Fermented beverage and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide a fermented beverage having a well-balanced grain flavor intensity and excellent body feeling despite a low alcohol concentration, and a method for producing the same.SOLUTION: Provided are a method for producing a fermented beverage [1] including a preparation step of obtaining saccharified liquid from starchy material, a fermentation step of fermenting the obtained saccharified liquid with yeast to obtain fermented liquid, and a dilution step of diluting the obtained fermented liquid with water, where an enzyme which creates non-assimilable sugar from assimilable sugar and an enzyme which hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the preparation step, and [2] a fermented beverage which has an alcohol concentration of less than 4.0 vol.%, a raw wort extract concentration of less than 10 mass%, a dextrin concentration of 10.0 g / L or less, and a degree of sweetness of 5 or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fermented beverage and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing need from consumers for beer-flavored beverages, such as low-alcohol beers with a low alcohol content and non-alcoholic beers that contain substantially no alcohol, while still having a similar taste to beer. Generally, these beer-flavored beverages are consumed as a substitute for beer when people cannot drink beer with a high alcohol content, and therefore it is preferable that the beverages have a taste similar to that of beer, except for the alcohol content. For this reason, there is a demand for the development of beer-flavored beverages that have a taste more similar to that of beer.

[0003] Known methods for producing beer-flavored beverages with low alcohol concentrations include adding α-glucosidase (transglucosidase) to the saccharified liquid before fermentation during the brewing process to convert fermentable sugars into non-fermentable sugars (see, for example, Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2). On the other hand, isomaltooligosaccharides synthesized from fermentable sugars by transglucosidase have a certain degree of sweetness, although they are less sweet than sucrose. Therefore, in a method for producing a beer-taste beverage by adding transglucosidase, if a sufficient amount of isomaltooligosaccharide is added to the product to the extent that the product has a full-bodied taste and body similar to that of ordinary beers, an excessively sweet taste is imparted, which is undesirable in terms of the harmony of the flavor and taste of a beer-taste beverage. In response to this problem, Patent Document 3 discloses a method for producing a low-alcohol fermented malt beverage in which an organic acid is added so that the pH of the final product is 3.5 to 4.4, with the aim of providing a method for producing a low-alcohol fermented malt beverage that has a well-balanced taste and flavor that is comparable to regular beers, without being dominated by sweetness or other unnatural flavors. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for producing a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage in which the bitterness value for the extract components in the final product is adjusted to fall within a specified range, with the aim of providing a method for producing a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage that has sufficient full-bodied taste, excellent flavor, and enhanced drinkability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-68528 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-68529 [Patent Document 3] JP 2012-239460 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2015-133924 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In addition to the above problems, beer-flavored beverages produced by adding transglucosidase have the problem that the grain aroma derived from malt is relatively prominent due to the low alcohol concentration. Although it is possible to balance the strength of the grain aroma by diluting according to the alcohol concentration, this also causes a problem that the body is lost and the taste becomes flat. It was found that the technologies of Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 have room for improvement in terms of the balance of the strength of the grain aroma and the body. The present invention aims to provide a fermented beverage that has an excellent balance of grain aroma intensity and full-bodied taste even with a low alcohol concentration, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors focused on the fact that in beer-taste beverages with a low alcohol concentration, sugars with a higher sweetness than dextrin make a greater contribution to enhancing the body of the beverage, and discovered that the above-mentioned problem can be solved by adding an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin to the brewing process in which a saccharified liquid is obtained from a starchy raw material, and by further including a dilution process in which the obtained fermentation liquid is diluted with water.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides the following [1] to

[15] . [1] A preparation process for obtaining a saccharified liquid from starchy raw materials; a fermentation step of fermenting the obtained saccharified liquid with yeast to obtain a fermentation liquid; and A dilution step of diluting the obtained fermentation liquid with water, In the method for producing a fermented beverage, an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the brewing step. [2] The method for producing a fermented beverage described in [1] above, wherein the non-assimilable sugar is isomaltooligosaccharide. [3] The method for producing a fermented beverage described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars includes transglucosidase. [4] A method for producing a fermented beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin includes at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucoside bond in dextrin and an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond in dextrin. [5] The method for producing a fermented beverage described in [4] above, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucosidic bond of the dextrin includes pullulanase. [6] A method for producing a fermented beverage described in [4] above, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bonds of the dextrin includes maltogenic α-amylase. [7] A method for producing a fermented beverage described in [4] above, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bonds of the dextrin includes a heat-resistant α-amylase. [8] The method for producing a fermented beverage described in any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the starchy raw material contains malt. [9] The method for producing a fermented beverage described in any one of [1] to [8] above, wherein the fermented beverage is a beer-taste beverage.

[10] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to any one of [1] to [9] above, wherein the fermented beverage has an alcohol concentration of less than 4.0 vol.%.

[11] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to any one of [1] to

[10] above, wherein in the dilution step, the original wort extract concentration is adjusted to less than 10 mass%.

[12] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to any one of [1] to

[11] above, wherein the dextrin concentration in the fermented beverage is 10.0 g / L or less.

[13] The method for producing a fermented beverage described in any one of [1] to

[12] above, wherein the sweetness of the fermented beverage is 5 or more.

[14] A method for producing a fermented beverage according to any one of [1] to

[13] above, comprising a step of removing alcohol from the fermentation liquid.

[15] The alcohol concentration is less than 4.0 vol.%; The original wort extract concentration is less than 10% by mass, The dextrin concentration is 10.0 g / L or less, A fermented beverage with a sweetness level of 5 or higher. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a fermented beverage having an excellent balance of grain aroma intensity and full body even with a low alcohol concentration, and a method for producing the same can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] The sugar contents of the fermented beverages of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Method of producing fermented beverages] The method for producing a fermented beverage of the present invention includes a preparation step of obtaining a saccharified liquid from a starchy raw material, a fermentation step of fermenting the obtained saccharified liquid with yeast to obtain a fermented liquid, and a dilution step of diluting the obtained fermented liquid with water, in which an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the preparation step. In the present invention, the term "dextrin" refers to a starch hydrolysate, which is an oligosaccharide or polysaccharide having a glucose polymerization degree of 7 or more.

[0011] According to the method for producing a fermented beverage of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a fermented beverage that has a well-balanced grain aroma intensity and a rich body, even with a low alcohol concentration. The reason for this is unclear, but is thought to be as follows. In the past, it was believed that sweetness and dextrin contribute to enhancing the body (richness, satisfying taste) of beer-taste beverages. However, according to the research of the present inventors, it was found that in beer-taste beverages with a low alcohol concentration, sugars with a higher sweetness than dextrin contribute more to enhancing the body. Based on this finding, in the present invention, in the brewing process for obtaining a saccharified liquid from a starchy raw material, an enzyme for hydrolyzing dextrin is added in addition to an enzyme for producing non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars, so that the dextrin can be present as a low-molecular-weight sugar instead of the dextrin present in conventional beer-taste beverages, and as a result, it is believed that the effect of enhancing the body is obtained. Furthermore, by including a dilution process for diluting the obtained fermented liquid with water, it is possible to suppress the intensity of the grain aroma and balance the grain aroma without impairing the body, so that a fermented beverage with a well-balanced grain aroma intensity and excellent body can be obtained even at a low alcohol concentration.

[0012] <Preparation process> The production method of the present invention includes a brewing step (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "brewing step") of obtaining a saccharified solution from a starchy raw material. In the preparation process, it is preferable to prepare a mixture containing a starchy raw material and raw water (hereinafter also referred to as "mashed"), heat it, and perform a saccharification process to saccharify the starch in the starchy raw material, thereby obtaining a saccharified liquid. In the production method of the present invention, from the viewpoint of adjusting the alcohol concentration and enhancing the full-bodied feeling, an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the brewing process.

[0013] (Starchy ingredients) In the present invention, the starch raw material is not particularly limited as long as it is a fermentation raw material containing starch, but preferably contains malt. The malt used in the present invention is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of barley malt, wheat malt, rye malt, and oat malt. Malt is obtained by germinating barley, wheat, rye, oats, etc., by a general malting process. Specifically, malt can be produced by soaking harvested barley, wheat, rye, oats, etc. in water to allow them to germinate appropriately, and then drying them with hot air. Malt may be used as a pulverized product pulverized by a conventional method. Examples of starchy raw materials other than malt include barley, wheat, cornstarch, corn grits, rice, and koryan. The starch raw material may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0014] The proportion of malt used in the starchy raw materials is preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, and even more preferably 50% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of enhancing the body, and is preferably 100% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 80% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of adjusting the balance of taste.

[0015] In addition, in the brewing process, carbohydrate raw materials such as liquid sugar and sugar may be added in addition to the starch raw materials. Here, liquid sugar is produced by decomposing and saccharifying starch with an acid or a saccharifying enzyme, and mainly includes glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, maltotriose, etc. The carbohydrate raw material may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0016] (Enzymes that convert assimilable sugars into non-assimilable sugars) In the brewing process, an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars is added to convert assimilable sugars to non-assimilable sugars. Specifically, assimilable sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, and maltotriose are converted to non-assimilable sugars such as kojibiose, nigerose, isomaltose, erlose, panose, and isomaltotriose. Among these, isomaltooligosaccharide is preferred as the non-assimilable sugar produced by the enzyme from the viewpoints of adjusting the alcohol concentration and enhancing the full-bodied taste. Isomaltooligosaccharides are oligosaccharides that contain glucose as a constituent sugar and have at least one α-1,6 bond, α-1,2 bond, α-1,3 bond, etc. in the molecule, and have a degree of polymerization of 2 to 10. Examples of isomaltooligosaccharides include isomaltose, isomaltotriose, and panose. In the present invention, non-assimilable sugars are not utilized in the fermentation process, and alcohol production can be suppressed, so that the alcohol concentration of the resulting fermented beverage can be reduced.

[0017] From the viewpoint of adjusting the alcohol concentration, the enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars preferably contains transglucosidase. The transglucosidase is not particularly limited as long as it is an enzyme having catalytic activity for glycosyltransferase reaction, and transglucosidase derived from various organisms can be used. The form of the transglucosidase may be any of liquid, powder, and immobilized on a carrier. Commercially available transglucosidase may also be used. An example of a commercially available transglucosidase is Transglucosidase L "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.). Transglucosidase can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0018] From the viewpoint of adjusting the alcohol concentration, when adding transglucosidase (Transglucosidase L "Amano" manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.), the amount of the enzyme added that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars is preferably 0.05 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.1 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.2 part by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of starch raw material, and is preferably 1 part by mass or less, more preferably 0.8 part by mass or less, even more preferably 0.6 part by mass or less.

[0019] The addition of the enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars is not particularly limited as long as the reaction caused by the enzyme added is sufficiently carried out by the end of the preparation process. For example, when transglucosidase is used as the enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars, the transglucosidase may be added together with the starchy raw material when preparing a mixture (soybean paste) containing the starchy raw material and raw water, or may be added during the saccharification treatment of the starchy raw material. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of sufficiently proceeding with the enzyme reaction, it is preferable to add the transglucosidase at an early stage of the preparation process, and it is more preferable to add it when preparing the soybean paste in the preparation process.

[0020] (Enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin) In the mashing process, a dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme is added, so that the dextrin produced during the saccharification of the starch in the starch raw material is hydrolyzed and converted into monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides.

[0021] The enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin is not particularly limited as long as it is an enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,6 glucoside bonds or α-1,4 glucoside bonds of dextrin. Examples of the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucosidic bond of dextrin include pullulanase and isoamylase, and it is preferable to include pullulanase. Examples of the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucosidic bond of dextrin include α-amylase and β-amylase, and preferably includes α-amylase. The α-amylase preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of thermostable α-amylase and maltogenic α-amylase. An example of an enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,4 glucoside bonds and α-1,6 glucoside bonds is glucoamylase. Among these, from the viewpoint of reducing the dextrin concentration and enhancing the body, the enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucosidic bond of dextrin and an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucosidic bond of dextrin, more preferably includes an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucosidic bond of dextrin and an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucosidic bond of dextrin, even more preferably includes pullulanase and α-amylase, and even more preferably includes pullulanase, heat-stable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase.

[0022] The amount of the dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme added, from the viewpoint of reducing the dextrin concentration and enhancing the body, for example, when a composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase (Ceremix (registered trademark) Flex, manufactured by Novozymes) is added, is preferably 0.05 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.1 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.2 part by mass or more, and is preferably 1 part by mass or less, more preferably 0.8 part by mass or less, even more preferably 0.6 part by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material.

[0023] The addition of the enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin is not particularly limited as long as the reaction caused by the enzyme added by the end of the brewing process is sufficiently carried out. For example, when a composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase ("Ceremix (registered trademark) Flex" manufactured by Novozymes) is used as the enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin, the composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase may be added together with the starchy raw material when preparing a mixture (syrup) containing the starchy raw material and raw material water, or may be added during the saccharification treatment of the starchy raw material. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of sufficiently proceeding with the enzyme reaction, it is preferable to add the composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase at an early stage of the brewing process, and it is more preferable to add it when preparing the syrup in the brewing process.

[0024] (Saccharification) The saccharification process is carried out by keeping the mash at a specified temperature for a certain period of time, using enzymes derived from the starchy raw material and added enzymes. The preparation of the mash can be carried out by a conventional method, such as by keeping the mixture at a temperature of 35° C. or higher and 70° C. or lower for 20 minutes or longer and 90 minutes or shorter. The temperature and time during the saccharification treatment can be adjusted as appropriate taking into consideration the type and amount of starchy raw materials, the type and amount of enzymes added, the amount of mash, the quality of the desired fermented beverage, etc. For example, the saccharification treatment can be carried out by gradually increasing the temperature of the mashed potatoes and maintaining the temperature at 50° C. or higher and 72° C. or lower for 30 minutes or longer and 90 minutes or shorter. When two or more types of enzymes that hydrolyze dextrin are added, it is preferable to add the enzymes that hydrolyze dextrin to the mash, and then gradually increase the temperature and maintain it near the optimal temperature for each enzyme. After the saccharification treatment, it is preferable to inactivate the enzymes by keeping the temperature at 76°C or higher and 78°C or lower for about 10 minutes, and then filter the saccharified wort in a wort filtration tank to obtain a clear wort as the saccharified liquid.

[0025] The resulting saccharified liquid (wort) is boiled. The boiling method and conditions can be appropriately determined. By appropriately adding herbs, flavorings, etc. before or during the boiling process, a fermented beverage having a desired flavor can be produced. In the present invention, it is preferable to add hops before or during the boiling treatment. By performing the boiling treatment in the presence of hops, the flavor and aroma of the hops can be extracted. The amount of hops to be added, the manner of addition (e.g., adding in several portions), and the boiling conditions can be appropriately determined. The boiled saccharified liquid (wort) is preferably transferred to a tank called a whirlpool, where hop residue and coagulated proteins resulting from boiling are removed. The saccharified liquid (wort) is then cooled to an appropriate fermentation temperature using a plate cooler to obtain a cooled saccharified liquid (wort). The fermentation temperature is usually 8°C or higher and 15°C or lower.

[0026] <Fermentation process> The production method of the present invention includes a fermentation step (hereinafter also simply referred to as "fermentation step") of fermenting the obtained saccharified liquid with yeast to obtain a fermented liquid. In the fermentation step, it is preferable to inoculate the cooled saccharified liquid (wort) obtained in the brewing step with yeast, transfer it to a fermentation tank, and carry out fermentation. The yeast used for fermentation is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected from yeasts usually used in the production of alcoholic beverages. The yeast used for fermentation may be either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast, but bottom-fermenting yeast is preferred from the viewpoint of ease of application to large-scale brewing equipment. In the present invention, by suppressing alcoholic fermentation in the fermentation process, the amount of alcohol produced by fermentation is further reduced, making it easier to produce low-alcohol beer with an alcohol concentration of less than 4 vol.% and non-alcoholic beer with an alcohol concentration of less than 1 vol.%.

[0027] In the production method of the present invention, a further step is to mature the obtained fermented liquid in a storage tank as a storage step, and store it under low-temperature conditions at about 0°C to stabilize it. Then, as a filtration step, the matured fermented liquid is filtered to remove yeast, proteins, etc.

[0028] The production method of the present invention may include a step of removing alcohol from the obtained fermentation liquid (hereinafter, also referred to as a "dealcoholization step") from the viewpoint of reducing the alcohol concentration. The alcohol can be removed by a conventional method such as reduced pressure distillation or reverse osmosis membrane method. The dealcoholization step is preferably carried out before the dilution step. That is, when the production method of the present invention includes a dealcoholization step, it is preferable to subject the dealcoholized fermentation liquid obtained by removing alcohol from the fermentation liquid to the dilution step.

[0029] <Dilution process> The production method of the present invention includes a dilution step (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "dilution step") of diluting the obtained fermented liquid with water from the viewpoint of adjusting the balance of the strength of the grain aroma. In the dilution step, water or carbonated water is added to and mixed with the fermented liquid to obtain a fermented beverage. The dilution of the fermentation liquid in the dilution step can be appropriately adjusted according to the original wort extract concentration, alcohol concentration, true extract concentration, etc. desired as the product, but it is preferable to adjust the original wort extract concentration to less than 10 mass%. The dilution ratio is preferably 1.1 times or more, more preferably 1.2 times or more, even more preferably 1.3 times or more, and is preferably 6 times or less, more preferably 4 times or less, even more preferably 2 times or less. According to the production method of the present invention, the dilution ratio can be increased compared to conventional production methods for beer-taste beverages, and therefore the yield can also be improved.

[0030] In the present invention, liqueurs as defined by the Liquor Tax Law can also be produced by mixing with spirits, for example, in a process subsequent to the fermentation process using yeast. The fermented beverage obtained by the production method of the present invention is usually filled into containers such as cans, bottles, and barrels in a filling step and shipped as a product.

[0031] [Fermented beverages] The fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably a beer-taste beverage. In the present invention, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to a fermented beverage that has the flavor of beer, regardless of the alcohol content. Specific examples of beer-taste beverages include beer, happoshu, new genre beer (a sparkling alcoholic beverage that uses hops as one ingredient and does not fall under the category of beer or happoshu), low-alcohol beer, non-alcoholic beer, etc.

[0032] The alcohol concentration of the fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably less than 4.0 vol.%. In this case, the fermented beverage of the present invention can be a low-alcohol beer with an alcohol concentration of less than 4.0 vol.% or a non-alcoholic beer with an alcohol concentration of less than 1.0 vol.%. The alcohol concentration is expressed as a percentage of the volume of alcohol contained in the fermented beverage relative to the total volume of the fermented beverage, and is measured in accordance with the method specified in the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (the method described in "8.3 Alcohol" in the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (2013 Revised Edition)").

[0033] From the viewpoint of adjusting the balance of the intensity of grain aroma, the original wort extract concentration of the fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably less than 10 mass%, more preferably 9.5 mass% or less, even more preferably 9.0 mass% or less, and preferably 1.0 mass% or more, more preferably 3.0 mass% or more, even more preferably 5.0 mass% or more, and even more preferably 7.0 mass% or more. The original wort extract concentration is measured in accordance with the method specified in the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (the method described in "8.5 Extract-related Calculation Method" of the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (2013 Revised Edition)").

[0034] From the viewpoint of enhancing the full-bodiedness, the dextrin concentration of the fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably 10.0 g / L or less, more preferably 7.0 g / L or less, and even more preferably 5.0 g / L or less. There is no particular lower limit, but from the viewpoint of productivity, the dextrin concentration is preferably 0.5 g / L or more, more preferably 1.0 g / L or more, and even more preferably 2.0 g / L or more. The dextrin concentration is measured as the analytical value of sugars having a molecular weight larger than that of maltohexaose using the method for measuring the content of each sugar described in the Examples.

[0035] From the viewpoint of enhancing the full-bodied taste, the fermented beverage of the present invention preferably contains oligosaccharides having 2 to 6 glucose units bonded together, and more preferably contains one or more oligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose.

[0036] The total content of oligosaccharides having 2 to 6 glucose bonds in the fermented beverage of the present invention is, from the viewpoint of enhancing the body feeling, preferably 20 g / L or more, more preferably 25 g / L or more, even more preferably 30 g / L or more, even more preferably 33 g / L or more, and preferably 45 g / L or less, more preferably 40 g / L or less, even more preferably 35 g / L or less. The total content of oligosaccharides having 2 to 6 glucose bonds in the fermented beverage of the present invention is the total content (g / L) of each oligosaccharide measured by the method described in the Examples. The ratio of the total content (g / L) of oligosaccharides having 2 to 6 glucose bonds to the dextrin concentration (g / L) in the fermented beverage of the present invention [total content of oligosaccharides having 2 to 6 glucose bonds / dextrin concentration] is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, even more preferably 7 or more, still more preferably 9 or more, and is preferably 15 or less, more preferably 13 or less, and even more preferably 11 or less, from the viewpoint of enhancing the body feeling.

[0037] The total content of one or more oligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose in the fermented beverage of the present invention is, from the viewpoint of enhancing the body feeling, preferably 20 g / L or more, more preferably 25 g / L or more, even more preferably 30 g / L or more, even more preferably 33 g / L or more, and is preferably 45 g / L or less, more preferably 40 g / L or less, even more preferably 35 g / L or less. The total content of one or more oligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose in the fermented beverage of the present invention is the sum of the contents (g / L) of each oligosaccharide measured by the method described in the Examples. The ratio of the total content (g / L) of one or more oligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose to the dextrin concentration (g / L) in the fermented beverage of the present invention [total content of one or more oligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose / dextrin concentration] is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, even more preferably 7 or more, still more preferably 9 or more, from the viewpoint of enhancing the body feeling, and is preferably 15 or less, more preferably 13 or less, and even more preferably 11 or less.

[0038] From the viewpoint of enhancing the full-bodied feeling, the sweetness of the fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 7 or more, even more preferably 9 or more, and preferably 25 or less, more preferably 20 or less, even more preferably 15 or less. In the present invention, the "sweetness of a fermented beverage" is calculated as the sum of the values ​​obtained by multiplying the sweetness of each sugar contained in the fermented beverage, when the sweetness of sucrose is set to 1, by the content (g / L) of each sugar in the fermented beverage.

[0039] As described above, the fermented beverage of the present invention preferably has an alcohol concentration of less than 4.0 vol%, an original wort extract concentration of less than 10 mass%, a dextrin concentration of 10.0 g / L or less, and a sweetness index of 5 or more. EXAMPLES

[0040] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Various measurements were carried out as follows.

[0041] <Measurement of raw wort extract concentration> The original wort extract concentration was measured according to the method specified in the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (the method described in "8.5 Extract-related Calculation Method" in "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (2013 Revised Edition)").

[0042] <Measurement of alcohol concentration> The alcohol concentration was measured according to the method specified in the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (the method described in "8.3 Alcohol" of the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (2013 revised edition)").

[0043] <Measurement of true extract concentration> The measurement of true extract was performed according to the method specified in the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (described in "8.4 True Extract" of the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (2013 Revised Edition)").

[0044] <Measurement of each sugar content> The content (g / L) of each sugar in the fermented beverage was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. (HPLC conditions) Equipment: High-performance liquid chromatograph "LC-20A" (Shimadzu Corporation) Column: Sugar analysis column "Aminex HPX-42A" (300 x 7.8 mm, Bio-RAD) Column temperature: 80℃ Detector: Differential refractive index detector Mobile phase: ultrapure water Flow rate: 0.5mL / min Sample preparation: The fermented beverage was diluted with ultrapure water (Milli-Q water) and then filtered through a 0.45 μm filter to obtain the sample. Sample injection volume: 5μL The sugars used as reagents were D(-) fructose, D(+) glucose, maltose monohydrate, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose, and the peaks corresponding to the reagent peaks were assigned to fructose, glucose, maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose, respectively. Due to the nature of this analytical method, branched chain sugars are not separated, and therefore the analytical value of maltose is the total amount of maltose, isomaltose, trehalose, kojibiose, and nigerose, the analytical value of maltotriose is the total amount of maltotriose, isomaltotriose, and panose, the analytical value of maltotetraose is the total amount of maltotetraose and isomaltotetraose, the analytical value of maltopentaose is the total amount of maltopentaose and isomaltopentaose, and the analytical value of maltohexaose is the total amount of maltohexaose and isomaltohexaose. The analysis values ​​of sugars with molecular weights larger than maltohexaose were measured as high polymerization degree fractions (dextrins).

[0045] <Calculating the sweetness of fermented beverages> The sweetness of the fermented beverage was calculated as the sum of the values ​​obtained by multiplying the sweetness of each sugar contained in the fermented beverage (when sucrose is set to 1) (the numbers in parentheses shown in Tables 1 and 2) by the content (g / L) of each sugar in the fermented beverage.

[0046] [Example 1] 20 kg of ground malt and 20 kg of corn starch were added and mixed as starchy raw materials to the water with adjusted hardness so that the mass ratio of the amount of raw water used to the amount of starchy raw materials (water filling ratio) was 4. Then, 4 g of a composite enzyme consisting of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase (Novozymes' "Ceremix (registered trademark) Flex") was added per 1 kg of starchy raw materials, and 4 g of transglucosidase (Amano Enzyme Inc.'s Transglucosidase L "Amano") was added per 1 kg of starchy raw materials. Saccharification was performed by heating in a three-stage diagram at 50°C for 30 minutes, 64.5°C for 45 minutes, and 70°C for 10 minutes. The enzymes were then inactivated at 76°C to obtain saccharified mashed potatoes. The mashed mash was filtered, and the resulting mash (wort) was placed in a boiling kettle, and water was added to the mash so that the original wort extract concentration was 12% by mass. Then, an appropriate amount of hops was added, and the mixture was boiled for 70 minutes, after which water was added to adjust the original wort extract concentration to 12% by mass. After solid-liquid separation in a whirlpool (rotating separation tank), the wort was cooled by a heat exchanger. Next, yeast was added to the cooled wort and fermented to obtain a fermented liquid. The resulting fermented liquid was diluted to a desired original wort extract concentration and clarified by filtration to obtain a fermented beverage.

[0047] [Comparative Example 1] A fermented beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the complex enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase was not added, and the dilution ratio when diluting the fermented liquid was changed to the same alcohol concentration as in Example 1.

[0048] [Comparative Example 2] A fermented liquid obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 was used, and the dilution ratio was changed so as to obtain the same original wort extract concentration as in Example 1, to obtain a fermented beverage.

[0049] The original wort extract concentration, alcohol concentration, true extract concentration, and each sugar content of the obtained fermented beverage were measured, and the sweetness was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1. Figure 1 shows the sugar contents of the fermented beverages of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2. In addition, a panel of 10 beer experts conducted a sensory evaluation of the grain aroma and body as described below. <Sensory evaluation of grain aroma and body> Using a commercially available regular beer (pilsner beer with an alcohol content of 5 vol%) as the standard, each expert panelist evaluated whether the intensity of the grain aroma and body was equivalent or not, depending on the degree of that, using the evaluation criteria below. The evaluation score is shown in Table 1, which is the average value of the 10 expert panelists rounded to the first decimal place. [Evaluation Criteria] 4: Equivalent to commercially available regular beer. 3: Approximately equivalent to regular commercially available beer. 2: Slightly inferior to regular commercially available beer. 1: Significantly inferior to regular commercially available beer.

[0050] [Table 1]

[0051] As can be seen from Table 1, the fermented beverage of Comparative Example 1 has a full body, but the grain aroma is too strong, destroying the balance as a beer-taste beverage. In addition, the fermented beverage of Comparative Example 2 is a further diluted version of the fermented beverage of Comparative Example 1, so although the strength of the grain aroma is appropriate for a beer-taste beverage, it lacks full body. On the other hand, as can be seen from Table 1 and Figure 1, the fermented beverage of Example 1 had a grain aroma and full body that were both suitable for a beer-taste beverage, despite having a lower total sugar content compared to the fermented beverages of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. This is believed to be because, due to the addition of an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin in the brewing process, as shown in Figure 1, the dextrin concentration was reduced, but relatively sweet oligosaccharides were produced, enhancing the full body, and further, the strength of the grain aroma could be adjusted to an optimum level by including a dilution process in which the resulting fermented liquid was diluted with water, resulting in a fermented beverage with an excellent balance of grain aroma strength and full body. Furthermore, as can be seen from Table 1, in Example 1, by including a dilution process in which the obtained fermented liquid is diluted with water, the intensity of the grain aroma can be adjusted to an optimum level, making it possible to produce a larger amount of fermented beverage from the same amount of raw materials while still having a similar full-bodied feel to Comparative Example 1, and also improving the yield.

[0052] [Example 2, Comparative Example 3, Comparative Example 4] In the production of the fermented beverages of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2, the obtained fermented liquid was sprayed into a degassing tank under reduced pressure of about 90 mbar to remove carbon dioxide, and then heated to about 50° C. using a plate cooler. Thereafter, the liquid was brought into contact with steam heated to about 50° C. in a reduced pressure column at about 90 mbar to adsorb the volatile components into the steam, and the alcohol and volatile components were removed to obtain a dealcoholized fermented liquid with an alcohol concentration of 0.5 vol%. The obtained dealcoholized fermented liquid was diluted by adding degassed water to make the true extract concentration similar to that of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2, and carbon dioxide was dissolved therein so that the gas pressure was 2.9 gas volumes to obtain a fermented beverage.

[0053] The alcohol concentration, true extract concentration, and sugar content of each of the obtained fermented beverages were measured, and the sweetness was calculated in the same manner as in Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2. The results are shown in Table 2. In addition, a panel of 10 beer experts conducted a sensory evaluation of the grain aroma and body using the same method as described above.

[0054] [Table 2]

[0055] Example 2, Comparative Example 3, and Comparative Example 4 are examples in which the alcohol concentration was further reduced compared to Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 through a dealcoholization process, but despite the low total sugar content, the fermented beverage of Example 2 has both a grain aroma and a full body that are more suitable for a beer-taste beverage compared to the fermented beverages of Comparative Examples 3 and 4. This shows that even when the alcohol concentration is lowered, the same trends as Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 are observed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] According to the present invention, a fermented beverage can be obtained that has an excellent balance of grain aroma intensity and body even with a low alcohol concentration, and the production method thereof can be widely applied to the production of beer-taste beverages such as low-alcohol beer-taste beverages and non-alcohol beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, these beer-taste beverages generally meet the needs of consumers as a beer substitute when they cannot drink beer with a high alcohol concentration.

Claims

1. A preparation process to obtain a saccharified liquid from starchy raw materials; a fermentation step of fermenting the obtained saccharified liquid with yeast to obtain a fermentation liquid; and A dilution step of diluting the obtained fermentation liquid with water, A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, in which an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the brewing step (excluding methods for producing a beer-taste fermented malt beverage having an alcohol concentration of less than 1 vol%).

2. A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage as described in claim 1 (excluding a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage having a carbohydrate content of less than 1.0 g / 100 mL converted into an alcohol content of 5.0% by volume).

3. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the non-assimilable saccharide is isomaltooligosaccharide.

4. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars includes transglucosidase.

5. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme comprises at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of an enzyme that hydrolyzes an α-1,6 glucoside bond in dextrin and an enzyme that hydrolyzes an α-1,4 glucoside bond in dextrin.

6. 6. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 5, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,6 glucoside bonds in dextrin includes pullulanase.

7. 6. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 5, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,4 glucoside bonds in dextrin includes maltogenic α-amylase.

8. 6. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 5, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,4 glucoside bonds in dextrin includes a heat-resistant α-amylase.

9. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the starchy raw material comprises malt.

10. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the fermented beverage has an alcohol concentration of less than 4.0 vol.%.

11. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the original wort extract concentration is adjusted to less than 10 mass% in the dilution step.

12. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the fermented beverage has a dextrin concentration of 10.0 g / L or less.

13. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the sweetness of the beer-taste beverage is 5 or more.

14. A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage as described in claim 1, wherein the beer-flavored beverage contains oligosaccharides, and the oligosaccharide content in the beer-flavored beverage is 20 g / L or more and 45 g / L or less.

15. 2. The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, further comprising a step of removing alcohol from the fermented liquid.

16. The alcohol concentration is less than 4.0 vol.%; The original wort extract concentration is less than 10% by mass, The dextrin concentration is 10.0 g / L or less, A beer-flavored beverage having a sweetness level of 5 or more (excluding beer-flavored fermented malt beverages having an alcohol concentration of less than 1 vol%).

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