Method for preparing cider vinegar beverage through mild fermentation and novel beverage

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for preparing an apple wine vinegar beverage by light fermentation, which comprises the following steps: compounding light fermentation and functional flora, firstly inoculating functional flora I in the same batch of apple juice to carry out light alcoholic fermentation, and then dividing alcoholic fermentation liquor into two paths: stopping fermentation in one path, stopping fermentation in the other path, and stopping fermentation in the other path; in the other path, after mild alcoholic fermentation is continued to a certain degree, functional flora II is inoculated for mild acetic fermentation, and the end points of the two fermentation stages are accurately controlled, so that the preparation of the apple wine vinegar beverage with mild fermentation and zero addition is realized, and a novel beverage with low-alcohol refreshing characteristics, excellent flavor and rich health factors is obtained; the problems that a traditional wine beverage is high in alcoholic strength, strong in irritation and insufficient in health attribute, and an existing fruit vinegar beverage is irritant in taste and fuzzy in positioning are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food fermentation technology, specifically relating to a method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage through light fermentation and a novel beverage obtained using this method. Background Technology

[0002] Alcohol is a quintessential beverage with a long history and rich social attributes, deeply integrated into people's daily lives and cultural landscape. From a health perspective, moderate drinking can produce certain positive effects, but excessive consumption can directly damage the nervous, liver, and digestive systems. In recent years, with increasing consumer health awareness, the demand for refreshing, low-alcohol beverages in social settings has grown rapidly. However, current mainstream alcoholic beverages (such as baijiu, beer, and wine) still suffer from inherent problems such as high alcohol content and harsh tastes, easily causing discomfort and even bodily damage with excessive consumption. Furthermore, the production processes of these traditional beverages are relatively mature and standardized, making new product development and technological innovation difficult. This makes it challenging to meet consumers' core demand for new, low-alcohol, refreshing beverages rich in natural health benefits. The market urgently needs new technological solutions to overcome this dilemma.

[0003] Fruit vinegar beverages, recognized as the "fourth generation" of health drinks, have gained widespread acceptance among the public in terms of health consumption concepts due to their health benefits such as weight loss, anti-oxidation, hangover relief and liver protection. They should have become one of the ideal alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages. However, this product category has failed to gain consumer preference in actual market promotion, and its development has hit a significant bottleneck. The core problems are concentrated in three points: First, there are fatal flaws in flavor and taste. Traditional fruit vinegar products have a sharp and abrupt sour taste, making them extremely unpalatable. To improve the taste, the industry generally uses the method of adding a lot of water, sucrose, or artificial sweeteners. This not only seriously deviates from consumers' health demands for "pure, natural, and additive-free" products, but also significantly dilutes the nutritional components of the fruit vinegar itself, weakening its health benefits. Second, the market positioning is unclear. The product oscillates between multiple scenarios such as "dining beverage," "functional food," and "daily leisure drink," failing to form a clear consumer perception and making it difficult to accurately reach the target customer group. Third, there is a lack of social attributes. Traditional fruit vinegar beverages mostly focus on a single drinking scenario and lack product characteristics that are adapted to social scenarios, failing to meet consumers' drinking needs in social occasions, which further limits its market penetration.

[0004] Light fermentation is a controlled fermentation process whose core principle is to actively terminate the fermentation process when the raw materials reach a low level of fermentation. This concept differs from the conventional thinking of traditional full fermentation processes, resembling the refined processing techniques used in fermented tea—by precisely controlling the degree of fermentation, the nutritional characteristics and flavor profile of the final product can be shaped in a targeted manner. This technological characteristic provides a new approach to addressing the pain points of existing beverages. Applying light fermentation technology to the preparation of fermented beverages offers significant advantages unmatched by traditional processes: In the alcoholic fermentation stage, light fermentation effectively retains the unconsumed natural sugars in the fruit juice, as well as heat-sensitive health functional factors such as vitamins and polyphenols. This establishes a sweet and refreshing taste base for the product while preserving more health factors, and simultaneously avoids excessive alcohol content, eliminating the strong irritation caused by alcohol at its source. In the acetic acid fermentation stage, light fermentation strictly controls the amount of acetic acid produced, preventing excessive accumulation of acetic acid, thus completely eliminating the sharp and irritating acidity of traditional fruit vinegar and creating a mellow, rounded, and richly layered acidic flavor. Because lightly fermented products have a shallower fermentation level, the final product does not require the addition of large amounts of external water and sugar to balance acidity and sweetness, unlike traditional fruit vinegar drinks. This allows for the maximum preservation of the original aroma and natural nutrients of the fruit juice, perfectly meeting consumers' core demands for "all-natural, highly nutritious, and palatable" products. In summary, the current beverage market exhibits a significant product supply gap: a lack of novel beverages that simultaneously possess low-alcohol, refreshing characteristics, excellent palatable flavor, abundant natural health benefits, and a clearly defined consumption scenario; and an inability to effectively address the problems of high alcohol content, strong irritation, and insufficient health attributes of traditional alcoholic beverages, as well as the industry pain points of existing fruit vinegar beverages, such as irritating taste and easy loss of nutrients. Based on this, this invention develops a compound apple cider vinegar beverage that integrates low-alcohol characteristics with the health functions of fruit vinegar, prepared using a light fermentation process. This not only innovatively supplements existing beverage categories but also precisely meets the core demands of current consumers for low-calorie, high-health-value beverages. Simultaneously, it effectively broadens the market audience and application space for fermented apple beverages, possessing significant market value and innovative significance. Therefore, developing such a lightly fermented apple cider vinegar beverage and its preparation method has become a technical problem urgently needing to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to propose a method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage through light fermentation. This addresses the common problems of traditional alcoholic beverages, such as high alcohol content, strong irritation, and insufficient health benefits, as well as the shortcomings of traditional fruit vinegar beverages, such as sharp acidity, poor palatability, and the need to add exogenous sweeteners and large amounts of water to adjust the taste, leading to nutrient dilution and a lack of social appeal. This invention provides a composite beverage that combines the characteristics of low alcohol and refreshing taste (low alcohol content, no strong alcoholic irritation), natural health advantages (fully retaining the natural nutrients in apple juice), and excellent flavor quality (a sweet and refreshing taste with a mellow acidity and a rich apple aroma), achieving a fusion of the core advantages of traditional alcoholic beverages and fruit vinegar beverages. Furthermore, another core objective of this invention is to innovatively apply the concept of light fermentation simultaneously to the two core stages of apple cider vinegar beverage preparation: alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation, solving the technical challenge that traditional full fermentation processes cannot simultaneously achieve low alcohol content, health benefits, and flavor quality. Specifically, during the alcoholic fermentation stage, the degree of fermentation is precisely controlled to preserve the natural sugars, vitamins, polyphenols, and other heat-sensitive nutrients in the fruit juice, avoiding excessive fermentation that could lead to high alcohol content and a strong irritation. During the acetic acid fermentation stage, the fermentation process is regulated to inhibit the excessive accumulation of acetic acid, which not only solves the problem of the sharp and abrupt acidity of traditional fruit vinegar but also creates a mellow and rounded sour flavor. At the same time, there is no need to add a large amount of external water and sugar to adjust the taste, maximizing the preservation of the original aroma of apple juice, and ultimately achieving the efficient preparation of the above-mentioned compound beverage.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage through light fermentation includes the following steps: S1. Select fresh apples, press them into juice, filter, adjust the pH of the filtrate to 5-6, and sterilize to obtain apple juice fermentation substrate; in this step, the pH of the apple juice filtrate is adjusted to 5-6 to promote the growth of suitable functional bacteria, and then sterilized to kill miscellaneous bacteria, and cooled to a suitable fermentation temperature for later use. S2. Based on the total volume of the fermentation broth, inoculate 1-5% of functional microbial group I into the apple juice fermentation substrate of step S1, and carry out light alcoholic fermentation at 20-28°C. When the ethanol concentration in the fermentation broth is 0.5-1.0% (v / v), stop the fermentation and divide it into two portions, namely primary alcoholic fermentation solution A and primary alcoholic fermentation solution B. Primary alcoholic fermentation solution B continues to undergo light alcoholic fermentation until the ethanol concentration is 1-1.5% (v / v), and then terminates the fermentation to obtain secondary alcoholic fermentation broth. The functional microbial group I mainly consists of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hansenula polysaccharide, Pichia pastoris, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Leuconostoc mesenteriae. S3. Based on the total volume of the fermentation broth, inoculate 2-10% of functional group II into the secondary alcoholic fermentation broth from step S2, and carry out mild acetic acid fermentation at 28-35°C. When the total acidity (calculated as acetic acid) in the fermentation broth reaches 0.5-1.0 g / 100mL, terminate the fermentation to obtain acetic acid fermentation broth. The acetic acid fermentation broth has the characteristics of mild sour taste and low irritation. The functional group II mainly consists of Acetobacter pasteurellii, Acetobacter ghana, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus casei. S4. After mixing the alcoholic fermentation liquid A from step S2 and the acetic acid fermentation liquid from step S3 in a certain proportion, the mixture is filtered, sterilized, and filled to obtain the target product. The purpose of filtering, sterilizing, and filling is to completely terminate enzyme activity and fermentation, and to ensure product stability.

[0007] As a further preferred embodiment of the invention, in step S1, the sugar content of the apple juice is 10-12°Brix to provide a suitable fermentation substrate, without the addition of any exogenous water, sugar, acidulants, or preservatives.

[0008] As a further preferred embodiment of the invention, in step S2, the ratio of the number of live bacteria of the brewing yeast, grape juice Hansenula polysaccharide, Pichia pastoris, Lactobacillus pentosus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides is (1-5):(1-3):(0.5-2):(0.5-2):(0.5-2).

[0009] As a further preferred embodiment of the invention, in step S3, the ratio of viable bacteria of Acetobacter pasteurellii, Acetobacter ganazolinum, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus casei is (2-6):(1-4):(1-3):(1-3).

[0010] As a further preferred embodiment of the invention, in step S5, the mixing volume ratio of the primary alcoholic fermentation liquid A to the acetic acid fermentation liquid is (1:9) to (9:1), wherein the primary alcoholic fermentation liquid A is a light apple cider with a harmonious flavor and apple juice sweetness, and the acetic acid fermentation liquid is a light apple cider vinegar with a mild sour taste and low irritation. The specific ratio is precisely adjusted according to the flavor positioning of the target product (such as sweet, sweet and sour balanced, or sour and refreshing).

[0011] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a novel apple cider vinegar beverage prepared by the above-described method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage through light fermentation.

[0012] This invention applies the concept of light fermentation simultaneously to the two core stages of apple cider vinegar beverage: alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation. First, in the alcoholic fermentation stage, the degree of fermentation is controlled to preserve the natural sugars, vitamins, polyphenols, and other heat-sensitive nutrients in the fruit juice, avoiding the harshness of excessive alcohol production. Second, in the acetic acid fermentation stage, excessive accumulation of acetic acid is inhibited, avoiding the sharp and abrupt acidity of traditional fruit vinegar and creating a mellow and rounded sour flavor. This eliminates the need for adding large amounts of external water and sugar to balance the taste, maximizing the preservation of the original apple juice aroma. This invention overcomes the limitations of traditional alcoholic beverages ("high alcohol content, strong irritation, low health benefits") and traditional fruit vinegars ("sharp acidity, diluted nutrients"), producing a novel composite beverage that is low in alcohol and refreshing (low alcohol content, no strong alcohol irritation), naturally healthy (preserving the natural nutrients of the fruit juice, no added external sweeteners / large amounts of water), and has an excellent flavor (sweet and refreshing, mellow and sour, rich fruit aroma), thus solving the core defects of both types of traditional beverages.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the technical advantages of the present invention are specifically reflected in: 1. By controlling the synergistic process of mild alcoholic fermentation and mild acetic acid fermentation, the alcohol content of the product is limited to 0.5-1% vol and the acetic acid content is controlled at 0.5-1 g / 100mL. This avoids the high alcohol spiciness of traditional wines and the sharp acidity of vinegar drinks, presenting low alcohol characteristics and a rounded acidity, with a refreshing and mellow taste, improving the comfort and drinkability of drinking. 2. By controlling the pace of aroma generation of apple cider and acidity of fruit vinegar through a stepwise light fermentation process, and combining it with the natural fruit aroma of apple raw materials, a harmonious and unified complex flavor of "fruit aroma - wine aroma - vinegar aroma" is formed. This effectively overcomes the sourness of existing fruit vinegar beverages and the bland flavor of traditional low-alcohol drinks. The product has strong palatability and significantly improved consumer acceptance. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solutions provided by the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The descriptions of exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use. This disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0016] All terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in a general dictionary, such as a dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as having an idealized or highly formalized meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0017] In the description of this invention, each technical feature may be combined with other technical features where feasible.

[0018] It should also be understood that, in this invention, the sugar content of the apple juice in step S1 is 10-12°Brix, for example, 10°Brix, 11°Brix, 12°Brix, etc.; and the pH of the apple juice is 5-6, for example, 5, 5.5, 6, etc.

[0019] In step S2, the ratio of viable cells of the brewing yeast, grape juice containing Hansenula polysaccharide, Pichia pastoris, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides is (1-5):(1-3):(0.5-2):(0.5-2):(0.5-2), for example, 5:3:2:2:2, 3:2:1:1:1, 1:1:0.5:0.5:0.5, etc.; the functional microbial community is inoculated into part A of the juice at an inoculation rate of 1-5%, for example, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, etc., with the total fermentation system being 100%, and 1-5% of the compound functional microbial community is inoculated; the alcohol fermentation temperature is 20-28℃, for example, 20℃, 21℃, 22℃, 23℃, 24℃, 25℃, 26℃, 27℃, 28℃, etc.

[0020] In step S2, the ratio of viable bacteria of *Acetobacter pastoris*, *Acetobacter ghana*, *Lactobacillus plantarum*, and *Lactobacillus casei* is (2-6):(1-4):(1-3):(1-3), for example, 6:4:3:3, 3:2:1:1, 2:1:1:1, etc.; the functional bacterial group is inoculated into part B of juice at an inoculation amount of 2-10%, for example, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, etc., with the total fermentation system being 100%, and 2-10% of the compound functional bacterial group is inoculated; the alcohol fermentation temperature is 28-35°C, for example, 28°C, 30°C, 32°C, 34°C, 35°C, etc.

[0021] In step S4, the mixing volume ratio of the primary alcoholic fermentation liquid A to the acetic acid fermentation liquid is between (1:9) and (9:1), for example, it can be 9:1, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, 1:9, etc.

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0023] The materials used in the following implementation examples are as follows: Apple: Origin: Lingbao City, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province; Variety: Guoguang.

[0024] Yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Saccharomyces cerevisiae It is deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center, with accession number CICC 1001, and is commonly used in brewing alcohol and apple cider vinegar production; grape juice contains Hansenula polymorpha ( Hanseniaspora grapes ), deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center, accession number CICC32337, for research on fruit wine fermentation; Pichia pastoris ( Peach The yeast strain (sp.) is deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center (CICC 33372) and is used for fermenting glucose and other substances, decomposing sugars, producing ester aroma and flavor, and producing alcohols. All of the above yeast strains were purchased from the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center (https: / / www.china-cicc.org / ).

[0025] Lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus pentosolicus ( Lactiplantibacillus pentosus ), preserved at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center, accession number CICC 22157, for use in the fermentation of fruit and vegetable products; Leuconostoc mesenteroides ( Leuconostoc *Lactobacillus plantarum* sp., deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center, accession number CICC 24449, is used for fermentation of fruit and vegetable products to produce lactic acid; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ), deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center, accession number CICC 25125, for research on acid production and fermentation of fruits and vegetables; Lactobacillus casei ( Lactobacillus paracasei The above lactic acid bacteria are deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center (CICC 22709) and are used for fermenting fruit and vegetable products. All of the above lactic acid bacteria were purchased from the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center (https: / / www.china-cicc.org / ).

[0026] Acetic acid bacteria: Pasteurella multocida ( Acetobacter pasteurianus ), preserved at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center, accession number CICC 20001, used for brewing vinegar and apple cider vinegar production; Acetobacter ghana ( Acetobacter ghanensis The above acetic acid bacteria are deposited at the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center (CICC7002) and are used for brewing vinegar. All of the above acetic acid bacteria were purchased from the China Industrial Microbial Culture Collection Center (https: / / www.china-cicc.org / ).

[0027] Example 1 The novel apple cider vinegar beverage prepared by light fermentation as described in this embodiment includes the following steps: S1: Take fresh apples, extract the juice, filter the clear apple juice, adjust the sugar content to 11°Brix; adjust the pH of the juice to 5.5, sterilize (85°C, 15min), and cool to 25°C to obtain the apple juice fermentation substrate.

[0028] S2 (Alcoholic Fermentation): Based on the total volume of the fermentation broth, functional bacterial group I is inoculated into the apple juice fermentation substrate from step S1. Functional bacterial group I is a mixture of *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*, *Hansenula polysaccharide*, *Pichia pastoris*, *Lactobacillus pentosus*, and *Leuconostoc mesenteroides* in a live cell ratio of 3:2:1:1:1, with an inoculation amount of 3% based on the total volume of the fermentation broth. Fermentation is carried out at 28°C until the ethanol concentration reaches 0.8% (v / v). The mixture is then divided into two portions, yielding alcoholic fermentation broth A and B, i.e., primary alcoholic fermentation broth A and primary alcoholic fermentation broth B. Fermentation of primary alcoholic fermentation broth A is terminated, while primary alcoholic fermentation broth B continues fermentation until its ethanol concentration reaches 1.5% (v / v), at which point fermentation is terminated to obtain secondary alcoholic fermentation broth.

[0029] S3 (Acetic Acid Fermentation): The secondary alcoholic fermentation broth was inoculated with functional bacterial group II, a mixture of viable bacteria in a ratio of 4:2:1:1 (Acetobacter pasteurellii: Acetobacter ghana: Lactobacillus plantarum: Lactobacillus casei), at an inoculation amount of 7%. Fermentation was stopped at 30°C when the total acidity reached 0.8 g / 100mL, yielding acetic acid fermentation broth (B solution). The fermentation broth has a more pronounced sour taste.

[0030] S4: The alcoholic fermentation liquid A obtained in step S2 and the acetic acid fermentation liquid B obtained in step S3 are mixed at a volume ratio of 1:1 to obtain a mixed lightly fermented apple juice beverage. The product has a balanced sweet and sour taste, and the sweet aroma of apples, the aroma of alcohol produced by fermentation and the aroma of vinegar are perfectly harmonious. The taste is full and rounded and has a wide appeal. The mixed lightly fermented apple juice beverage is then bottled, filtered and sterilized (85°C, 15min) to completely stop enzyme activity and fermentation and ensure product stability.

[0031] Example 2 The novel apple cider vinegar beverage prepared by light fermentation and its preparation method described in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1, except that: S1: Juice fresh apples, filter the resulting clear apple juice, and adjust the sugar content to 12°Brix.

[0032] S2 (Alcoholic Fermentation): Inoculate the fruit juice fermentation substrate with an inoculum of 2%; Fermentation and control: Ferment at 28°C. When the ethanol concentration reaches 0.5% (v / v), divide into two equal portions; continue fermentation of the first alcoholic fermentation liquid B (alcoholic fermentation liquid B) until the ethanol concentration reaches 1% (v / v), then terminate fermentation.

[0033] S3 (acetic acid fermentation): Functional microbial group II was inoculated into the secondary alcoholic fermentation broth at a 5% inoculum.

[0034] Fermentation and control: Fermentation was carried out at 30°C. When the total acidity (calculated as acetic acid) reached 0.5 g / 100mL, fermentation was terminated, yielding acetic acid fermentation broth B. At this point, the fermentation broth had a mild acidity with a slight fruity tartness.

[0035] S4: Mix the alcoholic fermentation liquid A obtained in step S2 with the acetic acid fermentation liquid B obtained in step S3 at a volume ratio of 7:3. The product tastes mainly sweet with apples, accompanied by an elegant mellow aroma and a slight sourness, with rich flavor layers, suitable for consumers who do not like sour tastes.

[0036] Example 3 The novel apple cider vinegar beverage prepared by light fermentation and its preparation method described in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1, except that: S1: Juice fresh apples, filter the resulting clear apple juice, and adjust the sugar content to 11°Brix.

[0037] S2 (Alcoholic Fermentation): The functional microbial community I is mixed in a ratio of 1:1:0.5:1.5:1, with an inoculum size of 1%. Ferment slowly at 25°C until the ethanol concentration reaches 1.0% (v / v), then divide into two equal portions. Continue fermentation of the first alcoholic fermentation liquid B (alcoholic fermentation liquid B) until the ethanol concentration reaches 1.5% (v / v), then terminate the fermentation.

[0038] S3 (Acetic Acid Fermentation): The functional microbial community II was prepared in a ratio of 5:3:2:2, with an inoculum size of 10%. Fermentation was stopped at 35°C when the total acidity reached 1.0 g / 100 mL. The fermentation broth had a strong acidic taste, but it was not sharp due to the action of lactic acid bacteria.

[0039] S4: Mix the alcoholic fermentation liquid A obtained in step S2 with the acetic acid fermentation liquid B obtained in step S3 at a volume ratio of 3:7. The product is dominated by a refreshing sour taste, with a sweet and mellow aftertaste of apples. It is particularly refreshing and suitable for consumers who seek a stimulating taste.

[0040] Comparative Example 1: This comparative example of preparing a novel apple cider vinegar beverage and its preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that: S2 (Alcoholic fermentation): Microbial community and inoculation: A functional microbial community was prepared by mixing live bacteria in a ratio of 3:2:1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Hansenula polysaccharide of grape juice: Pichia pastoris) and inoculated into the juice at a rate of 2%.

[0041] Fermentation and Control: Fermentation is carried out at 20°C. When the ethanol concentration reaches 1% (v / v), it is divided into two parts, A and B. Fermentation of part A is terminated to obtain alcoholic fermentation liquid A, which has a strong cider aroma at this point. Fermentation of part B continues (alcoholic fermentation liquid B), and fermentation is terminated when its ethanol concentration reaches 1.5% (v / v).

[0042] S3 (acetic acid fermentation): Microbial community and inoculation: A functional microbial community was prepared at a live bacteria ratio of 4:2 (Acetobacter pasteurellii: Acetobacter ghana) and inoculated into alcoholic fermentation broth B at a 5% inoculation rate.

[0043] Fermentation and control: Fermentation was carried out at 28°C. When the total acidity (calculated as acetic acid) reached 1 g / 100 mL, fermentation was terminated, yielding acetic acid fermentation broth B. At this point, the fermentation broth had a distinctly sour taste and a sharp acetic acid odor.

[0044] S4: Mix the alcoholic fermentation liquid A obtained in step S2 with the acetic acid fermentation liquid B obtained in step S3 at a volume ratio of 1:1. The product tastes mainly of apple cider, accompanied by a sharp sour taste of apple cider vinegar, and the flavor layers are poor.

[0045] Comparative Example 2 This comparative example of preparing a novel apple cider vinegar beverage and its preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that: S2 (Alcoholic fermentation): Microbial community and inoculation: A functional microbial community (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces hansenulatus, Pichia pastoris, Lactobacillus pentosus, Leuconostoc mesenteriae) was prepared by mixing live bacteria in a ratio of 1:1:0.5:0.5:0.5 and inoculated into the juice at a rate of 1%.

[0046] Fermentation and Control: Fermentation is carried out at 20°C. When the ethanol concentration reaches 0.8% (v / v), it is divided into two equal portions, A and B. Fermentation of portion A is terminated, yielding alcoholic fermentation liquid A, which at this stage has an apple cider aroma. Fermentation of portion B continues (alcoholic fermentation liquid B), and fermentation is terminated when its ethanol concentration reaches 1.5% (v / v).

[0047] S3 (acetic acid fermentation): Microbial community and inoculation: A functional microbial community was prepared in a live bacteria ratio of 2:1:1:1 (Acetobacter pasteurellii: Acetobacter ghana: Lactobacillus plantarum: Lactobacillus casei) and inoculated into alcoholic fermentation broth B at a 2% inoculation rate.

[0048] Fermentation and control: Fermentation was carried out at 28°C. When the total acidity (calculated as acetic acid) reached 0.8 g / 100mL, fermentation was terminated, yielding acetic acid fermentation broth B. At this point, the fermentation broth had a mild acidic taste.

[0049] S4: Mix the alcoholic fermentation liquid A obtained in step S2 with the acetic acid fermentation liquid B obtained in step S3 at a volume ratio of 9:1. The product tastes mainly like apple cider, with a mild sour taste of apple cider vinegar, but the fermentation process is slow.

[0050] Comparative Example 3: This comparative example of preparing a novel apple cider vinegar beverage and its preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that: S2 (Alcoholic fermentation): Microbial community and inoculation: A functional microbial community with a live count ratio of 3:2:1:1:1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Hansenula polysaccharide of grape juice: Pichia pastoris: Lactobacillus pentosus: Leuconostoc mesenteriae) was inoculated into the juice at a rate of 2%.

[0051] Fermentation and Control: Fermentation is carried out at 28°C. When the ethanol concentration reaches 4% (v / v), it is divided into two parts, A and B. Fermentation of part A is terminated, yielding alcoholic fermentation liquid A. At this stage, the fermentation liquid has a strong cider flavor, a bitter taste, and no sweet apple aroma. Part B continues to ferment (alcoholic fermentation liquid B), and fermentation is terminated when its ethanol concentration reaches 6% (v / v).

[0052] S3 (acetic acid fermentation): Microbial community and inoculation: A functional microbial community with a live bacteria ratio of 4:2:1:1 (Acetobacter pasteurellii: Acetobacter ghana: Lactobacillus plantarum: Lactobacillus casei) was inoculated into alcoholic fermentation broth B at a 5% inoculation rate.

[0053] Fermentation and control: Fermentation was carried out at 30°C. When the total acidity (calculated as acetic acid) reached 4 g / 100mL, fermentation was terminated, yielding acetic acid fermentation broth B. At this point, the fermentation broth had a mild acidic taste.

[0054] S4: The alcoholic fermentation liquid A obtained in step S3 and the acetic acid fermentation liquid B obtained in step S4 are mixed in a 1:1 volume ratio. The product has too high acidity and alcohol content, and the natural sweetness of apples is completely masked. The taste is more like a wine and vinegar beverage, which loses the core feature of this invention as a beverage that "combines fermentation flavor and fruit juice sweetness".

[0055] Physicochemical index testing The physicochemical properties of the products from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3 were tested, and the results are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Product Indicators Sensory evaluation of lightly fermented apple juice beverages was conducted according to the sensory evaluation criteria. Thirty personnel evaluated the flavor of the lightly fermented apple juice beverages from Implementation Cases 1-3 and Comparison Cases 1-3, calculated the sensory scores, and took the average. The sensory evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2, and the sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 3. Table 2 Sensory Evaluation Criteria Table 3 Sensory Evaluation Results Both Examples 1 and 2 used functional microbial communities containing yeast and lactic acid bacteria, as well as functional microbial communities containing acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria. The fermentation endpoints (ethanol concentration ≤ 0.8%, total acidity ≤ 0.8%) of both alcoholic and acetic acid fermentation were strictly controlled within the "light fermentation" range. The core objective was to preserve the fruit juice's natural sugar content and "sweet" characteristics. Two different styles of products were created by adjusting key control points. In Example 1, the fermentation endpoint was controlled at ethanol 0.8% vol and total acid 0.8 g / 100mL. The alcoholic fermentation functional microbial community was added at a 3% inoculum, and the acetic acid fermentation functional microbial community at a 7% inoculum. Finally, alcoholic fermentation broth A and acetic acid fermentation broth B were mixed and blended in a 1:1 volume ratio to obtain a product with an extremely harmonious blend of fermented flavor and the fruit juice's sweetness. Its full-bodied taste and rounded balance make it the "gold standard" that best suits the public's palate. In Example 2, the fermentation endpoint was controlled at 0.5% vol of ethanol and 0.5 g / 100 mL of total acid. Alcoholic fermentation functional bacteria were added at a 2% inoculum, and acetic acid fermentation functional bacteria were added at a 5% inoculum. Finally, alcoholic fermentation broth A and acetic acid fermentation broth B were mixed and blended in a 7:3 volume ratio. Because the fermentation endpoints were both set at a relatively low 0.5%, the total amount of flavor compounds produced was limited. Therefore, although the taste was good, the intensity and complexity of the aroma were not as good as in Example 2, resulting in a slightly lower score in the taste and flavor dimension. In Example 3, both fermentation endpoints were 1.0%. The alcoholic fermentation broth A and acetic acid fermentation broth B were blended in a 3:7 ratio, allowing the acidity source (acetic acid fermentation broth B) to dominate the flavor composition. This resulted in a slightly pungent acidity, making it more suitable for consumers who prefer more acidic beverages compared to Examples 1 and 2.

[0056] Comparative Example 1 only added acetic acid bacteria during the acetic acid fermentation stage, lacking lactic acid bacteria. This resulted in a sharp, pungent, and monotonous acetic acid flavor in the fermentation liquid B, indicating an imbalance in acidity. The mild organic acids (such as lactic acid) produced by lactic acid bacteria can modify and balance the sharpness of acetic acid, and other flavor compounds produced by their metabolism can enhance the complexity of the taste. In Comparative Example 2, although lactic acid bacteria were added to the fermentation microbiota, the low inoculum size (1% for alcoholic fermentation and 2% for acetic acid fermentation) led to slow fermentation initiation, low efficiency, and insufficient flavor compound formation. Comparative Example 3 completely violated the principle of "light fermentation." Fermenting both ethanol and total acid to 4% depleted the sugar content, destroying the original "sweetness" of the juice. High-intensity alcoholic fermentation increased bitterness, and the high concentration of acetic acid itself is sharp and irritating. The integrated technical solution of "functionally complementary microbiota + precise light fermentation control + modular compounding" can efficiently and effectively produce the target flavor.

[0057] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. However, these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage through light fermentation, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Select fresh apples, press them into juice, filter, adjust the pH of the filtrate to 5-6, and sterilize to obtain apple juice fermentation substrate; S2. Based on the total volume of the fermentation broth, inoculate 1-5% of functional microbial group I into the apple juice fermentation substrate of step S1, and carry out light alcoholic fermentation at 20-28°C. When the ethanol concentration in the fermentation broth is 0.5-1.0% (v / v), stop the fermentation and divide it into two portions, namely primary alcoholic fermentation solution A and primary alcoholic fermentation solution B. Primary alcoholic fermentation solution B continues to undergo light alcoholic fermentation until the ethanol concentration is 1-1.5% (v / v), and then terminates the fermentation to obtain secondary alcoholic fermentation broth. The functional microbial group I mainly consists of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hansenula polysaccharide, Pichia pastoris, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Leuconostoc mesenteriae. S3. Based on the total volume of the fermentation broth, inoculate 2-10% of functional group II into the secondary alcoholic fermentation broth from step S2, and carry out mild acetic acid fermentation at 28-35°C. When the total acidity (calculated as acetic acid) in the fermentation broth reaches 0.5-1.0 g / 100mL, terminate the fermentation to obtain acetic acid fermentation broth; the functional group II mainly consists of Acetobacter pasteurellii, Acetobacter ghana, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus casei. S4. After mixing the alcoholic fermentation liquid A from step S2 and the acetic acid fermentation liquid from step S3 in a certain proportion, the mixture is filtered, sterilized, and filled to obtain the target product.

2. The method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage by light fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the sugar content of the apple juice is 10-12°Brix.

3. The method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage by light fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the ratio of live bacteria counts of the brewing yeast, grape juice Hansenula polysaccharide, Pichia pastoris, Lactobacillus pentosus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides is (1-5):(1-3):(0.5-2):(0.5-2):(0.5-2).

4. The method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage by light fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the ratio of viable bacteria of Acetobacter pasteurellosis, Acetobacter ganazolinum, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus casei is (2-6):(1-4):(1-3):(1-3).

5. The method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage by light fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S5, the mixing volume ratio of the primary alcoholic fermentation liquid A to the acetic acid fermentation liquid is (1:9) to (9:1).

6. A novel apple cider vinegar beverage prepared using the method for preparing apple cider vinegar beverage by light fermentation according to any one of claims 1-5.

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