JPH07274931A - Method and device for production of fermented malt beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a beverage such as wine, beer, etc., hardly causing haze formation, having excellent qualities and functionality, by quenching an aqueous fermented liquid to the temperature of a freezing point to form an ice crystal in a nascent state, treating the liquid under specific conditions and efficiently cooling the fermented liquid beverage.

CONSTITUTION: An aqueous fermented liquid such as fermented wine beverage or the like is quenched, for example, by using a cooling system 26 to the temperature of about its freezing point to form only ice crystal in a nascent state in its minimum amount. The prepared cooled aqueous liquid solution is mixed, for example, with a fixed amount of ice crystal dispersed as a slurry at a stage after cooling in an ice-containing treating zone 23 in a short time without observable increase in the whole ice crystal volume in the prepared mixture. The liquid thus treated is extracted from the mixture and the process is performed without substantial reduction in the total water amount contained in the fermented liquid to cool the fermented liquid beverage.

COPYRIGHT: (C)1995,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rapid, continuous, highly homogeneous cooling method of alcoholic beverages at or near their freezing point or temperature without substantial attendant freeze concentration; For example, it relates to the production of fermented alcoholic beverages such as wine and cider, in particular fermented malt beverages such as beer, and low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products derived therefrom.

Many such beverages can and even need to benefit from cooling in order to retain or achieve some advantageous properties. This is especially true in the case of extremely high human ability to discern even trace amounts of volatile and flavor components, as well as the haze or "haze" that occurs in some such beverages. For example, wine beverages can be profitable, especially if they require remedial processes to handle, such as excess tartaric acid concentrate.

[Prior art]

[0003] In particular, brewed beverages or fermented malt brewed beverages are of particular interest because of their "chilling" which gives them particular advantages. Fermented malt beverages such as beer, ale, porters, malted alcoholic beverages, low and non-alcoholic beverages derived from them, and other similar fermented alcoholic brews herein, for convenience, hereinafter simply "beer". The general method of making beverages is well known. The process used in the modern brewery is, in brief, prepared by preparing a malt "mash" with normal grain additives, heating the mash to solubilize proteins and to convert starch to sugar and dextrin. Consists of converting to.
Insoluble grains are filtered off, washed with hot water combined with soluble substances to inactivate the enzyme, the wort obtained is boiled in a brew kettle, the wort is sterilized and added. A desired hop component is extracted from the hops thus prepared, and a certain proteinaceous substance is coagulated. The wort is then filtered to remove spent hops and coagulum, chilled and yeast added, then fermented. The fermented brew, known as "green" or "ruh" beer, is then "finished," (sometimes "lagering").
Also referred to as), aged, clarified, filtered and then carbonated to give the desired beer.

A variation of the basic method is "high density brewing (hig
h gravity brewing) ”, which involves producing a young beer with a high alcohol content (eg, 7-8% v / v) and then making it into the final beer. Dilute to the desired alcohol concentration (eg, 5% v / v for "regular beer").

As is well known, beer generally causes haze over time and / or due to changes in the temperature of the beer. This haze has two types: (a) "cooling haze" that is temperature sensitive and disappears when the temperature of the beer rises, for example, to room temperature; and (b) as its name implies, remains once it is formed. It is thought to consist of "permanent haze".

Of course, if beer is consumed warm, as is customary in some European countries, cooling haze (for example, typically
It will not be as serious a problem for brewers and consumers as for beer that is consumed in cold conditions (as is the case for North American beers).

[0007] In any event, the problem of cooling haze development is exacerbated by the industrial trend of increasing the time that normally elapses between when the beer production is finished and when it is finally consumed by the public. It was as a result,
The haze has an increasing opportunity to develop into problematic and often unacceptable degrees.

[0008] The exact nature and mechanism of haze formation in beer is not yet clear, but haze generally refers to significant amounts of proteins, yeast cells, metals, cellular components,
Perceived to consist of polyphenols and various other substances.

The problem of haze generation has been the subject of much attention over the years. Of course, the traditional method is to subject the beverage to the usual “lagering” step over the process of storing it at a temperature of near 0 ° C. for a few weeks to, in extreme cases, for months. During this step of the process, precipitating yeast cells, proteins, etc.,
Everything gets better and the taste of the beer is also improved; the beer is said to be "mature".

[0010] However, normal ruggering requires a post-finishing pre-coagulation after the above-mentioned long finishing.
It seems that it has not progressed sufficiently in keeping with the increase in the cooling haze problem generated from the consumption time period). Furthermore, the time that was input regarding the lagering manufacturing method,
Capital and operating costs are calculated to be a large percentage of total brewing costs. Therefore, a great deal of work continues to be expended in finding ways to deal with the cooling haze problem, and in finding generally good and short-lived alternatives to lagging.

Examples of such labor consequences include the use of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to stabilize beer in combination with polyphenyl. Its use is well documented in the literature. U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,
550; No. 2,939,791 and others.

US Pat. No. 3,251,693 teaches adding various silicates, especially calcium, magnesium or zinc silicate to beer (or wort), and US Pat. 940,498 teaches the use of synthetic magnesium silicate treated with certain acids. For example, US Pat. No. 3,940,498 teaches the addition of certain acid treated synthetic magnesium silicates to beer.

While these methods alleviate aspects of the cooling haze problem, they in no way eliminate them or replace the lagging process. Moreover, these solutions are such that the use of additives and accelerators in food products has become less popular with consumers,
Disliked in the industry.

Improved beverage stability is mentioned as an ancillary benefit of the widely developed freeze concentration method. For example, Canadian Patent 673,672 describes freezing beer to produce a slurry of concentrated beer, ice and other solids including yeast cells, and 5 times more than the starting beer. Removal of the ice and other solids from the desired concentration of beer, concentrated to. The ice is passed through a system to recover the desired ingredients that are either discarded or attached to the beer or ice. All freeze-concentration methods are such that the removed ice can carry away a significant amount of the desired substance, and that washing extraction or other recovery of substances that are occluded or retained on ice is inherently It suffers from the fact that it has problems-see, for example, Canadian Patent Nos. 601,487 and 786,308. Also, the practical process is a conventional step, with successive steps being carried out at a lower temperature than the previous step, a technique which is quite common in freeze concentration techniques. See Canadian Patent Applications 601,487 and 786,308. This latter patent is a Canadian patent 673,67.
It has the same inventor and owner as No. 2 and covers the product made by the latter patent. Despite the astonishing claims made for products manufactured under this patent, it appears to have not yet been developed commercially. U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,184 describes a process for making a flavored malt alcoholic beverage by freeze-concentrating aged fermented wort, generally at a volume level of 20% to 30% alcohol, and then adding various flavors. I am teaching.

Apart from the claims made for accelerated ripening and improved beverage stability in freeze-concentrated products, there are significant and in some cases unsolvable problems arising from the concomitant concentration of beer. First of all, it is illegal in many jurisdictions to concentrate by distillation or any other alcohol-containing substrate without a spirit brewer or other suitable qualification. There is also the fundamental question of whether a product like spirits is quite legally classified as "beer". Moreover, the stability of frozen concentrated beer, on the contrary, appears very suspicious or at least questionable, despite the various claims. While numerous attempts have been made to produce concentrated beer products, the Institute of Brewing Research Laboratories
Work done at Brewing Research Laboratories (Essery, Cane and Morris
Morris, Journal of the Institute of Brewing
of Brewing, 1947, 53, No. 4; Essery and Cane, supra, 195.
2, 58, 2, 129-133; and Essery, American B.
rewer), 1952, 85, 7, 27, 28 and 56.
Many) faced product instability. When the concentrated beer was stored and then diluted back to its original concentration, as described in the reference,
The reclaimed product appears to have a distinctly weaker taste and an under-hopped taste of hops, so freeze-concentration appears to cause a large mellow taste loss and loss of bitterness. . The reference also suggests that storage of the concentrate often leads to a haze of the product and the aroma of wine in beer.

In the freeze concentration process of Canadian Patent 872,210 for freeze concentration of unfermented wort, this results in a higher yield or extraction from the brew than that obtained with regular brews. It clearly provides the effect obtained. Distillation is not an issue as the process is not performed on alcohol substrates. However, with respect to cooling haze, any beer tendency to induce cooling haze that occurs as a result of the fermentation process has not been addressed in the pre-fermentation freeze concentration process required by this Canadian patent. Will.

Another proposal to avoid the problem of alcoholic beverage distillation is Australian Patent Specification 224,5.
No. 76. This patent applies to slush ic
e) Suggest batch freezing of beer to generate conditions. This condition is maintained for up to 72 hours, followed by melting the beer and immediately separating any precipitated material. However, the beer contains substances which, in the normal process, redissolve before they can be removed by filtration or centrifugation, so that pre-chilled addition of common adsorbent substances such as asbestos or bentonite is Material, which seems to be from the teaching of an important patent to
For example, chilled haze material is adsorbed to the insoluble additive before it can be redissolved during melting of soft ice. However, this approach reverts to the problems associated with the use of reaction promoters and additives described above, and in particular immediately addresses the ban on any food related use of asbestos. Also, the need to maintain a chilled mass of beer for an extended period of time appears to face many of the same drawbacks associated with normal ragling. Moreover, despite the arrangement of ice and beer throughout this process, the fact remains that the aqueous components of the beer freeze and the rest of the beer is kept in a concentrated state. However, if the condition is temporary, the fact is that the process necessarily requires the concentration of beer, and in this sense, otherwise Malick, US Pat. It is simply a batch process variant similar to the continuous process described in 295,988. In both the Australian patented process and the Marrick process, the beer is
Concentrate for a period of time, then melt a large amount of the frozen aqueous component into a concentrated beer to obtain a reconstituted beer product from the concentrate.

Malick, the developer of the so-called Phillip Freeze Concentration Process, was in an attempt to commercialize the freeze concentrate technology in the beer application. [(Reference "Quality Variation In Bee
r) ", April 1965)], according to Malick, accelerated lagering occurs" because it occurs in concentrated state ". This teaches the prior art that the actual concentration of beer (while preserving the attendant physical dissolution properties claimed) is essential for achieving accelerated lagering. It is a case.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

As mentioned above, the control of haze generation and lagering process in beer is clearly an important practical issue for the brewing industry, despite the extensive effort and variety from the past of preferred solutions. Is.

Further, despite Malick's above-cited claims that actual enrichment is essential,
The present invention has surprisingly revealed that there is actually no practical need for enrichment to occur and that the benefits previously thought to be associated with enrichment can be substantially achieved without such enrichment. Moreover, in the beer-characteristic case, an additional benefit of retention of hop flavor was observed in the application of the present invention not found in prior art freeze concentration processes.

As indicated, the above detailed issues focus on the problems specific to alcoholic beverage products and fermented malt beverages. However, in the alcoholic beverage industry, during normal processing, the freezing point of alcoholic beverages is rapidly and uniformly distributed to the freezing point without actually risking freezing to a temperature at which they cannot be easily handled (ie, pumped). There is a need to provide cooling of alcoholic beverages.

[0022]

That is, a method for cooling an alcoholic beverage is provided. The present method involves subjecting the beverage to a cooling step which consists of rapidly cooling the beverage liquid to about the temperature of its freezing point in order to produce mostly nascent ice crystals, and thus its minimum amount. Become. The resulting cooled beverage is then mixed with the aqueous slurry for a short time. This is done without an appreciable increase in the total ice crystal mass contained in the mixture obtained during the mixing (ie avoiding concentration of the liquid under treatment).
Finally, the beverage thus treated is extracted from the mixture. The process as a whole can be achieved without any substantial attendant concentration of the beverage. Preferably, the chilled beverage obtained is mixed with the remaining volume of ice crystals in the aqueous slurry.

The method of the present invention described in the preceding section is, in some instances, relatively temporary, but in contrast to various preparation methods which utilize various freeze concentration methods.
In the freeze-concentration method, the "cooling step" treatment step is carried out especially for the purpose of maximizing the production of small "subcritical" crystals in the aqueous liquid. When mixed with large "supercritical" ice crystals as a suspension, the average bulk temperature value of the liquid equilibrates to a value within each melting point range of the various ice crystals in the resulting suspension. The average temperature value is higher than the melting temperature of the smaller "subcritical" crystals, and thus almost melts. As a result of thermodynamic energy redistribution, the accompanying larger "supercritical" ice crystals grow, and as they continue to grow more, they must be constantly removed. This thermodynamic behavior drives the overall increase in the ice mass and is the essence of most commercial freeze concentration processes.
(Note: The terms "supercritical" and "subcritical" crystals in this context are accepted technical terms-Food Science and Nutrition.
Nutrition Critical Review (CRC Critical Reviews), Vol. 20, March, p. 199)

In contrast to the freeze concentration method described above, the present invention is generally directed to the growth of such subcritical ice crystals that may be present in a flow near freezing (eg, recrystallization equipment).
Aqueous such that it thermodynamically balances against supercritical ice crystal melting in a flow-through reactor (such as a recrystalizer) and thus crosses the processing zone. They are distinguished by the fact that there is no appreciable increase in concentration in the stream. This helps avoid problems in the art regarding the properties of beverages by concentration and reconstitution for the desired beverage-see in particular the detailed disclosure herein regarding beer.
Thus, the concentration of beverages treated according to the invention is, at most nominally, only subject to a very temporary increase. This is in direct contrast to the freeze concentration method, where the purpose of the process is exactly the opposite.

In a preferred embodiment, the process of the present invention comprises
It is adapted to the cooling treatment of a quantity of alcoholic beverage, wherein the specific volume of liquid medium after the cooling step of stable ice crystals in an aqueous liquid slurry consists of the same alcoholic beverage and the treated liquid solution is A volume equal to the volume of is sucked out.

In a specific embodiment of continuous operation, the present invention provides a continuous cooling process by subjecting the volumetric flow rate of the pre-treated beverage to the cooling and post-cooling steps and sucking out an aqueous liquid solution suitable for the volumetrically treated beverage. To facilitate.

In a particularly preferred application of this method, the inherent volume of stable ice crystals in the beverage is from about 10 to about 100 from the nascent ice crystals contained in the incoming cold beverage.
Twice as big.

The process is generally applicable to malt beverages, and more generally to fermented grain beverages, especially distilled beverages. In the latter case, the process comprises fermentation of a cereal-containing substrate to produce an ethanol-containing liquid; ethanol-liquid distillation or other concentration to produce a distillate having a defined ethanol concentration; and The above-mentioned cooling treatment step of the ethanol-containing liquid or the obtained beverage is included. Examples of fermented grain beverage manufacture include: the group consisting of: whole malt; a mixture of rye and malt; a mixture of corn, rye and malt; a mixture of rye, wheat and malt; corn; and rice. The corresponding beverages are respectively: Scotch; Rye whiskey; Bourbon; Irish whiskey; Grain alcohol;

In addition, the process can be used for the treatment of edible aqueous liquids, in particular potable aqueous liquids, which are generally azeotropes. Typically, at all essential points, such a liquid will be a binary azeotropic aqueous mixture containing an alcohol, which will generally be ethanol.

Similarly, the process of the present invention comprises a fermented wine comprising grape mashing; squeezing and separating the froth; fermenting the froth for winemaking; and removing the precipitated tannins, proteins, pectin and tartaric acid. Expanded to beverage production. In this method, one or both of the fruit glue and the obtained wine are subjected to the cooling treatment. Fruit wine produced by the same known method can be similarly treated according to the present invention.

Similarly, the present invention generally involves the saccharification of milled rice with a starch-degrading enzyme to produce an aqueous mash; acidification of a mash containing fermentable sugars resulting from the action of the enzyme on rice; acidic. Fermentation to produce rice wine using acid-tolerant yeast of fermentable sugars contained in mashed mash; and finally the resulting sake (salmon) is specified herein It extends to the production of fermented sake which is produced by a generally known method consisting of subjecting it to a cooling treatment.

Furthermore, alcoholic cider liquors prepared by customary and well-known methods can also be treated according to the invention.

However, a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a process for making malt brewed beverages, especially fermented malt brewed beverages. In this aspect of the invention, the brewed material is ground with water; the resulting mash is heated and then the wort is separated; the wort is boiled, cooled and fermented;
A process is provided that comprises subjecting the resulting beer to the cooling treatment specified herein. Prior to the chilling treatment, excess yeast cell debris is generally destroyed during the treatment, the degradants lose flavor and are likely to contribute to the physical instability of the product, so that the yeast is generally It is particularly advantageous to substantially remove the cells from the fermented wort. After such removal, about 5
It is preferred that less than 0,000 yeast cells / ml remain in the fermented wort. In one embodiment, the fermented wort is degassed (in a known manner) before cooling according to the invention.

As is generally well known, the alcohol content and solids content of any given beer will affect the freezing point. However, for most commercial purposes, it is believed that application of the present invention generally involves cooling brewed young beer in the range of -1 ° C to -5 ° C. In other conventional, modern North American brewing practices, the brewed young beer is typically -2 ° C to -4 ° C, preferably -3 ° C to-° C.
It will be cooled to the range of 4 ° C.

Rapid cooling helps to ensure that only those nascent ice crystals that are relatively small and unstable are grown. Preferably, cooling is generally 60
It takes less than a second, preferably about 30 seconds or less, in particular about 5 seconds or less.

Typically, this will produce small amounts of nascent ice crystals during cooling, eg, generally less than 5% by volume of the brewed young beer. More typically, nascent ice crystals are produced in amounts of about 2% by volume or less. The nascent crystals are generally about 10μ
It is smaller than m.

Once the brewed young beer is thus cooled, it is then immediately passed through the ice crystal-containing treatment zone. This zone is completely filled with a scrap-like slurry of ice crystals and young beer. Here, the young beer is subjected to a post-cooling mixing process with ice crystals of generally stable specific volume in an aqueous liquid slurry. Preferably,
The slurry liquid medium consists of the same beer. Also preferably, the stable ice crystals are about 1% less than nascent ice crystals.
0 to about 100 times larger. That is, such stable crystals are about 100 to 3000 μm in size. The mixture is maintained with steady state agitation to maintain its homogeneity.

The proportion of stable ice crystals in the slurry in its intrinsic volume in the post-cooling stage is kept below 45% by volume. These can cause mechanical mixing problems and can interfere with process uniformity (eg, flow channeling).
(flow channeling)), so care should be taken when using a large proportion. The control of the amount of stable ice crystals is controlled by an ice sensor (ice sen) in an ice crystal concentrate that detects the post-cooling inherent amount of stable ice crystals in an aqueous young beer slurry.
sor) via a feedback signal generated in response to the signal from. Preferred conductivity-based sensing devices are described in further detail elsewhere herein. Other such sensing devices will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure. In any case, the feedback signal controls the degree of cooling of the young beer in the cooling stage, and if necessary,
The amount of nascent ice crystals formed there is reduced or increased, thereby adjusting the proportion of stable ice crystals in the post-cooling intrinsic volume to the desired volume. Typically, the proportion of stable ice crystals of specific volume in the post-cooling stage is less than 35% by volume, generally less than 25% by volume, preferably about 5 to 20%. In particular an amount of about 10 to 20% by volume is maintained. However, it may be less than 5%, as long as it is sufficient to maintain the treatment zone at about the liquid freezing point. This is a consequence of the fact that well-dispersed, high surface area, stable ice crystals act as thermal buffers, which contribute to maintaining the surrounding liquid at approximately its freezing point. The temperature at which the young beer is pre-cooled and the residence time of the beer in the treatment zone are related to the minimum and optimal proportion of stable ice crystals.

[0039] Typically, the residence time of the young beer in the post-cooling slurry is less than 1 hour. Preferably, the residence time of the young beer in the post-cooling slurry is generally up to 15 minutes, usually about 5 to 15 minutes, but can be shorter.

The post-cooling post-slurry treatment is followed by a cooling treatment and preferably the young beer is subjected to an inert gas purge in a ripening tank (liquor tank) to remove residual volatilization such as sulfur compounds such as mercaptans and thiols. Remove volatile substances.
The "inert" gas (meaning a gas that does not have a deleterious effect on the beer) may be carbon dioxide, but is preferably of low solubility in liquids and has no deleterious effect on it. Nitrogen is good. This purging process complements the accelerated (physical aging) (accelerated by the cooling process) by accelerating what may be termed "flavor aging". The combination of these process steps is particularly advantageous in reducing the time required for ripening (it could even be used to completely replace normal ripening).

The need for aging is well recognized in the art, especially for the production of high strength beer (eg, 15 degree Plato). For example, European Patent Publication No. 1
According to No. 80,442: "The problem of high-strength beer production is not stopped by fermentation. Long maturation periods are needed to remove the" off "flavor and produce an acceptable flavor and aroma. is necessary. In addition, a long cooling period is required to stabilize the beer. ． ． Is disclosed. "

In one embodiment of the process of the present invention, the beer aging is carried out from the processing zone to the aging or storage tank in beer which has been subjected to a cooling treatment with a high level of nitrogen (for example, 2.8 to 3.0 times by volume). It is accelerated by inflowing in the middle of. Then, the beer is stored in a liquor tank and gas is discharged for about 24 hours. The liquor tank is then closed and monitored to ensure that the tank pressure does not rise. If the pressure in the tank rises significantly after sealing, another 2
Exhaust gas for 4 hours. This sealing / venting cycle is repeated as often as necessary until the bath pressure no longer rises.

In another embodiment, the above-mentioned 0
Chilled beer is passed through the reactor (scrapper) and purged with nitrogen gas while it is at a temperature close to 0 ° C, and then for packaging, a "zero" aging process without significant interim aging. To provide.

Both of the "accelerated ripening" aspects of the present invention provide the so-called "flavor ripening" described above. However, the improvements associated with flavor ripening are distinct from the qualitative improvements in hop flavor that have themselves been associated with chilling.

The present invention is particularly useful in combination with a high density brewing process. First, the treatment of dense young beer during cooling according to the present invention improves the reduction of cooling haze and other precipitates described above. Also, a typical brewery has a limited storage capacity for storing beer during its maturation, a problem that must be stored somewhere if the finished beer is diluted before bottling. If it must, then it can be even more serious when using a high-density brewing process. In the present invention, the accelerated aging eliminates the need for a aging tank time, so that space can be used for storing alcohol before bottling. Therefore, performing a high density dilution only after the cooling process according to the present invention is perfect and provides a harmonization of the high density and cooling process.

However, if tank storage is not an issue, the cooling process of the present invention can work beneficially with a secondary, or reduced, aging period in the tank.

High-density brewing, in combination with the process of the present invention, optionally directs mixing into a high-density young beer stream cooled to a similar temperature at which the thermodynamic balance previously described herein can be maintained. By performing a dilution process during the cooling process. This is especially useful if the diluent is a low alcohol young beer, as the target alcohol concentration in the finished beer may be intermediate between each concentration in the two young beer streams.

The cooling treatment according to the invention is also particularly advantageous in the production of non-alcoholic and low alcohol products. The former contains virtually no alcohol and contains about 0.0
Low alcohol products, although 1 to 0.05% v / v, have about 0.5 to about 1% v / v alcohol.
They are generally by two methods: (a) traditionally by distillation, and more recently by ultrafiltration to remove alcohol from common brewed beer; or (b) the alcohol content is at most about. 1% v / v, which allows minimal fermentation to allow further dilution to the desired value, usually about 0.5% v / v (volume / volume), "cold contact". contact) process. (This process is
Various patents / applications-for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-1
U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,
355 and 4,746,518, and Canadian Patent Application No. 2,027,651. A greatly improved cold contact process is the co-assigned (currently abbreviated disclosure of this disclosure) co-assigned and now abandoned US patent application Ser. No. 07/783, filed October 28, 1991. No. 332, partly continued application, 1992 1
US Patent Application No. 07/967, filed on 27th October,
No. 275.

These products have the same haze-forming components as regular beer, which is especially true for cold contact products. Therefore, they can advantageously be produced according to the invention.

As mentioned above, it is believed that, among other things, a reduction in the polyphenol content of beer contributes to a reduction in the reaging period. The following evaluations were made to explain this point:

The present invention was used to produce seven young beer substrates. The evaluation is based on the known ASBC Industry Standard (ASBC Industry) for determining the polyphenol content of substrate light beer before and after treatment according to the invention.
standards). The results were as follows: Brewing Pretreatment Posttreatment 1 144 130 2 152 148 3 184 165 4 195 144 5 192 144 6 182 153

As discussed above, the major cause of haze formation is the slow precipitation of polyphenols over time, and thus its reduction by the process of the present invention is due to the cooling haze of the products treated according to the present invention. It demonstrates the increased stability of the processed product compared to regular beer. Moreover, the beer exhibited outstanding flavor characteristics, in particular mellowness. Note that the difference in polyphenol content is significant.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid flow-through device for continuous cooling treatment of alcoholic beverages. The apparatus is such that only a minimal amount of nascent ice crystals is combined with an ice-containing container or vessel in which a vessel for receiving chilled aqueous solution is connected downstream to the heat exchanger in series. It consists of a heat exchanger for cooling the aqueous solution to reduce its temperature to about its freezing point formed.
This container holds stable ice crystals in the container,
Includes a separation means for passing the chilled processing liquid from the ice container. The device further includes a retained ice crystal concentration monitoring and control device that monitors the amount of ice crystals contained in the vessel and responsively performs thermal control.

In operation, the heat exchanger rapidly cools the aqueous solution to a temperature at about its freezing point so that a minimal amount of nascent ice crystals are formed therein. Then
The resulting cooled aqueous solution is mixed in an ice container with a specific volume of slurry containing ice crystals after a brief cooling period. During this mixing, the temperature is controlled by the monitoring and control device described above so that no appreciable increase in the total ice crystal mass contained in the resulting mixture occurs. Then, the treated beverage is extracted from the mixed liquid through the separating means.

In operation, the retained and stable ice crystal concentration monitoring and control device, in response to the monitored conditions, monitors the stable ice crystal concentration in the ice container and passes it through the aqueous solution. During that time, the amount of stable ice crystals contained in the container is thermally adjusted.

The liquid is passed at a positive pressure sufficient to facilitate the flow rate required to pass through the device. Typically, the device includes temperature and flow rate control means associated with a heat exchanger for cooling the aqueous solution. In a preferred embodiment, this is achieved in less than 60 seconds, even 30 seconds or less, and even about 5 seconds.

The separating means is preferably delayed from the separation for no more than 60 minutes (preferably less than 30 minutes, in particular 5 to 20 minutes).

In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a deaerator connected in series upstream of the heat exchanger for deaerating the aqueous solution prior to its cooling.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, for example for treating brewed young beer, the heat exchanger comprises
Among other things, in each case the specific temperature depends on the alcohol and solids content in the beer, generally -1
Temperature range from ℃ to -5 ℃, especially from -2 ℃ to -4 ℃
It is a scraped heat exchanger that is suitable for cooling near its freezing point, which is the temperature range of.

In operation, the cooled young beer is then successively passed through an ice vessel completely filled with stable ice crystals and, for example, a slurry of young beer, which slurry is shaken or agitated (eg, More generally,
A constant stirring state is maintained by the dispersing means), and in any case, the slurry in the container can be uniformly dispersed. The shaking conditions preferably act like a fluidized bed in which ice crystals are held in uniform suspension in a moving liquid.

Preferably, the controller controls stable ice crystals present in the ice container to about 100 to 3,000 μ.
Maintain the size of m. These are 10 to 100 times larger than the typical nascent crystals contained in the young beer emerging from the heat exchanger.

Preferably, the device has an ice container containing a breakaway housing.

The feedback mechanism also operates in response to a signal from an ice sensor in or near the processing zone (eg, vessel) to ensure that the beer in the heat exchanger is not overcooled or has cooled. Decrease or increase the amount of ice contained in the ice by checking whether each is insufficient. This is a dynamic and progressive adjustment throughout the process. The proportion of the stable ice crystals is preferably a fixed amount, which is a set value usually set so that the volume of the stable ice crystals in the container is maintained at about 10% to 20%.

The flow rate control means are used to adjust the residence time of the young beer in the ice treatment zone, which is preferably relatively short, eg less than 1 hour, generally 15 minutes. Up to 5 to 15 minutes, usually 5 to 15 minutes or less.

In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a method for continuously producing beer at low temperature, generally in the apparatus described above. In connection therewith, if during the brewing process, preferably before aging, only a minimum amount of crystals are produced, the chilled beer is not concentrated,
Rapidly lowering the temperature of the beer to approximately its freezing point, such that it is in contact with a shaking slurry of ice crystals for a relatively short period of time, greatly reduces the aging stage of the brewing process, and perhaps even eliminates it. . The process of the present invention ensures that all of the beer to be treated is constantly subjected to the same low temperature treatment, thus being treated uniformly and with less risk of undercooling and damaging the equipment. .

Furthermore, the finished beer obtained is more comparable to the normally treated beer, especially if the yeast cells generated from the fermentor are carefully removed substantially before treating the young beer. It's mellow and doesn't feel rough,
More mellow. Further, the present invention has been found to characterize metallic hops without diminishing bitterness characteristics, which is a particularly desirable advantage in high "beer extracting bitter units" over high bitterness brews in general. . A sensory large proportion of hops or hop extracts can manifest themselves as a metallic character in beers used in the brewing process.
This can be a problem with so-called "non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic" and low extract beers.
It can also be a problem for beers where large amounts of bitterness units are part of the product profile. For example, some beers have a bitterness unit specification equal to or greater than 20 BU to 60 BU. This reduction in metallic taste can be advantageously used to round the desired bitter flavor of beer without losing essential hop characteristics.

Therefore, in another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beer product produced by the production method of the present invention. More particularly, alcoholic beverages, especially beverages, are quenched to a temperature approximately at their freezing point, thereby removing only sufficient heat to produce a minimal amount of nascent ice crystals, and the cooling obtained thereafter. The beverage is mixed with a large amount of ice crystals in the aqueous slurry and the mixture is held for a short period of time, during which the nascent phase is reduced without an appreciable concomitant increase in the total ice crystal mass contained in the resulting mixture. At least a portion of the ice crystals have melted; the resulting cooled-tempering treated beverage is then subjected to a total dissolved solids and alcohol concentration that is substantially no greater than the total molten solids concentration of the original untreated beverage. ,
A cooled-tempered beer is provided that has a thermal history of separating from the mixture.

Thus, in general, stable ice crystals suspended in an aqueous liquid; and a small amount of its aqueous fraction undergoes an initial liquid-to-solid state change in the formation of nascent ice crystals, and then: Cooling from a mixture of slurries of untempered beverages that undergoes the opposite solid-to-liquid state change upon melting in the mixture without a conspicuous increase in the total ice crystal mass contained in the mixture. -Providing a tempered beverage extract.

Schematic Diagrams The process of the present invention is fully described by reference to the following description, but is not limited thereto:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the steps involved in processing young beer according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a simple pilot plant system for carrying out cold process stages, ie cooling and ice treatment according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a plant suitable for processing young beer according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the freezing point for various aqueous liquid food products as a function of solids content. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the brewed substance is ground with water, the resulting mash is heated, then the wort is separated, the wort is boiled, cooled, fermented and the young beer is finished including aging. A method for producing a fermented malt beverage which is subjected to a step to obtain a beverage, and further, the beer is rapidly cooled to a temperature substantially at its freezing point so that ice crystals are produced in a minimum amount to obtain the cooled beer. A process is provided which comprises mixing with beer slurry containing ice crystals for a short period of time without appreciable increase in the amount of ice crystals in the mixture and then extracting the treated beer from the mixture. Note that the extracted beer is generally free of ice crystals, most of which either melts back into liquid or remains in the slurry. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the substrate beer is young beer and the treatment is carried out before its ripening.

Therefore, in a further embodiment, the present invention provides that the brewed substance is ground with water, the resulting mash is heated, then the wort is separated, the wort is boiled, cooled and fermented, A method of producing a fermented malt beverage, wherein a young beer is subjected to a finishing step including aging to obtain a beverage, the beer being at most about the temperature of its freezing point so that at most a small amount of small crystals are produced. Subjected to a cooling step consisting of rapid cooling, the cooled beer is briefly treated in a fluidized bed of ice crystals having a size larger than the small crystals so that there is no appreciable increase in the amount of ice. The present invention provides a method for producing a young beer thus treated.

In carrying out the process of the present invention, the cooling step is conveniently carried out by a scraping heat exchanger and mixing the cooled young beer with a slurry of shaken ice crystals in the young beer. Can conveniently be carried out in a "crystallizer" unit often named in the literature forming part of a commercially available freeze concentration system. Such systems and related equipment are described, for example, in US Pat. No. 4,004,8 to Thijssen et al. (The disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference).
No. 86. As will be readily appreciated, only a portion of the apparatus described in US Pat. No. 4,004,886 was used to carry out the process of the present invention, which, as taught in its reference, Operated in different ways. In essence, it provides a processing zone that is believed to act as a fluidized bed through which the beer is processed, preferably containing a shaken slurry of larger ice crystals. , So that the amount of crystals in the "bed" does not appreciably increase during the process. The treated beer is periodically removed from the ice crystals remaining in the treatment zone, typically from 1,200 to 15,000 hectares, or at the end of each brewing cycle during which the beer is being treated, periodically removing the ice crystals. Separate until discarded. Again, note that most of the crystals that enter the recrystallizer are relatively small, as explained above, and are removed by melting.

First, the process is initiated by adding relatively large crystals (typically having an average size of 100 to 3,000 μm), preferably in a “bulk” to the treatment zone, or They are expediently over a period of time, preferably under the conditions in which relatively small ice crystals consisting of only about 5% of the beer volume, usually about 2%, grow in the zone and give a given amount of large crystals. By introducing cooled beer into the zone, it can be generated in the system. It should be noted that during the start-up phase for the production of a slurry containing stable ice crystals, beer is not processed according to the invention.

A volume of crystal of 35% to 5% or less can be used, for example depending on the type of beer to be treated, but the treatment zone is about 20% to 2%.
It has been found that the zone operates sufficiently stably when it contains a volume of 5%, preferably 10% to 20% of the crystals. The particular amount may change slightly during the process, but such changes are monitored and a feedback system is provided to direct the heat exchanger or equivalent cooling system to cool if necessary. The temperature of the beer is raised or lowered to rebalance the system. For example, such systems based on the electrical conductivity measurement of ice content are readily available.

The young beer normally present in the fermentor, for example 10 ° C. to 17 ° C., is cooled to between about -1 ° C. and 5 ° C. and then passed through a scraped heat exchanger or an external suitable cooling device. , There to a low temperature of about -5 ℃, usually -4.5
It has been found that the system works efficiently upon cooling to ° C to -1 ° C. Generally, the processing zone maintains the same temperature.

The actual freezing temperature of the beer substrate, and thus the temperature reached in the cooling zone, depends on a number of factors including the beer composition, the Plato value and especially the alcohol value. For example, for young beers having a plateau value of about 16 ° P and an alcohol content of about 7% to 7.5% by volume, as is routinely the case for high-density brewing, the young beer is conveniently added to the treatment zone. It is cooled to a temperature of about -4 ° C before being introduced. The higher the alcohol content, the higher the temperature will generally be needed to achieve a product with the desired properties.

The two components of this particular system, the heat exchanger and the processing vessel, do not need to be provided with an inert atmosphere, which is sufficient for the liquid medium to operate and which would otherwise be necessary.

The main advantage of the present invention is that the cooling system makes it less efficient, which has been a problem with various prior art processes, making the system very difficult to control and, in extreme cases, clogging the system. The ability of the ice-containing treatment zone to operate continuously without becoming inoperable due to the formation of ice clad tubes and similar phenomena.

Although it is possible (if all aging stages are used) to carry out a cooling stage treatment after aging if desired, the preferred treatment of young beer before aging is described below.

Referring to FIG. 1, wort from a brewing trough (not shown) is sent through line 10 to fermentation vessel 12 where yeast is fed and fermented in a conventional manner. After the fermentation is completed, the used yeast is removed by the centrifuge 13. A common method of removing yeast cells, usually performed by humans, leaves a small amount of yeast cells in the young beer. However, it has been found that these residual cells have an adverse effect on the finished beer, which means that they are lysed by the ice treatment according to the invention and the resulting cell fragments have an adverse effect on the sensory properties of the finished beer. Conceivable. As a result, it is further preferred to use a more efficient separation device to remove substantially all yeast according to the present invention with special care and, if desired, prior to processing the young beer. The brewed young beer is then, depending on a number of factors, generally including the specific alcohol content, in a scraped heat exchanger 14 where cooling to the freezing point of the beer takes place-
Cool rapidly to 1 ° C to -5 ° C, usually -2 ° C to -4 ° C. In this case it was -3.7 ° C. The cooling is carried out in a short time, generally less than 60 seconds and usually a few minutes. As is the case in this example, a small amount of small crystals are produced in an amount of less than 5% by volume, generally 2% by volume or less, and the treatment results in large crystal growth or (about 9-10 μm). Suitable for inhibiting excess small crystals (which are considered smaller). In fact, less than about 2% by volume of beer is converted to ice during the cooling stage. Then
The thus cooled beer is immediately passed through the processing zone 15 containing ice. This zone is well filled with a slurry of ice crystals and young beer, which is maintained under constant agitation to make it homogeneous. Preferably, the ice crystals are much larger by a factor of 10 to 100 than the crystals contained in the beer to be treated. The processing zone reduces the amount of ice by confirming whether the young beer is overcooled or undercooled in response to a signal from an insulator surrounding the zone and an ice sensor located in the processing zone. It has a combination with a feedback mechanism to correct the increase. Thus, the purpose of maintaining a fixed amount of zone as large crystals, usually about 20 to 22%, is maintained, as is the temperature of the treatment. The ability to sustain low processing temperatures without ice clogging the system and damaging it is a very important aspect of the invention. Initially the ice treatment zone is simply loaded with a mass of ice crystals,
More conveniently, they form in the system when the system is started by operating the heat exchange unit to produce a major amount of small ice crystals that grow to the desired size in the processing zone. . Loading of such zones can take from about 1 hour to several hours, usually 2 hours, depending on many factors, including the type / volume of heat exchanger used and the alcohol content of the young beer. No beer is processed during this time. The residence time of young beer in the ice treatment zone is relatively short, less than 1 hour, generally 15
Minutes, especially 5 to 15 minutes and even shorter, after which the treated beer is transferred to the ripening tank 16. Then it is finished in the usual way.

This system is: (a) not complicated; there is no backflow, in fact there is only one unidirectional flow, ie the fluid substrate is processed and therefore minimal equipment is required. And is simple to operate; (b) the process does not involve concentration of the young beer and therefore does not require constant ice crystal removal (these only need to be discarded at the end of the brewing cycle. Absent). clearly,
The ice is not subsequently processed by either method,
It is almost nonexistent with respect to the amount of beer processed, and there is virtually no beer or the like supplemented to it. (C) Gentle processing of young beer at a high rate, easily and conveniently incorporated into the current brewing process, with little change in the layout of the existing plant; (d) A continuous and rapid process, which ,
It incurs a small additional cost and yields beneficial results as far as the desired product properties are improved, in particular the cooling stability as well as the very favorable organoleptic properties; (e) With the device described, heat exchangers are used. And the separation vessel is excellent in practice in that it is well filled with liquid medium and therefore does not require maintenance of an inert or carbon dioxide atmosphere.

Referring to FIG. 2, this has a scraping heat exchanger 21 and a capacity of 120 l, and the ice-containing treatment zone 2
3 shows a pilot plant for beer cooling and processing stage or system, generally designated 20, consisting of a processing or separation vessel 22 forming 3.

A pipe 28 connects a fermenter or a young beer storage tank (neither shown) to the scraped heat exchanger 21 and a circulation pump 30 is provided in the pipe 24 for moving the beer. . The heat exchanger 21 is provided with a cooling system 26.

The pipe 34 connects the heat exchanger 21 directly to the vessel 22, which constitutes the inlet for the cooled beer. The vessel 21 is provided with a stirrer or shaker 28 driven by a motor 29 and a separating or filtering member 30 surrounding an outlet 31 leading to a pipe 44 leading to an aging tank (not shown). Separator 30 must ensure that large crystals forming a stable, constant volume of ice do not leave the processing zone, while at the same time largely do not melt during processing but then melt. It is extremely important in that it requires a small amount of small crystals to pass through. In addition, for example, a scraper must be provided and designed and / or adapted to prevent the small particles from clogging the tube.

【Example】

Beer Examples The production of the present invention was carried out in the production of rapidly chilled lager beer. The haze characteristics of this beer and conventional lager beer are listed in the table below. Note that the rapidly cooled Lager beer was aged for 7 days and the regular Lager beer was aged for 14 days. Also, chilled lager beer has a significantly higher alcohol and extract content that a regular lager has-both of these things normally direct the chilled beer to a clearly haze instability amount, which is I couldn't find anything to happen.

[0089]

[Table 1]

The unit of measurement is the "haze unit" and the beer was tested according to the following method:

One Week Forced Test: This analysis is performed to predict the total suspension cooling haze stability of the product. The test is
Based on the belief that it was accepted that beer stored at elevated temperatures for a relatively short period of time would produce very similar total suspension cooling haze to that produced in normal beer stored at room temperature for extended periods. ing. Place the beer in a bottle or can under illumination in a warm water bath at 49 ° C. and let it stand for a full week (7 days). When this incubation is complete, the beer is cooled to room temperature and then at 0 ° C.
Pass it through the cold water bath for 24 hours. The bottle is removed from the cold water bath and inverted to suspend any precipitate. Then
The haze is nephelometrically measured with a Radiometer Hazemeter converted to an empirical turbidity standard. Pour the beer into the instrument chamber and read the dial on the diaphragm. This can be standardized by a known method.
FTU (formazin turbidit)
y units).

Two Month Cooling Haze: This test is carried out by storing the filled beer for two months at room temperature. The total suspended solids samples are then measured as described for the 1 week forced test.

The results show that the process according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the aging time by 50% without increasing the haze instability. Furthermore, despite the expectations based on the larger alcohol and extract content of the quench lagers, the haze measured for the quench lagers was comparable, if not slightly lower than that produced in regular lagers. This is considered to be very important, especially as beer is now typically brewed in large volumes,
It can be left for a long time before it is completely consumed.

Referring to FIG. 3, this is a flow sheet of a commercial scale facility that can be used to make beer, again using young beer as an example according to the present invention. The facility has a young beer inflow pipe 40 connecting a fermentor or a young beer surge tank / storage tank (not shown) to a beer chiller 42, which is connected via a pipe 44 to a Westfalia. ) -Connected to the beer centrifuge 46. This centrifuge
For all practical purposes, to ensure that substantially all yeast cells from the fermentation stage have been removed from the young beer, maintain optimal efficiency. The centrifuge 46 includes a pipe 48, a flow meter 51, valves 52, 54, 56.
And through beer 58 and pipe 60, the beer cooler 6
2 is connected to the latter, the latter of which is a pipe 57, a valve 50,
68 and 70 and pipe 72 connect to the heat exchanger manifold 64. Alternatively, centrifuge 46 may be directly connected to manifold 64 by valves 48 through valves 52 and 70 and pipe 72. The manifold 64 operates a scraped heat exchanger 74. Although three heat exchangers are shown installed in parallel, obviously the number or type of heat exchangers may vary according to requirements. Second manifold 76
Is installed to combine all the material exiting heat exchanger 74 and send it through pipe 78 to a processing or separation vessel 80. The processing and separation vessel 80 surrounds a processing zone 82 having a volume of 90 hectares. Container 80
Is well insulated, which includes a shaking mechanism (not shown) driven by a motor 84 and valves 88 and 9
An outlet pipe 66 is provided which connects to the pipe 92 via 0, which joins 72 to the ripening tank 98 via pipe 94 and pipe 96. The tank 98 is provided with a beer outflow pipe 100. Further, the container 80 is provided with an ice monitor and a sensor 81. The ice monitor and sensor recognize changes in the ice crystal content from the desired "steady state" operating conditions (eg, by measuring changes in the electrical conductivity of the slurry) and automatically heat exchangers. Instruct to increase / decrease cooling and return the processing zone to the steady state of operation.
In the illustrated embodiment, these monitors are conductivity probes (sensor 81) that measure the change in conductivity of beer slurry that is proportional to the ice concentration in the reactor (Yokogawa, model s250113E, NW 25). , 4-20m
A). The feedback from the probe is the ammonia (coolant) back pressure control valve system (ammonia backpressure co
ntrol valve system). The control of the coolant back pressure also provides control of the temperature of the coolant and thereby the amount of ice retained in the recrystallizer. In the preferred operation of the described apparatus, the actuation of the ammonia back pressure control valve by the probe regulates the coolant temperature set at predetermined intervals during operation. Typically, the system response is ± 0.5 ° C or less with a maximum change every half hour.
The temperature setting is limited to 2 ° C.

If the set conditions are deviated, the container 80 is also provided with a separating device (not shown in FIG. 3), and the separating device removes a small number of remaining small ice crystals from the container, if any. From coming in, thereby maintaining a "fluid bed" while stirring the ice slurry.

This device is used in the Hertogenbosch 5221EE, the Netherlands, De Beverspijken 7, Niro Process Technology Vesrogen Fennaught Shamp (Niro).
Process Technology B.V.). The recrystallizer used was a part of Niro type NFC-60 soft ice refrigeration unit, flow rate of about 350 hL / hr, 7.5% v / v
Inflow alcohol concentration, -1 ℃ inflow temperature, -3.5 ℃
At an outflow temperature of 20% (18 hL) specific volume of supercritical ice crystals.

In operation, young beer with an alcohol content of 7% by volume is obtained from a conventional fermentation at about 15 ° C. and introduced into the system through a pipe 40 and a beer cooler 42 at a temperature of 8 ° C. to 10 ° C. Let it pass. It then further passes a dropping cooler 55 which reduces its temperature even to -1.5 ° C, thereby reducing the load on the scraped heat exchanger 74 through which the beer passes.
The temperature of the young beer leaving the heat exchanger 74 is about -4 ° C,
It consists of about 2% by volume of small crystals with an average particle size of 0.1 to 10 μm. The residence time of the young beer in the heat exchanger is only about 1 second and is then immediately introduced through the manifold 78 into the ice treatment zone 80. Initially, this zone does not require a load of ice slurry,
Therefore, if large ice crystals of about 1.800 kg having an average particle size of 200 to 3,000 μm are formed, they are formed over a starting period of 2 hours. Chilled young beer was continuously processed at a rate of 450 hectares per hour, which homogenized the average beer residence time to about 12 minutes, while vigorous stirring was kept in the vessel by the separator. Maintained in a homogeneous mass. The temperature of the processing zone is about −
It is maintained at 4 ° C. The amount of ice crystals, or "fluidized bed," in the zone is maintained substantially constant. The bed can be maintained for a long period of time, but from a practical point of view it is generally removed and discarded at the end of the brewing cycle used to process 1,200 to 15,000 hectares of young beer.

The amount of water leaving the system as ice is
As little as 0.1% to at most 1.5%, so that the concentration of the beer remains substantially constant, especially when flushing the system with brewing water at the end of the cycle.

In summary, the process of the present invention is a continuous process that is easy to operate, has a low roughness, is mellow and has a greatly increased shelf life due to increased physical stability compared to regular beer. Providing a well-balanced beer, this latter quality per se significantly reduces the capital costs, including the time it takes for normal ripening and possibly what a ripening tank generally requires to provide significant economic benefits. I will provide a.

The following examples are intended to illustrate the possible application of this process to the manufacture of distilled beverages.

Examples of distilled alcoholic beverages: The action of yeast is limited by the amount of alcohol present, and at about 18% by volume, yeast ceases to ferment. For this reason
Single fermentations cannot achieve alcohol concentrations above about 18%. At higher levels, distillation is needed. Note that alcohol has a boiling point of about 78.5 ° C, alcohol-water azeotrope has a boiling point of about 78.3 ° C, and water has a boiling point of 100 degrees. This is 40 to 50 for a typical beverage distillation.
% Alcohol is normal, while low boiling fraction is about 96
It means that the alcohol content can be enriched to the same extent as% alcohol. Freeze-concentration of these products has been provided as a modification of the conventional distillation process, but the business community generally does not like to displace from more traditional stills. Furthermore, there is evidence that the freeze concentration process can yield non-traditional flavor profiles that can impact market acceptance. Therefore, the use of conventional boiling stills remains the method of choice for the manufacture of distilled beverages.

Distilled alcoholic beverages can be divided into three main classes. The first of such classes starts from a starchy substrate and requires enzymes, usually in the form of malt malt, to convert starch to fermentable sugars (eg scotch from whole malt; rye and malt). Liquor from a mixture of corn; bourbon from a mixture of corn, rye and malt; Irish whiskey from rye, wheat and malt; and Arach from rice).

Typically, about 15% high diastase malt is added to the other starch source, water is added and the combined mash is converted at about 56 ° C. with stirring. The mash is then temporarily heated to 62 ° C, then cooled to about 17-23 ° C and acidified to pH 4.7-5 with lactic acid or sulfuric acid. Alternatively, the pH is mediated by the action of microorganisms (eg, Lactobacillus bellbrucky (La
ctobacillus delbruckii)). The reduced pH controls pollution and promotes yeast metabolic activity. Fermentation typically takes about 3 days,
The temperature is controlled at about 32 ° C or lower. In some distilleries this is done as part of a continuous fermentation process.

At the end of the fermentation, the alcohol and aroma substances are distilled off. Different whiskeys are distilled to different final proofs and then diluted to the final product concentration of choice. The type of distillation equipment and the final standard concentration at which whiskey is distilled will largely determine the properties of the final product. For example, bourbon normally distills to 170 proof distillate, whereas simple pot distillation liquor produces a final 130 to 140 proof distillate.

In Scotch whiskey, typical smoke incense is produced, at least in part, from malt dried at high temperatures in a peat fire. Scotch is usually aged in sherry or partially carbonized wooden barrels. Most American whiskeys are stored in oak barrels. Some typical flavorants, such as guaiacol, leach from the tree. The Scotch Highland Whiskey (Sc
otch highland whiskey) is produced in a simple pot distiller, while Roland whiskey is produced in a patent distiller and has a low malt aroma.

The second broad class includes products that start directly from the sugar substrate, where at least some portion of the natural aroma is distilled to become part of the distillate (eg from grapes. Cognac or Armagnac or brandy; Kirsch from cherries; Thrivovits and slozins from plums; Tequila from agave; Rum from sugar cane; Applejack and Calvados from apples; Todays from coconut milk; and Flamboaz from raspberries). The third group includes those produced by adding aroma substances to pure and pure ethanol obtained by distillation and rectification (Licker and liqueur and cordial; gin from juniper berries; and cream from mint and sugar). De Monte; Cream de Cacao from cocoa nuts, sugar and vanilla; Cherry brandy from cherries and sugar; Coffee liquor from coffee and sugar; Grand mania from orange peel, drambois from honey and whiskey; Or, includes Chartreuse or Benedectin from herbs and sugar).

Example of Cider Liquor: In the manufacture of cider liquor,
Juice (compressed from ground apples or made from concentrate) is treated with the amount of sulphate required to kill any land-specific microbial flora. Then, the selected fermenting yeast is added to the juice to completely ferment it. The apple liquor is then squeezed from the starch to remove yeast debris.
In practice of the application of the invention, the cider liquor is subjected to the main cooling treatment. Sequential blending, addition of antioxidants and sweeteners, carbonate saturation, sterilization or aseptic filling is performed to obtain the final malt product.

Whatever the class of product may be considered for processing, the process of the invention may be applied to distilled beverages following complete conversion of the fermentable substrate to ethanol. Typically, the distillation process will also be complete. In the "third" group mentioned above, it is preferred to carry out the process of the invention (prior to the introduction of the additional flavor). In any case, the aqueous ethanol-containing solution is treated with the solution rapidly at about the temperature of its freezing point, which mainly depends on the alcohol content in order to produce only the minimum amount of nascent ice crystals. Subject to a cooling stage consisting of cooling. The resulting cold aqueous ethanol-containing solution is then allowed to undergo, without appreciable increase in ice crystal mass contained in the resulting mixture during the mixing,
After cooling in a slurry containing aqueous ethanol, a short period of time is followed by mixing with a stable ice crystal of a specific volume. The so treated solution is then extracted from the mixture without a substantial attendant increase in total dissolved solids concentration.

FIG. 4 illustrates various freezing points of various products as a function of dissolved solids concentration. Generally, the present invention relates to fermented liquid beverages , especially fermented alcoholic beverages-
For example, apple liquor, various alcoholic beverages induced through the fermentation process in whole or in part, for example,
Fermented grains such as fermented malt drinks like malt whiskey
Beverages are also included, in particular (e.g., the most commonly used lager, ale, porter, mole liquor, stout, etc. of the word-more precisely, "low alcohol" and "non-alcoholic" (cold Including fermented malt brewed beverages such as "beer", including, but not limited to, beer.

Also, as will be appreciated, the cooling process preferably takes place in two distinct zones, which, in fact, are preferably contained in separate, compartmented vessels. However, this does mean that although the zone is contained in one container, the beverage is first cooled and nascent ice crystals are formed therein, and then
It is not essential to mix the chilled beverage with a slurry having stable ice crystals.

[0111]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The process of the present invention provides a fermented malt beverage which is resistant to haze and is physically stable.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a young beer processing step.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a pilot plant system in the cold process stage.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a young beer processing plant.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between solid content and freezing point of aqueous liquid foods.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Line, 12: Fermentation vessel, 13: Centrifuge, 1
4: heat exchanger, 15: treatment zone, 21: scraping heat exchanger, 22: separation vessel, 23: ice-containing treatment zone, 2
4, 28, 44, 48, 57, 60, 66, 72, 7
8, 92, 94, 96, 100: pipe, 26: cooling system, 29: motor, 30: circulation pump, 31: outlet, 40: inflow pipe, 42, 62: beer cooler,
46: Beer centrifuge, 51: Flow meter, 5
0, 52, 54, 56, 58, 68, 70, 89, 9
0: Valve, 55: Dropping cooler, 64: Heat exchange manifold, 74: Scraping heat exchanger, 76:
Second Manifold, 80: Process or Separation Vessel, 8
1: Ice monitor and sensor, 82: Processing zone, 8
4: Motor, 98: Aging tank

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor William John Van der Mir Canada, N6H4Z5, Ontario, London, Green Hedge Rain No.46

Claims (53)

[Claims] 1. An aqueous fermentation liquor is subjected to a cooling step which comprises rapidly cooling it to a temperature of about its freezing point to produce only nascent ice crystals in its minimum amount; -in the resulting mixture; The resulting cooled aqueous liquid solution, without appreciable increase in the total ice crystal volume, of the stable ice crystals dispersed as a slurry for a short period of time to the inherent volume of the post-cooling stage; -the liquid so treated from the mixture. A process for cooling a fermented liquid beverage, characterized in that the process is carried out without a substantial concomitant decrease in the total amount of water contained in the fermented liquid by extracting. 2. A predetermined amount of edible fermented liquid is subjected to a cooling step which comprises rapidly cooling the edible liquid to about the temperature of its freezing point to produce nascent ice crystals in its minimum amount. Mixing the resulting cooled aqueous liquid solution with the post-cooling intrinsic volume of stable ice crystals dispersed as a slurry for a short time, without appreciable increase in the total ice crystal volume in the resulting mixture; A process for the cooling treatment of fermented alcoholic beverage liquids, characterized in that it comprises sucking out from the mixture a volume of treated liquid equal to the volume of drinking liquid, the process being carried out without a substantial attendant concentration of said liquid. 3. A cooling step comprising the step of rapidly cooling the volume of the pretreated drinking-water liquid to approximately the freezing point of the drinking-water liquid to produce nascent ice crystals in its minimum amount. A cold aqueous drinking liquid solution obtained, during said mixing, without any appreciable increase in the total ice crystal mass contained in the mixture obtained, by the same aqueous liquid of said same drinking aqueous liquid solution. Mix briefly with the post-cooling stage specific volume of stable ice crystals in the slurry; then from the mixture a volumetric flow rate of the pretreated drinking aqueous liquid equal to the volumetric flow rate of the pretreated drinking aqueous liquid. Dissolution of a treated potable aqueous liquid solution having a dissolved solids concentration generally equal thereto, the process being carried out without any substantial attendant concentration of the liquid. Continuous drinking aqueous liquid solution Retirement processing method. 4. The volumetric volume of the pretreatment liquid is subjected to a cooling step which comprises rapidly cooling the liquid to about its freezing point to produce nascent ice crystals in its minimal amount; During mixing, the resulting cooled aqueous liquid solution is obtained with about 10 to about 100 times more stable ice crystals than the nascent ice crystals, without appreciable increase in total ice crystal mass contained in the resulting mixture. For a short period of time with a cooling stage specific volume of stable ice crystals in an aqueous liquid slurry of the same liquid containing; then-from the mixture a volume flow rate substantially equal to the volume flow rate of the pretreatment liquid, 4. A continuous process according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises the step of sucking out the treatment liquid having a water content higher than that of the pretreatment liquid, said step being carried out without substantial concomitant concentration of the beverage. Cooling treatment method. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the liquid is an aqueous mixture containing ethanol. 6. The method according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the liquid is a malt beverage. 7. Fermenting a substrate to obtain an ethanol-containing liquid; distilling the ethanol-containing liquid to obtain a predetermined ethanol concentration;
A method for producing a fermented grain beverage, which comprises subjecting it to the cooling treatment according to any one of claims 1. 8. A fermented grain beverage for producing a beverage corresponding to each of the groups: scotch; liquor; bourbon; Irish whiskey; grain alcohol; and alak, (a) whole malt; (b) A mixture of rye and malt; (c) a mixture of corn, rye and malt; (d) a mixture of rye, wheat and malt; (e) corn; and (e) produced from one selected from the group consisting of rice The method according to claim 7, wherein the method is performed. 9. Grape mashing; squeezing and separating fructose; fermenting the fructose to obtain wine; the resulting wine according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4. A method for producing a fermented wine drink, characterized by being subjected to cooling treatment. 10. A fermented apple liquor obtained by preparing apple juice, completely fermenting the juice by yeast culture, removing yeast dregs, and obtaining the fermented apple liquor according to claim 1. A method for producing fermented cider liquor characterized by being subjected to cooling treatment of. 11. Ground the brewing substance with water; heat the resulting mash and separate it from the wort; boil, cool and ferment the wort; then claim the beer obtained Item 1. A method for producing a fermented malt brewed beverage, which is subjected to the cooling treatment according to any one of 1, 2, 3 and 4. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a substantial amount of yeast cells is removed from the fermented wort before the cooling treatment. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein less than about 500,000 yeast cells / ml of yeast cells remain in the fermented wort after the removal. 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the young beer is cooled to the range of -1 ° C to -5 ° C. 15. The brewed young beer is from −2 ° C. to −4 ° C.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the temperature is cooled to the range. 16. A process according to claim 14, characterized in that the cooling is carried out generally for a time of less than 60 seconds. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the cooling is performed for about 5 seconds or less. 18. The process according to claim 15, wherein said nascent ice crystals are generally produced in an amount of less than about 5% by volume of said brewed young beer. 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the nascent ice crystals are produced in an amount of about 2% by volume or less. 20. The nascent ice crystals are generally about 10
20. The method according to claim 19, which is smaller than μm. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the zone is completely filled with a slurry of ice crystals and the young beer. 22. The slurry is maintained under constant agitation to homogenize it.
1. The production method described in 1. 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the slurry ice crystals are significantly larger than the nascent ice crystals at a rate of 10 to 100 times. 24. A feedback signal is generated in response to a signal from an ice sensor located in an ice crystal concentrate that senses for the post-cooling stage of stable ice crystals in an aqueous young beer slurry, the feedback signal being generated. The signal maintains the desired proportion of stable ice crystals in the post-cooling stage's intrinsic volume, thus reducing or increasing the amount of nascent ice crystals that form there, thereby reducing the degree of cooling of the young beer cooling stage. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the method is controlled. 25. The process according to claim 24, characterized in that the proportion of stable ice crystals in the intrinsic capacity in the post-cooling stage is maintained below 45% by volume. 26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the proportion of stable ice crystals in the specific capacity in the post-cooling stage is maintained at less than 35% by volume. 27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the proportion of stable ice crystals in the specific capacity in the post-cooling stage is maintained at less than 25% by volume. 28. The process according to claim 26, wherein the proportion of stable ice crystals in the post-cooling intrinsic volume is maintained at an amount of about 10 to 20% by volume. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the proportion of stable ice crystals in the post-cooling intrinsic volume is less than about 5%. 30. The process according to claim 24, wherein the residence time of the young beer in the post-cooling slurry is less than 1 hour. 31. The process according to claim 30, wherein the residence time of the young beer in the post-cooling slurry is generally up to 15 minutes. 32. The process according to claim 30, wherein the residence time of the young beer in the post-cooling slurry is about 5 to 15 minutes. 33. Purging the beer with an inert gas,
The method according to claim 11, wherein the amount of residual volatile gas mixed in the beer is substantially reduced. 34. The process of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the process is a high density beer brewing process.
The method according to any one of 1. 35. The process of claim 1, wherein the process is a non or low alcohol beer brewing process.
The method according to any one of 2, 3, or 4. 36. A method of producing a fermented malt beverage, wherein the brewed substance is ground with water, the mash obtained is heated, the wort is separated therefrom, the wort is boiled, cooled and fermented to obtain beer. And subjecting the beer to a cooling step which comprises rapidly cooling the beer to about its freezing point in such a way that a minimum amount of ice crystals are formed, and the amount of ice crystals in the resulting mixture. Wherein the cooled beer is treated by briefly mixing it with a slurry containing ice crystals, and then extracting the beer so treated from the mixture. 37. Grinding the brewing substance with water, heating the resulting mash, separating the wort therefrom, boiling the wort, cooling and fermenting to obtain a fermented malt beverage, The beer is subjected to a finishing step, which, prior to aging, comprises a rapid cooling of the beer to approximately its freezing point in such a manner that a minimal amount of ice crystals are formed. , Aging by treating the chilled beer with a slurry containing ice crystals for a short time without appreciable increase in the amount of ice crystals in the resulting mixture, and extracting the treated beer from the mixture. A method for producing a fermented malt beverage, comprising: 38. The brewing substance is ground with water, the mash obtained is heated, the wort is separated therefrom, the wort is boiled, cooled and fermented and the beer is subjected to a finishing step. A fermented malt beverage, wherein the finishing step comprises, prior to ripening, a rapid cooling of the beer to about its freezing point, so that at most a minimum amount of small ice crystals are formed therein. The staged, thus cooled beer was briefly treated in a fluidized bed of ice crystals having a size larger than that of the small crystals so that there was no appreciable increase in the amount of ice, and the thus treated young beer was treated. A method for producing a fermented malt beverage, which comprises aging for recovery. 39. The method according to any one of claims 36, 37 and 38, wherein the rapid cooling is performed for less than 60 seconds. 40. The method according to any one of claims 36, 37 and 38, wherein the rapid cooling is performed for less than 30 seconds. 41. The method according to claim 36, 37 or 38, wherein the rapid cooling is performed in about 5 seconds. 42. The method according to claim 36, 37 and 3, characterized in that said mixing or treatment is carried out for a time not exceeding 60 minutes.
8. The method according to any one of items 1. 43. The method according to any one of claims 36, 37 and 38, wherein the mixing or treatment is carried out for less than 30 minutes. 44. The method according to any one of claims 36, 37 and 38, wherein the mixing or treatment is carried out for 5 to 20 minutes. 45. The method according to claim 36, wherein the beer is young beer. 46. Any melting of subcritical crystals contained in an aqueous liquid near freezing is generally thermodynamically less than or equal to the attendant melting of supercritical crystals, whereby said supercritical The near freezing aqueous liquid into a mass of supercritical ice crystals under thermodynamically controlled conditions selected to avoid any substantial increase in the concentration of the aqueous liquid during its slurrying association with the critical crystals. A method of cooling a near freezing aqueous liquid, characterized by passing through a passing slurrying connection and then separating the supercritical crystals from the aqueous liquid. 47. A heat exchanger for cooling the aqueous solution to reduce the temperature of the solution to about the freezing point at which only a minimal amount of nascent ice crystals are formed; generally from the nascent ice crystals. A large and stable amount of stable ice crystals is maintained in the ice container in a well-dispersed state, while the cooled liquid includes a separating means and a dispersing means for passing the liquid from the ice container. An ice container connected in series with an exchanger; and a retained ice crystal concentration monitoring device and control for monitoring the amount of ice crystals contained in the container and thermally controlling the amount in response thereto An apparatus; wherein in operation the heat exchanger cools the aqueous solution to a temperature approximately at its freezing point, thereby producing a minimal amount of the nascent ice crystals, and the resulting cooled After cooling, further add the aqueous solution at the post-cooling stage. , Maintained well dispersed in the post-cooling aqueous solution by the dispersing means, without any appreciable increase in the inherently stable ice crystal volume in the slurry during the time period. Passing through the ice vessel for a period of time as part of a slurry consisting of an intrinsic volume of stable ice crystals, then extracting the treated aqueous solution from the mixture via the separating means; and, where: During operation, the retained ice crystal mass monitoring and control means monitors the volume of the stable ice crystals in the ice container and responds to the monitored conditions,
A liquid flow-through device for continuous cooling treatment of an aqueous solution characterized by thermally controlling the amount of said stable ice crystals contained in said vessel while passing through the aqueous solution. . 48. A temperature and flow rate control means is included with said heat exchange, whereby said cooling of said aqueous solution therein occurs in less than about 60 seconds. apparatus. 49. The ice container includes an insulated housing, wherein the retained ice crystal concentration monitoring and control means is connected to an ice volume sensor arranged to detect for the slurry retained in the container. 48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the apparatus is provided with feedback control of the amount of cooling of the aqueous solution in the heat exchanger, thereby controlling the volume of stable ice crystals contained in the vessel. 50. A pumping means comprising means for pumping the aqueous solution to the container and flow rate suppressing means for partially suppressing the flow of the cooled solution from the container. 48. The means for liquid and the flow control means are cooperatively arranged to keep the vessel full of slurry during operation of the device.
The described device. 51. The aqueous liquid solution is rapidly cooled to a temperature at about its freezing point, thereby drawing sufficient heat there to produce a minimal amount of nascent ice crystals, and thereafter.
The resulting cooled aqueous solution is mixed with a large amount of stable ice crystals in an aqueous liquid slurry and the resulting mixture is held for a short period of time, during which the mass of all ice crystals contained in the obtained mixture. At least a portion of the nascent ice crystals melted under conditions without any appreciable concomitant increase in water content; thereafter, the resulting cold tempered aqueous liquid solution was brought to the original untreated aqueous liquid concentration. In contrast, a cooled tempered aqueous liquid solution having a thermal history of separating from the mixture without any substantial increase in concentration. 52. A predetermined amount of supercritical ice crystals; and-a mixture of untempered aqueous liquid solutions near the freezing point having only a small proportion of preformed, subcritical ice crystal form water. , Wherein all of the extract being withdrawn from the slurry has a liquid water content that is substantially no less than the total water content of the untempered aqueous liquid solution; a well-dispersed slurry Cold tempered all liquid extract extracted from. 53. Any one of claims 1 to 46.
The product manufactured by the manufacturing method of.