JPH07222581A - Method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer by which the dissolved oxygen in the beer can readily be removed without adding an antioxidant thereto and the taste of the beer can be prevented from deteriorating and an apparatus therefor. CONSTITUTION:This method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer is to bring the beer into contact with a phenol oxidase, oxidize phenol in the beer and thereby rapidly remove the dissolved oxygen in the beer. The phenol oxidase is immobilized in a ceramic carrier 2 and filled in a column 1 for use. The resultant column is installed in front of a beer filling machine 7 or assembled in the beer filling machine 7 to directly fill the beer in a bottle, a can, etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing dissolved oxygen in beer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is known that beer is gradually deteriorated with time even after being filled in bottles, cans, etc., and its taste is deteriorated. The main reason for this is the oxidative effect of dissolved oxygen contained in beer at a level of several ppm. Therefore, as a countermeasure, a physical method of reducing or removing oxygen in the headspace after filling beer into a bottle, a can, or a chemical method for preventing oxidation by adding sulfite or vitamin C into beer The method is generally done.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned physical method, although the head space can be deoxygenated, the dissolved oxygen in beer remains as it is, and therefore it is not a fundamental solution. It is not possible to prevent the taste of beer from decreasing with time due to dissolved oxygen in beer. Further, in the above-mentioned chemical method, the cost becomes high because of the addition of sulfite and the like, and moreover, vitamin C
It takes a long time for the dissolved oxygen in beer to be consumed due to natural oxidation. In the meantime, dissolved oxygen oxidizes beer components other than vitamin C, and the taste of beer deteriorates.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and can quickly remove dissolved oxygen in beer and prevent deterioration of beer taste without adding an antioxidant to beer. The present invention has been made to provide a method and an apparatus for removing dissolved oxygen in beer that can be obtained.

[0005]

The method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer of the present invention, which was made to solve the above problems, comprises:
It is characterized in that beer is contacted with a phenol oxidase. Further, the apparatus for removing dissolved oxygen in beer of the present invention is characterized in that a column filled with a ceramic carrier on which a phenol oxidase is immobilized is installed, and a beer outlet pipe coming out of this column is connected to a beer filling machine. It is a thing.

The phenol oxidase used in the present invention is preferably an acid-resistant enzyme having an optimum pH of 3 to 5.5. This is because the pH of beer is about 4, and phenol oxidase having an optimum pH outside this range loses its activity upon contact with beer, which is not preferable. The commercially available phenol oxidase of this type is polyphenol oxidase "Takara" (trade name of Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
Can be raised.

Such a phenol oxidase is preferably immobilized on a ceramic carrier before use. The type of the ceramic carrier is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the specific surface area is 100 m ² / g or more. For example, sepiolite rough stone is crushed and adjusted to 15% or less of ignition loss and 5% or less of CaO, It is possible to use a calcined body containing metasepiolite or protoenstatite as a main component by calcining this at a calcining temperature of 300 to 1100 ° C. (as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-4014 of the applicant).

[0008]

In the present invention, since beer is brought into contact with a phenol oxidase, dissolved oxygen in beer is instantly consumed to oxidize phenols contained in beer. Therefore, the dissolved oxygen concentration in beer can be reduced from the usual concentration of several ppm to 0.1 ppm or less, and the dissolved oxygen in beer is prevented from oxidizing other beer components and deteriorating the taste. It Moreover, in this method, since the dissolved oxygen is consumed by utilizing the phenols in beer, it is not necessary to add another substance as in the conventional method.

Further, if a ceramic carrier on which a phenol oxidase is immobilized is packed in a column and the column is installed in front of a beer packing machine or in a beer packing machine, beer is passed through the column. The phenol oxidase is not likely to be mixed in beer, and the device configuration is simple and the operation is easy. Further, according to the apparatus for removing dissolved oxygen in beer of the present invention, beer whose dissolved oxygen is lowered by passing through the column can be immediately charged, so that increase in dissolved oxygen due to contact with the outside air can be prevented.

[0010]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. 300 mg of powdered polyphenol oxidase “Takara” having an activity of 27.6 u / mg was dissolved in 1 cc of water, and 2 g of a ceramic carrier containing sepiolite as a main component was shaken at room temperature for one day to be immobilized. As a result, a phenol oxidation catalyst of 395 u / g-support was obtained.

A column 1 shown in FIG. 1 was filled with the ceramic carrier 2, and beer at room temperature containing 9 ppm of dissolved oxygen was continuously supplied by a pump 6. After contacting the ceramic carrier 2 for 9 seconds, the beer was taken out to the measuring container 3, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the beer was continuously measured by the dissolved oxygen meter 4, and recorded in the recorder 5. Figure 2 shows the measurement results. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in beer was lowered to 0.1 ppm or less by contact with the phenol oxidase in column 1, and the effect was continuous for 12 hours or more. Was confirmed.

Next, the type of phenol oxidase and the contact time with beer were changed, and the change in the dissolved oxygen concentration in beer was measured by the same test apparatus as above. Table 1 shows the dissolved oxygen concentration in beer after 12 hours.

[0013]

[Table 1]

As shown in Table 1 above, in the polyphenol oxidase "Takara", the dissolved oxygen can be lowered by increasing the contact time with beer, and the target was 0.1 ppm or less in about 9 seconds. Laccase was unable to reduce dissolved oxygen to below 0.1 ppm even with prolonged contact with beer. This is the best laccase
This is because beer was deactivated due to high ph.

FIG. 3 conceptually shows the layout of the apparatus of the present invention. 7 is a known beer filling machine, 1 is a column installed in the vicinity thereof, and 8 is a beer filling machine for the beer discharged from the column 1. It is a beer outlet pipe leading to 7. The inside of the column 1 is filled with a ceramic carrier 2 on which phenol oxidase is immobilized. Beer is continuously supplied to the column 1 from a storage tank (not shown) by a pump 6, and the beer having the dissolved oxygen concentration reduced by passing through the column 1 is immediately filled. According to this device, it is possible to prevent an increase in dissolved oxygen due to contact with the outside air, so that it is possible to prevent deterioration of taste after filling.

[0016]

As described above, according to the method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer of the present invention, phenol contained in beer is utilized without adding a deoxidizing substance to beer. Dissolved oxygen can be quickly removed to prevent the beer from deteriorating in taste. Further, according to the apparatus for removing dissolved oxygen in beer of the present invention, beer having a reduced dissolved oxygen concentration can be immediately filled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow sheet of an experimental device used in Examples.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the dissolved oxygen concentration in beer.

FIG. 3 is a flow sheet showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 column, 2 ceramic carrier, 3 measuring container, 4
Dissolved oxygen meter, 5 recorder, 6 pump, 7 beer filling machine, 8 beer outlet pipe

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer, which comprises contacting beer with a phenol oxidase. 2. The method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer according to claim 1, wherein the column is filled with a ceramic carrier on which a phenol oxidase is immobilized, and beer is passed through the column. 3. The method for removing dissolved oxygen in beer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a phenol oxidase having an optimum pH of 3 to 5.5 is used. 4. A device for removing dissolved oxygen in beer, characterized in that a column filled with a ceramic carrier on which phenol oxidase is immobilized is installed, and a beer outlet pipe coming out of this column is connected to a beer filling machine.