WO2024053297A1

WO2024053297A1 - Beer-taste alcoholic beverage

Info

Publication number: WO2024053297A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/028279
Authority: WO
Inventors: 一志青野; 真維寺野
Original assignee: アサヒグループホールディングス株式会社; アサヒビール株式会社
Priority date: 2022-09-09
Filing date: 2023-08-02
Publication date: 2024-03-14

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a beer-taste alcoholic beverage having an enhanced feeling of carbonation. As a means for solving the problem, provided is a beer-taste alcoholic beverage having a viscosity of 2.0 mPa s or more.

Description

beer taste alcoholic beverage

The present invention relates to a beer-taste alcoholic beverage, and particularly to a beer-taste low alcoholic beverage with a low alcohol concentration.

Beer is a beverage that has an alcohol concentration of 4.5 to 5% by volume and contains carbon dioxide gas. Beer achieves palatability by, for example, giving a feeling of satisfaction when drinking beer, such as the richness and body feeling, and giving a feeling of refreshment due to the stimulation of carbonic acid.

In recent years, consumer values regarding alcoholic beverages have diversified, and demand for beer-taste alcoholic beverages with reduced calories, sugar content, or alcohol content is increasing. As a result, not only the functionality of beer-taste alcoholic beverages but also their palatability have become more important.

Patent Document 1 describes a low-alcohol fermented malt beverage in which the alcohol concentration is lowered by increasing the proportion of non-fermentable carbohydrates in the wort. A low-alcohol fermented malt beverage is described, which is characterized by the addition of acid. The low-alcohol fermented malt beverage of Patent Document 1 does not have prominent sweetness or other unnatural flavors, and has a well-balanced taste and flavor comparable to that of ordinary beers (Summary) . In the low-alcohol fermented malt beverage of Patent Document 1, the sweetness of non-fermentable carbohydrates imparts a rich taste and body feeling similar to that of beer, while the sourness of organic acids does not overpower the sweetness, resulting in a well-balanced flavor. It is taken.

Patent Document 2 describes a beer-taste beverage characterized by containing 5 ppm or more of hydroxy acid esters. The beer-taste beverage of Patent Document 2 has enhanced carbonic acid stimulation without increasing carbon dioxide gas pressure (summary). It is speculated that the bitterness of hydroxy acid esters is felt at the same time as the stimulation by carbonic acid, giving the illusion of carbonic acid stimulation, and as a result, the stimulation of carbonic acid is enhanced.

JP2012-239460A JP 2016-47069 Publication

Beer-taste alcoholic beverages have unique features such as low calorie content, so when compared to regular beer, they lack a sense of satisfaction or refreshment. Therefore, it is desired to improve palatability by enhancing richness, body feel, carbonic acid stimulation, etc.

Increasing the carbon dioxide pressure is known as a means to enhance the carbonic acid stimulation of beer-taste alcoholic beverages. However, beer-taste alcoholic beverages with high carbon dioxide gas pressure require the use of containers with high pressure resistance in order to be distributed on the market, which is costly. Furthermore, if the increased carbon dioxide pressure exceeds the allowable gas pressure of the filling equipment, new equipment will need to be installed. Furthermore, when taking measures to enhance carbonic acid stimulation, it is preferable that the flavor of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage is not affected.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a beer-taste alcoholic beverage with enhanced carbonic acid stimulation without increasing carbon dioxide gas pressure and without affecting flavor. It is in.

The present invention includes the following aspects.

[Aspect 1]
Beer taste having a viscosity of 2.0 mPa·s or more, preferably 2.0 to 5.0 mPa·s, more preferably 2.1 to 3.5 mPa·s, even more preferably 2.3 to 3.2 mPa·s alcoholic drinks.

[Aspect 2]
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to aspect 1, having a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 0.25 MPa or less, preferably 0.20 to 0.24 MPa, more preferably 0.22 to 0.24 MPa.

[Aspect 3]
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to embodiment 1 or 2, having an alcohol concentration of 4% by volume or less, preferably 1 to 4% by volume, more preferably 2 to 3.9% by volume, even more preferably 3 to 3.8% by volume.

[Aspect 4]
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, which is a packaged beverage.

[Aspect 5]
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, which is a fermented malt beverage.

[Aspect 6]
Embodiments having an apparent final fermentation degree of 95% or less, such as 30 to 95%, preferably 85% or less, such as 35 to 85%, more preferably 35 to 60%, even more preferably 40 to 50%. 5 beer-taste alcoholic drinks.

[Aspect 7]
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to aspect 5 or 6, having a malt usage ratio of 50 to 100% by weight, more preferably 67 to 100% by weight.

[Aspect 8]
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to any one of aspects 5 to 7, wherein the content of oats in the raw material to be subjected to saccharification is 15% by weight or more, preferably 20 to 80%, more preferably 40 to 60%. .

[Aspect 9]
Adjust the viscosity to 2.0 mPa·s or more, preferably 2.0 to 5.0 mPa·s, more preferably 2.1 to 3.5 mPa·s, even more preferably 2.3 to 3.2 mPa·s. A method for producing a beer-taste alcoholic beverage comprising:

[Aspect 10]
Adjust the viscosity to 2.0 mPa·s or more, preferably 2.0 to 5.0 mPa·s, more preferably 2.1 to 3.5 mPa·s, even more preferably 2.3 to 3.2 mPa·s. A method for enhancing the carbonation stimulation of a beer-taste alcoholic beverage containing.

According to the present invention, a beer-taste alcoholic beverage with enhanced carbonic acid stimulation is provided without increasing carbon dioxide gas pressure and without affecting flavor.

<Beer-taste alcoholic beverage>
"Beer-taste beverage" refers to a carbonated beverage that has a flavor and carbonic acid stimulation reminiscent of beer. "Beer" refers to a fermented malt beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, water, etc. with yeast as raw materials. Among beer-taste drinks, those containing alcohol are referred to as "beer-taste alcoholic drinks." The term "alcohol" means ethanol. Among beer-taste drinks, those that contain malt as a starchy raw material and are produced through a fermentation process are called fermented malt drinks. Beer-taste alcoholic beverages include beer, low-malt beer, liqueurs obtained by mixing beer or low-malt beer with an alcohol-containing distillate, and the like.

The beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention has a viscosity of 2.0 mPa·s or more. Viscosity is an indicator of the degree of viscosity of a substance. The viscosity refers to a value measured using a viscometer for a beer-taste alcoholic beverage at a liquid temperature of 8.5°C. A specific example of the viscometer is a tuning fork vibrating viscometer. By adjusting the viscosity of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage within a predetermined range, it is possible to enhance the carbonic acid stimulation felt when drinking the beverage.

Although it is not clear, when the viscosity of a beer-taste alcoholic beverage increases, the ability of the liquid to retain carbon dioxide increases, and volatilization before drinking is suppressed, resulting in a lower concentration of carbon dioxide released in the mouth after drinking. The mechanism by which this increases is inferred.

The viscosity of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage is preferably 2.0 to 5.0 mPa·s, more preferably 2.1 to 3.5 mPa·s, and still more preferably 2.3 to 3.2 mPa·s.

The viscosity of a beer-taste alcoholic beverage refers to the viscosity of the final product, the beverage. The viscosity of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage can be adjusted in any step included in its production method. Examples of methods for adjusting the viscosity of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage include methods such as changing the type and amount of raw materials used, or adding a thickener as appropriate.

A thickener is a substance that increases the viscosity when included in a beer-taste alcoholic beverage. Thickeners are not particularly limited as long as they are substances that can be used in foods and drinks and do not affect flavor in normal usage amounts, but include, for example, pectin, κ-carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum. , agar, and other thickening polysaccharides. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, pectin, xanthan gum and agar are preferred from the viewpoint that the flavor of the thickener itself is more suitable for the flavor of beer. Pectin is a polysaccharide whose main component is D-galacturonic acid, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced by fermentation by bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas, and agar is a polysaccharide whose main components are agarose and agaropectin. It is a polysaccharide.

The type and content of the thickener are adjusted so that the viscosity of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage falls within the aforementioned predetermined range. As an example, the content of the thickener in the beer-taste alcoholic beverage is 0.05 to 1 w/v%, preferably 0.1 to 0.9 w/v%, more preferably 0.2 to 0.8 w/v %.

The beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention may have an alcohol concentration comparable to that of beer. Specifically, the beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention is 6% by volume (v/v) or less, preferably 1 to 6% by volume, more preferably more than 1% by volume to 6% by volume, even more preferably 1% by volume. .5 to 5.5% by volume. Methods for measuring alcohol concentration (i.e., ethanol concentration) in beverages are widely known to those skilled in the art, and can be measured, for example, by the method described in "National Tax Agency Specified Analysis Method."

In one preferred embodiment, the beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste low-alcohol beverage with a lower alcohol concentration than normal beer. Specifically, the beer-taste low alcoholic beverage has an alcohol concentration of 4% by volume or less, preferably 1 to 4% by volume, more preferably 2 to 3.9% by volume, and even more preferably 3 to 3.8% by volume. An alcoholic beverage with a beer taste.

Beer-taste low-alcohol beverages have a problem in that they are less sensitive to carbonation than regular beer, and do not provide an adequate refreshing feeling when drinking. The carbonic acid contained in beer volatilizes and irritates the mouth and throat, but when the alcohol concentration is low, the amount of alcohol that volatilizes with the carbonic acid decreases, and the irritating effect of alcohol decreases, resulting in a decrease in the strength of the carbonic acid irritation. It is thought that then. Examples of methods for adjusting the alcohol concentration of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage include methods such as lowering the final fermentation degree of the wort fermentation liquid, or reducing the amount of alcohol added.

<Method for producing beer-taste alcoholic beverage>
The method for producing a beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention will be specifically explained below. The beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be produced, for example, by fermenting wort with beer yeast.

<wort>
Wort is a liquid containing water and a saccharified solution of starchy raw materials. Wort is produced, for example, as follows.

First, crushed malt as the main raw material, auxiliary raw materials such as barley, and hot water are added to a brewing tank and mixed to prepare maiche. In this case, the resulting beer-taste alcoholic beverage becomes a fermented malt beverage. When producing beer-taste alcoholic beverages that do not fall under the category of fermented malt beverages, the main raw material is either not used or grains other than malt are used as the main raw material.

Preparation of maiche can be carried out by a conventional method, for example, first, the protein derived from the raw material is decomposed into amino acids etc. by holding it at 35 to 60°C for 20 to 90 minutes, and then the process proceeds to the saccharification step. At that time, in addition to the main raw materials and auxiliary raw materials, saccharifying enzymes and flavor components such as spices, herbs, and fragrances are added as necessary.

Thereafter, the temperature of the mache is gradually raised and held at a predetermined temperature for a certain period of time to saccharify the starch using malt-derived enzymes and enzymes added to the mache. The temperature and time during the saccharification treatment should be determined by taking into account the type of enzyme used, the amount of mache, the quality of the target wort beer yeast fermentation liquid (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "wort fermentation liquid"), etc. The temperature can be determined as appropriate, for example, by holding the temperature at 60 to 72°C for 30 to 90 minutes. After the saccharification treatment, the mixture is maintained at 76 to 78°C for about 10 minutes, and then the mache is filtered to obtain a transparent sugar solution.

When producing a fermented malt beverage, the raw material subjected to saccharification (herein sometimes referred to as "starchy raw material") contains malt. The content of malt in the raw material to be subjected to saccharification is not particularly limited, but is 25% or more, preferably 50% or more, and more preferably 67% or more. The raw material subjected to saccharification may have a malt usage ratio of 100%. The ratio of malt (weight (w/w) %) to the raw materials to be subjected to saccharification is referred to as the malt usage ratio. Generally, the higher the malt usage ratio, the stronger the malt-derived flavor, richness, and drinkability of the resulting wort fermentation liquid will be.

The raw material subjected to saccharification preferably contains oats. The content of oats in the raw material to be subjected to saccharification is not particularly limited, but is 15% or more, preferably 20 to 80%, more preferably 40 to 60%. The higher the oat content in the raw materials subjected to saccharification, the higher the viscosity of the resulting beer-taste alcoholic beverage. The oats used are preferably those that have been subjected to a malting process to produce malt through germination.

Auxiliary raw materials refer to raw materials other than malt and hops. Examples of the auxiliary raw materials include starch raw materials such as barley, wheat, cornstarch, corn grits, rice, and soybean, and carbohydrate raw materials such as liquid sugar and sugar. Here, liquid sugar is produced by decomposing and saccharifying starch with an acid or a saccharifying enzyme, and mainly contains glucose, maltose, maltotriose, and the like. In addition, spices, herbs, fruits, etc. used for the purpose of imparting or improving flavor are also included in the auxiliary raw materials.

Saccharifying enzyme refers to an enzyme that decomposes starch to produce sugar. Transglucosidase is preferably used as the saccharifying enzyme. When transglucosidase is used, the amount of non-assimilable sugars contained in the wort can be changed, making it easy to adjust the final fermentation degree of the wort fermentation liquid and the extract concentration of the wort fermentation liquid. . As the saccharifying enzyme, for example, α-amylase, glucoamylase, prunalase, etc. may be used in combination with transglucosidase.

The transglucosidase is not particularly limited as long as it has catalytic activity for transglycosylation reactions, and transglucosidases derived from various organisms can be used. For example, any commercially available transglucosidase may be used, or a combination of these may be used.

The addition of transglucosidase to mashed potatoes is not particularly limited as long as the enzymatic reaction by the added transglucosidase is sufficiently carried out by the end of the preparation process. For example, transglucosidase may be added together with fermentation raw materials such as malt at the time of preparing mache, or may be added during the saccharification reaction. In the present invention, in order to allow the enzymatic reaction by transglucosidase to proceed sufficiently, transglucosidase is preferably added at the time of preparing mache or at an early stage of the preparation process, and more preferably added at the time of preparing mache.

The wort boiling operation may be performed according to the method and conditions normally used when producing beer. For example, a pH-adjusted sugar solution is transferred to a boiling pot and boiled. Hops are added from the time the sugar solution starts boiling to the time it is left in the whirlpool. As the hop, a hop extract or a component extracted from hops may be used.

The sugar solution is then transferred to a settling tank called a whirlpool, and after removing hop residue and coagulated proteins produced by boiling, it is cooled to an appropriate temperature using a plate cooler. By the above-mentioned operation up to wort boiling, wort as referred to in the present invention is obtained. When transglucosidase is used as the saccharifying enzyme, the resulting wort is called transglucosidase-treated wort.

Non-assimilable carbohydrates refer to carbohydrates that are not used by brewer's yeast as a nutrient source for alcohol fermentation, etc. The brewer's yeast used in the present invention assimilates glucose, fructose, maltose, and maltotriose. Therefore, carbohydrates other than these are collectively called non-assimilated carbohydrates. Specific examples of non-assimilable carbohydrates contained in the transglucosidase-treated wort include isomaltose, isomaltotriose, panose, oligosaccharides of 4 or more sugars, and non-assimilable polysaccharides. The non-assimilable carbohydrates remain even after the fermentation process and alcohol removal process described below.

The amount of transglucosidase used when producing maishe is adjusted as appropriate, taking into account the type and reaction conditions, so that the final fermentation degree of the wort fermentation liquid or the extract concentration of the wort fermentation liquid is within the above range. be done. Generally, the amount of transglucosidase used is 0.05 to 20 g/kg, preferably 0.1 to 7 g/kg, more preferably 0.25 to 5 g/kg, based on the solid content of the mache.

Adjust the water content of the wort so that it has a wort extract concentration of 5 to 30°P. If the wort extract concentration is less than 5°P, the complexity and refreshing aroma of the resulting wort fermentation liquid may be insufficient; if it exceeds 30°P, the complexity and refreshing aroma of the resulting wort fermentation liquid may be insufficient. The taste and aroma may be too strong and the beer-like flavor may be lost. The wort extract concentration of the wort is preferably 7-20°P, more preferably 8-15°P.

<wort fermentation liquid>
The obtained wort is fermented with brewer's yeast. Fermentation of wort may be carried out according to conventional methods. For example, cooled wort is inoculated with brewer's yeast, transferred to a fermentation tank, and alcoholic fermentation is performed.

In one embodiment, the appearance and final fermentation degree of the wort fermentation liquid is 95% or less, for example, 30 to 95%. Appearance of the fermented wort If the final fermentation degree is less than 30%, the complex flavor may be weak and the sweetness may not be sufficiently suppressed, and the sweetness or richness of the resulting beer-taste alcoholic beverage may remain as an aftertaste, resulting in a sharp taste. The sensation and refreshing feeling after drinking become insufficient. If the appearance of the wort fermented liquid exceeds 95%, the resulting beer-taste alcoholic beverage may have insufficient texture or richness, and may be too sour, resulting in a loss of beer-like flavor. The final fermentation degree in appearance of the wort fermented liquid is preferably 85% or less, for example, 35 to 85%, more preferably 35 to 60%, and still more preferably 40 to 50%.

The degree of fermentation is an index that indicates how much fermentation has progressed in beer after fermentation. The final fermentation degree refers to the ratio of extract that can be assimilated by brewer's yeast to the original wort extract. Here, the extract that can be assimilated by brewer's yeast refers to the extract contained in the product beer from the original wort extract (i.e., the extract that remains after fermenting all the extracts that can be used by brewer's yeast (referred to as the final extract). ) is deducted. The appearance final fermentation degree refers to the final fermentation degree calculated using the appearance extract as the value of the final extract.

Note that the extract refers to nonvolatile solid content. The term extract means, depending on the context, the non-volatile solids themselves, the amount of non-volatile solids, or the concentration of non-volatile solids.

The appearance extract concentration refers to the concentration (°P) of nonvolatile solids in a liquid containing alcohol (ethanol). The specific gravity and alcohol concentration of the wort fermentation liquid can be measured by the BCOJ beer analysis method, 8.4.3 and 8.3.6 (both alcoholizer methods). The appearance extract concentration can be calculated using these measured values by the BCOJ beer analysis method and the 8.5 extract relationship calculation method.

The appearance and final fermentation degree Vend of the fermented wort liquid can be determined, for example, by the following formula (1).

Vend (%) = {(P-Eend)/P}×100 (1)
[Wherein, P is the raw wort extract, and Eend is the final appearance extract. ]

The raw wort extract P is calculated by theoretically back-calculating the value of the wort extract before alcoholic fermentation from the alcohol concentration of the product beer and the value of the extract according to Balling's formula. Specifically, it can be determined by the method shown in Analytica-EBC (9.4) (2007). In addition, the appearance final extract Eend is obtained by collecting beer in a flask, adding a large amount of freshly pressed yeast, and fermenting it at 25°C with stirring until the extract value no longer decreases (24 hours). It can be determined by measuring the value of appearance extract in beer.

Appearance final extract Eend is calculated from the specific gravity of the final extract including alcohol, so it may show a negative value. As a result, the apparent final fermentation degree may exceed 100%.

The final fermentation degree in appearance can be controlled by, for example, adjusting the saccharification conditions, whether or not enzymes are used when saccharifying the raw materials, and the types and amounts of raw materials. For example, by lowering the amount of assimilable carbohydrates contained in mache, the final fermentation degree in appearance can be lowered.

After completion of fermentation, the resulting wort fermentation liquid is further matured in a sake storage tank as a maturing step, and then stored and stabilized under low temperature conditions of about 0°C. Next, in a filtration step, the aged wort fermented liquid is filtered to remove yeast, proteins, and the like.

The wort fermentation liquor has an authentic extract concentration of 3-15°P. When the authentic extract concentration of the wort fermentation liquid is insufficient, the drinking sensation or richness of the wort fermentation liquid and the resulting low alcohol beer-taste fermented malt beverage may become insufficient. If the true extract concentration of the fermented wort liquid is excessive, the complex taste may be weak and the sweetness may not be sufficiently suppressed, and the sweetness or richness of the resulting low-alcohol beer-taste fermented malt beverage may remain as an aftertaste. The sharp feeling and the refreshing feeling after drinking become insufficient. The authentic extract concentration of the wort fermentation liquid is preferably 5-10°P, more preferably 7-9°P.

The authentic extract concentration refers to the mass concentration (°P) of nonvolatile solids contained in the beverage. The authentic extract concentration can be measured by BCOJ beer analysis method, 8.4.3 (alcolyzer method).

<Beer-taste alcoholic beverage>
If necessary, a pH adjuster is added to the wort fermentation liquid to lower the pH. In cases where the alcohol concentration of the wort fermentation liquid is low and a beer-taste low-alcohol beverage is obtained, the bacteriostatic properties of the beer-taste low-alcohol beverage may be insufficient and storage stability may be reduced. Sufficiently lowering the pH provides the bacteriostatic properties and storage stability necessary for marketing beer-taste low-alcohol beverages. In this case, the specific upper limit of pH is less than 4.2, preferably less than 4.1, more preferably less than 4.0. On the other hand, the specific lower limit of pH is 3.0 or more, preferably 3.3 or more, more preferably 3.6 or more.

The type of pH adjuster is not limited. Not limited to food additives, for example, acids and salts thereof that can be used in beverages and foods, their manufacturing processes, and beer raw materials having pH lowering ability can be used as pH adjusters. Examples of beer raw materials having the ability to lower pH include sour malt, dark malt, and the like. Preferred pH adjusting agents are phytic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, lactic acid bacteria, phosphoric acid, malic acid, sulfite anhydride, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, and combinations thereof. More preferred pH adjusting agents are phytic acid, lactic acid, lactic acid bacteria, phosphoric acid, malic acid, sulfite anhydride, tartaric acid, and combinations thereof. Considering its influence on the flavor of beer-taste beverages, phytic acid, which has less sourness, is the most preferred among these.

If necessary, carbon dioxide gas is added to the wort fermentation liquid through a carbonation process. This enhances the carbonation stimulation of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage. The amount of carbon dioxide gas added is adjusted so that the foaming properties are similar to those of beer. The gas pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in the beer-taste alcoholic beverage is adjusted within a range that does not exceed the pressure resistance of the container to be filled or the allowable gas pressure of the filling equipment. The carbon dioxide pressure is, for example, 0.25 MPa or less, preferably 0.20 to 0.24 MPa, more preferably 0.22 to 0.24 MPa. The carbon dioxide pressure of a carbon dioxide solution as used herein means a value measured at a liquid temperature of 20° C. according to a conventional method.

The beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention thus obtained is filled into a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a product. The method for packaging the beer-taste alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited, and any method known to those skilled in the art can be used. In the container filling step, the beer-taste alcoholic beverage of the present invention is filled into a container and sealed. In the container filling process, containers of any form and material may be used. Examples of containers include bottles, cans, barrels, and PET bottles. , bottles or plastic bottles are preferred.

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the examples, the units of concentration and content are based on weight unless otherwise specified.

<Comparative example 1>
[Manufacture of beer-taste beverages]
400 kg of barley malt, 160 kg of cornstarch, and 1500 liters of hot water were introduced into a preparation tank, and saccharification was performed at 65° C. for 60 minutes. This saccharified liquid was filtered using a Reuter filter, and then transferred to a boiling pot and boiled for 60 minutes, and 8 kg of hops were added thereto. After boiling, warm water for evaporation was added to make 2500L. After removing the thermotrobe in a whirlpool tank, the mixture was cooled to 8°C using a plate cooler to obtain wort.

Brewer's yeast was added to the obtained wort and fermented at around 10°C for 7 days, and then the brewer's yeast was removed. After changing the tank and aging for 7 days, the mixture was cooled to around -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The wort fermentation liquid was clarified by filtration and water was added to adjust the original wort extract to 11.19°P. This was filled into a container as a beer-taste drink.

[Measurement of characteristics]
The original wort extract concentration, appearance final fermentation degree, true extract concentration, carbon dioxide pressure, and alcohol concentration of the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured according to conventional methods. In addition, the viscosity of the beer-taste beverage was measured according to the following procedure.

That is, carbon dioxide gas in the beverage was volatilized as a pretreatment. Next, the liquid temperature was adjusted to 8.5°C in a constant temperature bath. The temperature-controlled liquid was set in a tuning fork vibrating viscometer ("SV-10A" (trade name) manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd.), and its viscosity was measured. The measurement results of the characteristics are shown in Table 1.

[Measurement of carbonic acid stimulus intensity]
Carbonic acid stimulation intensity was measured by a sensory test. That is, five trained panelists specializing in beer sampled the beer-taste beverages and scored them on a scale of 1 to 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 based on the sensory sensations described below. The average score of all panelists was used as the score for each evaluation item. Note that the liquid temperature of the samples used for evaluation was adjusted to about 4°C. It is judged to be good if the evaluation score is 5 points or more.

(Evaluation criteria)
Carbonated water with adjusted carbon dioxide gas pressure was prepared and used as an evaluation standard for carbonic acid stimulation strength.

<Comparative example 2>
[Manufacture of beer-taste beverages]
500 kg of barley malt and 1500 liters of hot water were introduced into a preparation tank, and saccharification was performed at 65° C. for 10 minutes. This saccharified liquid was filtered using a Reuter filter, and then transferred to a boiling pot and boiled for 60 minutes, and 8 kg of hops were added thereto. After boiling, warm water for evaporation was added to make 2500L. After removing the thermotrobe in a whirlpool tank, the mixture was cooled to 8°C using a plate cooler to obtain wort.

Brewer's yeast was added to the obtained wort and fermented at around 10°C for 7 days, and then the brewer's yeast was removed. After changing the tank and aging for 7 days, the mixture was cooled to around -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The wort fermentation liquid was clarified by filtration and water was added to adjust the original wort extract to 9.06°P. This was filled into a container as a beer-taste drink.

The characteristics of the beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

<Examples 1 to 4>
[Manufacture of beer-taste beverages]
Powdered pectin manufactured by Unitec Foods was prepared as a thickener. The pectin was added and dissolved in the beer-taste beverage obtained in Comparative Example 2 to increase the viscosity to produce a beer-taste beverage, which was filled into containers and measured for characteristics in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. Table 2 shows the amount of pectin added and the measured properties for each example.

<Example 5>
[Manufacture of beer-taste beverages]
400 kg of barley malt, 160 kg of cornstarch, 1500 liters of hot water, and 3.0 kg of transglucosidase (“Transglucosidase L” (trade name) manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) were introduced into a preparation tank, and saccharification was carried out at a temperature in the range of 60°C to 76°C. I did it. This saccharified liquid was filtered using a Reuter filter, and then transferred to a boiling pot and boiled for 60 minutes, and 8 kg of hops were added thereto. After boiling, warm water for evaporation was added to make 2500L. After removing the thermotrobe in a whirlpool tank, the mixture was cooled to 8°C using a plate cooler to obtain transglucosidase-treated wort.

Next, brewer's yeast was added to the transglucosidase-treated wort, fermented at around 10°C for 7 days, and then the brewer's yeast was removed. After changing the tank and aging for 7 days, the mixture was cooled to around -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The fermented wort liquid was clarified by filtration and filled into containers as a beer-taste beverage.

The characteristics of the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

<Example 6>
[Manufacture of beer-taste beverages]
250 kg of oat malt, 250 kg of barley malt, 1500 liters of hot water, and 2.0 kg of transglucosidase ("Transglucosidase L" (trade name) manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) were introduced into a preparation tank, and the temperature was maintained in the range of 60°C to 76°C. Saccharification was performed using This saccharified liquid was filtered using a Reuter filter, and then transferred to a boiling pot and boiled for 60 minutes, and 8 kg of hops were added thereto. After boiling, warm water for evaporation was added to make 2500L. After removing the thermotrobe in a whirlpool tank, the mixture was cooled to 10°C using a plate cooler to obtain transglucosidase-treated wort.

Next, brewer's yeast was added to the transglucosidase-treated wort, fermented at around 10°C for 7 days, and then the brewer's yeast was removed. After changing the tank and aging for 7 days, the mixture was cooled to around -1°C and stabilized for 14 days to obtain a fermented wort liquid. The liquid after fermentation was clarified by filtration and filled into containers.

Claims

A beer-taste alcoholic beverage with a viscosity of 2.0 mPa・s or more.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to claim 1, having a carbon dioxide pressure of 0.25 MPa or less.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having an alcohol concentration of 4% by volume or less.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is a packaged beverage.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a fermented malt beverage.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to claim 5, which has an apparent final fermentation degree of 95% or less.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to claim 5 or 6, having a malt usage ratio of 50 to 100% by weight.
The beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the content of oats in the raw materials subjected to saccharification is 15% by weight or more.
A method for producing a beer-taste alcoholic beverage, which includes adjusting the viscosity to 2.0 mPa·s or more.
A method for enhancing the carbonation stimulation of a beer-taste alcoholic beverage, which includes adjusting the viscosity to 2.0 mPa·s or more.