A soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611280633.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-08-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-20
AI Technical Summary
因此，大量醋渣的堆积不仅造成显著的生物资源浪费，还带来了严重的环境负担，亟需寻求高值化利用途径
[0021]本发明所提供的利用醋渣促进发酵的酱油生产工艺通过将食醋酿造过程中产生的废弃醋渣引入酱油发酵体系，实现了醋渣的高值化利用，减少了环境负担。醋渣中富含的不溶性膳食纤维在压榨工序中能够有效增加滤饼骨架的过滤支撑能力，显著降低原汁浊度，减轻后续澄清处理的负担，且醋渣中残留的有机酸成分在发酵过程中与食盐产生协同抑菌作用，使发酵温度得以适当提高，加速了酶解效率，将传统6个月的发酵周期缩短至4个月。同时，酱油发酵生成的醇类物质与醋渣中的有机酸发生酯化反应，生成多种酯类香气物质，能够显著提升酱油的酯香风味。
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of condiment preparation technology, specifically to a soy sauce production process that utilizes vinegar residue to promote fermentation. Background Technology
[0002] The general process of making soy sauce is as follows: Soybeans and / or defatted soybeans are steamed and then mixed with roasted and crushed wheat or flour. Soybean koji is inoculated to make koji. After the koji is made, the koji is mixed with brine to make soy mash. After a certain period of fermentation, the soy sauce is extracted by dripping oil or pressing. The soy sauce is then sterilized, clarified, and packaged as finished soy sauce.
[0003] In the aforementioned soy sauce fermentation process, the soybean and wheat components in the koji (fermentation starter) are dispersed within the high-salt soy mash system. Under the action of enzymes generated during koji making, the proteins, starches, and other components in the raw materials are enzymatically hydrolyzed and undergo post-fermentation to develop aroma. After fermentation, the soy sauce concentrate needs to be separated from the residue through pressing or oil extraction. During this separation process, insoluble dietary fiber in the raw materials is the main structural component forming the filter cake. However, due to the relatively low content of insoluble dietary fiber in the raw materials, the filter cake has weak filtration support during pressing or oil extraction, resulting in low filtration efficiency. The concentrate obtained in the initial pressing stage has high turbidity, and the overall oil yield is relatively low.
[0004] On the other hand, vinegar brewing generates a large amount of vinegar residue byproducts. Due to the large quantity and high acidity of this residue, companies often sell it at low prices for animal feed or discard it directly, resulting in resource waste and environmental pollution. However, after vinegar fermentation, the starch, protein, and other components in the raw materials are largely degraded. The largest component of the dry matter remaining in the vinegar residue after vinegar extraction is insoluble fiber, which can reach over 60% in dry matter, resulting in low nutritional value and hindering its application as animal feed. Furthermore, vinegar residue contains various organic acids, especially in pressed vinegar residue, which retains approximately 2% of acetic acid, lactic acid, hexanoic acid, isovaleric acid, and other organic acids. This high acidity also affects its palatability as animal feed. Therefore, the accumulation of large amounts of vinegar residue not only causes significant waste of biological resources but also imposes a serious environmental burden, necessitating the search for high-value utilization methods. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a soy sauce production process that utilizes vinegar residue to promote fermentation, thereby solving the technical problems mentioned in the background section.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:
[0007] A soy sauce production process that utilizes vinegar residue to promote fermentation includes the following steps:
[0008] Step 1, Raw material processing and koji making: Soybeans and / or defatted soybeans are subjected to high-pressure steaming and cooking, mixed with crushed and roasted wheat, inoculated with koji seeds, and koji making is carried out;
[0009] Step 2, vinegar residue pretreatment: Collect the vinegar residue produced during the vinegar brewing process, crush it to obtain crushed vinegar residue;
[0010] Step 3, Mixed Fermentation: Mix the koji material obtained in Step 1 with the crushed vinegar residue obtained in Step 2, add salt water and stir evenly before fermentation; the weight of the crushed vinegar residue added is 1% to 5% of the weight of the koji raw materials;
[0011] Step 4, pressing and sterilizing: After fermentation, press and sterilize the juice.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the pressure of high-pressure cooking in step 1 is 0.15~0.25MPa; the mixing ratio of soybeans and / or defatted soybeans with wheat is 1:0.3~1.2.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the brine concentration in step 3 is 20%~25% (m / v), and the volume of brine added is 1.6~2.0 times (v / m) the weight of the koji-making raw materials.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the vinegar residue in step 2 is the vinegar residue after pressing to extract vinegar or the vinegar residue after leaching vinegar and further dehydration treatment by pressing.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the moisture content of the vinegar residue in step 2 is controlled to be below 40%.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation in step 3 employs a segmented temperature-switching fermentation process:
[0017] Fermentation days 0-20: Control the fermentation temperature at 15-20℃;
[0018] Fermentation days 20-30: Raise the temperature to 25℃, add flavor yeast, and inoculate at 1%-2% (v / v) of the mash volume.
[0019] Fermentation period from day 30 to month 4: Control the fermentation temperature at 25-30℃.
[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:
[0021] The soy sauce production process utilizing vinegar residue to promote fermentation provided by this invention introduces waste vinegar residue generated during vinegar brewing into the soy sauce fermentation system, achieving high-value utilization of the vinegar residue and reducing environmental burden. The insoluble dietary fiber abundant in the vinegar residue effectively increases the filtration support capacity of the filter cake skeleton during the pressing process, significantly reducing the turbidity of the original juice and lessening the burden of subsequent clarification treatment. Furthermore, the residual organic acids in the vinegar residue have a synergistic antibacterial effect with salt during fermentation, allowing for an appropriate increase in fermentation temperature and accelerating enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency, shortening the traditional 6-month fermentation cycle to 4 months. Simultaneously, the alcohols generated during soy sauce fermentation undergo esterification reactions with the organic acids in the vinegar residue, producing various ester aroma compounds that significantly enhance the ester aroma flavor of the soy sauce. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0023] This invention discloses a soy sauce production process that utilizes vinegar residue to promote fermentation, comprising the following steps:
[0024] Step 1: Raw material processing and koji making
[0025] Soybeans and / or defatted soybeans are subjected to high-pressure (0.15~0.25MPa) cooking, mixed with crushed and roasted wheat, with a raw material ratio of 1:0.3~1.2, inoculated with starter culture, and then used for starter culture production.
[0026] Step 2, Pretreatment of vinegar residue
[0027] Collect the vinegar residue produced during the vinegar brewing process, preferably the residue after pressing to extract vinegar or the residue after further pressing and dehydration following vinegar leaching. Control the moisture content of the vinegar residue to below 40%, and crush the vinegar residue into particles with a diameter of less than 1 cm to obtain pulverized vinegar residue for later use.
[0028] In this invention, the insoluble dietary fiber abundant in vinegar residue can effectively improve the filtration performance of the filter cake during subsequent pressing. Furthermore, the various organic acids remaining in the vinegar residue, such as acetic acid, lactic acid, hexanoic acid, and isovaleric acid, exhibit a synergistic antibacterial effect with salt during fermentation. It should be noted that the amount of vinegar residue added must be controlled within a reasonable range. Insufficient addition will fail to achieve effective antibacterial and filtration effects, while excessive addition may affect fermentation indicators and the final yield (oil yield) due to excessive organic acids and insoluble substances in the fermented mash.
[0029] Step 3, Mixed fermentation
[0030] The koji material obtained in step 1 is mixed with the crushed vinegar residue obtained in step 2, and brine is added and stirred evenly before being placed into a fermentation tank to begin fermentation. The brine concentration is 20%~25% (m / v), and the volume of brine added is 1.6~2.0 times (v / m) the weight of the koji-making raw materials (the total weight of soybeans and / or defatted soybeans and wheat). The weight of the crushed vinegar residue added is 1%~5% (m / m) of the weight of the koji-making raw materials.
[0031] Fermentation employs a segmented, variable-temperature fermentation process:
[0032] Fermentation days 0-20: Control the fermentation temperature at 15-20℃ for mesophilic fermentation.
[0033] Fermentation days 20-30: Raise the fermentation temperature to 25℃, add flavor yeast, ferment to produce alcohol, and inoculate the flavor yeast at a volume of 1%-2% (v / v) of the mash volume.
[0034] Fermentation period from day 30 to month 2: Fermentation temperature is controlled at 25-30℃, and the yeast continues to carry out alcoholic fermentation and ester production.
[0035] Fermentation period 2-4 months: The fermentation temperature is controlled at 25-30℃ to carry out the post-ripening and aroma-enhancing stage. During this stage, the alcohols generated in the early stage undergo esterification reactions with various organic acids such as acetic acid, lactic acid, hexanoic acid, and isovaleric acid brought in from the vinegar residue, producing a variety of ester aroma substances such as ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and ethyl hexanoate, which significantly enhances the ester aroma flavor of the soy sauce.
[0036] In the fermentation process of this invention, the organic acid components (acetic acid, lactic acid, hexanoic acid, isovaleric acid, etc.) in the vinegar residue have a synergistic antibacterial effect with salt, effectively inhibiting the growth of spoilage bacteria and miscellaneous bacteria in the soy sauce mash. Because the addition of organic acids enhances the system's preservative capacity, the fermentation temperature can be appropriately increased compared to traditional processes. The increased temperature accelerates the decomposition efficiency of macromolecular substances in the raw materials by proteases, amylases, peptidases, glutaminases, etc., in the koji, thereby shortening the fermentation cycle. Furthermore, the alcohol components during soy sauce fermentation react with the various organic acids in the vinegar residue to generate ester aroma substances, enhancing the ester flavor of the soy sauce.
[0037] Step 4: Pressing to extract juice and sterilizing.
[0038] After fermentation, the mature soy mash is pressed to extract the juice, which is then collected as soy sauce concentrate. The soy sauce concentrate is sterilized, clarified, filtered, and packaged as finished soy sauce.
[0039] During the pressing process of this invention, the abundant insoluble dietary fiber in the vinegar residue effectively increases the filtration support capacity of the filter cake skeleton in the soy sauce mash, improves the filtration performance of the filter cake, and increases the yield (oil yield) of soy sauce raw juice during the pressing process. At the same time, the turbidity of the raw juice obtained by pressing is significantly reduced, reducing the time and cost of subsequent clarification treatment.
[0040] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should also be understood that the following embodiments are only for further illustration of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-essential improvements and adjustments made by those skilled in the art based on the above description of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. The specific process parameters, etc., in the following examples are merely examples within a suitable range; that is, those skilled in the art can make appropriate selections within the appropriate range based on the description herein, and are not intended to be limited to the specific values in the examples below.
[0041] Example 1
[0042] The soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:
[0043] Step 1, Raw material processing and koji making:
[0044] Prepare 10 kg of defatted soybeans and 5 kg of wheat. Steam the defatted soybeans under a pressure of 0.2 MPa for 5 minutes, roast and grind the wheat. Mix the steamed defatted soybeans with the ground roasted wheat, and inoculate with Aspergillus oryzae at a ratio of 0.5%. After mixing, proceed with koji making. After koji making is completed, obtain the koji material.
[0045] Step 2, Pretreatment of vinegar residue:
[0046] Take 0.15 kg of pressed vinegar residue, control the moisture content to be below 40%, and crush it into particles with a diameter of less than 1 cm to obtain crushed vinegar residue.
[0047] Step 3, Mixed fermentation:
[0048] The obtained koji material was mixed with crushed vinegar residue and brine, and then added to a fermentation tank. The brine concentration was 23% (m / v), and the volume of brine was 27L. After thorough mixing, fermentation began.
[0049] Fermentation from day 0 to day 20, at a temperature of 15℃;
[0050] On days 20-30, the temperature is raised to 25°C, and flavor yeast at 1% (V / V) of the volume of the fermented mash is added for fermentation.
[0051] Fermentation temperature: 25-30℃ (day 30 to 2 months);
[0052] During the second to fourth month, the fermentation temperature is controlled at 25-30℃ for post-fermentation and aroma development.
[0053] Step 4, pressing and sterilizing the juice:
[0054] After fermentation, the juice is pressed out and sterilized to become the finished soy sauce.
[0055] Example 2
[0056] Step 1 is the same as in Example 1;
[0057] Step 2: Take 0.45 kg of pressed vinegar residue, control the moisture content to be below 40%, and crush it into particles with a diameter of less than 1 cm to obtain crushed vinegar residue;
[0058] Steps 3 and 4 are the same as in Example 1.
[0059] Example 3
[0060] Step 1 is the same as in Example 1;
[0061] Step 2: Take 0.75 kg of pressed vinegar residue, control the moisture content to be below 40%, and crush it into particles with a diameter of less than 1 cm.
[0062] Steps 3 and 4 are the same as in Example 1.
[0063] Comparative Example 1 (Traditional process without adding vinegar residue)
[0064] Step 1 is the same as in Example 1;
[0065] Step 2: After the koji-making process is complete, mix the resulting koji material directly with brine and add it to the fermentation tank. The brine concentration is 23% NaCl, and the volume is 27L (without adding vinegar residue). After mixing thoroughly, begin fermentation.
[0066] Ferment at 10℃ for 1 month;
[0067] The temperature is increased from 1 to 1.5 months, and then increased to 25°C at 1.5 months. At this point, flavor yeast is added at 1% (V / V) of the volume of the fermented mash.
[0068] Fermentation temperature: 25~28℃, fermentation time: 2 months;
[0069] From month 2 to month 6, the fermentation temperature is controlled at 23℃, and the product is fermented and matured at a low temperature for a long time.
[0070] Step 3: After fermentation is complete, the juice is pressed and sterilized to become the finished soy sauce.
[0071] Comparative Example 2 (low amount of vinegar residue added)
[0072] The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the amount of pressed vinegar residue in step 2 is 0.075 kg.
[0073] Comparative Example 3 (high amount of vinegar residue added)
[0074] The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the amount of pressed vinegar residue in step 2 is 0.9 kg.
[0075] Comparison of the effects of the examples and the comparative examples
[0076] The physicochemical indicators and sensory evaluation of the soy sauce products obtained in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3 were tested, and the results are shown in Table 1.
[0077] Table 1. Detection and sensory evaluation results of Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3
[0078] Implementation Fermentation cycle Total nitrogen g / 100mL amino acid nitrogen g / 100mL Total acid (calculated as lactic acid) g / 100mL Oil yield from pressing: soy sauce volume / soy mash volume Original juice turbidity NTU Flavor, texture Example 1 4 months 1.82 1.12 1.83 89.2% 34 It has a rich aroma of soy sauce, mellow fragrance, and esters, and tastes delicious. Example 2 4 months 1.84 1.11 1.72 89.4% 28 It has a rich aroma of soy sauce, mellow fragrance, and esters, and tastes delicious. Example 3 4 months 1.86 1.13 1.66 89.5% 25 It has a rich aroma of soy sauce, mellow fragrance, and esters, and tastes delicious. Comparative Example 1 6 months 1.75 1.06 1.93 89% 56 The rich aroma of soy sauce, mellow aroma, and ester aroma is weaker than that of the sample in the example, and the sour taste is slightly stronger. Comparative Example 2 (lower vinegar residue) 4 months 1.77 1.08 1.90 89% 55 The rich aroma of soy sauce, mellow aroma, and ester aroma is weaker than that of the sample in the example, and the sour taste is slightly stronger. Comparative Example 3 (high vinegar residue content) 4 months 1.74 1.05 1.66 88.5% 25 It has a rich, savory aroma, a smooth and delicious flavor with its ester flavor.
[0079] Based on the above test and sensory evaluation results, it can be concluded that:
[0080] In Examples 1-3, the amount of vinegar residue added ranged from 1% to 5%, and the fermentation cycle of soy sauce was consistently controlled at 4 months. Total nitrogen and amino acid nitrogen levels remained high. The total nitrogen content showed a slight upward trend with the amount of vinegar residue added, while the total acid content showed a downward trend with the increase of vinegar residue addition. The mechanism is that the exogenous organic acids introduced by the vinegar residue effectively inhibited the reproduction of acid-producing microorganisms in the initial stage of soy sauce mash fermentation, thereby reducing the total amount of endogenous metabolic acid production. The acid produced by microbial reproduction is the main source of total acid in soy sauce. The pressing oil yield remained stable, and the turbidity of the original juice decreased significantly with the increase of vinegar residue addition, indicating that the insoluble dietary fiber in the vinegar residue effectively improved the filter cake filtration performance. All examples exhibited a rich soy sauce aroma, mellow aroma, and prominent ester aroma.
[0081] Comparative Example 1, which uses traditional methods and does not add vinegar residue, has a fermentation cycle of up to 6 months. It has a higher total acid content, a slightly stronger sour taste, a weaker ester aroma, and a significantly higher turbidity in the original juice.
[0082] In Comparative Example 2, the amount of vinegar residue added was too low, the total acid content was still too high, the turbidity was significantly higher, and the aroma was weaker. All of its indicators were close to those of Comparative Example 1, indicating that when the amount of vinegar residue added is too low, it is difficult to exert a synergistic antibacterial and filtration-aiding effect.
[0083] In Comparative Example 3, the amount of vinegar residue added was relatively high, and the turbidity and flavor indicators were good, but the oil yield showed a slight downward trend. The total nitrogen and amino acid nitrogen were slightly lower than those in the Example, which may be due to the excessive organic acids and insoluble matter brought in by the excessive vinegar residue, which had a certain impact on the fermentation indicators and pressing oil yield. The overall effect was not as good as that of the Example.
[0084] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A soy sauce production process that utilizes vinegar residue to promote fermentation, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1, Raw material processing and koji making: Soybeans and / or defatted soybeans are subjected to high-pressure steaming and cooking, mixed with crushed and roasted wheat, inoculated with koji seeds, and koji making is carried out; Step 2, vinegar residue pretreatment: Collect the vinegar residue produced during the vinegar brewing process, crush it to obtain crushed vinegar residue; Step 3, Mixed Fermentation: Mix the koji material obtained in Step 1 with the crushed vinegar residue obtained in Step 2, add salt water and stir evenly before fermentation; the weight of the crushed vinegar residue added is 1% to 5% of the weight of the koji raw materials; Step 4, pressing and sterilizing: After fermentation, press and sterilize the juice.
2. The soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 1, the pressure of high-pressure cooking is 0.15~0.25MPa; the mixing ratio of soybeans and / or defatted soybeans with wheat is 1:0.3~1.
2.
3. The soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The brine concentration mentioned in step 3 is 20%~25% (m / v), and the volume of brine added is 1.6~2.0 times (v / m) the weight of the raw materials for making koji.
4. The soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vinegar residue mentioned in step 2 is the vinegar residue after pressing to extract vinegar or the vinegar residue after leaching and further pressing and dehydration treatment.
5. The soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moisture content of the vinegar residue in step 2 is controlled to be below 40%.
6. The soy sauce production process using vinegar residue to promote fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fermentation process described in step 3 employs a segmented, variable-temperature fermentation process: Fermentation days 0-20: Control the fermentation temperature at 15-20℃; Fermentation days 20-30: Raise the temperature to 25℃, add flavor yeast, and inoculate at 1%-2% (v / v) of the mash volume. Fermentation period from day 30 to month 4: Control the fermentation temperature at 25-30℃.