TW202248415A - Top-fermented beer-taste beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a top-fermented beer-taste beverage which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85 mg/100 mL or less and a bitterness value of 5-40 BUs and in which corn grits are used as a starting material.

Description

Top Fermented Beer Flavored Beverages

The invention relates to a top fermented beer flavor beverage.

In the past, various beer-flavored beverages were developed and circulated in the market in response to the recent diversified preferences of consumers. For example, there is an invention about a beer-flavored beverage described in Patent Document 1, which does not use hops, aims to provide a beer-flavored beverage with beer-like bitterness and refreshing feeling after eating, and contains 0.3-5ppm picroside and/or 0.5~5ppm of quinine. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-6077

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In such a situation, a novel beer-flavored drink having various characteristics (such as flavor, rich aroma, good-quality bitterness, etc.) similar to beer-flavored drinks is desired. [Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides the following forms [1] to [22]. [1] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage with a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and Use cornmeal as raw material. [2] The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage as described in [1] above, wherein the usage ratio (X) of corn flour is 1 to 28% by mass based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops. [3] The top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to [1] or [2] above, wherein malt is used as a raw material. [4] The top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to [3] above, wherein the malt usage ratio (Y) is 80% by mass or less based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops. [5] The top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to [3] or [4] above, wherein the ratio [(Y)/(X)] of the ratio of malt used (Y) to the ratio of corn flour used (X) is 0.1~80.0. [6] The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of the above [3]~[5], wherein, based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops, the usage ratio (X) of corn flour and the usage of malt The total usage ratio of the ratio (Y) is 20 to 100% by mass. [7] The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein the content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g/100 mL or more. [8] The top fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the initial extract concentration is 5.0 to 20.0% by mass. [9] The top fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of the above [1]~[8], wherein the concentration of free amine nitrogen is 3.5~16.0mg/100mL. [10] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and The concentration of the initial extract is 5.0-20.0% by mass. [11] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage with a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and The free amine nitrogen concentration is 3.5~16.0mg/100mL. [12] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and The concentration of free amine nitrogen was 4.9~16.0mg/100mL. [13] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter price is 5~40BUs, The free amine nitrogen concentration is 3.5~16.0mg/100mL, and The concentration of the initial extract is 5.0-20.0% by mass. [14] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and Relative to the total nitrogen content (unit: mg/100mL), the ratio of initial extract concentration (unit: mass %) [initial extract concentration/total nitrogen content] is 0.050~0.900. [15] A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and Relative to the amount of total nitrogen (unit: mg/100mL), the ratio of free amine nitrogen concentration (unit: mg/100mL) [free amine nitrogen concentration/total nitrogen amount] is 0.010~0.800. [16] The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [10] to [15] above, which uses malt as a raw material. [17] The top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to [16] above, wherein the malt usage ratio (Y) is 80% by mass or less based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops. [18] The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [10] to [17] above, wherein the content of saccharides selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g/100 mL or more. [19] The top fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [11], [12], and [14] to [18] above, wherein the initial concentration of the extract is 5.0 to 20.0% by mass. [20] The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [10] and [14]-[19] above, wherein the concentration of free amine-based nitrogen is 3.5-16.0 mg/100 mL. [21] A method for producing a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of the above-mentioned [1]-[20], which comprises the following steps (1)-(2), •Step (1): performing at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment and solid content removal treatment on raw materials including water, malt and corn flour to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. •Step (2): adding upper fermentation yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1), and carrying out alcoholic fermentation. [22] The method for producing a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to [21] above, further comprising the following step (3). • Step (3): A step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of total nitrogen content and bitterness value. [Invention effect]

The more suitable type of top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is a beverage that can improve the characteristics (flavor, rich aroma, and good bitterness, etc.) of beer-like beverages, and is more suitable for a type of top-fermented beverage In addition to these characteristics, the beer-flavored beverage can, for example, reduce the feeling of satiety after drinking and suppress undesired watery feeling in the beer-flavored beverage.

About the numerical range described in this specification, an upper limit and a lower limit can be combined arbitrarily. For example, when "preferably 30 to 100, more preferably 40 to 80" is described as a numerical range, the range of "30 to 80" or the range of "40 to 100" is also included in the numerical values described in this specification. within range. And, for example, when the numerical range is described as "preferably 30 or more, more preferably 40 or more, preferably 100 or less, and more preferably 80 or less", the range of "30~80" or "40~ The range of 100" is also included in the numerical range described in this specification. In addition, the numerical range described in this specification, for example, the description of "60~100" means the range of "60 or more and 100 or less". Furthermore, in the specification of the upper limit and the lower limit described in this specification, it is possible to appropriately select from the respective options and arbitrarily combine them to define the numerical range from the lower limit to the upper limit. In addition, as a preferred mode described in this specification, various requirements described can be combined in plural.

1. Top-fermented beer-flavored beverage In this specification, "top-fermented beer-flavored beverage" means an alcoholic or non-alcoholic carbonated beverage having a beer-like flavor after a fermentation step using top-fermented yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae, etc.). Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention may be an alcohol-containing top-fermented beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol content of 1 (v/v)% or more, or may be an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 (v/v). )% non-alcoholic top-fermented beer-flavored beverage. In addition, the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage may be a non-alcoholic fermented beer-flavored beverage manufactured by removing the alcohol produced in the fermentation step after a fermentation step, or may be a non-alcoholic fermented beer-flavored beverage that uses yeast in a fermentation step with an alcohol content of less than 1( V/V)% stage to stop the manufactured beverage. Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of an aspect of the present invention may be a malt-used beer-flavored beverage using malt as a raw material, or may be a malt-free top-fermented beer-flavored beverage. The beer-flavored beverage is preferably top-fermented using malt, and the beer-flavored beverage is more preferably top-fermented using barley malt. In addition, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention may be a beer-flavored beverage using barley as a raw material, or a beer-flavored beverage that does not use malt and does not use top-fermented beer. It is preferred to use a top fermented beer flavored drink, and even more preferably to use a top fermented beer flavored drink for barley. Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention may also be a distilled liquor-containing beer-flavored beverage containing distilled liquor such as spirits, whiskey, shochu, etc., wherein the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage containing spirits is more good.

Among them, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention is more preferably an alcohol-containing top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, and is more preferably a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage using malt.

One form of the present invention is a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage with a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, a bitterness value of 5-40BUs, and using corn flour as a raw material.

General beer-flavored beverages contain nitrogen compounds such as proteins and amino acids. When drinking beer-flavored beverages containing a large amount of these nitrogen compounds, it is easy to feel satiety, which is the cause of the decrease in drinkability. Here, by reducing the content of nitrogen compounds in beer-flavored beverages, it is possible to reduce the feeling of satiety after drinking, but at the same time it is easy to highlight the undue watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages. In addition, there may be a new problem that various properties required for beer-flavored beverages such as flavor, rich aroma, and texture-favorable bitterness are caused to decrease. In order to solve such a problem, the inventors of the present invention conducted various studies. As a solution to this problem, in a beer-flavored drink that reduces the amount of total nitrogen derived from nitrogen compounds, the bitterness value is adjusted to a specific range, corn flour is used as a raw material, and top fermentation is performed. A drink that can reduce the feeling of satiety after drinking, suppress the undue watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages, and improve the characteristics of beer-flavored beverages (flavor, rich aroma, and good-textured bitterness, etc.) is obtained. One aspect of the present invention is a top-fermented beer-flavored drink based on the above findings. And, as other solutions to the above-mentioned problems, it is also proposed to provide a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which is a beer-flavored beverage that reduces the amount of total nitrogen from nitrogen compounds, and the bitterness value, and the initial extract concentration and/or The concentration of free amine nitrogen was adjusted to a specific range. Therefore, what was completed based on this discovery is also included as another aspect of this invention as a top fermented beer-flavored drink.

The total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention is 85mg/100mL or less, but from the viewpoint of being a beer-flavored beverage that reduces the feeling of satiety after drinking and has better drinkability and can be more From the standpoint of beer-flavored beverages that highlight the effect of enhancing the rich aroma brought about by top fermentation, it is preferably 80 mg/100 mL or less, more preferably 77 mg/100 mL or less, more preferably 75 mg/100 mL or less, and even more preferably Preferably it is 70 mg/100 mL or less, particularly preferably 65 mg/100 mL or less, further preferably 60 mg/100 mL or less, 55 mg/100 mL or less, or 50 mg/100 mL or less. And, from the point of view of becoming a beer-flavored beverage with a more pronounced flavor-enhancing effect along with the adjustment of the bitterness value and 1-3 sugar content, the total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one form of the present invention is 5 mg/ 100mL or more, but preferably 10mg/100mL or more, more preferably 15mg/100mL or more, more preferably 20mg/100mL or more, still more preferably 25mg/100mL or more, particularly preferably 30mg/100mL or more, and further preferably It can be more than 35mg/100mL, more than 37mg/100mL, or more than 40mg/100mL.

In the present invention, "total nitrogen content" means the total amount of all nitrogen compounds such as proteins and amino acids. In one aspect of the present invention, the total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can be controlled by adjusting the amount of raw materials that yeast can assimilate. Specifically, the amount of total nitrogen can be reduced by reducing the amount of malt or the like having a large nitrogen content. Examples of raw materials with a high nitrogen content include malt, soybeans, yeast extracts, peas, and ungerminated grains. In addition, examples of ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, wild oats, oats, barley, oatmeal, soybeans, and peas. In addition to matters concerning raw materials, the amount of total nitrogen can be determined by appropriately setting the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzyme) added, the timing of adding enzyme, the time of protein decomposition in the preparation tank, and the amount of nitrogen in the preparation tank. pH value, set temperature and holding time of each temperature zone when preparing wort, boiling time and pH value in the boiling step, initial extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, initial extract concentration in the fermentation step, fermentation conditions (yeast Variety, the amount of yeast added, the number of yeast proliferation, the timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) to adjust. In addition, in this specification, the total nitrogen content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can be determined by, for example, the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, supplemented and revised in 2013 by the International Technical Committee of the Beer Brewing Association [Analysis Committee]) Measured by the method described.

From the viewpoint of being a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage with the total nitrogen content adjusted to the above range, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is preferably a beverage using malt as a raw material. In view of the above, in the top fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, the malt usage ratio (Y) is 80% by mass based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the raw material except water and hops Less than, 75 mass % or less, 70 mass % or less, 65 mass % or less, 60 mass % or less, 55 mass % or less, or 50 mass % or less, and may be 0 mass % or more, 1 mass % or more, 5 mass % or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more. In this specification, the malt usage ratio (Y) can be calculated based on the interpretation of the Liquor Tax Law and Liquor Administration Relations Act, which took effect on April 1, 2013. Furthermore, when suppressing the malt ratio, it is preferable to increase raw materials (carbon source, nitrogen source) other than malt that can assimilate yeast. Examples of carbon sources that can assimilate yeast as raw materials include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides, and their sugar solutions, and examples of nitrogen sources include yeast extract, soybean protein, malt, soybeans, and yeast extracts. grains, peas, wheat malt, unmalted grains, their decomposition products, etc. In addition, examples of ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, wild oats, oats, barley, oatmeal, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, sorghum, potatoes, beans (soybean, pea etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barnyard barnyardgrass, etc. Also, starches obtained from these grains, and extracts thereof can also be used.

The bitterness value of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is preferably 5 BUs or more from the standpoint of a beer-flavored beverage that enhances the rich aroma of the beer-like beverage and the bitterness with good texture in a well-balanced manner. It is more than 7BUs, more preferably more than 9BUs, more preferably more than 12BUs, more preferably more than 15BUs, especially preferably more than 17BUs, and can suppress undue bitterness in beer-flavored beverages, and has a good texture of bitterness From the viewpoint of beer-flavored beverages, it is less than 40 BUs, preferably less than 35 BUs, more preferably less than 32 BUs, more preferably less than 30 BUs, more preferably less than 28 BUs, even more preferably less than 27 BUs, especially preferred Below 25BUs.

The bitterness value of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in an aspect of the present invention is an index of bitterness imparted by beer-derived components mainly composed of isohumulones. For example, it can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the type, amount, and The timing of the addition is controlled. In addition, in this instruction manual, the "bitterness value" of beverages can be revised by "8.15 Bitterness value" of the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, supplemented and revised in 2013 by the International Technical Committee of Beer Brewing Association [Analysis Committee]) "Determined by the assay method described in.

One aspect of the present invention uses cornmeal as a raw material from the viewpoint of reducing the satiety after drinking the beer-flavored beverage, suppressing undesired watery feeling in the beer-flavored beverage, and enhancing the flavor of the beer-flavored beverage. better. In the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, the use ratio (X) of corn flour is preferably based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the raw material except water and hops, and from the above viewpoint, it is preferably 1 mass % or more, more preferably 3 mass % or more, still more preferably 5 mass % or more, more preferably 7 mass % or more, still more preferably 9 mass % or more, particularly preferably 10 mass % or more, And from the viewpoint of being a beer-flavored beverage that suppresses the aroma such as grains and has a rich aroma similar to a beer-flavored beverage, it is preferably 28% by mass or less, more preferably 26% by mass or less, and still more preferably 28% by mass or less. 25 mass % or less, more preferably 23 mass % or less, particularly preferably 20 mass % or less, further preferably 18 mass % or less, 17 mass % or less, 16 mass % or less, or 15 mass % or less. In addition, in this specification, the use ratio (X) of corn flour can be calculated according to general rules of interpretation such as the Liquor Tax Law and Liquor Administrative Relations Act, which took effect on April 1, 2013.

In addition, among beverages with reduced total nitrogen content, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention is a beer-flavored beverage that enhances the flavor and has a rich aroma similar to a beer-flavored beverage. Among them, it is preferable to use corn flour and malt as raw materials. From the above viewpoint, the ratio [(Y)/(X)] of the usage ratio of malt (Y) to the usage ratio of corn flour (X) is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.3 or more, still more preferably 0.5 or more, more preferably 0.7 or more, still more preferably 0.9 or more, particularly preferably 1.2 or more, and furthermore, 1.3 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.7 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.3 or more, 2.5 or more, 2.7 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.3 or more, or 3.5 or more, and preferably less than 80.0, more preferably less than 70.0, still more preferably less than 60.0, more preferably less than 50.0, still more preferably less than 40.0, especially preferably less than 30.0 Or less than 27.0, 25.0 or less, 22.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, or 5.0 or less.

Furthermore, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the beer-flavored beverage with reduced total nitrogen content, the use ratio (X) of corn flour and the use of malt The total usage ratio of the ratio (Y) is based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops, and is preferably at least 20% by mass, more preferably at least 23% by mass, still more preferably at least 25% by mass, and still more preferably at least 25% by mass. 27% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, particularly preferably 35% by mass or more, further preferably 40% by mass or more, 42% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, 47% by mass or more, and 50% by mass More than, 52 mass % or more, 55 mass % or more, or 57 mass % or more, and may also be 100 mass % or less, 98 mass % or less, 95 mass % or less, 93 mass % or less, 90 mass % or less, 88 mass % Not more than 85% by mass, not more than 83% by mass, not more than 80% by mass, not more than 78% by mass, not more than 75% by mass, not more than 73% by mass, or not more than 70% by mass.

The initial extract concentration of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in an aspect of the present invention is based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, and the watery feeling that is unsuitable for the beer-flavored beverage is suppressed, and the concentration is increased. From the viewpoint of flavored beverages, it is preferably at least 5.0% by mass, more preferably at least 6.0% by mass, still more preferably at least 7.0% by mass, still more preferably at least 8.0% by mass, still more preferably at least 9.0% by mass Above, more preferably at least 10.0% by mass, particularly preferably at least 11.0% by mass, and more preferably 20.0% from the viewpoint of providing a beer-flavored beverage that lessens the feeling of satiety after drinking and is more drinkable Mass % or less, more preferably 18.0 mass % or less, more preferably 17.0 mass % or less, more preferably 16.0 mass % or less, more preferably 15.0 mass % or less, still more preferably 14.0 mass % or less, Especially preferably, it is 13.0 mass % or less.

Furthermore, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, the ratio of the initial extract concentration (unit: mass %) to the total nitrogen content (unit: mg/100mL) [initial extract concentration/total nitrogen content ], from the standpoint of suppressing unsuitable watery feeling of beer-flavored beverages and improving the flavor, it is preferably 0.050 or more, more preferably 0.100 or more, still more preferably 0.120 or more, still more preferably 0.150 or more , more preferably 0.170 or more, especially preferably 0.200 or more, and can also be 0.210 or more, 0.220 or more, 0.230 or more, 0.240 or more, 0.250 or more, or 0.260 or more, and to reduce the satiety after drinking, From the viewpoint of a beer-flavored beverage with better drinkability, it is preferably 0.900 or less, more preferably 0.800 or less, still more preferably 0.700 or less, still more preferably 0.600 or less, still more preferably 0.500 or less, especially It is preferably 0.450 or less, and may be 0.420 or less, 0.400 or less, 0.370 or less, 0.360 or less, 0.350 or less, 0.340 or less, or 0.330 or less.

In this specification, "initial extract concentration" refers to the extract content of the Japanese Liquor Tax Law in alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of 1 (v/v)% or more, that is, at a temperature of 15°C, the original volume is 100cm ^3. The grams of the non-volatile components contained in it. In addition, among non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of less than 1 (v/v)%, it means that the sample from which gas has been removed shall be determined according to the analysis method (BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (BCOJ Fermentation Association Fermentation Method) , Compilation of Beer Brewing Association, 2013 Supplement and Revised Edition)) Measured extract value (mass %).

The concentration of free amine nitrogen in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention is preferably 3.5 mg/100 mL or more from the viewpoint of suppressing the unsuitable watery feeling of the beer-flavored beverage and enhancing the flavor. More preferably at least 4.0mg/100mL, more preferably at least 4.5mg/100mL, more preferably at least 5.0mg/100mL, still more preferably at least 6.0mg/100mL, still more preferably at least 6.5mg/100mL , more preferably 7.0mg/100mL or more, particularly preferably 7.5mg/100mL or more, and further preferably 8.0mg/100mL or more, 8.3mg/100mL or more, 8.5mg/100mL or more, 8.7mg/100mL or more, or 8.9mg/100mL or more, and from the viewpoint of being a beer-flavored drink that reduces satiety after drinking and has better drinkability, preferably 16.0mg/100mL or less, more preferably 15.0mg/100mL or less , more preferably below 14.0mg/100mL, even more preferably below 13.5mg/100mL, especially preferably below 13.0mg/100mL, and further preferably below 12.5mg/100mL, below 12.0mg/100mL, below 11.5mg/100mL Below 100mL, below 11.0mg/100mL, below 10.5mg/100mL, or below 10.0mg/100mL.

In one form of the present invention, the ratio of the free amine nitrogen concentration (unit: mg/100mL) to the total nitrogen content (unit: mg/100mL) [free amine nitrogen concentration/total nitrogen Amount], from the viewpoint of suppressing unsuitable water feeling of beer-flavored beverages and enhancing the flavor, it is preferably 0.010 or more, more preferably 0.030 or more, still more preferably 0.050 or more, still more preferably 0.070 Above, more preferably above 0.100, particularly preferably above 0.120, and further preferably above 0.130, above 0.140, above 0.150, above 0.160, above 0.170, above 0.180, or above 0.190, and in order to become more reduced after drinking From the viewpoint of a beer-flavored drink with a satiety and better drinkability, it is preferably 0.800 or less, more preferably 0.700 or less, still more preferably 0.600 or less, still more preferably 0.500 or less, and still more preferably 0.500 or less. 0.400 or less, particularly preferably 0.350 or less, and may be 0.300 or less, 0.280 or less, 0.270 or less, 0.260 or less, 0.250 or less, 0.240 or less, or 0.230 or less.

In this specification, the concentration of free amine-based nitrogen can be determined by the method described in "8.18 Free Amino Acid Nitrogen (IM) Ninhydrin Colorimetric Method" of the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Edited by the International Technical Committee of Beer Brewing Association, 2013). Determination. In addition, the concentration of free amine nitrogen can be appropriately set such as the type of raw materials (malt, corn flour, etc.), the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme (including proteolytic enzymes), the timing of adding enzymes, and the protein in the preparation tank. Decomposition time, pH value in the preparation tank, set temperature and holding time of each temperature zone when preparing wort, boiling time and pH value of the boiling step, initial extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, initial extract concentration of the fermentation step, Fermentation conditions (yeast species, yeast addition amount, yeast proliferation number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.) are adjusted. For example, in the raw material preparation step, if the decomposition time of protein contained in the raw material such as malt is prolonged, the protein decomposition can be accelerated and the concentration of free amine nitrogen can be increased. On the other hand, in the fermentation step, by increasing the concentration of yeast or increasing the fermentation temperature, the consumption of amino acids by yeast will increase, and the concentration of free amine nitrogen can be reduced.

In the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the beverage with a reduced total nitrogen content and further enhancing the bitter taste of the beer-flavored beverage, selected from monosaccharides , disaccharides and trisaccharides (hereinafter also referred to as "1~3 sugar content") is preferably 0.40g/100mL or more, more preferably 0.42g/100mL or more, and still more preferably 0.45g/100mL 100mL or more, more preferably 0.47g/100mL or more, still more preferably 0.50g/100mL or more, particularly preferably 0.55g/100mL or more, further preferably 0.60g/100mL or more, 0.70g/100mL or more, 0.80 More than g/100mL, more than 0.90g/100mL, or more than 1.00g/100mL, and can also be less than 5.0g/100mL, less than 4.5g/100mL, less than 4.0g/100mL, less than 3.5g/100mL, 3.0g/100mL Below, below 2.5g/100mL, below 2.0g/100mL, below 1.8g/100mL, below 1.7g/100mL, below 1.6g/100mL, below 1.5g/100mL, or below 1.4g/100mL.

In addition, in this specification, 1~3 sugar content means the total content of sugars including glucose, sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, maltotriose, isomaltotriose and fructose contained in beverages, and the content of these sugars It can be determined by, for example, high-speed liquid chromatography (HPLC). In addition, the 1-3 sugar content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention can be adjusted by adjusting the usage amount or usage ratio of sweeteners and grains such as liquid sugar containing 1-3 sugars as raw materials, and adjusting enzymes. The types of enzymes (the types of raw materials containing enzymes, etc.), the amount of enzymes added and the timing of adding enzymes, the setting temperature and holding time of each temperature zone when adjusting the preparation of saccharification liquid, and the adjustment of various conditions in the fermentation steps (yeast species, yeast addition) Amount, timing of adding yeast, timing of removing yeast, timing of reducing yeast amount, yeast proliferation number, yeast proliferation time, yeast activity, yeast size (cell size), oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, fermentation temperature, fermentation Time, pressure setting, etc.), etc., can be adjusted to the desired content.

As mentioned above, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention may also be an alcohol-containing beer-flavored beverage, or a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage. In the case of an alcohol-containing beer-flavored beverage, the alcohol content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one form of the present invention can be set to 1.0 (v/v)% or more, 1.5 (v/v)% or more, 2.0 (v/v) % or more, 2.5(v/v)% or more, 3.0 (v/v)% or more, 3.5(v/v)% or more, 4.0(v/v)% or more, 4.5(v/v)% or more, 5.0( v/v)% or more, 5.5(v/v)% or more, or 6.0(v/v)% or more, and 20.0(v/v)% or less, 17.0(v/v)% or less, 15.0(v/v)% )% or less, 13.0(v/v)% or less, 12.0(v/v)% or less, 11.0(v/v)% or less, 10.0(v/v)% or less, 9.0(v/v)% or less, or 8.0(v/v)% or less. Also, in this specification, the alcohol content is shown as a percentage ((v/v)%) on a volume/volume basis. In addition, although the alcohol content of a drink can be measured by any well-known method, it can measure with a vibrating density meter, for example.

One aspect of the present invention, the alcohol content of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can be adjusted by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water, the amount of addition, raw materials (wheat, malt, corn flour, sugar solution, etc.) The type of raw material, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of adding enzyme, the saccharification time in the preparation tank, the protein decomposition time in the preparation tank, the pH value in the preparation tank, the preparation steps (from malt input The pH value in the wort production step before adding yeast), the amount of acid added for pH adjustment, and the timing of pH adjustment (during preparation, fermentation, completion of fermentation, before beer filtration, after beer filtration etc.), when wort preparation (including saccharification), the set temperature and holding time of each temperature zone, the initial extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, the initial extract concentration in the fermentation step, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast species, the amount of yeast added, the number of yeast proliferation, the timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.) and whether or not to add spirits or brewing alcohol, etc. desired range.

Furthermore, in order to adjust the alcohol content to the said range in the top fermented beer-flavored drink which concerns on one aspect of this invention, grain-derived spirits may be contained as an alcohol component. Here, spirits refer to grains such as wheat, rice, buckwheat, corn, taro, sugar cane, etc. as raw materials, saccharified with malt or necessary enzymes, fermented with yeast, and then distilled. . The grain used as the raw material of spirits is preferably a plant belonging to the Gramineae family, and more preferably wheat. However, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention may be a beverage that does not contain spirits from the viewpoint of being a beer-like beer-flavored beverage with a good flavor.

And, from the same point of view as above, it is preferable that the top fermented beer-flavored beverage of one aspect of the present invention is beer. In this manual, "beer" refers to a beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water with yeast. Specifically, it refers to the Liquor Tax Law and Liquor Administration Those defined in relevant laws and regulations, etc. That is, when the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of an aspect of the present invention is beer, the above-mentioned alcohol content is adjusted by a fermentation step using yeast.

The color of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one form of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it can also be amber or golden yellow like general beer, black like dark beer, or colorless and transparent, or coloring materials can also be added. , giving the desired color. The color of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can be judged with the naked eye, and can also be specified by total light transmittance or chroma.

The pH value of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in an aspect of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2.0-5.0, more preferably 3.0-4.6, and more preferably 4.0-4.55. As long as the pH value of the beer-flavored beverage is below 5.0, the production of microorganisms can be inhibited, and as long as the pH value is above 2.0, the flavor of the beverage will be easily enhanced. In addition, the pH value of the top fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention may be 2.0 or higher, 2.2 or higher, 2.4 or higher, 2.6 or higher, 2.8 or higher, 3.0 or higher, 3.1 or higher, 3.2 or higher, 3.3 or higher, 3.4 or higher, Above 3.5, above 3.6, above 3.7, above 3.8, above 3.9, or above 4.0, or below 5.4, below 5.2, below 5.0, below 4.9, below 4.8, below 4.7, below 4.6, or below 4.5.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage is only required to be in a container. Examples of containers include bottles, plastic bottles, cans, or barrels. From the point of view, it is better for cans, bottles, and plastic bottles.

1.1 Raw materials The main raw material of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention can also use water, corn flour and malt at the same time, or can also not use malt. Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention may be a beverage using hops as a raw material, or may be a beverage not using hops, but it is preferably a beverage using hops. In addition, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fibers, bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents, antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, salts, and the like can also be used.

1.1.1 Malt and grains other than malt When malt is used as a raw material, the malt means barley, wheat, rye, wild oats, oats, job's tears, oatmeal, and other wheat seeds that are germinated, dried, and rooted, and the place of origin or variety may be arbitrary. . Malt used as one aspect of the present invention is preferably barley malt. Barley malt is one of the most commonly used malts as a raw material for Japanese beer-flavored beverages. There are types of barley such as double barley and six barley, but either one can be used. Furthermore, colored malt etc. can be used other than usual malt. In addition, when using colored malt, it is also possible to use it in combination of different types of colored malt appropriately, or to use one type of colored malt. The malt used in one aspect of the present invention is preferably denatured by 80% or more. If the denaturation is less than 80%, the viscosity of the wort will increase or the turbidity will increase, and the production efficiency such as wort filterability and beer filterability will deteriorate. Therefore, it is better to use more than 80% denatured malt. In the following examples and comparative examples, malt denatured by more than 80% is used. Denaturation can be recorded in MEBAK Raw Materials Barley Adjuncts Malt Hops And Hop Products Published by the Chairman Dr. Fritz Jacob Self-published by MEBAK 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany 2011 in 3.1.3.8 Modification and Homogeneity (Calcofluor Carlsberg Method-EBC) method to measure. Furthermore, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, it is better to select the malt to be used in accordance with the desired color of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, and the selected malt may be either alone or Use 2 or more kinds together.

In addition, grain malt other than malt may be used in combination with or instead of malt. Examples of such grains include wheat (barley, wheat, rye, wild oats, oats, barley, oatmeal, etc.), rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, sorghum, potatoes, etc. that do not correspond to malt. Bean (soybean, pea, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barnyardgrass and starch obtained therefrom, and their extracts (extract), etc.

Furthermore, when the malt ratio is suppressed, or when malt is not used, it is preferable to increase raw materials (carbon source, nitrogen source) other than malt capable of assimilating yeast. Examples of the carbon source that can assimilate the raw material of yeast include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, sugar liquids of these, liquid sugars containing carbon sources, and the like. Examples of nitrogen sources include amino acid-containing materials such as the above-mentioned grains other than malt (such as soybean protein, soybean, yeast extract, pea, wheat malt, the above-mentioned ungerminated grains, and their decomposition products, etc.) ).

The fruit, peel, bark, leaf, flower, stem, root, and seed of plants other than grasses such as wheat that can be used as raw materials can be appropriately selected. Specific examples of plants other than gramineous plants include citrus fruits, soft fruits, spices, spices, and the like. Examples of citrus fruits include mandarin oranges, yuzu, lemons, limes, tangerines, grapefruits, iyokans, kumquats, bitter oranges, citrus oranges, Taiwan bergamot, and citrus. Examples of soft fruits include peaches, grapes, bananas, apples, grapes, pineapples, strawberries, pears, muscadines, black currants, and the like. Spices and spices include coriander, pepper, cumin, Japanese pepper, sansho pepper, cardamom, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, juniper berries, allspice, vanilla, elderberry, acacia, fennel , anise, etc. These can also be used as they are, or crushed, or in the form of an extract extracted with an extraction medium such as water or ethanol, or squeezed (fruit juice, etc.). These may be used individually, and may use 2 or more types together. The above can be used appropriately according to the consumer's preference, but in order to enjoy the refreshing taste like beer, it is better not to use the above citrus, soft fruit, spices and spices in the raw materials, or to keep the usage to a minimum . In particular, black currant will bring an unsuitable milky aroma to beer, so black currant or black currant juice is not used in the raw materials at all, or it is better to use a minimum amount.

In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use less amount of malted malt from the viewpoint of producing a top-fermented beer-flavored drink with excellent flavor. The above-mentioned "malting" refers to the process of germinating barley and producing malt. For example, barley becomes barley malt by going through the malting process. By going through the malting step and using the barley as malt, fresh sweetness can be imparted, and by using the malt, it can be a beer-flavored drink with a richer flavor. On the other hand, the beer-flavored beverage using top fermented barley before malting lacks flavor. In particular, beverages using barley before malting may have a distinctly inappropriate grain-like aroma among beer-flavored beverages. From the above viewpoint, it is preferable that the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of an aspect of the present invention is a beer-flavored beverage that does not use pre-malted malt substantially, at least substantially does not use pre-malted malt. The beer-flavored drink that does not use pre-malted barley is even more preferable.

In addition, in this specification, the stipulation of "substantially not using pre-manufacturing wheat (barley)" is a stipulation of negating the use of pre-manufacturing wheat (barley) for a specific purpose, but it does not negate unintentional or It is unavoidable to mix or exist in the raw material the regulation of the type of wheat (barley) before manufacture. However, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, it is better to use less wheat (barley) before malting. Specifically, the proportion of malt (barley) used as a raw material is generally less than 20 parts by mass when considering unintentional or unavoidable mixing or presence of malt (barley) to 100 parts by mass of malt used as a raw material. It may be less than 10 parts by mass, less than 5 parts by mass, less than 1 part by mass, less than 0.1 parts by mass, less than 0.01 parts by mass, less than 0.001 parts by mass, or less than 0.0001 parts by mass.

1.1.2 Hops When hops are used in one aspect of the present invention, examples of the form of the hops include flaked hops, powdered hops, and hop extracts. In addition, processed hops such as dissimilated hops and reduced hops may be used as the hops to be used. When hops are used in one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to appropriately adjust the bitterness value in the above-mentioned range as the added amount of hops.

Furthermore, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage using hops as a raw material will be a beverage containing iso-alpha acid as a component derived from hops. The content of iso-alpha acid in the beer-flavored beverage using hops may exceed 0.1 mass ppm or 1.0 mass ppm based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage. On the other hand, the content of iso-alpha acid in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage without using hops may be 0.1 mass ppm or less based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage. In addition, in this specification, the content of iso-alpha acid refers to the high-speed liquid recorded in the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Japan Brewing Association, supplemented and revised in 2013 by the International Technical Committee of the Beer Brewing Association [Analysis Committee]) Value determined by chromatography (HPLC) analysis.

1.1.3 Preservation material In one aspect of the present invention, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can also be a beverage mixed with preservatives. As the preservative used in one form of the present invention, there are, for example, benzoic acid; benzoates such as sodium benzoate; benzoates such as propyl p-oxybenzoate and butyl p-oxybenzoate; methyl ester etc. In addition, as a preservative, commercially available preparations such as Qiangli Sanpureza (manufactured by Saneiyuan FFI Co., Ltd., a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate) can also be used. These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention, when blending the preservative, the blending amount of the preservative is preferably 5-1200 mass ppm, more preferably 10-1100 mass ppm, and more preferably 15-1000 mass ppm, more preferably 20-900 mass ppm.

1.1.4 Sweeteners In one aspect of the present invention, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage may be further mixed with a sweetener. Examples of sweeteners used in one aspect of the present invention include commercially available saccharification liquid obtained by decomposing starch derived from grains with acid or enzymes, commercially available sugars such as starch syrup, sugars of trisaccharides or higher, and sugar alcohols. , natural sweeteners such as stevia, artificial sweeteners, etc. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The form of these saccharides may be a liquid such as a solution, or a solid such as a powder. In addition, there are no particular limitations on the types of grains used as raw materials for starch, starch purification methods, and treatment conditions such as enzyme or acid hydrolysis. For example, by appropriately setting conditions for enzyme or acid hydrolysis, it is also possible to use sugars that increase the ratio of maltose. In addition, sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, trehalose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, isomaltose, isomaltotriose, isomaltotetraose, and solutions (sugar solutions) thereof can be used. In addition, examples of artificial sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), sucralose, neotame, and the like.

Examples of water-soluble dietary fiber include indigestible dextrin, polysaccharides, decomposed guar gum, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidan, and carrageenan. Indigestible dextrins or polysaccharides are preferable from the viewpoint of wide applicability such as safety or safety. Moreover, a commercial product may be added for dietary fiber, and content may be adjusted to the said range, or the dietary fiber derived from a raw material, such as malt, may be adjusted to the said range in a manufacturing process. When adding a commercially available product, by making content of a dietary fiber into the said range, it is possible to suppress an unsuitable powdery feeling to a beer-flavored drink. In the production process, when adjusting the content of dietary fiber, by setting the content of dietary fiber within the above-mentioned range, for example, filterability in wort filtration and beer filtration can be improved, and production efficiency can be improved. In the manufacturing process, when adjusting the content of dietary fiber, the content of dietary fiber in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water, raw materials (wheat, malt, corn, sugar solution, etc.) ), the amount of raw materials, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, and the timing of adding enzyme (during the saccharification step, before adding yeast, after adding yeast, during aging), and the set temperature of each temperature zone when preparing the saccharification solution , Adjust the pH value and hold time to adjust.

1.1.5 Bittering agents, bittering agents The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention may further be a beverage in which at least one selected from bittering agents and bitterness-imparting agents is blended. In the top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to an aspect of the present invention, bitterness can also be imparted by hops, and the following bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents can also be used together with hops. The bittering agent or bittering agent is not particularly limited, and it can be used as a bittering agent in general beer or sparkling wine, such as rosemary, lychee, fennel, juniper, sage, rosemary Fragrance, Ganoderma lucidum, Laurel, Bitterwood, Caffeine, Absinin, Naringin, Citrus Extract, Bitter Tree Extract, Coffee Extract, Tea Extract, Bitter Melon Extract, Lotus Germ Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract , rosemary extract, lychee extract, laurel extract, sage extract, fennel extract, wormwood extract, absinthe, alginic acid, etc. These bittering agents and bitterness-imparting agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.1.6 Antioxidants In one aspect of the present invention, the top fermented beer-flavored beverage may be further blended with an antioxidant. The antioxidant is not particularly limited, but those used as antioxidants in general beer or sparkling wine, such as ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and catechin, can be used. These antioxidants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.1.7 Spices In one aspect of the present invention, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can also be a beverage blended with spices. The flavor is not particularly limited, and general beer flavors can be used. Beer spices are used to give flavors like beer. Examples of beer flavors include esters and higher alcohols, specifically, isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, isoamyl Esters propionate, linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG), 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid , 1,4-cineol, 1,8-cineol, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, γ-decalactone, γ-undecalactone, ethyl caproate , ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, n-ethyl butyrate, myrcene, citral, limonene, maltol, ethyl maltol, phenylacetic acid, furanone, furfural, methional, 3-methyl Diacetyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, diacetyl, ferulic acid, geranilic acid, geranyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, caprylic acid, capric acid , 9-decenoic acid, nonanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, propionic acid, 2-methylpropionic acid, γ-butyrolactone, 2-aminoacetophenone, ethyl 3-phenylpropionate, 2-ethyl Base-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, dimethylsulfone, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, 3-methyl Butyraldehyde, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, hexanal, hexanol, cis-3-hexenal, 1-octene-3- alcohol, β-cineole, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one, β-clove oil, β-myrcene, furfuryl alcohol, 2-ethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethyl Pyrazine, 2-methylbutyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one, trans-2-hexenal , nonanal, phenylethyl alcohol, etc. These fragrances may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of esters or higher alcohol flavors can be adjusted by additional addition, but it can also be adjusted by alcoholic fermentation. In addition to directly adding these or adding diluent water or carbonated water to adjust the content of flavors of esters or higher alcohols, the sugar composition or amino acid composition and sugar concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid before adding yeast can also be appropriately set Or amino acid concentration, initial extract concentration of pre-fermentation liquid, yeast species, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast species, yeast addition amount, yeast proliferation number, yeast removal timing, fermentation temperature, fermentation time , pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), cooling timing, etc. to adjust.

1.1.8 Sour flavoring In one aspect of the present invention, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can also be a beverage in which sour flavorings are further mixed. The sour agent is not particularly limited as long as it has a sour taste, but examples include tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, gluconolactone, or Such salt. Among these, at least one selected from tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid and salts thereof is preferably selected from tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid More preferably, at least one kind selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid and salts thereof, and more preferably at least one kind selected from tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid and lactic acid. These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Furthermore, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, the content of the sour agent is 5000 mg/L or less, 4500 mg/L or less, 4000 mg/L or less, 3500 mg/L or less, 3000 mg/L or less, 2500 mg/L or less , or below 2000mg/L. Furthermore, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to contain phosphoric acid from the viewpoint of imparting refreshment similar to beer-flavored beverages, and the content of phosphoric acid is preferably 50 mg/L or more, and more preferably 100mg/L or more, more preferably 150mg/L or more, still more preferably 200mg/L or more, and from the viewpoint of suppressing undue sourness in beer-flavored beverages, preferably 750mg/L or less, more preferably It is less than 700mg/L, more preferably less than 650mg/L, even more preferably less than 600mg/L. Furthermore, in the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention, lactic acid is preferably contained from the viewpoint of imparting a beer-like flavor to the beer-flavored beverage, and the content of lactic acid is preferably 20 mg/L or more, and more preferably 50 mg /L or more, more preferably 80 mg/L or more, more preferably 100 mg/L or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing undue sourness in beer-flavored beverages, preferably 800 mg/L or less, more preferably 100 mg/L or more Below 750mg/L, more preferably below 700mg/L.

1.1.9 Salts In one aspect of the present invention, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage may be further mixed with salt. Examples of salts include sodium chloride, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium methyl bisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride , monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, etc. These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

1.2 Carbon dioxide gas The carbon dioxide gas contained in the top fermented beer-flavored beverage of an aspect of the present invention can also utilize the carbon dioxide gas contained in the raw material, and can also be dissolved by mixing with carbonated water or adding carbon dioxide gas. Also, the carbon dioxide gas produced in the fermentation step of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage can be used as it is, but carbonated water can also be appropriately added to adjust the amount of carbon dioxide gas.

The carbon dioxide gas concentration of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one form of the present invention is preferably above 0.30 (w/w)%, more preferably above 0.35 (w/w), still more preferably above 0.40 (w/w) )% or more, and more preferably 0.42(w/w)% or more, especially preferably 0.45(w/w)% or more, and preferably 0.80(w/w)% or less, and more preferably 0.70( w/w)% or less, more preferably 0.60(w/w)% or less, still more preferably 0.57(w/w) or less, particularly preferably 0.55(w/w)% or less. In addition, in this specification, the concentration of carbonic acid gas can be adjusted by immersing the container containing the target beverage in a water tank at 20° C. for 30 minutes or more while shaking it frequently, and adjusting the beverage to 20° C., using a gas volume measuring device ( For example, GVA-500 (manufactured by Kyoto Electronic Industry Co., Ltd.) and the like) are used for measurement.

When the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention is a beverage filled in a container, the carbon dioxide gas pressure of the beverage filled in the container may be appropriately adjusted to the range of the above-mentioned carbon dioxide gas concentration, but it may also be 5.0 kg /cm ² or less, 4.5kg/cm ² or less, or 4.0kg/cm ² or less, and may be 0.20kg/cm ² or more, 0.50kg/cm ² or more, or 1.0kg/cm ² or more. Also, any of these upper and lower limits can be combined. For example, the carbon dioxide gas pressure of beverages can also be 0.20kg/cm ² to 5.0kg/cm ² , 0.50kg/cm ² to 4.5kg/cm ² , and can also be 1.0kg/cm ² or more and 4.0kg/cm ² or less. In this specification, the gas pressure means the gas pressure in the container except for special conditions. The pressure can be measured by methods well known to those skilled in the art, for example, after fixing the sample at 20°C on the gas internal pressure gauge, first open the valve of the gas internal pressure gauge to release the gas, then close the valve, and shake the gas inside. Manometer, the method of reading the value of the pointer reaching a certain position, or using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device to measure.

1.3 Other additives The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention may add additives as necessary, as long as the effects of the present invention are not hindered. Examples of such additives include protein-based substances such as coloring materials, foam forming agents, fermentation accelerators, yeast extracts, and peptide-containing substances, and seasonings such as amino acids. As the coloring material, caramel coloring and the like can be used for coloring beverages such as beer. Foam forming agents are used to form foam in beverages such as beer, or to maintain the foam of beverages. Plant-extracted saponin-based substances such as soybean saponin and saponin, and vegetable proteins such as corn and soybeans can be used appropriately. and collagen peptides and other peptides, yeast extracts, etc. Fermentation accelerators are used to accelerate the fermentation of yeast, and for example, yeast extracts, bran components such as rice or wheat, vitamins, and mineral agents can be used alone or in combination.

1.4 Beverages filled in containers The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in one aspect of the present invention may also be a container-filled beverage that is filled in a container. Containers of any shape and material can be used for beverages filled in containers. Examples of containers include bottles, cans, barrels, and plastic bottles. Especially, from the viewpoint of portability, cans, bottles, or Plastic bottles are better.

2 Manufacturing method of top-fermented beer-flavored beverage The method for producing a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention is not particularly limited, as long as it includes the steps of adding top-fermented yeast and carrying out alcoholic fermentation. As a specific method for producing a top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to one aspect of the present invention, there are, for example, the following steps (1) to (2). •Step (1): performing at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment and solid content removal treatment on raw materials including water, malt and corn flour to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. •Step (2): adding upper fermentation yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1), and carrying out alcoholic fermentation.

And, furthermore, it is preferable to have the following step (3). • Step (3): A step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of total nitrogen content and bitterness value. Hereinafter, each step in the method for producing a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to an aspect of the present invention will be described.

2.1 Step (1) Step (1) is a step of subjecting raw materials including water, malt and corn flour to at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment and solid content removal treatment to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. The malt used as a raw material is as above, but barley malt is preferred. In this step, the raw materials are put into a preparation kettle or a preparation tank, and enzymes such as amylase and protease are added as necessary. As various raw materials other than malt and corn flour, liquid sugar, hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, bittering agents or bittering agents, antioxidants, spices, sour agents, salts, and pigments can also be added and other additives. These may be added before the saccharification treatment, may be added during the saccharification treatment, or may be added after the saccharification treatment is completed. Alternatively, these can also be added after the alcoholic fermentation in the next step.

The mixture of raw materials is heated to saccharify the starchy quality of the raw materials for saccharification. The temperature and time of the saccharification process are properly adjusted in consideration of the type of malt used, or the ratio of malt, raw materials other than water and malt, the type or amount of enzyme used, and the initial concentration of the final beverage. better. For example, the temperature of the saccharification treatment is 55-75° C., and the time of the saccharification treatment is preferably 30-240 minutes.

Moreover, it is better to boil the saccharified liquid. When performing this boiling treatment, when using hops, bitters, etc. as a raw material, it is preferable to add them. Hops or bitters can also be added between the start of boiling and the end of boiling the saccharified liquid. At this time, it is preferable to appropriately adjust various conditions of the boiling treatment (boiling temperature, boiling temperature, etc.) according to the desired bitterness value of the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage.

After the boiling treatment is completed, it is better to move to the vortex to remove solids such as coagulated protein and hop dregs. After removal in the vortex, cool to 0~25°C to obtain pre-fermentation solution.

Instead of the above-mentioned saccharification solution, hops or bitterings, etc. may be added to the malt extract with warm water added, followed by boiling treatment to prepare a pre-fermentation solution. In addition, as various raw materials, liquid sugar containing carbon sources, nitrogen sources other than wheat or malt, which are amino acid-containing raw materials, hops, dietary fiber, preservatives, sweeteners, antioxidants, and bitterness can also be used. Agents, spices, sour ingredients, pigments, etc. are mixed with warm water to prepare a liquid sugar solution, and the liquid sugar solution is boiled to prepare a pre-fermentation liquid. When using hops, it can also be added before the boiling treatment, or it can be added between the beginning of boiling the liquid sugar solution and before the end of boiling, and it can be added appropriately according to the bitterness value of the desired upper fermented beer-flavored beverage Adjustment is better.

2.2 Step (2) Step (2) is a step of adding upper fermentation yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to carry out alcoholic fermentation.

The top-fermenting yeast may be directly added to the raw material solution in the form of a yeast suspension, or a slurry obtained by concentrating the top-fermenting yeast by centrifugation or sedimentation may be added to the stock solution. And, after centrifugation, those that completely removed the supernatant were added. The amount of yeast stock solution added to the top fermentation can be appropriately set, but is, for example, about 5×10 ⁶ cells/ml to 1×10 ⁸ cells/ml.

Fermentation conditions at the time of carrying out alcoholic fermentation can be set suitably, For example, you may make it ferment under the conditions of 5-25 degreeC of fermentation temperatures, and 5-10 days. And, if necessary, the temperature (increase or decrease) or pressure of the fermentation broth can also be changed during the fermentation step. Moreover, after the completion of this step, the yeast may be removed by a filter, etc., and additives such as water, spices, sour flavoring agents, and pigments may be added as necessary.

Moreover, in one aspect of the present invention, when producing non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages, the following steps (4) and (5) may not be carried out. )% stage to stop alcoholic fermentation, and manufacture non-alcoholic fermented beer-flavored beverages with an alcohol content of less than 1 (v/v)%.

2.3 Step (3) Step (3) is a step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of total nitrogen content and bitterness value. In steps (1) and (2), the total nitrogen content and bitterness value can be adjusted by appropriately setting the type of raw material or its blending amount, preparation conditions (timing of adding raw materials, etc.), yeast species or fermentation conditions, etc. . Here, in step (3), these physical property values are measured, and it is confirmed whether it is preferable to be in the said range. And, when these physical property values are assumed to be outside the range, it is preferable to adjust by adding a component capable of adjusting each physical property value or to adjust by dilution.

And, the adjustment of each physical property value of this step can also be carried out in parallel with step (1) and/or step (2), can also be carried out between step (1) and step (2), also can be in step ( 2) to carry out later. In addition, the confirmation of each physical property value in this step can also be carried out at any of the above-mentioned timings, but the confirmation of each physical property value is carried out after step (2), and as a result, if there are components that need to be adjusted, the physical properties are carried out. Value adjustment is better.

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

In the step (4), as a method of removing the alcohol component produced in the fermentation step of the step (2), a method of removing it by heat treatment is preferable. As conditions for the heat treatment, the same conditions as those for the production method of a general non-alcoholic top-fermented beer-flavored drink can be applied. And, after the step (4), while removing the alcohol component from the solution, carbon dioxide gas is also removed. Therefore, it is better to adjust the amount of carbon dioxide gas by step (5). As a method of adjusting the amount of carbon dioxide, it can also be added by mixing the solution after step (4) with carbonated water, or carbon dioxide can be directly added to the solution after step (4).

The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to one aspect of the present invention obtained in this way is filled in a specific container, and distributed in the market as a product. The top fermentation is not particularly limited as a container filling method for beer-flavored beverages, and container filling methods known to those skilled in the art can be used. Through the container filling step, the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention will be filled and sealed in the container. In the container filling step, containers of any shape and material can be used, and examples of containers include those described in "1.4 Beverages Filled in Containers". [Example]

The following examples are used to further describe the present invention in detail, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Embodiment 1～11, comparative example 1 ＜Preparation of drinks＞ Put the crushed barley malt, corn flour and enzymes containing proteolytic enzymes into a preparation tank filled with 120L of warm water, increase the temperature step by step and keep it, filter and remove the malt pulp to obtain wort. Thereafter, the wort was put into a boiling kettle, and liquid sugar and hops were further added thereto, followed by boiling treatment. And, adjust the addition amount of barley malt, corn flour, liquid sugar and hops so that it becomes the use ratio and bitterness value of each raw material recorded in Tables 1-4. After the boiling treatment, the solid-liquid separation treatment was carried out, and after cooling the obtained clear wort, the pre-fermentation liquid before the addition of yeast was obtained by performing oxygen aeration. Add top-fermented yeast as beer yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in this way, and ferment it at a specific fermentation temperature and fermentation time. After about one week of maturation, the yeast is filtered off to obtain the top-fermented beer flavor drinks. In addition, in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the total nitrogen content, bitterness value, free amine nitrogen concentration, and the total content of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides in the "1~3 sugar content" are adjusted as follows until it becomes the value shown in Table 1~4. •Total nitrogen content: Properly set and adjust the types of raw materials (malt, corn flour, etc.), the types of enzymes, the amount of enzymes (including proteolytic enzymes), the timing of adding enzymes, and the protein decomposition time in the preparation tank , the pH value in the preparation tank, the set temperature and holding time of each temperature zone when preparing wort, the boiling time and pH value in the boiling step, the initial extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, and the initial extract concentration in the fermentation step , fermentation conditions (yeast species, amount of yeast added, number of yeast proliferation, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.), etc. •Bitter price: Properly set and adjust the type or amount of hops, the timing of addition, and various conditions of boiling treatment (boiling temperature or boiling time, etc.). • Concentration of free amine nitrogen: properly set and adjust the types of raw materials (malt, corn flour, etc.), the types of enzymes, the amount of enzymes (including proteolytic enzymes), the timing of adding enzymes, and the protein in the preparation tank Decomposition time, pH value in the preparation tank, set temperature and holding time of each temperature zone when preparing wort, boiling time and pH value in the boiling step, initial extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, initial extraction in the fermentation step Concentration of substances, fermentation conditions (yeast species, amount of yeast added, number of yeast proliferation, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.), etc. • 1~3 sugar content: properly set and adjust the use ratio of liquid sugar, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of adding enzyme, the setting temperature and holding time of each temperature zone when preparing saccharification liquid, and the duration of fermentation steps Various conditions (yeast species, amount of yeast added, timing of adding yeast, timing of yeast removal, timing of reducing yeast amount, yeast proliferation number, yeast proliferation time, yeast activity, yeast size (cell size), oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, etc.).

＜Sensory Evaluation＞ Regarding the beverages obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples cooled to about 4°C, five trained sensory inspectors usually judged the "flavor similar to beer-flavored beverages", "rich aroma similar to beer-flavored beverages" and "Bitter taste with a good texture similar to beer-flavored beverages" is evaluated on a scale of 0.1 within the range of 3 (maximum value) to 1 (minimum value) based on the following score criteria, and calculated by 5 sensory inspectors score average. The results are shown in Tables 1 to 4. In addition, when evaluating, samples conforming to the following standards "3.0", "2.5", "2.0", "1.5" and "1.0" are prepared in advance and the standards are unified among the sensory inspectors. And, in any of the sensory evaluations in Table 1, for the same drink, a difference of 1.0 or more in the score value was not confirmed between the sensory testers. [Score criteria for the flavor of beer-like beverages] • "3.0": The flavor of a beer-flavored drink is felt very strongly. • "2.5": The flavor of a beer-flavored drink is strongly felt. • "2.0": Feel like the flavor of beer-flavored beverage. • "1.5": The taste of beer-flavored drinks is not felt. • "1.0": almost no beer-like flavor. [Score criteria for the rich aroma of beer-like beverages] • "3.0": The rich aroma of a beer-flavored drink is felt very strongly. • "2.5": Strongly felt the rich aroma of a beer-flavored drink. • "2.0": Feel the rich aroma of a beer-flavored drink. • "1.5": I can't feel the rich aroma of beer-flavored drinks. • "1.0": Almost no rich aroma similar to beer-flavored beverages can be felt. [Score standard for bitter taste with good texture of beer-like beverages] • "3.0": A bitter taste with a good texture similar to a beer-flavored drink is felt very strongly. • "2.5": A bitter taste with good texture similar to a beer-flavored drink is strongly felt. • "2.0": Bitterness with a good texture like a beer-flavored drink was sensed. • "1.5": The bitterness with a good texture like beer-flavored beverages is not felt very much. • "1.0": Almost no bitterness with good texture like a beer-flavored drink can be felt.

And based on each average score of the said sensory evaluation item, it evaluated in 3 stages by the following reference|standard as total evaluation. [Overall evaluation of beer-flavored beverages] • "A": The average score of all sensory evaluation items verified is 2.5 or higher. • "B": not equivalent to "A" and "C". • "C": The average score of one or more of the sensory evaluation items verified is less than 2.0.

From Tables 1 to 4, it can be seen that the top fermented beer-flavored beverages in Examples 1-11 are beverages that are excellent in flavor, rich aroma, and good-textured bitterness similar to beer-flavored beverages. On the other hand, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of Comparative Example 1 was a drink with a good texture that was difficult to feel like a beer-flavored beverage.

Embodiment 12, comparative examples 2~4 In Example 12, a beer-flavored drink was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the initial extract concentration and the free amine nitrogen concentration were the values shown in Table 7. In Comparative Example 2, a lower-fermented beer-flavored beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that corn flour and liquid sugar were not used, and lower-fermented yeast was used instead of the upper-fermented yeast. In Comparative Example 3, corn flour was not used, the ratio of liquid sugar was changed to 51% by mass, the concentration of initial extract and the concentration of free amine-based nitrogen were set to the values shown in Table 7, and in addition to using the lower fermentation yeast to A lower-fermented beer-flavored beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the upper-fermented yeast was replaced. In the comparative example 4, except having used the bottom fermented yeast instead of the top fermented yeast, it carried out similarly to Example 1, and manufactured the bottom fermented beer flavor drink.

And, for the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage of the above-mentioned Example 1 cooled to about 4° C., and the bottom-fermented beer-flavored beverages of Comparative Examples 2 to 3, 8 trained sensory inspectors usually assessed the "fullness" of each beverage. Presence of "feeling", "presence of inappropriate watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages" and "abundant aroma similar to beer-flavored beverages", based on the following score criteria, within the range of 3 (maximum value) ~ 1 (minimum value) , to evaluate the score on a scale of 0.5, and calculate the average score of five sensory inspectors. The results are shown in Table 5. In addition, when evaluating, samples conforming to the following standards "3.0", "2.5", "2.0", "1.5" and "1.0" are prepared in advance and the standards are unified among the sensory inspectors. And, in any of the sensory evaluations in Table 1, for the same drink, a difference of 1.0 or more in the score value was not confirmed between the sensory testers. [Score criteria for the presence or absence of satiety] • "3.0": No feeling of satiety at all after drinking. • "2.5": Almost no feeling of satiety after drinking. • "2.0": Almost no feeling of satiety after drinking. • "1.5": I feel a little full after drinking. • "1.0": Strong feeling of fullness after drinking. [Score criteria for the presence or absence of unsuitable watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages] • "3.0": There is no undue watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages. • "2.5": Almost no undue watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages. • "2.0": Almost no undue watery feeling in beer-flavored beverages. • "1.5": A slightly unsuitable sense of water in beer-flavored beverages was felt. • "1.0": Unsuitable watery feeling in beer-flavored drinks is strongly felt. [Score criteria for the rich aroma of beer-like beverages] • "3.0": The rich aroma of a beer-flavored drink is felt very strongly. • "2.5": Strongly felt the rich aroma of a beer-flavored drink. • "2.0": Feel the rich aroma of a beer-flavored drink. • "1.5": I can't feel the rich aroma of beer-flavored drinks. • "1.0": Almost no rich aroma similar to beer-flavored beverages can be felt.

The top-fermented beer-flavored beverages of Examples 1 and 12 obtained from Table 5 were beverages that suppressed the sense of satiety and undue watery feeling, and had a rich aroma similar to beer-flavored beverages. On the other hand, any of the lower-layer fermented beer-flavored beverages in Comparative Examples 1 to 4 was a beverage lacking in rich flavor like beer-flavored beverages. Furthermore, the lower-layer fermented beer-flavored beverage in Comparative Example 2 is a drink with a residual satiety due to the large amount of total nitrogen. Although the lower-layer-fermented beer-flavored beverage in Comparative Example 3 has improved satiety, without using corn flour, it will The result is a feeling of undue water sensation.

Claims (14)

A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and Use cornmeal as raw material. For the upper-layer fermented beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, the usage ratio (X) of corn flour is 1-28% by mass based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops. The upper-layer fermented beer-flavored beverage as in claim 1 or 2 is a beverage using malt as a raw material. The top-fermented beer-flavored drink according to claim 3, wherein the malt usage ratio (Y) is 80% by mass or less on the basis of the total amount of raw materials except water and hops. The top fermented beer-flavored beverage according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the ratio [(Y)/(X)] of the malt usage ratio (Y) to the corn flour usage ratio (X) is 0.1 to 80.0. A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein, based on the total amount of raw materials except water and hops, the sum of the usage ratio (X) of corn flour and the usage ratio (Y) of malt The use ratio is 20 to 100% by mass. The top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the content of sugars selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides is 0.40 g/100 mL or more. As the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage in any one of Claims 1-7, wherein the concentration of the initial extract is 5.0-20.0% by mass. As in any one of claims 1-8, the top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, wherein the concentration of free amine-based nitrogen is 3.5-16.0 mg/100 mL. A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter value is 5~40BUs, and The free amine nitrogen concentration is 3.5~16.0mg/100mL. A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage with a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter price is 5~40BUs, The concentration of free amine nitrogen was 4.9~16.0mg/100mL. A top-fermented beer-flavored beverage, which has a total nitrogen content of 5-85mg/100mL or less, Bitter price is 5~40BUs, The free amine nitrogen concentration is 3.5~16.0mg/100mL, and The concentration of the initial extract is 5.0-20.0% by mass. A method for producing a top-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising the following steps (1) to (2), •Step (1): performing at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment and solid content removal treatment on raw materials including water, malt and corn flour to obtain pre-fermentation liquid. •Step (2): adding upper fermentation yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) to carry out alcoholic fermentation. A method for producing a fermented beer-flavored beverage as in claim 13, further comprising the following step (3), • Step (3): A step of confirming and/or adjusting at least one of total nitrogen content and bitterness value.