A low-herb Jiang liquor stability control and flavor optimization process mainly using polysaccharides

Abstract

The application discloses a low-alcohol herbal Jiang liquor stability control and flavor optimization process mainly using polysaccharides, which comprises the following steps: adding polysaccharide extracts into Jiang liquor base liquor, ensuring that the total polysaccharide addition concentration is 0.1-0.5 g / L, emulsifying and stirring for 10-20 min, and preparing low-alcohol herbal Jiang liquor in a gradient reduction degree aging mode. The application can avoid common problems of low-alcohol (≤42%vol) herbal Jiang liquor, such as single aroma, thin taste, water taste or astringent taste, and improves the flavor stability and style quality of the liquor body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of baijiu production technology, specifically to a process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal baijiu based on polysaccharides. Background Technology

[0002] Low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor (≤42% vol) is an important sub-category of the liquor industry. Its core technologies revolve around stability control (solving low-temperature turbidity), flavor preservation (preventing flavor loss after alcohol reduction), and aging optimization (shortening the cycle and improving quality). Low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor also needs to pay attention to the impact of herbs on product quality (adding medicinal and edible ingredients), including the following aspects:

[0003] (1) Stability control technology: focusing on solving low-temperature turbidity. The low-temperature turbidity of low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor mainly originates from the precipitation of higher fatty acid ethyl esters (such as ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl linoleate) (due to the decrease in ethanol concentration, their solubility decreases, making them easier to precipitate at low temperatures). Existing solutions mainly involve physicochemical treatment, such as using adsorbents like activated carbon and diatomaceous earth to adsorb turbid substances through van der Waals forces or hydrogen bonds. Secondly, some companies freeze the liquor to -10℃ to -20℃ to allow the turbid substances to precipitate before filtration.

[0004] (2) Flavor Preservation Technology: Compensating for Flavor Loss After Diluting. Current processes generally involve directly diluting with water and then filtering to remove turbidity. Diluting (adding water) causes changes in the solubility of flavor substances (such as esters and alcohols) in the liquor, leading to flavor loss. There are also reports of using gradient diluting to mitigate flavor loss. This method is certainly superior to direct diluting, but the magnitude of the gradient diluting still needs to be studied. If the gradient diluting is too large, it will also face the problem of significant loss of flavor substances. In addition, low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor generally uses a secondary blending technique, that is, adding flavoring liquor again before bottling and leaving the factory. Although this reinforces the style of the liquor before bottling, the style will still change during the shelf life.

[0005] (3) Aging technology: Stability of flavor of liquor. Due to the self-balancing reaction of substances, low-alcohol liquor products need to be aged for a long time to reach equilibrium. Therefore, it is common practice to reduce the alcohol content of low-alcohol liquor and then age it for a period of time until the acid and esters stabilize before it is released to the market, or to carry out a second blending before release to further consolidate the flavor of the liquor. Low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor under this process often requires a long aging time.

[0006] (4) The impact of herbs on product quality: the addition of medicinal and edible ingredients. Currently, the herbal ingredients in herbal baijiu are either obtained through extraction or added directly as extracts. This approach faces several problems: 1) Extracted herbs contain unique aromatic substances that may clash with the flavor of the baijiu; 2) While preparing herbs into extracts removes their aroma, it may also introduce polyphenols such as anthocyanins and flavonoids, affecting the color and stability of the baijiu; 3) It neglects the interaction between polysaccharides and the flavor components of the baijiu, because polysaccharides not only have antioxidant functions but can also encapsulate fatty acid ethyl esters through hydrogen bonds and steric hindrance, inhibiting their aggregation and precipitation at low temperatures. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention addresses the core pain points of low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor, such as low-temperature turbidity, significant flavor loss, ester changes during aging, and the influence of herbs. It provides a polysaccharide-based process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor. The process adopts an integrated approach of "adding herbs at the original alcohol content - reducing alcohol content - aging" around functional components, which can effectively avoid common problems such as weak aroma, thin taste, watery or sour taste in low-alcohol (≤42% vol) herbal sauce-flavored liquor, and improve the flavor stability and style quality of the liquor.

[0008] A process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor, mainly composed of polysaccharides, includes the following steps: (1) Select a 53% vol liquor of sauce-flavored baijiu, remove mechanical impurities and large particles of sediment from the liquor, and set aside; at the same time, prepare a polysaccharide extract for later use. (2) Add the polysaccharide extract prepared in step (1) to the 53% vol sauce-flavored liquor, with a total polysaccharide addition concentration of 0.1-0.5 g / L, emulsify and stir for 10-20 min to ensure that the polysaccharide is evenly dispersed in the liquor; (3) A gradient reduction method is adopted, with a fixed reduction increment of 3% vol / time, gradually reducing from 53% vol to the target low of 42% vol; (4) After each stage of dilution is completed, the wine is immediately transferred to earthenware jars for aging. Each stage of aging is stored for 1 month. During this period, the total acid and total ester are tested on the 1st and 30th days to calculate the acid-ester ratio and check whether the balance has been reached before proceeding with the next dilution. (5) After each aging process, use a ceramic membrane for coarse filtration to remove the flocculent precipitate that has been precipitated and cannot be re-dissolved. Then proceed to the next step of reducing the alcohol content and aging until the target alcohol content is reached. (6) After reaching the target alcohol content, it is aged for another month. After the acid and ester are stable, it is filtered and clarified at low temperature to obtain the final product.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the polysaccharide extract in step (1) is extracted from one or more of Dendrobium officinale, Lycium barbarum and Longan. As a preferred embodiment, the polysaccharide extract in step (1) contains ≥6.0% polysaccharide (calculated as anhydrous glucose) on a dried basis, and all polysaccharide extracts are purified to a purity of ≥90%.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, the gradient descent in step (3) is specifically: 53%vol→50%vol→47%vol→44%vol→42%vol.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, in step (3), pure water is used for each stage of slurry addition for slurry addition, and the slurry addition speed is controlled at 0.5 to 1.0 L / min.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the aging environment temperature in step (4) is controlled at 20±2℃.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, step (6) involves filtration and clarification at 0°C.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the alcohol content of the low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor is ≤42% vol. The present invention also provides a low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor prepared by the above process, which does not precipitate under low temperature (0℃-5℃) conditions and has a turbidity ≤2; and does not precipitate or lose its luster after being stored at room temperature for 1 year, with a turbidity ≤2.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) According to manual tasting, the overall style of the low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor produced by the new process is closer to that of the original sauce-flavored liquor. (2) The wine has better stability, especially at low temperature (0℃-5℃) conditions, there will be no precipitation, and the turbidity is ≤2; it will not have precipitation or loss of luster after 1 year of storage at room temperature, and the turbidity is ≤2. (3) The 42% vol wine sample prepared by the new process had lower sourness, astringency, and bitterness than that prepared by the traditional process, and its sweetness and umami flavor were more prominent. This flavor improvement is closely related to the stabilizing effect of polysaccharides at 20℃ - polysaccharides reduce the generation of off-flavor substances (such as the accumulation of acetaldehyde and furfural) by inhibiting ester precipitation and oxidation reactions, while retaining more aroma and flavor substances (such as ethyl acetate); (4) The liquor has the typical style of Daqu sauce aroma, and also has herbal functions such as anti-oxidation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To better understand the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] As a specific implementation method, this invention provides a process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor, primarily based on polysaccharides, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes the following steps: (1) Select high-quality Maotai-flavor liquor with an alcohol content of 53% vol (meeting the quality requirements of Maotai-flavor liquor in GB / T 10781.4-2024, colorless or slightly yellow, clear and transparent, without suspended matter or sediment), remove mechanical impurities and large particles of sediment from the liquor, and set aside; at the same time, prepare one or more of the following extracts: Dendrobium officinale, wolfberry, and longan, wherein each extract contains ≥6.0% polysaccharide (calculated as anhydrous glucose) on a dried basis, and all three polysaccharide extracts are purified to a purity of ≥90% and set aside. (2) Add one or more of Dendrobium officinale, wolfberry and longan polysaccharide extracts to the 53% vol sauce-flavored liquor, with a total polysaccharide addition concentration of 0.1-0.5 g / L.

[0020] A concentration range of 0.1-0.5 g / L can achieve efficient combination of polysaccharides and fatty acid ethyl esters without affecting the original flavor of the sauce-flavored liquor. At the same time, emulsification and stirring for 10-20 minutes ensures that the polysaccharides are evenly dispersed in the original liquor, completing the initial hydrogen bond combination between the polysaccharides and the fatty acid ethyl esters in the liquor.

[0021] (3) A gradient reduction method is adopted, with a fixed reduction range of 3% vol / time, gradually reducing from 53% vol to the target low alcohol content of 42% vol. There are a total of 5 reduction stages, with the specific gradient as follows: 53% vol → 50% vol → 47% vol → 44% vol → 42% vol. In each stage of reduction, pure water is added for dilution, and the dilution rate is controlled at 0.5 to 1.0 L / min to avoid rapid precipitation of fatty acid ethyl esters due to sudden changes in local alcohol concentration.

[0022] (4) Polysaccharide molecule "encapsulation" movement during aging. After each stage of dilution is completed, the liquor is immediately transferred to earthenware jars for aging. The aging environment temperature is generally 20±2℃. At this temperature, the liquor can undergo a mild acid-ester oxidation-reduction reaction, which is the ambient temperature for natural transformation and cellar storage adopted by many sauce-flavored liquor enterprises. Secondly, the molecular movement and conformational stability of polysaccharides are optimal at this temperature, which can maximize their encapsulation effect on fatty acid ethyl esters and avoid performance degradation caused by extreme temperatures. Each stage of aging is stored for 1 month. During this period, the total acid and total ester are tested on the 1st and 30th days to calculate the acid-ester ratio and check whether the balance has been reached before proceeding with the next dilution.

[0023] (5) Ceramic membrane coarse filtration. After each aging process, coarse filtration is performed using a ceramic membrane to remove precipitates such as flocculent material that have precipitated and cannot be redissolved, followed by the next step of reducing alcohol content and aging. This continues until the target alcohol content is reached.

[0024] (6) After reaching the target alcohol content, the liquor is aged for another month. After the acid and esters stabilize, a final low-temperature (0°C) filtration and clarification process is carried out to complete the low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor product.

[0025] Example 1 This embodiment provides a process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor, mainly based on polysaccharides, including the following steps: (1) Pretreatment of herbal extracts One or more of the following extracts—Dendrobium officinale, Lycium barbarum, and Longan—are purified. Each extract, calculated on a dried basis, contains ≥6.0% polysaccharide (calculated as anhydrous glucose) and has a purity ≥90%. This purification process is a mature and readily available technology.

[0026] (2) Herbal extracts are added to the original grade of sauce-flavored liquor. Add one or more of the purified Dendrobium officinale, wolfberry, and longan extracts to the 53% vol sauce-flavored liquor. The total polysaccharide concentration is 0.5 g / L, and the emulsification and stirring time is 20 min to ensure that the polysaccharides are evenly dispersed in the liquor.

[0027] (3) First dilution and aging The original strength of the sauce-flavored liquor was reduced from 53% vol to 50% vol, and samples were taken on day 1 and day 30 to test the total acid and total ester content to see if equilibrium was reached.

[0028] (4) First coarse filtration 50% vol of soy sauce liquor is coarsely filtered through a ceramic membrane (pore size = 0.45 μm) at room temperature, and the target turbidity is ≤ 8.

[0029] (5) Second dilution and aging The original strength of the sauce-flavored liquor was reduced from 50% vol to 47% vol, and samples were taken on day 1 and day 30 to test the total acid and total esters to see if equilibrium was reached.

[0030] (6) Second coarse filtration The 47% vol liquor was coarsely filtered through a ceramic membrane (pore size = 0.45 μm) at room temperature, and the target turbidity was ≤ 8.

[0031] (7) Repeated dilution, aging, testing and coarse filtration Each degree of alcohol reduction is controlled within about 3 degrees. Then, the process of aging, testing, and coarse filtration is repeated until the target alcohol content is reached and the total acid and total esters are in equilibrium.

[0032] (8) Low-temperature filtration clarification Once the wine reaches the target alcohol content and the acid-ester balance is achieved, a low-temperature (0°C) filtration clarification process can be carried out to clarify the wine, with a target turbidity of ≤5, after which no further aging is required.

[0033] (9) Fine-tuning or filling before shipment After clarification, the low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor can be finely adjusted by adding a small amount of sauce-flavored flavoring liquor (the amount of flavoring liquor added is ≤0.5%), depending on the changes in flavor. If no fine adjustment is needed, it can be directly bottled and shipped without further aging.

[0034] Comparative Example 1 This comparative example provides a traditional process for reducing the alcohol content of Maotai-flavor liquor, specifically including the following steps: (1) Herbal extracts are added to the original strength of the sauce-flavored liquor. Add one or more of the purified Dendrobium officinale, wolfberry, and longan extracts to the 53% vol sauce-flavored liquor. The total polysaccharide concentration is 0.5 g / L, and the emulsification and stirring time is 20 min to ensure that the polysaccharides are evenly dispersed in the liquor.

[0035] (2) Degradation Adding purified water to the mixed liquor reduces the alcohol content to the target level (≤42% vol). At this point, the liquor will appear cloudy and lose its luster.

[0036] (3) Low-temperature freezing filtration The wine is clarified using a low-temperature (0℃) filtration clarification process, with a target turbidity of ≤5.

[0037] (4) Aged wine After filtration and clarification, the wine continues to age in large tanks for four months, until the acid-ester ratios of the wine are nearly balanced.

[0038] (5) Secondary blending After aging, the wine is tasted again. If the flavor has changed too much or tastes watery, a small amount of flavoring wine needs to be added to optimize the flavor.

[0039] The similarities between the processes of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 are: (1) Herbal functional ingredients are added in the form of extracts.

[0040] (2) Before final filling, a traditional low-temperature filtration process is used to remove turbidity and clarify the material.

[0041] The main difference between the processes of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 is: (1) Example 1 utilizes the "encapsulation" effect of polysaccharides to retain more flavor substances and prevent more substances from precipitating at low temperatures, especially during long shelf aging, thereby improving the stability of low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor products.

[0042] (2) Example 1 utilizes the antioxidant effect of polysaccharides to inhibit the changes in esters in the wine during the aging period, maintain the basic style of the original wine, and especially the style stability of the finished product during the shelf life.

[0043] (3) Example 1 utilizes the natural sweetness of polysaccharides to suppress the watery taste, neutralize the irritation of sour taste, improve the palatability of low-alcohol sauce liquor, and also make up for the lack of other flavor substances to a certain extent.

[0044] Experimental Example 1 This invention solves the problem of acid-ester imbalance in traditional low-alcohol Maotai-flavor liquor, characterized by "increased acid and decreased esters." The internal molecular balance of the liquor is disrupted by the addition of water, requiring a certain period to rebalance, resulting in a change in flavor – essentially a redox reaction within the liquor. This invention utilizes the antioxidant properties of polysaccharides to inhibit ester hydrolysis and acid formation, maintaining acid-ester balance (total esters decrease ≤5%, total acid increases ≤3%), and repairing the component imbalance caused by water addition. Furthermore, the combined process of gradient alcohol reduction, segmented aging, and the antioxidant effect of polysaccharides achieves a multiplier effect. Samples of 53-degree Maotai-flavor base liquor, diluted using the process in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 and aged for 6 months, were tested for flavor indicators. The results of various flavor indicators (including acids, esters, aldehydes, ketones, etc.) are shown in Table 1.

[0045] Table 1 Comparison of flavor and physicochemical indicators between Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

[0046] Experiment Example 2 This invention solves the instability defects of traditional low-alcohol sauce-flavored liquor, such as turbidity at low temperatures, sedimentation during long-term storage, and flavor changes. Traditional low-alcohol liquor is prone to re-turbidity (re-precipitation of sediment) and flavor loss (such as an increased "watery" taste) when stored at low temperatures (0-5℃) or for extended periods (1 year). Example 1, through a synergistic system of "polysaccharide encapsulation + gradient aging + segmented aging," achieves turbidity ≤2 (no turbidity or sedimentation) after 30 days at low temperatures (0-5℃); and turbidity ≤2 (no significant change) after 1 year at room temperature (25℃), with stable flavor (no "watery" taste emerging).

[0047] Meanwhile, this invention enhances the richness and complexity of the flavor profile of low-alcohol Maotai-flavor liquor. Traditional low-alcohol herbal Maotai-flavor liquor suffers from a lack of complexity in aroma compared to full-alcohol Maotai-flavor liquor, a stronger sour and astringent taste, and a monotonous flavor profile. The low-alcohol Maotai-flavor liquor prepared using Example 1, in addition to its complex aroma, exhibits a richer flavor profile, particularly in terms of sweetness. The addition of polysaccharide-based herbal extracts provides natural sweetness, possesses antioxidant properties, and functions as flavor compounds. In low-alcohol Maotai-flavor liquor, these extracts suppress the watery taste, neutralize the sourness, and improve palatability, while also compensating for the lack of other flavor compounds to some extent. A comparison of the flavor data of the Maotai-flavor liquor samples prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 on an electronic tongue sensor is shown in Table 2. Example 1 demonstrates higher levels of sweetness, umami, and saltiness compared to Comparative Example 1, along with a corresponding increase in richness. This data indicates that the flavor profile of Comparative Example 1 is primarily characterized by sourness, astringency, and bitterness.

[0048] Table 2. Electronic tongue flavor comparison of low-alcohol baijiu from Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

[0049] Table 3. Comparison of artificial tasting results of the sauce-flavored liquors in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

[0050] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor, primarily composed of polysaccharides, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: (1) Select a 53% vol liquor of sauce-flavored baijiu, remove mechanical impurities and large particles of sediment from the liquor, and set aside; at the same time, prepare a polysaccharide extract for later use. (2) Add the polysaccharide extract prepared in step (1) to the 53% vol sauce-flavored liquor, with a total polysaccharide addition concentration of 0.1-0.5 g / L, emulsify and stir for 10-20 min to ensure that the polysaccharide is evenly dispersed in the liquor; (3) A gradient reduction method is adopted, with a fixed reduction increment of 3% vol / time, gradually reducing from 53% vol to the target low of 42% vol; (4) After each stage of dilution is completed, the wine is immediately transferred to earthenware jars for aging. Each stage of aging is stored for 1 month. During this period, the total acid and total ester are tested on the 1st and 30th days to calculate the acid-ester ratio and check whether the balance has been reached before proceeding with the next dilution. (5) After each aging process, use a ceramic membrane for coarse filtration to remove the flocculent precipitate that has been precipitated and cannot be re-dissolved. Then proceed to the next step of reducing the alcohol content and aging until the target alcohol content is reached. (6) After reaching the target alcohol content, it is aged for another month. After the acid and ester are stable, it is filtered and clarified at low temperature to obtain the final product.

2. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor, mainly composed of polysaccharides, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... The polysaccharide extract described in step (1) is extracted from one or more of Dendrobium officinale, wolfberry and longan.

3. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor mainly composed of polysaccharides according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polysaccharide extract in step (1) contains ≥6.0% polysaccharide (calculated as anhydrous glucose) on a dried basis. All polysaccharide extracts have been purified and have a purity of ≥90%.

4. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor mainly composed of polysaccharides according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gradient descent in step (3) is as follows: 53%vol→50%vol→47%vol→44%vol→42%vol.

5. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor mainly composed of polysaccharides according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), pure water is used for each stage of slurry addition for slurry addition, and the slurry addition speed is controlled at 0.5-1.0 L / min.

6. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor mainly composed of polysaccharides according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), the aging environment temperature is controlled at 20±2℃.

7. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor mainly composed of polysaccharides according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (6), filtration and clarification are carried out at 0°C.

8. The process for stability control and flavor optimization of low-alcohol herbal-based soy sauce-flavored liquor, mainly composed of polysaccharides, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... The alcohol content of the low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor is ≤42% vol.

9. The low-alcohol herbal-style sauce-flavored liquor prepared according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The low-alcohol herbal sauce-flavored liquor will not produce sediment at 0℃-5℃ and will have a turbidity of ≤2; it will not produce sediment or lose its luster after being stored at 25℃ for 1 year and will have a turbidity of ≤2.

Images