjected to a boiling treatment to prepare a pre-fermentation liquid.
When hops are used, they may be added before the boiling process, or may be added between the start of boiling and before the end of boiling of the liquid sugar solution, depending on the bitterness value of the desired top-fermented beer-taste beverage. Adjusting is preferred.

2.2 Step (2)
Step (2) is a step of adding top-fermenting yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) and performing alcoholic fermentation.

The top-fermenting yeast may be added to the raw material solution as it is in yeast suspension, or a slurry obtained by concentrating the top-fermenting yeast by centrifugation or sedimentation may be added to the raw solution. Also, after centrifugation,
You may add what removed the supernatant completely. The amount of top-fermenting 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 alcoholic fermentation can be set as appropriate. For example, fermentation may be performed at a fermentation temperature of 5 to 25° C. for 5 to 10 days. Also, if necessary, the temperature (increase or decrease) or pressure of the fermented liquid may be changed during the fermentation process.
In addition, after the completion of this step, the yeast may be removed with a filter or the like, and additives such as water, flavor, acidulant, and pigment may be added as necessary.

In one aspect of the present invention, when producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content is 1 in step (2) without performing steps (4) and (5) described later.
By stopping the alcoholic fermentation at a stage of less than (v/v)%, the alcohol content becomes 1 (v/
v) % less than non-alcoholic fermentation beer taste beverages may be produced.

2.3 Step (3)
Step (3) is a step of checking and/or adjusting at least one of total nitrogen content and bitterness value.
In steps (1) and (2), the total nitrogen content and bitterness value are determined by
It can also be adjusted by appropriately setting preparation conditions (timing of addition of raw materials, etc.), yeast species, fermentation conditions, and the like. Therefore, in the step (3), it is preferable to measure these physical property values and confirm whether they are within the ranges described above. If these physical property values are out of the range, it is preferable to adjust by adding a component capable of adjusting each physical property value or by dilution.

The adjustment of each physical property value in this step may be performed in parallel with step (1) and/or step (2), or may be performed between step (1) and step (2). It may be performed after (2).
In addition, although confirmation of each physical property value in this step may be performed at any of the above timings, each physical property value is confirmed after step (2), and as a result, if there is a component that requires adjustment, , it is preferable to adjust the physical property values.

2.4 Step (4), Step (5)
When producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage as the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to further perform steps (4) and (5).
- Step (4): A step of removing alcohol from the fermentation liquid after step (3).
- Step (5): a step of adjusting the amount of carbon dioxide gas after step (4).

In step (4), the method of removing the alcohol produced by the fermentation step of step (2) is preferably a method of removing by heat treatment. As the conditions for the heat treatment, the same conditions as in the general method for producing a non-alcoholic top-fermented beer-taste beverage can be applied.
Moreover, after step (4), alcohol is removed from the solution, and carbon dioxide gas is also removed. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the amount of carbon dioxide by step (5).
As a method for adjusting the amount of carbon dioxide gas, it may be added by mixing the solution after step (4) with carbonated water, or carbon dioxide gas may be added directly to the solution after step (4). You may

The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention thus obtained is filled in a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a product.
The method for packaging the top-fermented beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and a packaging method well known to those skilled in the art can be used. The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is filled and sealed in a container by the container-packing step. A container of any shape and material may be used in the container-packing step, and examples of the container include the container described in "1.4 Container-packed Beverage".

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.

Examples 1 to 11, Comparative Example 1
<Preparation of beverage>
120 g of ground barley malt, corn grits, and enzymes, including proteolytic enzymes, in warm water
After the wort was put into a preparation tank containing L, the temperature was raised stepwise and held, and the malt cake was removed by filtration to obtain wort. After that, the wort was put into a boiling pot, liquid sugar and hops were further added, and the wort was boiled. The amounts of barley malt, corn grits, liquid sugar, and hops added were adjusted so that the ratio of each raw material used and the bitterness value shown in Tables 1 to 4 were obtained. After the boiling treatment, a solid-liquid separation treatment was performed, and the resulting clear wort was cooled and then aerated with oxygen to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid before addition of yeast.
Top-fermenting yeast is added as brewer's yeast to the pre-fermentation solution thus obtained, fermented at a predetermined fermentation temperature and fermentation time, and after an aging period of about one week, the yeast is filtered. They were removed to obtain top-fermented beer-taste beverages.
In each of the examples and comparative examples, the total nitrogen content, bitterness value, free amino nitrogen concentration, and the total content of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides, that is, "content of 1 to 3 saccharides" ,
The values shown in Tables 1 to 4 were adjusted in the following manner.
・Total nitrogen content: type of raw materials (malt, corn grits, etc.), type of enzyme, amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzyme) added, timing of enzyme addition, protein decomposition time in the preparation tank, pH in the preparation tank , the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort, the boiling time and pH in the boiling process, the original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, the original extract concentration in the fermentation process,
Fermentation conditions (yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) were set and adjusted as appropriate.
・Bitterness value: Adjusted by appropriately setting the type and amount of hops added, the timing of addition, and various conditions of boiling treatment (boiling temperature, boiling time, etc.).
・Concentration of free amino nitrogen: type of raw materials (malt, corn grits, etc.), type of enzyme, amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzyme) added, timing of enzyme addition, protein decomposition time in the brewing tank, in the brewing tank pH, set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort, 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 (yeast variety , Yeast addition amount, Yeast growth number, Yeast removal timing,
Fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) were appropriately set and adjusted.
・ Content of 1 to 3 sugars: Ratio of liquid sugar used, type of enzyme, amount of enzyme added, timing of enzyme addition, set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing saccharified solution, various aspects of fermentation process Conditions (yeast variety, amount of yeast added, timing of yeast addition, timing of yeast removal, timing of yeast reduction, yeast growth number, yeast growth time, yeast activity, yeast size (cell size), oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide Carbon concentration, nitrogen concentration, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) were appropriately set and adjusted.

<Sensory evaluation>
For the beverages obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples cooled to about 4 ° C., 5 who received training on a daily basis
Human panelists scored 3 (maximum value) based on the following score criteria for each beverage's "taste like a beer-taste beverage", "rich aroma like a beer-taste beverage" and "high-quality bitterness like a beer-taste beverage". The score was evaluated in increments of 0.1 in the range of ~1 (minimum value), and the average score of the five panelists was calculated. The results are shown in Tables 1-4.
In addition, when evaluating, samples that meet the following criteria "3.0", "2.5", "2.0", "1.5" and "1.0" are prepared in advance, and each panelist Standards were standardized.
Also, in any sensory evaluation in Table 1, for the same beverage, 1.0 between each panelist
No difference in the above score values was confirmed.
[Score criteria for beer-like beverages]
- "3.0": A beer-like beverage has a very strong taste.
- "2.5": A strong beer-taste beverage-like taste is felt.
- "2.0": A taste like a beer-taste beverage can be felt.
- "1.5": The taste like a beer-taste drink is not felt so much.
- "1.0": Almost no beer-taste beverage-like taste is felt.
[Score criteria for rich aroma that is typical of beer-taste beverages]
- "3.0": A rich aroma typical of a beer-taste beverage is perceived very strongly.
- "2.5": A rich aroma typical of a beer-taste beverage is felt strongly.
- "2.0": A rich aroma typical of a beer-taste beverage can be felt.
- "1.5": The rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages is not felt so much.
- "1.0": Almost no rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages can be sensed.
[Score criteria for high-quality bitterness typical of beer-taste beverages]
- "3.0": Very strong bitterness of good quality, which is typical of beer-taste beverages.
- "2.5": A high-quality bitterness typical of a beer-taste beverage is felt strongly.
- "2.0": A good quality bitterness like a beer-taste beverage is felt.
- "1.5": A high-quality bitterness typical of a beer-taste beverage is not felt so much.
- "1.0": Almost no good quality bitterness typical of a beer-taste beverage is felt.

Moreover, based on the average score of each of the above sensory evaluation items, the overall evaluation was evaluated in three stages according to the following criteria.
[Comprehensive evaluation of beer-taste beverages]
・“◯”: All the average scores of the inspected sensory evaluation items are 2.5 or higher.
・“△”: Not applicable to “○” and “×”.
- "x": Any one or more of the inspected sensory evaluation items have an average score of less than 2.0.

As can be seen from Tables 1 to 4, the top-fermented beer-taste beverages of Examples 1 to 11 were excellent in taste, rich aroma, and high-quality bitterness typical of beer-taste beverages. On the other hand, Comparative Example 1
The top-fermented beer-taste beverage of No. 2 was a beverage that did not have a high-quality bitterness typical of beer-taste beverages.

Example 12, Comparative Examples 2-4
In Example 12, a beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the original extract concentration and free amino nitrogen concentration were set to the values shown in Table 7.
In Comparative Example 2, a bottom-fermented beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that corn grits and liquid sugar were not used, and bottom-fermented yeast was used instead of top-fermented yeast.
In Comparative Example 3, without using corn grits, the ratio of liquid sugar used was changed to 51% by mass, the original extract concentration and free amino nitrogen concentration were set to the values shown in Table 7, and bottom-fermenting yeast was used instead of top-fermenting yeast. A bottom-fermented beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that .
In Comparative Example 4, a bottom-fermented beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that bottom-fermented yeast was used instead of top-fermented yeast.

Then, for the top-fermented beer-taste beverage of Example 1 and the bottom-fermented beer-taste beverage of Comparative Examples 2 and 3, which were cooled to about 4 ° C., eight panelists who had been trained on a daily basis were asked to test each beverage. “Presence or absence of satiety”, “presence or absence of wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages”
And for "rich aroma that seems to be a beer-taste beverage", based on the following score criteria, 3
The scores were evaluated in increments of 0.5 in the range of (maximum value) to 1 (minimum value), and the average score of the five panelists was calculated. Table 5 shows the results.
In addition, when evaluating, samples that meet the following criteria "3.0", "2.5", "2.0", "1.5" and "1.0" are prepared in advance, and each panelist Standards were standardized.
Also, in any sensory evaluation in Table 1, for the same beverage, 1.0 between each panelist
No difference in the above score values was confirmed.
[Score criteria for presence or absence of satiety]
- "3.0": Absolutely no feeling of fullness after drinking.
・"2.5": Almost no feeling of fullness after drinking.
- "2.0": Almost no feeling of fullness is felt after drinking.
・"1.5": A feeling of fullness is felt a little after drinking.
・“1.0”: A strong feeling of fullness is felt after drinking.
[Score criteria for the presence or absence of wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages]
- "3.0": Wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is not felt at all.
- "2.5": Almost no wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is felt.
- "2.0": Wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is hardly felt.
- "1.5": A little watery feeling unsuitable for beer-taste beverages.
- "1.0": Wateriness unsuitable for beer-taste beverages is felt strongly.
[Score criteria for rich aroma that is typical of beer-taste beverages]
- "3.0": A rich aroma typical of a beer-taste beverage is perceived very strongly.
- "2.5": A rich aroma typical of a beer-taste beverage is felt strongly.
- "2.0": A rich aroma typical of a beer-taste beverage can be felt.
- "1.5": The rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages is not felt so much.
- "1.0": Almost no rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages can be sensed.

As can be seen from Table 5, the top-fermented beer-taste beverages of Examples 1 and 12 were suppressed in satiety and inappropriate wateriness, and further had a rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages. On the other hand, the bottom-fermented beer-taste beverages of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 lacked the rich aroma typical of beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, the bottom-fermented beer-taste beverage of Comparative Example 2 has a large amount of total nitrogen, so it is a beverage that leaves a feeling of fullness. The result was that an inappropriate watery feeling was felt.

Claims (15)

The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
free amino nitrogen concentration is 3.5 ~ 16.0mg / 100mL,
The content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g / 100 mL or more,
Top-fermented beer-taste beverages using corn grits as a raw material (excluding beverages with a bitterness value of 5 to 28 BUs). The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
free amino nitrogen concentration is 4.9 ~ 16.0mg / 100mL,
The content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g / 100 mL or more,
Top-fermented beer-taste beverages using corn grits as a raw material (excluding beverages with a bitterness value of 5 to 28 BUs). The total nitrogen content is 5 to 85 mg / 100 mL,
The bitterness value is 5 to 40 BUs,
free amino nitrogen concentration is 3.5 ~ 16.0mg / 100mL,
The original extract concentration is 5.0 to 20.0% by mass,
The content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g / 100 mL or more,
Top-fermented beer-taste beverages using corn grits as a raw material (excluding beverages with a bitterness value of 5 to 28 BUs). The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is a beverage using malt as a raw material. 5. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to claim 4, wherein the ratio (Y) of malt used is 80% by mass or less based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops. The top fermentation according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the total usage ratio of the corn grits usage ratio (X) and the malt usage ratio (Y) is 50% by mass or more based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops. Beer-taste beverage. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the top-fermented beer-taste beverage is beer. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.50 g/100 mL or more. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 2 and 4 to 8 , wherein the original extract concentration is 5.0 to 20.0% by mass. The ratio of the original extract concentration (unit: mass %) to the total nitrogen amount (unit: mg/100 mL) [concentration of original extract/total nitrogen] is 0.050 to 0.900 . The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of the items. The ratio of free amino nitrogen concentration (unit: mg/100 mL) to total nitrogen content (unit: mg/100 mL) [free amino nitrogen concentration/total nitrogen] is 0.010 to 0.800. Item 11. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of items 1 to 10 . A beverage using corn grits and malt as raw materials,
According to any one of claims 1 to 11 , the ratio [(Y)/(X)] of the use ratio (Y) of malt and the use ratio (X) of corn grits is 0.1 to 80.0. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage described. A beverage using corn grits and malt as raw materials,
Any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the total usage ratio of the corn grits usage ratio (X) and the malt usage ratio (Y) is 20 to 100% by mass based on the total amount of raw materials excluding water and hops. The top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to the item. A method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , comprising the following steps (1) to (2).
- Step (1): a step of performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.
- Step (2): A step of adding top-fermenting yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to perform alcoholic fermentation. The method for producing a top-fermented beer-taste beverage according to claim 14 , further comprising the following step (3).
• Step (3): a step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of the total nitrogen content, bitterness value, and free amino nitrogen concentration.