JPH0117673B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a method for caring for a koji substrate in automatic mechanical koji production.

[Conventional technology]

In the process of making koji in the brewing industry, when seeds are planted in a koji substrate and kept under an environment of appropriate temperature and humidity,
After about 10 hours, fever occurs as the bacteria grow and reproduce, and the koji substrate pseudo-sets in about 17 to 20 hours. The care required during this time was simply to crush the pseudo-coagulated koji matrix into fine powder to ensure uniform aeration.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the case of soy sauce koji, etc., which uses protein as a koji substrate, the above-mentioned method causes cracks in the koji substrate, making it difficult to control the product temperature due to short passes of hot and humid air.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention aims to form grains within a range that allows for natural moisture dissipation from the koji matrix layer by means of grain formation care when performing the maintenance work necessary for the progress of koji growth in the koji production process. This is done to prevent mycelial breakage as much as possible, to improve ventilation, and to make it easier to control the product temperature using the latent heat of evaporation due to moisture dissipation. According to this invention, in the case of a starch-based koji substrate, appropriate adjustment of warm and humid air facilitates the internal breakdown of the koji mold into the koji substrate, thereby producing the koji with the pierced quality desired by sake brewers. It will be done.

Next, examples of the present invention will be explained separately for starch koji and protein koji.

Example 1 Starch koji for sake brewing In sake brewing, which is based on parallel multiple fermentation, top-grade koji was one of the important elements in relation to the product. Conventional machine-made koji has a high humidity in the culture chamber, making it relatively easy to produce koji that is completely destroyed, with a high enzyme titer and good alcoholization rate, but the product does not meet the demand for light sake. It tended to be a strong drink. In addition, in conventional machine-made koji, the estimated layer is approximately
Because the layer can grow as long as 25 cm, even if you set up a dry/humid chamber indoors, the heat generated inside the layer due to the growth of bacteria, that is, the internal moisture, could not be dissipated. Various efforts were made to solve this problem, but the purpose was not achieved. . Therefore, in this invention, the koji matrix is made into a granular or lumpy form that is easy to self-dissipate so that the internal moisture of the koji matrix can be naturally evaporated by means of particle formation, and the koji inside the sedimentary layer is collapsed vertically and brought indoors. In addition to being exposed to the air, ventilation is facilitated to facilitate natural dissipation of reproductive heat. Therefore, the surface moisture of the koji substrate is appropriately removed, and in order to suppress the proliferation of koji mold on the surface, the hyphae migrate to the interior of the rice grain, where there is a lot of moisture, and it is possible to form koji of the tsukihae type.

Experimental Example In the conventional cleaning method, the product temperature rose by 1 to 2°C during 10 to 15 minutes when ventilation was stopped, but when ventilation was started, the original temperature returned to the original temperature in 4 to 5 minutes.

On the other hand, according to the care method of this invention,
By performing ventilation once every 30 minutes,
Even if the ventilation is stopped for 30 minutes, there is no tendency for the product temperature to rise, and if the number of times of cleaning is increased, the heat is removed in a way that allows the internal moisture of the koji matrix to evaporate naturally, so the amount of ventilation can be minimized. I was able to do this.

Based on the above experiments, one method of caring for the koji substrate has traditionally been thought to be to crush it into fine powder;
By naturally dissipating the internal moisture of the koji matrix in the deposited layer, controlling ventilation conditions to a minimum, and using the latent heat of evaporation due to moisture dissipation, product temperature can be easily controlled. It was confirmed that this method was able to remove the surface moisture of the koji matrix and infuse mycelia into the interior of the rice grain, which has a high moisture content.

Example 2 Protein koji for soy sauce The koji for soy sauce is made by subjecting defatted soybeans as a protein raw material and wheat as a starch raw material to pressure steaming and roasting treatments, respectively, cooling them, planting seed bacteria, and incorporating them.
If the temperature of the product is kept at 28 to 30℃, the koji mold will begin to reproduce after about 10 hours, at the same time it will generate reproductive fever, and the temperature will start to rise. After about 17 to 20 hours, the koji mold will begin to reproduce actively. It decomposes defatted soybeans and wheat,
It emits carbon dioxide gas and reproductive heat, and the temperature rises even further, leading to the time for maintenance.

The original purpose of this care is to loosen the koji substrate that has hardened with mycelia and improve ventilation, thereby lowering the temperature of the koji substrate → realizing appropriate temperature control and providing the oxygen necessary for the growth of koji mold. .

However, if cracks occur in the deposited layer of the koji matrix, a short pass will occur in the aeration, and the aeration will lack uniformity, making it impossible to control the product temperature properly, so maintenance is required.

As a temporary measure against the occurrence of cracks, a process known as treading has traditionally been carried out to crush the cracks.
In the care of this invention, as a care method according to the calorific value of the koji matrix in the deposited layer, the koji matrix is The grain size is maintained within a range that allows moisture to evaporate naturally within the layer, creating spaces between the particles of the koji matrix, and the latent heat of evaporation from moisture evaporation makes it easy to control product temperature. It's about getting used to it. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks caused by shrinkage caused by the decomposition and digestion of the koji matrix, which occurs in conventional methods, and it is possible to omit the need for additional work as a countermeasure. be.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As mentioned above, the main feature of this invention is to minimize mycelial cutting and to be able to make koji from a surface coated state to an internally penetrated state regardless of the type of starch or protein raw material koji substrate. This is the most important feature of Nuriho. Therefore, we have fundamentally changed the way of thinking about the maintenance work that has been carried out in the past, and we have developed various types of koji substrates based on the idea of creating a particle size within a range that allows the internal moisture to evaporate naturally in the koji substrates in the sedimentary layer. It is a beneficial and useful thing that can bring about the effects of each of the measures taken.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In koji making work using automatic mechanical koji making equipment,
If maintenance work is necessary for the progress of koji growth, the maintenance method that corresponds to the calorific value of the koji substrate in the accumulated layer is to use a particle-forming care method instead of pulverizing it into a fine powder. By controlling the particle size within a range that allows for the internal moisture of the koji matrix to naturally evaporate, and by configuring conditions that can minimize ventilation conditions, crystallization is achieved by the latent heat of vaporization due to moisture evaporation. A method for mechanical maintenance of a koji substrate in an automatic mechanical koji production device, which facilitates temperature control and enhances the internal decomposition of koji mold through appropriate temperature and humidity air adjustment conditions.