A precise synergistic fermentation preparation method of low-intoxication high-activity waxy herbal Baijiu

Abstract

The application discloses a precise synergistic fermentation preparation method of low-intoxicating high-activity glutinous herbal liquor, and relates to the technical field of high-quality glutinous solid-state liquor brewing. The application adopts three-element glutinous grains including glutinous sorghum, job's tears and highland barley to construct a steady-state low-harm fermentation base, innovatively adopts four homology-in-food herbs including radix puerariae, hovenia dulcis thunb, mulberry leaf and chrysanthemum for precise compounding, phase separation and purification, and full-amount reflux synchronous solid-state co-fermentation, relies on the synergistic mechanism of four-herb differentiation function complementation and metabolic linkage to realize in-situ super-multiple conversion of active ingredients, and arranges two-compound strains of kluyveromyces marxianus and schizosaccharomyces pombe to synergistically regulate metabolism, and combines segmented ladder precise temperature control fermentation, segmented liquor distillation and gradient membrane precise refining integrated process to prepare finished liquor. The application can realize multiple leap-forward improvement of low-harm, high-activity, low-intoxicating, high-stability of liquor, and solves the pain points of traditional herbal liquor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of high-quality glutinous rice-flavored solid-state liquor brewing technology, specifically involving a precise synergistic fermentation preparation method for low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice-flavored liquor. Background Technology

[0002] Light-aroma baijiu uses sorghum as its core ingredient. During fermentation, yeast breaks down amino acids through the Ehrlich pathway to produce fusel oils such as isobutanol and isoamyl alcohol. The metabolism of pectin and sugars in the raw materials easily produces acetaldehyde and acetals. These two types of harmful substances are the core causes of dry mouth, headaches, and gastrointestinal discomfort after drinking finished baijiu. Long-term consumption of baijiu high in aldehydes and fusel oils poses a potential health risk. With consumption upgrading, low-harm, smooth, low-intoxication, and functional baijiu have become the mainstream of industry development. Currently, the mainstream technologies for reducing harm, improving quality, and adding functions fall into three categories, all of which have insurmountable technical shortcomings and cannot simultaneously meet the multiple demands of low harm, high activity, stable flavor, and low cost.

[0003] The common preparation process for herbal functional liquor in existing technologies involves: fermenting sorghum, Job's tears, and highland barley separately to prepare the base liquor, while simultaneously extracting herbs such as kudzu root, Japanese raisin tree fruit, mulberry leaves, and chrysanthemum separately using water or alcohol. The herbal extracts are then filtered, concentrated, blended with the base liquor, and aged to obtain the final liquor. This process has five inherent structural defects, preventing a fundamental breakthrough in quality: (1) Herbal active substances are only physically dissolved and mixed, and do not participate in saccharification, fermentation and microbial transformation reactions. The macromolecular structure of functional components such as puerarin, quercetin, jujube saponins and total flavonoids is not degraded, resulting in low human absorption rate. The effects of alcohol detoxification, anti-oxidation and liver protection are greatly weakened, and the functional conversion rate is less than 30%.

[0004] (2) Bitter substances such as herbal tannins and organic acids are separated from the grain aroma system, and the herbal off-flavors are abrupt, which mask the pure grain aroma of light-aroma baijiu. The sensory coordination is poor and cannot meet the taste requirements of high-quality baijiu.

[0005] (3) Herbal extracts have poor compatibility with the colloidal system of liquor. Long-term storage can easily lead to turbidity, layering, precipitation and loss of luster, resulting in extremely poor product shelf-life stability.

[0006] (4) Herbal components do not participate in the metabolic regulation of the fermentation system and cannot inhibit yeast stress production of aldehydes and fusel oils from the source. They can only rely on later membrane filtration, activated carbon adsorption and ultra-long aging to remove the harmful substances that have been generated, which is only a temporary solution. Moreover, the adsorption process will result in a large loss of the main aroma substances such as ethyl acetate, resulting in a bland wine. (5) The production process is complicated, requiring separate herbal extraction, concentration, storage and compounding sections. The equipment investment is large, the production cycle is long, the storage cost is high, and the cost-effectiveness of large-scale production is low.

[0007] Existing grain compound fermentation processes, by adjusting the raw material ratios of sorghum, Job's tears, and highland barley, and fine-tuning the components of grain protein, starch, and polysaccharides, can only slightly reduce the content of fusel oil precursor amino acids. Without any functional herbal components, they do not have the effects of accelerating human alcohol metabolism or providing antioxidant and liver protection. They cannot fundamentally improve the problems of headache and dry mouth after drinking baijiu. They can only optimize the basic taste of the liquor, lack the core attribute of low intoxication, and have extremely low added value.

[0008] It should be noted that the following technical biases are prevalent in the industry: Mulberry leaves, chrysanthemums, and Japanese raisin tree seeds are rich in water-soluble tannins, organic acids, and polyphenols. Directly fermenting these with grains in a fermentation pit simultaneously significantly lowers the pH of the mash, inducing the growth of unwanted microorganisms, leading to spoilage, abnormal fermentation, and ultimately a sour, bitter, and off-flavored liquor. Simultaneously, it significantly inhibits normal yeast proliferation and metabolism, drastically reducing the alcohol yield. Therefore, those skilled in the art deliberately avoid simultaneous co-fermentation of herbs and grains, opting instead for a method of brewing the liquor first and then blending the herbs, a technique that has lacked significant technological breakthroughs for a long time.

[0009] Meanwhile, existing technologies for applying yeasts to reduce harmful substances in baijiu have significant shortcomings: Kluyveromyces martensii can only specifically weaken the amino acid decomposition pathway and reduce the amount of fusel oil produced, but has no inhibitory effect on harmful substances such as acetaldehyde and acetal; Schizosomal yeast can only slightly inhibit the production of aldehydes, and its ability to degrade and inhibit fusel oil is extremely weak.

[0010] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a completely new herbal baijiu brewing method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the long-standing technical prejudice in existing technologies that "herbs cannot be simultaneously fermented with grains in a solid state," and to provide a precise co-fermentation preparation method for low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herbal baijiu. This method solves the core pain points of traditional simultaneous fermentation, such as mash spoilage, bitterness, decreased alcohol yield, and unstable fermentation. It abandons the traditional physical mixing mode of blending and soaking herbs in the later stages, and realizes the in-situ microbial transformation of herbal functional components in the fermentation system, which greatly improves the dissolution rate, conversion rate, and human absorption rate of active ingredients. It solves the problem of the limited harm reduction effect of single yeast in existing baijiu, and through the synergistic regulation of metabolic pathways by binary complex yeast, it simultaneously and significantly reduces the two core harmful substances, acetaldehyde and fusel oil, from the source. It solves the defects of traditional herbal baijiu, such as fragmented flavor, prominent off-flavors, easy stratification and sedimentation, and short shelf life, and achieves a deep integration of grain aroma and light herbal aroma, improving the sensory quality and storage stability of the liquor. It simplifies the production process, shortens the production cycle, and can produce low-harm, high-quality baijiu without activated carbon adsorption and ultra-long aging, reducing the cost of large-scale production, while endowing the baijiu with excellent low alcohol content and antioxidant and liver-protecting functions.

[0012] As a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a precise co-fermentation preparation method for low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and scallion-based Baijiu, comprising the following steps: Step (1) Pre-treatment of glutinous rice grains by grading: Take 10-15 portions of barley and roast it at a low temperature of 60-70℃ for 30-40 minutes to remove the raw green odor and activate the internal β-glucan activity. Cool it for later use. Take 10-15 portions of Job's tears, soak them in water at room temperature for 7-9 hours, steam them under normal pressure for 30-40 minutes, and steam them again for 20-30 minutes until the grains have no white core inside, are soft and glutinous, and the raw taste is eliminated. Take 70-80 portions of glutinous sorghum, soak it in clean water at room temperature for 5-7 hours, and steam the grain under normal pressure for 30-40 minutes to ensure that the starch is fully gelatinized. Mix the pre-treated glutinous sorghum, Job's tears, and highland barley evenly, spread them out to cool, and set aside. Step (2) Herbal phase extraction, full-volume reflux mixed with grain for simultaneous fermentation: The herbal ingredients are formulated as follows: 3-5 parts by weight of kudzu root, 2-4 parts by weight of Japanese raisin tree fruit, 1-2 parts by weight of mulberry leaf, and 1-2 parts by weight of chrysanthemum. Kudzu root is subjected to an alcohol extraction process to obtain kudzu root alcohol extract; The fruit of the Japanese raisin tree, the leaves of the mulberry tree, and the flowers of the chrysanthemum were mixed evenly and then subjected to a water extraction process to obtain a water extract of mulberry, chrysanthemum, and Japanese raisin tree. Combine the kudzu root alcohol extract and the mulberry chrysanthemum and jujube water extract to obtain a herbal mixed extract. Spray the herbal mixed extract evenly onto the cooled cooked grain obtained in step (1) and mix thoroughly.

[0013] Step (3) Solid-state segmented precise temperature-controlled fermentation of binary compound microbial strains: Add 18%–25% of low-temperature Daqu powder and 5%–10% of compound microbial inoculum to the cooked grain mixed with herbal extract in step (2), and mix thoroughly. The compound microbial inoculum is prepared by mixing and culturing Max Kluyveromyces and Schizosacchariformis at a live cell ratio of 1:(1–3). After the material is placed in a sealed tank, it is fermented in two stages with precise temperature control: ① Pre-fermentation stage: the tank temperature is kept constant at 18-25℃, and fermentation lasts for 5-7 days; ② Post-fermentation stage: the temperature is naturally increased to 28-32℃, and fermentation is carried out at a constant temperature for 15-20 days. Step (4) Precise segmented distillation: The mature mash is distilled using the traditional solid-state stilling process, precisely discarding the highly concentrated heads, which account for 0.5% to 1% of the total distillate volume, and collecting only the pure middle section of the distillate with an alcohol content of ≥45% vol as the core base liquor, while removing the tail liquor with prominent off-flavors; the core base liquor is then transferred to earthenware jars for aging under constant temperature and humidity conditions of 20℃ and 68% humidity. Step (5) Gradient membrane precision filtration purification: The core base liquor, after aging, undergoes a dual refining process: precision filtration through an inorganic ceramic membrane and low-temperature freeze filtration. This process thoroughly removes trace impurities and colloidal suspended matter, resulting in the finished liquor.

[0014] Preferably, in step (1), the mixture is cooled to 26-28°C, and the initial moisture content of the entire fermentation system is adjusted to 52%-58% to ensure steady fermentation.

[0015] Preferably, the kudzu root alcohol extract in step (2) is prepared by the following method: kudzu root slices are processed, 10-15 times the mass of 60% vol light aroma base wine is added and alcohol extracted at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and then filtered through a 0.45 μm sintered membrane to remove impurities, thus obtaining the extract.

[0016] Preferably, in step (2), the jujube seed, mulberry leaf and chrysanthemum are mixed evenly, and then water is added and extracted at a constant temperature of 70-80℃ for 1-2 hours. The filter residue is then extracted again with 4-6 times the amount of water. The two water extracts are combined and filtered through a 0.45μm sintered membrane to remove impurities, and the product is obtained.

[0017] Preferably, the aging time in step (4) is no less than 3 years.

[0018] Preferably, in step (5), the material is subjected to double purification through precision filtration with a 0.1-0.2 μm inorganic ceramic membrane and low-temperature freezing filtration at -4 to 0 °C.

[0019] As a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice wine prepared by the above method.

[0020] Preferably, the glutinous rice wine has an acetaldehyde content ≤40mg / L, a total fusel oil content ≤0.6g / L, puerarin ≥30mg / L, and total flavonoids ≥100mg / L.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. Breaking industry technical biases and achieving stable fermentation for improved quality and increased yield: Through the synergistic design of a three-element glutinous rice stable base, herbal phase separation purification, and segmented low-temperature control, this invention completely solves the industry problems of rancidity, bitterness, and reduced yield caused by simultaneous fermentation of herbs, successfully breaking through long-standing technical barriers in this field. The alcohol yield of this invention is 6% to 10% higher than that of traditional herbal blending processes, the fermentation qualification rate of mash is 100%, and there are no problems of rancidity or contamination by miscellaneous bacteria, achieving a dual improvement in quality and yield. This invention is a typical highly creative technical solution that overcomes technical biases.

[0022] 2. Targeted reduction of harmful substances at the source, with a significant reduction in harmful substances compared to existing technologies: Compared to traditional single-sorghum aroma baijiu, this invention reduces acetaldehyde content by 83.7% and total fusel oil content by 81.1%; compared to the closest herbal blending process, acetaldehyde content is reduced by 64.8% and fusel oil content is significantly reduced by 77.5%; it can far exceed the industry's low-harm standards without the need for activated carbon adsorption and with ultra-long aging, fundamentally solving the pain points of baijiu causing headaches, dry mouth, and dizziness.

[0023] 3. Highly efficient conversion of functional components, with active effects far exceeding existing technologies: Herbal synchronous microbial fermentation enables in-situ degradation and conversion of macromolecular active substances, increasing the dissolution and utilization rate of puerarin and total flavonoids by more than 36% compared to traditional physical blending processes, and increasing the proportion of small molecule active components by 42%; 0.5–6 hours after human consumption, serum ethanol concentration is reduced by 15.43%–37.22% compared to ordinary light-aroma baijiu, significantly increasing the alcohol metabolism rate, and showing a statistically significant difference in the effect of lowering alcohol intoxication, with significantly enhanced liver protection and antioxidant effects.

[0024] 4. Significant improvement in flavor and stability, meeting the demands of high-end baijiu: The mellow sweetness of Sanyuan glutinous rice precisely balances the slightly astringent texture of mulberry leaves and chrysanthemums. Herbal flavors and grain aromas are deeply integrated through synchronous esterification, resulting in no flavor fragmentation or abrupt off-flavors. The colloidal system of the liquor is highly stable, showing no turbidity, sedimentation, or loss of luster after 12 months of storage at room temperature. Compared to the stability defects of traditional herbal baijiu that show sedimentation after 90 days, this represents a qualitative breakthrough, significantly extending the product's shelf life.

[0025] 5. The synergistic effect of binary yeasts is not a simple additive effect, but a significant improvement: the single Kluyveromyces martensii process can only reduce acetaldehyde by 41.4%, which cannot effectively reduce fusel oil; the single Schizomyces cerevisiae process can only reduce fusel oil by 38.5%, with a weak effect on aldehyde reduction; the binary strains of this invention, after being combined, can simultaneously achieve a significant reduction in both aldehydes and fusel oil, and the harm reduction effect is far greater than the performance of single strains, producing an unexpected synergistic technical effect.

[0026] 6. Simplified process reduces costs and is suitable for large-scale high-end production: It eliminates the independent extraction, concentration, storage, and blending of herbs, shortening the production process by more than 30% and reducing equipment investment and storage costs by 25%; it eliminates the need for activated carbon adsorption to protect the aroma, fully preserving the main aroma substances of the liquor, resulting in a richer aroma and taking into account the advantages of high quality and low-cost large-scale production. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other. It should also be understood that the terminology used in the embodiments of this invention is for describing specific implementation schemes and not for limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0028] When a range of values ​​is given, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated in this invention, the two endpoints of each range and any value between the two endpoints may be selected.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly used in the field to which this invention pertains. The terminology used to describe this invention is intended only to describe a particular implementation and is not intended to limit the scope of the teachings. This invention can be implemented using any prior art methods, apparatus, and materials similar to or equivalent to those described, used, or made in the embodiments of this invention.

[0030] The term “and / or” as used herein should be understood to mean any one of the options or any combination of two or more of the options.

[0031] As used herein, the term "about" indicates a range of ±20% of the following value. In some embodiments, the term "about" indicates a range of ±10% of the following value. In some embodiments, the term "about" indicates a range of ±5% of the following value.

[0032] This invention provides a precise co-fermentation method for preparing low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice-scented, herbal-based Baijiu, comprising the following steps: Step (1) Pre-treatment of glutinous rice grains by grading: Take 10-15 portions of barley and roast it at a low temperature of 60-70℃ for 30-40 minutes to remove the raw green odor and activate the internal β-glucan activity. Cool it for later use. Take 10-15 portions of Job's tears, soak them in water at room temperature for 7-9 hours, steam them under normal pressure for 30-40 minutes, and steam them again for 20-30 minutes until the grains have no white core inside, are soft and glutinous, and the raw taste is eliminated. Take 70-80 portions of glutinous sorghum, soak it in clean water at room temperature for 5-7 hours, and steam the grain under normal pressure for 30-40 minutes to ensure that the starch is fully gelatinized. Mix the pre-treated glutinous sorghum, Job's tears and highland barley evenly, spread them out to cool, and set aside.

[0033] In one specific implementation, the mixture is cooled to 26–28°C, and the initial moisture content of the entire fermentation system is adjusted to 52%–58% to ensure steady-state fermentation.

[0034] The innovative concept of this step lies in the fact that glutinous sorghum provides the main grain aroma framework for light-aroma baijiu, while glutinous highland barley, after low-temperature roasting to activate β-glucan, can physically adsorb free branched-chain amino acids (core precursors of fusel oils) in the fermentation system, blocking the Ehrlich metabolic pathway. The low leucine and isoleucine content of glutinous Job's tears reduces the substrate for fusel oil formation from the raw material end. The precise ratio and synergistic effect of these three ingredients construct a low-fusel alcohol, highly stable fermentation substrate, providing a stable environment for simultaneous herbal fermentation.

[0035] Step (2) Herbal phase extraction, full-volume reflux mixed with grain for simultaneous fermentation: The herbal ingredients are formulated as follows: 3-5 parts by weight of kudzu root, 2-4 parts by weight of Japanese raisin tree fruit, 1-2 parts by weight of mulberry leaf, and 1-2 parts by weight of chrysanthemum. Kudzu root is subjected to an alcohol extraction process to obtain kudzu root alcohol extract. In one specific embodiment, the kudzu root alcohol extract is prepared by the following method: Kudzu root slices are processed, 10 times their weight of 60% vol light-aroma base liquor is added, and alcohol extraction is carried out at room temperature for 2 hours. The extract is then filtered through a 0.45 μm sintered membrane to remove impurities, thus obtaining the extract.

[0036] The seeds of Japanese raisin tree, mulberry leaves, and chrysanthemum are mixed evenly and then subjected to a water extraction process to obtain a mulberry-chrysanthemum Japanese raisin tree water extract. In one specific embodiment, in step (2), the seeds of Japanese raisin tree, mulberry leaves, and chrysanthemum are mixed evenly, and then water is added and extracted at a constant temperature of 80°C for 1 hour. The filter residue is then extracted again with 5 times the amount of water. The two water extracts are combined and filtered through a 0.45μm sintered membrane to remove impurities, thus obtaining the final product.

[0037] The kudzu root alcohol extract and the mulberry chrysanthemum and jujube water extract were combined to obtain a herbal mixed extract. The herbal mixed extract was evenly sprayed onto the cooled cooked grain obtained in step (1) and mixed thoroughly without any residue. No extract was reserved for later blending and compounding of the wine, so that the herbs and grains could be fermented in the cellar at the same time.

[0038] The innovative concept of this step lies in the precise compounding of four medicinal and edible herbs: kudzu root, Japanese raisin tree fruit, mulberry leaf, and chrysanthemum. Each component has a differentiated and complementary function, working synergistically and is indispensable: kudzu root is rich in puerarin, primarily acting as an antioxidant and enhancing the activity of the wine; Japanese raisin tree fruit specifically accelerates alcohol metabolism and reduces intoxication; mulberry leaf and chrysanthemum are rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, which can inhibit bacteria and stabilize fermentation, suppress the growth of unwanted microorganisms, and optimize flavor. After phase-separated extraction of the four herbs, full-volume reflux and simultaneous fermentation occur. Under the action of microorganisms, esterification and glycosidic bond hydrolysis reactions occur, degrading large molecular active substances into small, easily absorbed components. The activities of multiple components are superimposed and synergistically amplified. At the same time, the herbal compound flavonoids can inhibit anaerobic stress metabolism in yeast, further reducing the formation of aldehyde byproducts. This achieves a two-way benefit of "synergistic quality improvement from multiple herbs + source control and intoxication reduction," far superior to the effects of single-herb fermentation and post-fermentation blending.

[0039] Step (3) Solid-state segmented precise temperature-controlled fermentation of binary compound microbial strains: Add 18%–25% of low-temperature Daqu powder and 5%–10% of compound microbial inoculum to the cooked grain mixed with herbal extract in step (2), and mix thoroughly. The compound microbial inoculum is prepared by mixing and culturing Max Kluyveromyces and Schizosacchariformis at a live cell ratio of 1:(1–3).

[0040] The innovative concept of this step lies in the fact that *Kluyveromyces martensii* specifically inhibits amino acid catabolism, significantly reducing the formation of fusel oils such as isobutanol and isoamyl alcohol; while *Schizosaccharidus spp.* targets and inhibits pyruvate decarboxylase activity, blocking the synthesis of acetaldehyde intermediates. The optimal ratio of live bacteria in both strains works synergistically, complementing the functional limitations of single strains, forming a dual-targeted regulatory system of "fusel oil reduction + aldehyde inhibition," resulting in a harm reduction effect far exceeding that of simply adding single strains.

[0041] After the material is placed in the sealed tank, it is fermented in two stages with precise temperature control: ① Pre-fermentation stage: the tank temperature is kept constant at 18-25℃ for 5-7 days; ② Post-fermentation stage: the temperature is naturally increased to 28-32℃ and fermented at a constant temperature for 15-20 days.

[0042] In this step, the initial low-temperature slow saccharification reduces yeast stress and minimizes the initial formation of harmful substances; the later medium-temperature constant-temperature steady-state fermentation promotes the deep transformation of herbal active substances and the esterification synthesis of flavor substances in the wine, while continuously degrading aldehydes and fusel oil precursors, achieving precise and controllable fermentation throughout the entire process and ensuring product quality stability.

[0043] Step (4) Precise segmented distillation: The mature mash is distilled using the traditional solid-state stilling process. The highly concentrated heads (the main enrichment of acetaldehyde, fusel oil, and low-grade impurities) accounting for 0.5% to 1% of the total distillate volume are precisely discarded. Only the pure middle section of the distillate with an alcohol content of ≥45% vol is collected as the core base spirit, while the tail spirit with prominent off-flavors is removed. The core base spirit is transferred to earthenware jars and aged for 3 years under constant temperature and humidity conditions of 20℃ and 68% to promote the integration and stabilization of flavor substances.

[0044] Step (5) Gradient membrane precision filtration purification: The core base liquor, after aging, undergoes a double refining process: precision filtration through a 0.1–0.2 μm inorganic ceramic membrane and low-temperature freezing filtration at -4–0℃. This process thoroughly removes trace impurities and colloidal suspended matter, resulting in the finished liquor. No additional herbal extracts, flavorings, or seasonings are added throughout the entire process.

[0045] This invention also provides a low-intoxication, high-activity glutinous rice and sage baijiu prepared by the above method. The glutinous rice and sage baijiu has an acetaldehyde content ≤40mg / L, a total fusel oil content ≤0.6g / L, puerarin ≥30mg / L, and total flavonoids ≥100mg / L. The liquor is clear and bright, with a slight yellow tinge, and a pure, light grain aroma deeply blended with a delicate chrysanthemum and kudzu sweetness, without bitterness or abrupt off-flavors. After 12 months of storage at room temperature away from light, it shows no stratification, turbidity, or sedimentation, exhibiting excellent stability and significant low-intoxication, antioxidant, and alcohol metabolism-accelerating properties.

[0046] Example 1 A precise co-fermentation preparation method for a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herb-based Baijiu includes the following steps: 1. Pre-treatment of mixed grains: 75kg glutinous sorghum, 10kg Job's tears, and 15kg highland barley; roast the highland barley at 65℃ for 35 minutes; soak the Job's tears for 8 hours, steam them under normal pressure for 40 minutes, and steam them again for 20 minutes; soak the glutinous sorghum for 6 hours and steam it under normal pressure for 35 minutes; spread the mixed cooked grains to cool to 27℃ and put them into the vat with the moisture content precisely controlled at 55%.

[0047] 2. Herbal Extraction Reflux: 4 kg of kudzu root, 3 kg of Japanese raisin tree fruit, 1.5 kg of mulberry leaves, and 1.5 kg of chrysanthemum; kudzu root was extracted with 60% vol base liquor at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 at room temperature for 2 hours, and then filtered through a 0.45 μm membrane; the three herbs were extracted once at a constant temperature of 80℃ for 1 hour, and the residue was re-extracted with 5 times the amount of water, and the filtrates were combined and filtered through a membrane; all herbal extracts were evenly sprayed onto cooked grains and mixed well.

[0048] 3. Mixing and fermentation: Add 20kg of Daqu powder and 6kg of compound bacterial culture liquid (Kluyveromyces masculinus: live bacteria count of chestnut wine fission yeast = 1:2); put it into the tank and seal it. The pre-fermentation is carried out at a constant temperature of 22℃ for 6 days, and the post-fermentation is carried out at a constant temperature of 30℃ for 18 days.

[0049] 4. Distillation and aging: 0.8L of high-harm heads are precisely discarded, and 45L of high-quality mid-section base spirit (65% vol) is collected and aged in earthenware jars at constant temperature and humidity for 36 months.

[0050] 5. Refining process: The product is filtered using a 0.15μm inorganic ceramic membrane and then frozen at -2℃ to obtain a 53% vol finished liquor.

[0051] Comparative Example 1 Compared with Example 1, this comparative example uses a single glutinous sorghum as raw material, without adding herbal components, adding a traditional single brewing yeast, without segmented temperature control, and adopting the industry-standard light aroma baijiu brewing process.

[0052] Comparative Example 2 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that no herbal components were added; otherwise, they are exactly the same as Example 1.

[0053] Comparative Example 3 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the herbal components are extracted separately using traditional processes and then blended and compounded later, without participating in simultaneous fermentation.

[0054] Comparative Example 4 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that only Max Kluyveromyces was added, without the addition of Schizosacchari yeast.

[0055] Comparative Example 5 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that only *Schizosaccharomyces cerevisiae* was added, without the addition of *Kluyveromyces martensii*.

[0056] Comparative Example 6 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that only a single component extract of kudzu root was added for simultaneous fermentation, without the addition of the other three herbal components.

[0057] Comparative Example 7 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that a single component extract of Hovenia dulcis is added for simultaneous fermentation, while the other three herbal components are not added.

[0058] Comparative Example 8 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that a single-component extract of mulberry leaves was added for simultaneous fermentation, while the other three herbal components were not added.

[0059] Comparative Example 9 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that a single component extract of chrysanthemum was added for simultaneous fermentation, while the other three herbal components were not added.

[0060] Comparative Example 10 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that it does not undergo phase separation alcohol extraction, water extraction, filtration and purification processes. Instead, the dried powders of kudzu root, Japanese raisin tree fruit, mulberry leaves and chrysanthemum are directly and evenly mixed into cooked grain and fermented in a pit. Otherwise, it is exactly the same as Example 1.

[0061] Experiment Example 1: Detection of Core Hazardous Substances The same testing method (GB / T 10781.2-2021 national standard test) was used for both the examples and comparative examples. The core harmful substances detected were acetaldehyde and total fusel oil (isobutanol + isoamyl alcohol). The performance reduction of the present invention relative to each control group was calculated simultaneously. The data differences were statistically significant. The specific comparative data are shown in the table below: Table 1

[0062] Results analysis: Data from the newly added herbal powder direct-injection control group (comparative example 10) accurately confirms the authenticity of the core technical bias in this field: Under the traditional herbal direct-injection fermentation mode, a large amount of tannins, organic acids, and polyphenols are released, which seriously disrupts the homeostasis of the fermentation system, inhibits yeast metabolism, and exacerbates the growth of miscellaneous bacteria, resulting in a significant reduction in the reduction of harmful substances such as acetaldehyde and fusel oil. The dual-indicator harm reduction effect is basically ineffective, which fully verifies the rationality of avoiding simultaneous fermentation of herbs in this field for a long time. This invention innovatively employs a herbal phase-separated alcohol extraction + water extraction, filtration purification, and full-volume reflux fermentation process. This process removes large-molecule tannins and excess organic acids that cause acidity and fermentation disruption from the herbs in advance, while retaining highly active functional small-molecule components. Simultaneously, it combines the innovative combination of precise compound fermentation of four herbs with synergistic control of harmful substances by binary yeast, completely overcoming the inherent defects of simultaneous herbal fermentation. This achieves a simultaneous and significant reduction in both acetaldehyde and fusel oil (both by more than 80%), far exceeding the effects of all comparative studies. This fully demonstrates that the process design of this invention, which involves extracting and purifying herbs before mixing them into the fermentation process, is the core key to overcoming industry technical biases and achieving unexpected harm reduction effects. It proves that only an integrated system of synergistic combination of four herbs and binary yeast can achieve a breakthrough in harm reduction.

[0063] Experiment Example 2: Detection of Herbal Functional Active Ingredients High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to uniformly detect the contents of the examples and comparative examples, focusing on the functional active indicators puerarin and total flavonoids. The effects of different processes on the conversion and enhancement of herbal active ingredients were compared. Specific data are shown in Table 2. The determination method for the herbal active ingredients total flavonoids and puerarin included the following main reagents: rutin, puerarin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-rutinoside-7-glucoside reference standards (National Institutes for Food and Drug Control), acetonitrile, and phosphoric acid, all of chromatographic purity. The main instrument was a high-performance liquid chromatograph (equipped with an ultraviolet detector or a diode array detector). The chromatographic conditions were: octadecylsilane-bonded silica column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm), with acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid as the mobile phase (gradient conditions are shown in Table 1), detection wavelength 250 nm, column temperature 30 ℃, and flow rate 1.0 mL / min.

[0064] Table 2

[0065] Results Analysis: When herbs are fermented directly without purification, a large amount of impurities such as tannins and organic acids enter the fermentation system, causing fermentation disorder and the proliferation of miscellaneous bacteria. This not only significantly inhibits the transformation and enrichment of active ingredients by microorganisms, but also causes the degradation and loss of effective components. The contents of puerarin and total flavonoids are significantly lower than in the later blending process, and the activity utilization rate is greatly reduced. In contrast, this invention features a unique phase-separation extraction, precise impurity removal, and full-volume reflux fermentation process. This process specifically removes negative components in herbs that interfere with fermentation, retains highly active functional small molecules, and combines this with the metabolic linkage mechanism of synergistic fermentation of four herbs. This compensates for the performance shortcomings of all single-component and traditional direct-inoculation processes, achieving a super-multiplied increase in active ingredients. The above experimental results fully demonstrate that this invention is not simply a mixture of herbs and grains for fermentation, but rather a breakthrough in industry technical bottlenecks through a proprietary extraction and purification process. It solves the inherent problems of "low activity, disordered fermentation, and poor quality" in simultaneous herbal fermentation, and the technical solution is highly innovative.

[0066] Experiment Example 3: Human Alcohol Metabolism and Low Intoxication Experiment Experimental conditions: Thirty healthy adult subjects were randomly assigned to groups, with the same amount of alcohol consumed, the same drinking environment, and on an empty stomach. Serum ethanol concentrations were measured at 0.5h, 2h, and 6h after consumption. Using Comparative Example 1 as a baseline, the ethanol concentration reduction rate was calculated to directly reflect the effects of lower intoxication and accelerated metabolism. Specific data are shown in Table 3. Table 3

[0067] Results Analysis: The traditional herbal powder direct fermentation group (Comparative Example 3) almost completely lost its low-alcohol function, with an ethanol reduction rate of only 7.16% after 6 hours, thoroughly confirming the reality of industry technical bias. The mainstream herbal blending process in the industry had extremely low metabolic enhancement effect throughout the process, with a maximum of only 11.23%, indicating serious functional deficiencies. The single yeast and single herbal fermentation control groups were limited by their single function and lack of a synergistic system, resulting in fatal shortcomings in their low-alcohol effect. The best single group had a metabolic rate of only 38.46% after 6 hours, which was still far lower than that of this invention. In contrast, this invention relies on a unique system of four-herb phase-separated purification and reflux synergistic fermentation + precise compounding and control of binary yeast to achieve a leapfrog breakthrough in low-alcohol effect: the ethanol concentration reduction rates at 0.5 hours, 2 hours, and 6 hours were 5.6 times, 5.5 times, and 5.2 times that of the mainstream blending process, respectively, and 9.3 times, 9.1 times, and 8.2 times that of the traditional direct fermentation process, respectively, showing a significant advantage over all single control groups.

[0068] Experiment Example 4: Sensory Evaluation and Storage Stability of Wine Evaluation criteria: Blind tasting by 5 national-level wine tasters (out of 100 points), with comprehensive evaluation based on three dimensions: aroma harmony, smoothness of taste, and degree of off-flavors; a 12-month stability test was also conducted at room temperature and away from light, recording changes in the wine's condition. Specific comparative results are shown in Table 4. Table 4

[0069] Results Analysis: Direct simultaneous fermentation of unpurified herbs results in a wine that is acidic, astringent, and lacking in grain aroma due to the precipitation of large amounts of tannins and organic acids. This disrupts fermentation stability and leads to turbidity and precipitation even after short-term storage. This is the core reason why the industry has long avoided simultaneous herbal fermentation and opted for later blending. However, this invention's innovative process of herbal phase extraction, purification, and full-volume reflux fermentation avoids interference from negative herbal components at the source. Combined with the synergistic mechanism of a four-herb blend, it complements and offsets the flavor and stability defects of single herbs and traditional direct fermentation processes, achieving a deep fusion of grain aroma and delicate herbal fragrance. This completely solves the industry pain points of simultaneous herbal fermentation: "astringency, strong off-flavors, and poor stability." Compared to all traditional direct fermentation, later blending, and single-herb fermentation methods, sensory quality and storage stability are significantly improved.

[0070] Experiment Example 5: Alcohol Yield and Fermentation Stability Experiment Experimental statistical conditions: Following the standards of Example 1, the same proportion of grain input, the same fermentation cycle, and the same distillation process were used. The actual alcohol yield (converted to 53% vol standard alcohol content), fermentation qualification rate, and abnormal fermentation conditions of each group were statistically analyzed. The specific data comparison and yield increase effect are shown in Table 5. Table 5

[0071] Results Analysis: This invention, through an integrated and innovative combination scheme—including three-component glutinous grain graded steady-state pretreatment, precise synergistic fermentation of four herbs (kudzu root, Japanese raisin tree fruit, mulberry leaf, and chrysanthemum), synergistic pest control with binary compound yeast, and segmented, precise temperature control—successfully overcomes long-standing industry technical biases and completely solves the multiple pain points of traditional herbal fermentation, such as acidification, yield reduction, poor quality, and limited functionality of single components. The direct-injection fermentation mode of herbal dry powder (component ratio 10) fully confirms the reality of industry technical biases. Directly adding herbs to the fermentation pit causes fermentation disorder and the growth of rancid bacteria, resulting in a decrease in alcohol yield, a significant reduction in the fermentation qualification rate, and a prominent yield reduction defect. Single yeast strains only possess single-item pest reduction or metabolic optimization capabilities, lacking the effects of herbal activity conversion, quality improvement, and yield increase. Fermentation of any single herbal component alone results in poor fermentation stability, low alcohol yield, sensory quality defects, and limited functional effects, failing to simultaneously meet the multiple requirements of low harm, high activity, superior flavor, stable fermentation, and high yield. Traditional blending and pure grain fermentation processes have inherent technical shortcomings, and their overall performance is far inferior to this invention. The integrated synchronous fermentation system of this invention, which combines four herbs in synergy with binary yeast, can achieve a breakthrough in reducing the harmful substances acetaldehyde and fusel oil by more than 80%. At the same time, it can achieve multiple effects such as doubling the functional activity of herbs, significantly optimizing the alcohol content, leapfrog upgrading the flavor and storage stability, and improving quality and yield.

[0072] In summary, this invention employs a three-component glutinous grain pretreatment process (glutinous sorghum, Job's tears, and highland barley) to construct a stable, low-harm fermentation base. It innovatively utilizes a precise compounding, phase-separated purification, and full-volume reflux simultaneous solid-state co-fermentation of four medicinal and edible herbs: kudzu root, Japanese raisin tree fruit, mulberry leaf, and chrysanthemum. Leveraging the synergistic mechanism of complementary and metabolically linked functions of these four herbs, it achieves in-situ super-conversion of active ingredients. Furthermore, it combines a binary composite strain of *Kluyveromyces martensii* and *Schizosacchariformis* to synergistically regulate metabolism, and integrates a segmented, stepped, precisely temperature-controlled fermentation process, segmented distillation, and gradient membrane precision refining to produce the finished baijiu. This invention successfully overcomes the long-standing industry prejudice that "simultaneous herbal fermentation easily leads to rancidity, bitterness, and reduced yield," by targeting and inhibiting the formation of acetaldehyde and fusel oils—key harmful substances—from the fermentation source. Through comprehensive comparative experiments involving single herbal components, blank control, and single yeast, it was verified that neither single herbal components nor single yeast could achieve the comprehensive effects of multifunctionality, high harm reduction, and high activity. Only the multi-herbal synergistic fermentation system of this invention can achieve multiple leaps in the improvement of low harm, high activity, low alcohol content, and high stability of the liquor. It solves the industry pain points of traditional herbal baijiu, such as flavor fragmentation, low activity, single functionality, and poor stability. It produces a synergistic effect that existing technologies cannot predict, has outstanding substantive characteristics and significant technological progress, and is suitable for the large-scale production of high-end, low-alcohol-content herbal functional baijiu.

[0073] 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 precise co-fermentation method for preparing a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herb-based Baijiu, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step (1) Pre-treatment of glutinous rice grains by grading: Take 10-15 portions of barley and roast it at a low temperature of 60-70℃ for 30-40 minutes to remove the raw green odor and activate the internal β-glucan activity. Cool it for later use. Take 10-15 portions of Job's tears, soak them in water at room temperature for 7-9 hours, steam them under normal pressure for 30-40 minutes, and steam them again for 20-30 minutes until the grains have no white core and are soft and glutinous. Take 70-80 portions of glutinous sorghum, soak it in clean water at room temperature for 5-7 hours, and steam it under normal pressure for 30-40 minutes. Mix the pre-treated glutinous sorghum, Job's tears, and highland barley evenly, spread them out to cool, and set aside. Step (2) Herbal phase extraction, full-volume reflux mixed with grain for simultaneous fermentation: The herbal ingredients are formulated as follows: 3-5 parts by weight of kudzu root, 2-4 parts by weight of Japanese raisin tree fruit, 1-2 parts by weight of mulberry leaf, and 1-2 parts by weight of chrysanthemum. Kudzu root is subjected to an alcohol extraction process to obtain kudzu root alcohol extract; The fruit of the Japanese raisin tree, the leaves of the mulberry tree, and the flowers of the chrysanthemum were mixed evenly and then subjected to a water extraction process to obtain a water extract of mulberry, chrysanthemum, and Japanese raisin tree. Combine the kudzu root alcohol extract and the mulberry chrysanthemum and jujube water extract to obtain a herbal mixed extract. Spray the herbal mixed extract evenly onto the cooled cooked grain obtained in step (1) and mix thoroughly. Step (3) Solid-state segmented precise temperature-controlled fermentation of binary compound microbial strains: Add 18%–25% of low-temperature Daqu powder and 5%–10% of compound microbial inoculum to the cooked grain mixed with herbal extract in step (2), and mix thoroughly. The compound microbial inoculum is prepared by mixing and culturing Max Kluyveromyces and Schizosacchariformis at a live cell ratio of 1:(1–3). After the material is placed in a sealed tank, it is fermented in two stages with precise temperature control: ① Pre-fermentation stage: the tank temperature is kept constant at 18-25℃, and fermentation lasts for 5-7 days; ② Post-fermentation stage: the temperature is naturally increased to 28-32℃, and fermentation is carried out at a constant temperature for 15-20 days. Step (4) Precise segmented distillation: The mature mash is distilled using the traditional solid-state stilling process, and the highly concentrated heads, which account for 0.5% to 1% of the total distillate volume, are precisely discarded. Only the pure middle section of the distillate with an alcohol content of ≥45% vol is collected as the core base liquor. The core base liquor is then transferred to earthenware jars and aged under constant temperature and humidity conditions of 20℃ and 68%. Step (5) Gradient membrane precision filtration purification: The core base liquor, after aging, undergoes a dual refining process: precision filtration through an inorganic ceramic membrane and low-temperature freeze filtration. This process thoroughly removes trace impurities and colloidal suspended matter, resulting in the finished liquor.

2. The precise co-fermentation preparation method for a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herbal liquor according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the mixture is cooled to 26-28°C, and the initial moisture content of the entire fermentation system is adjusted to 52%-58% to ensure steady fermentation.

3. The precise co-fermentation preparation method for a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herbal liquor according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the kudzu root alcohol extract is prepared by the following method: Kudzu root is sliced ​​and treated, then 10-15 times its weight of 60% vol light aroma base wine is added and the extract is extracted at room temperature for 2-3 hours. After being filtered through a 0.45 μm sintered membrane to remove impurities, the extract is obtained.

4. The precise co-fermentation preparation method for a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herbal liquor according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the jujube seed, mulberry leaf and chrysanthemum are mixed evenly, and then water is added and extracted at a constant temperature of 70-80℃ for 1-2 hours. The filter residue is then extracted again with 4-6 times the amount of water. The two water extracts are combined and filtered through a 0.45μm sintered membrane to remove impurities.

5. The precise co-fermentation preparation method for a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herbal liquor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aging time in step (4) shall be no less than 3 years.

6. The precise co-fermentation preparation method for a low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice and herbal liquor according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (5), the material is subjected to double purification through precision filtration with a 0.1-0.2 μm inorganic ceramic membrane and low-temperature freezing filtration at -4 to 0 °C.

7. A low-alcohol, high-activity glutinous rice wine prepared using the method described in any one of claims 1-6.

8. The glutinous rice and fragrant herb-based white wine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The glutinous rice wine has an acetaldehyde content of ≤40mg / L, a total fusel oil content of ≤0.6g / L, a puerarin content of ≥30mg / L, and a total flavonoid content of ≥100mg / L.

Images