JPH08275769A - Production of ultrahigh-acidity edible vinegar - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To produce an edible vinegar (ultrahigh-acidity edible vinegar) having an acetic acid concentration as high as >=21.5 wt./vol.%, especially >=21.75wt./ vol.%. CONSTITUTION: Acetic acid bacteria for producing a high-acidity edible vinegar are used as the acetic acid bacteria and the temperature of a fermentation liquor is slowly reduced to a fermentation temperature without lowering to <=18 deg.C until the acetic acid concentration in the fermentation liquor attains >=20 and <=21 wt./vol.% to carry out the feeding culture. The fermentation temperature is then further slowly reduced to <=15 deg.C to perform the acetic acid fermentation in feeding a liquid containing an alcohol to the fermentation liquor while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquor and producing an ultrahigh-acidity edible vinegar at >=21.5wt./vol.% acetic acid concentration according to an acetic acid fermentation method with aeration.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing ultra-high acidity vinegar, more specifically, batch fermentation, two stage process or semi-continuous fermentation (continuous batch fermentation) by aerated acetic acid fermentation method. The present invention relates to a method for producing ultra high acidity vinegar having an acetic acid concentration (hereinafter sometimes referred to as acidity) of 21.5 w / v% (weight / volume%) or more.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various techniques have been made to obtain vinegar having a high acetic acid concentration by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method.
For example, vinegar with a high acetic acid concentration can be obtained by a semi-continuous fermentation method devised for the addition of alcohol (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-15899), or a growth tank and a raw acid tank can be separated (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-79092). , JP-A-53-41495 and JP-A-53-44696).

However, by simply adopting the semi-continuous fermentation method, the higher the acetic acid concentration, the more the acetic acid bacterium is inhibited from acetic acid, which is the main product, so that the acetic acid concentration is naturally limited. . On the other hand, even if the fermenter is fermented to a high acetic acid concentration in the raw acid tank to the full capacity of the acetic acid bacterium by dividing it into a growth tank and a raw acid tank, there is almost no effect of alleviating the inhibition due to high acidity, so this method naturally Raise the limit.

Conventionally, when vinegar is produced by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method, the fermentation temperature range is 26 to 40 throughout the entire fermentation period, although the methods are different.
Temperatures of [deg.] C, usually 28-32 [deg.] C, have been employed. This is set as the optimum temperature condition in the production of vinegar by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method, and it has been considered important also for reducing the environmental change with respect to acetic acid bacteria. However, in the present invention, in acetic acid fermentation under aeration, the acetic acid bacterium used grows together with a raw acid (hereinafter, referred to as a growth phase), and when the growth stops and only the raw acid continues. (Hereinafter, it is referred to as a raw acid phase.) It was considered that maintaining the same temperature during these two periods was the main reason why it was difficult to reach a high acetic acid concentration. .

As a result of various investigations focusing on the characteristics of the acetic acid bacterium, the present inventors have found that the optimum temperature is different between the growth phase and the raw acid phase, and based on this, a high temperature We are developing a method for producing acidity vinegar. For example, in the growth phase, the temperature of mash is conventionally used 27-
The temperature of the mash is set to 32 ° C., that is, in the raw acid phase, so that the temperature of the mash is lower than the temperature of the growth phase, that is, 18 to 24 ° C. (Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-21389), and the mash in the raw acid phase is used. When lowering the temperature of the vinegar, a method for producing vinegar in which the temperature of the mash is lowered according to the increase of the acetic acid concentration within a range not exceeding 2 ° C. and the final temperature of the mash is not lower than 20 ° C. 62-32913), combining aeration fermentation for lowering the temperature of mash in the raw acid phase and a semi-continuous fermentation method by aeration fermentation, and lowering the temperature of mash so that the final temperature of mash does not fall below 18 ° C. A method for producing vinegar (Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-32914), aeration fermentation for lowering the temperature of mash in the raw acid stage and a semi-continuous fermentation method by aeration fermentation are combined, and the temperature of mash is further limited to 18 ° C. 27 ° C
When the target acetic acid concentration of 20 w / v% or more and the alcohol concentration of 0.7 to 2 v / v% were reached, the temperature was lowered to a lower temperature, and a part of the mash was left without interrupting the ventilation, and the others were We are developing a method for producing vinegar (Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-36669).

However, acetic acid, alcohol (usually,
Both of them have an inhibitory effect on acetic acid bacteria at a high concentration, so there are still few examples of vinegar having a high acetic acid concentration of 21.5 w / v% or more produced by aeration fermentation, especially 21.6 w / v. The fact is that there is no known example of exceeding%.

[0007]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present inventors have further pursued a method for producing high-acid vinegar, and as a result, finally, the acetic acid concentration 2
The present invention has been completed in which an acetic acid fermentation liquid of 1.5 w / v% or more can be obtained. An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional method and to produce vinegar (ultra high acidity vinegar) having a high acetic acid concentration of 21.5 w / v% or more.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] That is, the present invention provides that the acetic acid concentration is 21.5 w / v by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method by feeding the alcohol-containing liquid while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquid.
When producing ultra-high acidity vinegar with a concentration of at least%, acetic acid bacteria for producing high-acidity vinegar are used as acetic acid bacteria, and the concentration of acetic acid in the fermentation liquid reaches 20 w / v% or more and 21 w / v% or less. Up to, the temperature of the fermentation liquor is gradually lowered to a fermentation temperature that does not fall below 18 ° C. to perform fed-batch culture, and then the fermentation temperature is further gradually lowered to below 15 ° C. to perform acetic acid fermentation. The present invention provides a method for producing ultra-high acidity vinegar.

The present invention will be described in detail below. In the method of the present invention, acetic acid bacteria for producing high-acid vinegar are used, and the acetic acid concentration in the fermentation broth is 20 w / v% or more, 21
Gradually increase the temperature of the fermentation broth to 18 or less until it reaches w / v% or less.
Fed-batch culture is performed by lowering the fermentation temperature to below ℃.
Then, except that the fermentation temperature is gradually lowered to 15 ° C. or lower to carry out the acetic acid fermentation, according to the conventional method for producing vinegar by aerated acetic acid fermentation, batch fermentation, two-stage fermentation (two stage process) or It can be carried out by semi-continuous fermentation (continuous batch fermentation). Specifically, in the method of the present invention, alcohol, water,
Acetic acid fermentation broth or acetic acid, and filled with mash prepared with the nutrients of acetic acid bacteria, to which pre-cultured liquid pre-cultured in acetic acid bacterium medium for vinegar production is added, fermentation under aeration After the start, the alcohol-containing liquid is fed in while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquid according to the progress of fermentation, and fermentation is carried out by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method.

Here, the mash is prepared with alcohol, water, acetic acid fermentation broth or acetic acid, and nutrients of acetic acid bacteria (for example, sake lees exudate, yeast extract, inorganic salts, sugars, and organic acids, which are suitable). Miso is used. As an aeration fermentation tank for performing fermentation (aeration fermentation tank), since alcohol, which is the main raw material, and acetic acid, which is the main product, are both volatile,
A relatively small amount of ventilation (eg 5 to 30 per minute volume)
%) Is sufficiently mixed (for example, an aeration and stirring type fermentation device, an air lift type fermentation device, a gas entrainment type culture device, etc.) is used. Further, inoculation of acetic acid bacteria, aging for converting the acetic acid fermentation liquid after fermentation to vinegar, filtration, sterilization and the like can also be carried out according to a conventional method.

The pre-culture may be performed by a conventional method. Further, the ventilation amount, stirring conditions, temperature, etc. may be set under normal conditions. That is, these can be carried out according to a known method for producing vinegar by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method. In the method of the present invention, the aerated fermentation tank is filled with mash as described above, and a fermentation solution of pre-cultured liquid or high-acid vinegar precultured in the acetic acid bacterium medium for vinegar production is added thereto, and aerated. Fermentation is started below, and then the alcohol-containing liquid is fed while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquid in accordance with the progress of fermentation to produce vinegar by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method. To control the alcohol concentration in the fermentation broth, the concentration of alcohol (usually ethanol) during fermentation should be approximately 0.5-3.0 v /
It may be carried out by continuously feeding in an alcohol-containing liquid having an alcohol concentration of about 50% in order to maintain the content at v%.

In the method of the present invention, acetic acid bacteria for producing high-acid vinegar are used as acetic acid bacteria. As the acetic acid bacterium for producing high acidity vinegar, various known acetic acid bacterium for producing high acidity vinegar can be used, but Acetobacter polyoxogenes is particularly preferably used. In the present invention, since acetic acid bacteria for producing such high acidity vinegar, in particular, Acetobacter polyoxogenes, is used, a temperature lower than 18 ° C., which is conventionally the lower limit,
For example, it becomes possible to carry out the fermentation effectively even at a low temperature of about 15 ° C. or even about 14 to 13 ° C. As a result, the combination of this low temperature fermentation and fed-batch culture makes it possible to achieve an extremely high level of 21.5 w / v% or more. It has become possible to produce vinegar with acidity.

The above-mentioned Acetobacter polyoxogenes has intermediate characteristics between the genus Acetobacter and the genus Gluconobacter,
It is an acetic acid bacterium that is recently being used for the production of high-acid vinegar. This bacterium is MICRO KOJORI No. 491 (FERM B
P-491), which is the same fungus as Acetobacter altoacetigenes MH-24, which has been deposited at the Institute of Biotechnology, Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, but is currently Acetobacter polyoxogenes . Is called. Regarding the background of this name change, see J. Gen. Appl. M, for example.
It is described at the bottom of p.488 of icrobiol., 31, 475-490 (1985). The details of Acetobacter altoacetylenes are disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 3-80471, and the description as Acetobacter polyoxogenes is described in J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol., 31, 475.
-490 (1985).

In the method of the present invention, the acetic acid bacterium for producing high acidity vinegar as described above is used, and until the acetic acid concentration in the fermentation liquid reaches 20 w / v% or more and 21 w / v% or less,
It is characterized in that the temperature of the fermentation liquor is gradually lowered to a fermentation temperature not lower than 18 ° C. to perform fed-batch culture, and then the fermentation temperature is further gradually lowered to 15 ° C. or lower to perform acetic acid fermentation. . The acetic acid concentration at the time of preparation was
5 to 8 w / v%, and the fermentation temperature at that time is 28 to
The constant temperature fermentation at about 29 ° C. has a low acidity (for example, an acidity of 12
w / v% or less), at high acidity, as described above, by adjusting the temperature according to the progress of fermentation, the inhibition of fermentation due to the increase in acidity is alleviated.

In the method of the present invention, first, until the acetic acid concentration in the fermentation liquor reaches 20 w / v% or more and 21 w / v% or less, the temperature of the fermentation liquor is not gradually lowered to 18 ° C. or less. Fed-batch culture. Here, "decrease gradually" means that the temperature is changed (decreased) for the first time from the above-mentioned constant temperature fermentation (about 28 to 29 ° C), except that it is decreased by about 3 ° C. To stop at. Particularly, at a temperature of 22 ° C. or less at which the acidity reaches approximately 20 w / v%, it does not take much time, and preferably the temperature is lowered while switching in a relatively short period of time for about 6 to 18 hours. With this method, the concentration of acetic acid in the fermentation broth was 20 w /
Until v% or more and 21 w / v% or less is reached, the temperature of the fermentation broth is gradually decreased to a fermentation temperature that does not fall below 18 ° C and fed-batch culture is performed. Usually, the temperature is lowered to about 14 to 13 ° C. to perform the acetic acid fermentation. The term "gradually decrease" as used herein has the same meaning as above.

As described above, an acetic acid fermentation liquor having a high acetic acid concentration of 21.5 w / v% or more can be efficiently obtained, and the acetic acid fermentation liquor is subjected to aging, filtration and sterilization by a conventional method to obtain the purpose. It is possible to produce vinegar with an ultra high acidity of 21.5 w / v% or more. In addition, in the method of the present invention, various nutrient sources (organic acids, vitamins, inorganic salts, etc.) can be added to the fermentation liquid as needed.

[0017]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Experimental Example 1 Aerated fermentation tank was filled with mash prepared by using alcohol, water, acetic acid fermentation broth or acetic acid, and nutrients of acetic acid bacterium, and pre-cultured in a medium for acetic acid bacterium for vinegar production. Preculture liquid [The strain used here is Acetobacter polyoxogenes , that is, the former name Acetobacter altoacetgenes
etigenes ) MH-24 (FERM BP-491). ] To start fermentation under aeration, then
Fermentation was carried out by feeding the alcohol-containing liquid while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquid according to the progress of fermentation.
Until the acetic acid concentration in the fermented solution reaches 20 w / v% or more and 21 w / v% or less, the temperature of the fermented solution is gradually lowered to a fermentation temperature that does not fall below 18 ° C. and fed-batch culture is performed. The fermentation temperature was further gradually lowered to 15 ° C. or lower (actually to 12 ° C.) to perform the acetic acid fermentation.

More specifically, the concentration of acetic acid in the fermentation broth is 1
At 2.5 w / v%, the fermentation temperature was reduced to 29
The temperature was switched from ℃ to 26 ℃, fermented to an acetic acid concentration of 16 w / v%, at which point the fermentation temperature was lowered to 24 ℃. Less than,
Acetic acid concentration is 18 w / v%, 20 w / v%, 20.5 w / v%, 21.0 w
/ v%, 21.3 w / v%, 21.5 w / v%, 21.8 w / v%, and 21.9 w
The fermentation temperature was 22 ℃,
0 ℃, 18 ℃, 16 ℃, 15 ℃, 14 ℃, 13 ℃ and 1
It was lowered to 2 ° C. Until the acidity stops increasing at each temperature,
The results of continued fermentation are shown in Table 1. The average rate of raw acid in Table 1 is calculated from the following formula.

-Average raw acid velocity [(w / v%) / h] = (UV) / T

U: Final reached (or reached) acetic acid concentration (w / v%) V: Acetic acid concentration (w / v%) immediately after filling the raw material feed (or when fermentation temperature is changed) T: Time required for fermentation (H)

[0022]

[Table 1]

From this experimental result, the fermentation temperature was gradually increased to 18
When the temperature was lowered to ℃, the final acetic acid concentration reached 21 w / v% or more.
21.78 w / v% at ℃, 21.89 w / v% at 14 ℃, 13 ℃
Then it became 22.02 w / v%. However, it hardly increased at 12 ° C and remained at 21.91 w / v%. Therefore,
Using the method of the present invention, the upper limit of acetic acid concentration is 2
It is around 2 w / v%, and the fermentation temperature at that time is at least 13
It was found to be around ℃.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1 Alcohol, water, acetic acid fermentation broth were placed in an 80-liter aerated fermenter equipped with a stirring blade (Kanto Rikaki Seisakusho KR-S type).
And mash prepared with the nutrients of acetic acid bacteria (acidity 6.76 w / v
%, Alcohol concentration 4.70 v / v%) 40 liters, and aeration and aeration was performed at an aeration rate of 40 L / min., 800 rpm, and 30 ° C., before being pre-cultured in a medium for acetic acid bacteria for vinegar production. Culture medium [The strain used here is Acetobacter polyoxogenes . ] Was added to carry out culture. Alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquor was approximately 1.5 v / v as the fermentation progressed.
Fermentation was carried out while feeding an alcohol-containing liquid (alcohol concentration 50%) while controlling the concentration to be about 10%. When the acidity reached 12.42 w / v%, the fermentation temperature was increased to 2
Reduced from 9 ℃ to 26 ℃, then the acidity is 17.25 w / v
When it reached%, the fermentation temperature was reduced from 26 ° C. to 24 ° C. and the fermentation was finally terminated at this temperature. Table 2 shows the results.

[0025]

[Table 2]

As can be seen from Table 2, the average raw acid rate at 26 ° C. was equivalent to 29 ° C., but at 24 ° C., it took 34 hours to complete the fermentation, so the average raw acid rate was halved. However, the increase in acetic acid concentration stopped at 20.16 w / v%.

Comparative Example 2 In Comparative Example 1, the acidity was changed from the initial 6.90 w / v% to 12.
When it reaches 66 w / v%, increase the fermentation temperature from 29 ℃ to 26 ℃
Then decrease the temperature and then increase the acidity by about 1
The procedure was performed in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 except that the temperature was lowered in small increments of 21% to 21 ° C. to prevent a rapid decrease in the rate of raw acid. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0028]

[Table 3]

As can be seen from Table 3, although the fermentation time was longer than that of Comparative Example 1 as a whole by decreasing the temperature switching time in small steps at every 1% increase in acidity to 21 ° C., the final acidity reached Became higher. However, the acetic acid concentration was 20.68 w / v%, which did not exceed 21 w / v%.

Comparative Example 3 In Comparative Example 2, the acetic acid concentration was changed from the initial 6.65 w / v%.
When 12.63 w / v% was reached, the fermentation temperature was changed from 29 ℃ to 2 ℃.
The procedure was as in Comparative Example 2, except that the temperature was changed to 6 ° C., and then the temperature switching time was further reduced to 19 ° C. to prevent a rapid decrease in the rate of raw acid. Table 4 shows the results.

[0031]

[Table 4]

As can be seen from Table 4, temperature switching was further advanced in comparison with Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and as a result, the final acetic acid concentration reached further increased. However, 22 ° C and 21 ° C
Since the holding time was longer than the holding time at each temperature of 23 ° C. or higher, the acetic acid concentration did not exceed 21 w / v%.

Example 1 Based on the results of Comparative Examples 1 to 3, as shown in Table 5, the temperature was lowered while switching the temperature of 22 ° C. or less, which reaches an acidity of 20 w / v%, in a relatively short time. . That is, alcohol, water, acetic acid fermentation liquid, and nutrients of acetic acid bacteria were used in an aeration fermentation tank of 80 liter capacity (Kanto Rikaki Seisakusho KR-S type) equipped with the same stirring blade as described in Comparative Example 1. Prepared with mash (acidity 6.76 w / v%, alcohol concentration 4.70 v / v
%) 40 liters, filled with air flow of 40 L / min., 800 rp
m, performs aeration stirring at 30 ° C., which the strain used in the previous were precultured culture solution [where at producing vinegar for acetic acid bacteria medium, Acetobacter Poriokisogenesu (Acetobact
er polyoxogenes ). ] Was added to carry out culture. Fermentation was carried out while feeding the alcohol-containing liquid (alcohol concentration 50%) while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquid to about 1.5 v / v% as the fermentation progressed. When the acetic acid concentration reached 12.76 w / v%, the fermentation temperature was lowered from 29 ° C to 26 ° C,
Then, as shown in Table 5, the fermentation temperature was gradually decreased in accordance with the increase in the acetic acid concentration, and finally the fermentation temperature 15
The fermentation was terminated at ° C. Table 5 shows the results.

[0034]

[Table 5]

As can be seen from Table 5, especially when the acetic acid concentration is
The temperature is lowered while switching the temperature of 22 ° C or less reaching 20 w / v% in a relatively short time, and finally the fermentation temperature is lowered to 15 ° C.
The acetic acid concentration reached 21.75 w / v%. This acetic acid fermentation liquor was aged, filtered, and sterilized to obtain vinegar with ultrahigh acidity by the aeration fermentation method.

Example 2 The same aerated fermentation tank used in Example 1 was filled with the same mash and fermented under the same culture conditions. Acidity 12.65
When the w / v% is reached, the fermentation temperature is lowered from 29 ° C to 26 ° C, and then the fermentation temperature is gradually lowered according to the increase in acidity, and finally the fermentation is terminated at 13 ° C. Except for the above, the same procedure as in Example 1 was performed. The results are shown in Table 6.

[0037]

[Table 6]

As can be seen from Table 6, the acetic acid concentration was 22.02 by finally lowering the fermentation temperature to 13 ° C.
Reached w / v%. This acetic acid fermentation liquor was aged, filtered, and sterilized to obtain vinegar with ultrahigh acidity by the aeration fermentation method.

[0039]

In the method of the present invention, acetic acid bacteria for producing high-acid vinegar are used, and the temperature of the fermentation broth is gradually lowered according to the concentration of acetic acid in the fermentation broth to perform fed-batch culture. According to such a method of the present invention, in the batch fermentation by the aerated acetic acid fermentation method, the acetic acid concentration is 21.5 w / v% or more, particularly 21.75.
Ultra high acidity vinegar with w / v% or more can be produced.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An acetic acid bacterium is used for producing an ultra-high acidity vinegar having an acetic acid concentration of 21.5 w / v% or more by an aerated acetic acid fermentation method by feeding an alcohol-containing liquid while controlling the alcohol concentration in the fermentation liquid. Use acetic acid bacteria for high acidity vinegar production, and the acetic acid concentration in the fermentation broth is 20 w / v% or more, 21 w
The temperature of the fermentation liquor is gradually increased to 18 ° C until it reaches below / v%.
A method for producing ultra-high acid vinegar, which comprises lowering the fermentation temperature to a level not lower than the following to perform fed-batch culture, and then gradually lowering the fermentation temperature to 15 ° C. or lower to perform acetic acid fermentation. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fermentation temperature is further gradually lowered to 13 ° C. to perform the acetic acid fermentation. 3. The acetobacter for producing high acidity vinegar is Acetobacter polyoxogen.
es ).