Method for producing sparkling sake

Abstract

To provide a method for producing sparkling sake capable of efficiently producing sparkling sake with less turbidity components.SOLUTION: A method for producing sparkling sake, which involves mixing a cloudy sake containing active yeast with a first sake that has an alcohol content of 6% or less, such that the proportion of the cloudy sake in relation to the first sake is 0.5% or less by mass, to obtain a first mixed sake; next, the active yeast in this first mixed sake is propagated, followed by mixing this first mixed sake with a second sake that has been pressed, to obtain a second mixed sake; and finally, this second mixed sake is filled into a container, where it undergoes secondary fermentation by the active yeast.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing sparkling sake. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are methods for producing sparkling sake, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5, in which sake and cloudy sake are mixed and subjected to secondary fermentation in a sealed container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-089663 A [Patent Document 2] WO2009 / 048180 publication [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-184656 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2018-174709 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2018-174910 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the method for producing sparkling sake disclosed in the above patent document (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional method"), a process for removing cloudy components such as lees present in the bottle (container) after secondary fermentation is carried out to make the sparkling sake in the bottle clear.

[0005] Generally, this cloudy component removal process involves turning the bottle upside down to allow the cloudy components inside to accumulate at the neck of the bottle, and then opening the bottle to spray the cloudy components that have accumulated at the neck of the bottle to the outside, thereby removing the cloudy components from inside the bottle. However, with conventional methods, the base sake that is subjected to secondary fermentation (a mixed sake made by mixing sake and cloudy sake) contains a high proportion of cloudy sake, and as this base sake contains many cloudy components (mainly rice and active yeast), the sparkling sake obtained by secondary fermentation also contains a large amount of cloudy components.As a result, a large amount of cloudy components is removed in the cloudy component removal process, and when removing many of these cloudy components, the sparkling sake in the bottle is also discharged to the outside, resulting in a large loss of the sparkling sake in the bottle (about 20-30% of the volume) and the need to refill the bottle to make up for the loss, resulting in low productivity.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current state of the conventional methods, and provides a method for producing sparkling sake that can efficiently produce sparkling sake with fewer cloudy components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0008] This method for producing sparkling sake comprises mixing cloudy sake containing active yeast with a first sake that has been pressurized and has an alcohol content of 6% or less so that the ratio of the cloudy sake to the first sake is 0.5% or less by mass to obtain a first mixed sake, then multiplying the active yeast in this first mixed sake, mixing the first mixed sake with the pressurized second sake to obtain a second mixed sake, filling this second mixed sake into a container, and causing secondary fermentation of the second mixed sake in the container using the active yeast.

[0009] The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 1 is characterized in that the first sake has an alcohol content of 1% to 5% and a sake meter value of -70 to +5.

[0010] Furthermore, in the method for producing sparkling sake described in claim 1, the second mixed sake has an alcohol content of 9% to 13% and a sake meter value of -50 to ±0.

[0011] Furthermore, in the method for producing sparkling sake described in claim 2, the second mixed sake has an alcohol content of 9% to 13% and a sake meter value of -50 to ±0.

[0012] Furthermore, in the method for producing sparkling sake described in claim 3, the second mixed sake is a mixture of the first mixed sake and the second sake having an alcohol content of 9% to 16% and a sake meter value of -60 to +5 in a mass ratio of 10:90 to 50:50.

[0013] Furthermore, in the method for producing sparkling sake described in claim 4, the second mixed sake is a mixture of the first mixed sake and the second sake having an alcohol content of 9% to 16% and a sake meter value of -60 to +5 in a mass ratio of 10:90 to 50:50.

[0014] Furthermore, in the method for producing sparkling sake according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the second sake has a glucose concentration of 4% to 7%.

[0015] The present invention also relates to a method for producing sparkling sake as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, which is characterized in that the cloudy sake and the first sake are mixed, and then stored for 3 to 7 days in an environment at a temperature of 15°C to 35°C to grow yeast in the first mixed sake.

[0016] The method for producing sparkling sake described in claim 7 is characterized in that after mixing the cloudy sake and the first sake, the mixture is stored for 3 to 7 days in an environment at a temperature of 15°C to 35°C to allow yeast in the first mixed sake to grow.

[0017] The method for producing sparkling sake according to any one of claims 1 to 6 relates to a method for producing sparkling sake, characterized in that the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10°C to 25°C for 10 to 50 days.

[0018] The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 7 is characterized in that the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10°C to 25°C for 10 to 50 days.

[0019] The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 8 is characterized in that the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10°C to 25°C for 10 to 50 days.

[0020] The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 9 is characterized in that the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10°C to 25°C for 10 to 50 days. Effect of the Invention

[0021] As described above, the present invention reduces the amount of cloudy components after secondary fermentation and the amount of loss compared to conventional methods, making it possible to efficiently produce sparkling sake. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing sparkling sake according to Example 1. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for producing cloudy sake according to Example 1. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flow chart showing another example of the method for producing cloudy sake according to Example 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing a first sake and a second sake according to Example 1. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing sparkling sake according to Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described below with reference to the drawings to illustrate the operation of the present invention.

[0024] In the present invention, a first mixed sake is obtained by mixing cloudy sake containing active yeast with a first sake that has been transferred to the tank and has an alcohol content of 6% or less, so that the ratio of the cloudy sake to the first sake is 0.5% or less by mass, and then the active yeast in this first mixed sake is grown, so that the first mixed sake has fewer cloudy components and more active yeast.

[0025] In other words, in order to reduce the amount of cloudy components in the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation, it is sufficient to reduce the amount of cloudy sake containing the cloudy components. However, if the amount of cloudy sake is reduced, the amount of active yeast will also decrease, and the lack of active yeast will prevent sufficient secondary fermentation, resulting in the problem that the desired sparkling sake will not be obtained.

[0026] It is also possible to use cloudy sake that has less rice content (a cloudy component) and more active yeast, but since cloudy sake is generally obtained by coarse filtering, it is difficult to filter it to have less rice and more yeast, as mentioned above, and it is actually troublesome to use cloudy sake with less rice and more active yeast. This is also due to the fact that adding yeast alone is prohibited under the Liquor Tax Act.

[0027] Therefore, the inventors conducted extensive research in order to obtain cloudy sake (first mixed sake) that has a low rice content, which is a cloudy component, but contains a sufficient amount of active yeast necessary for secondary fermentation, and as described above, they discovered a method for obtaining cloudy sake (first mixed sake) with a low rice content and a high amount of active yeast by culturing and growing the active yeast in the first mixed sake obtained by mixing cloudy sake containing active yeast with first sake that has been transferred to the tank and has an alcohol content of 6% or less, so that the ratio of cloudy sake to first sake is 0.5% or less by mass.

[0028] In the present invention, a first mixed sake, which has a low content of rice (a cloudy component) and a high content of active yeast, is mixed with the second sake that has been transferred to the tank to obtain a second mixed sake, which is then filled into a container and subjected to secondary fermentation in the container. This prevents insufficient secondary fermentation due to a lack of active yeast, and allows the second mixed sake to undergo proper secondary fermentation.

[0029] Furthermore, in the present invention, the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation has fewer cloudy components, so that this second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation can be made clear in a short period of time, i.e., the cloudy components in the second mixed sake (mainly rice and active yeast) can be removed, improving productivity. Furthermore, since there are fewer cloudy components as described above, the operation of removing the cloudy components from the container becomes easier, which reduces the amount of loss during the removal operation and improves yield. EXAMPLES

[0030] <Example 1> A specific embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0031] This embodiment is a method for producing sparkling sake in which cloudy sake containing active yeast is mixed with a first sake that has been pressurized and has an alcohol content of 6% or less so that the ratio of cloudy sake to the first sake is 0.5% or less by mass to obtain a first mixed sake, the active yeast in this first mixed sake is then grown, this first mixed sake is then mixed with the pressurized second sake to obtain a second mixed sake, this second mixed sake is then filled into a container, and the second mixed sake is subjected to secondary fermentation in this container by the active yeast.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment includes a first mixing step of mixing (blending) cloudy sake with a first sake to obtain a first mixed sake, a yeast growth step of growing active yeast in the first mixed sake, a second mixing step of mixing (blending) the first mixed sake in which the active yeast has grown with a second sake to obtain a second mixed sake, a filling step of filling the second mixed sake into a container, a secondary fermentation step of subjecting the second mixed sake filled in the container to a secondary fermentation in the container, a sterilization step of subjecting the sparkling sake in the container to a sterilization treatment, a cloudy component removal step of recovering and removing cloudy components from the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation, an additional filling step of additionally filling (replenishing) sparkling sake to make up for the amount lost (missing) when the cloudy components were removed, and a corking step of sealing the container with a cork.

[0033] The process for producing sparkling sake in this example will now be described in detail with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

[0034] <First mixing process> The first mixing step is a step in which the cloudy sake containing active yeast is mixed (blended) with the first sake that has been pressurized (containing no active yeast) to obtain a first mixed sake.

[0035] The cloudy sake used in this first mixing process should be mixed to a certain extent (for example, 10 5It is sufficient for the first sake to have a yeast content of approximately 100% (approximately 100% yeast cells / ml), and since yeast growth is inhibited if the alcohol content of the first sake to be mixed with this nigori sake is too high, it is sufficient for the alcohol content of the first sake to be high enough to allow yeast growth.

[0036] In this embodiment, the nigori sake used is one obtained by a conventional production method as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, and specifically, the nigori sake used has an alcohol content of 1% to 19% (preferably 5% to 13%), a sake meter value of -70 to +5 (preferably -50 to -30), an acidity of 1 to 8 (preferably 4 to 8), and an amino acid content of 0.5 to 1.5.

[0037] The first sake used is one obtained by a conventional production method as shown in FIG. 4, specifically, sake that has been pressurized and has an alcohol content of 6% or less (preferably 1% to 5%, more preferably 3% to 4%), a sake meter value of -70 to +5 (preferably -15 to -5), an acidity of 0.5 to 3.0 (preferably 0.1 to 0.5), and an amino acid content of 0.1 to 0.5.

[0038] It should be noted that, with regard to the components of the nigori sake and the first sake, the acidity and amino acid content are not essential requirements in the present invention, and therefore are not limited to the values ​​described in the present examples.

[0039] Furthermore, the cloudy sake and the first sake are mixed so that the ratio of the cloudy sake to the first sake is 0.5% or less by mass, specifically, the ratio of cloudy sake:first sake = 1:200 to 1:50,000 (by mass); in this embodiment, the cloudy sake:first sake is mixed (blended) at a ratio of 1:4999 (by mass) to obtain the first mixed sake.

[0040] The first mixed sake obtained in the manner described above has an extremely small mixing ratio of nigori sake to the first sake (the amount of nigori sake mixed relative to the first sake is extremely small), so it has almost the same component values ​​as the first sake, and furthermore, it is a sake (mixed sake) with very low contents of rice and active yeast.

[0041] <Yeast propagation process> The yeast propagation step is a step in which the active yeast in the first mixed sake obtained in the first mixing step is propagated to an amount of active yeast necessary for secondary fermentation.

[0042] That is, as mentioned above, the first mixed sake obtained in the first mixing step has an extremely small mixing ratio of cloudy sake to the first sake, so the rice content, which is the cloudy component, is extremely low, but like the rice content, the amount of active yeast is also small, and proper secondary fermentation cannot be achieved with such a small amount of active yeast. This yeast propagation step is a step in which the active yeast in the first mixed sake with a small amount of active yeast is cultured and propagated, and the active yeast in this first mixed sake is increased to an appropriate amount of yeast that can achieve proper secondary fermentation.

[0043] Specifically, in this yeast proliferation process, the first mixed sake is stored in a temperature environment of 15°C to 35°C (preferably 20°C to 30°C) for 3 to 7 days (preferably about 5 days), and the active yeast in this first mixed sake is cultured and propagated.

[0044] More specifically, in this embodiment, the first mixed sake used in the first mixing step is intended to grow yeast, and the first mixed sake has a lower alcohol content (6% or less) than general sake to allow yeast growth as described above (if the first sake in the first mixing step has a high alcohol content, for example 10% or more, the first mixed sake will have a high alcohol content, which will inhibit the growth of active yeast and will not produce the appropriate amount of yeast required for secondary fermentation).The temperature environment and storage period can be changed as appropriate depending on the mixing ratio of the cloudy sake and the first sake in the first mixing step.

[0045] <Second mixing process> The second mixing step is a step in which the first mixed sake in which active yeast has been grown in the yeast growing step is mixed (blended) with the second sake that has been separated into two portions to obtain a second mixed sake.

[0046] The second sake to be mixed with the first mixed sake is, like the first sake, produced by a standard production method as shown in FIG. 4, and specifically, is pressurized sake with an alcohol content of 9% to 16% (preferably 9% to 12%), a sake meter value of -60 to +5 (preferably -50 to -30), an acidity of 0.5 to 4.0 (preferably 2.0 to 4.0), and an amino acid content of 0.5 to 1.5.

[0047] In addition, the ingredients of the second sake are not limited to those mentioned above, and ingredients of the second mixed sake described below, particularly ingredients with an alcohol content that allows secondary fermentation (13% or less), can be used as appropriate.

[0048] Furthermore, with regard to the components of the second sake, the acidity and amino acid content are not essential requirements in the present invention, as with the cloudy sake and the first sake, and therefore are not limited to the numerical values ​​described in this example.

[0049] In addition, after yeast proliferation, the first mixed sake and the second sake are mixed (blended) in a mass ratio of first mixed sake:second sake = 10:90 to 50:50 (preferably 15:85 to 25:75) to obtain the second mixed sake.

[0050] The second mixed sake obtained as described above will have component values ​​roughly equivalent to those of the second sake, with an alcohol content of 9% to 13% (preferably 9% to 12%), a sake meter value of -60 to +5 (preferably -50 to -30), an acidity of 0.5 to 4.0 (preferably 2.0 to 4.0), and an amino acid content of 0.5 to 1.5.In addition, while it contains an appropriate amount of active yeast necessary for secondary fermentation, it is a sake (mixed sake) with very little cloudy components (especially rice components).

[0051] The second sake may contain a lot of glucose (glucose concentration: 4% to 7%). By using this fruity, sweet sake with a high glucose concentration as the second sake, it is possible to obtain a sparkling sake that has a mellow sweetness and refreshing acidity, and has a well-balanced quality that is easy to drink while still retaining the flavor of sake.

[0052] <Filling process> The filling step is a step of transferring the second mixed sake into a specified container for secondary fermentation.

[0053] Specifically, in this filling process, the second mixed sake is filled (bottled) into bottles (specifically, bottles to be used in sales), which are then sealed to make the bottles airtight. Note that a crown cap type stopper with a recess on the inside (the back of the top surface) is used as the stopper that seals the bottle opening (the recess serves as the cloudy component recovery section in the cloudy component removal process described below).

[0054] <Secondary fermentation process> The secondary fermentation process is a process in which the bottled second mixed sake is subjected to a secondary fermentation in the bottle (to produce sparkling sake).

[0055] Specifically, in this secondary fermentation process, the bottled second mixed sake is fermented (secondary fermentation) for 10 to 50 days in a temperature environment of 10°C to 25°C, resulting in sparkling sake with an alcohol content of 10% to 13%, sake meter value of -40 to -20, acidity of 2 to 4, amino acid content of 0.5 to 1.5, and carbon dioxide content of 4GV to 6GV.

[0056] <Sterilization process> The sterilization process is a process in which the sparkling sake in the bottle is sterilized.

[0057] Specifically, in this sterilization step, a heat sterilization treatment is performed, and more specifically, the bottled product is subjected to a pasteurization treatment at 60° C. to 70° C. for 5 minutes or more (for example, 65° C., 10 minutes).

[0058] <Turbidity removal process> The cloudy component removal process is a process for recovering and removing cloudy components in the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation.

[0059] Specifically, in this cloudy component removal process, the bottle is turned upside down to allow the cloudy components in the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation to accumulate at the mouth of the bottle, and the cloudy components that have accumulated at the mouth of the bottle are then removed, leaving the sparkling sake in the bottle clear.

[0060] More specifically, a bottle containing the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation for 30 to 45 days in a temperature environment of -5°C to 5°C is turned upside down with the bottle mouth facing downwards, and the bottle is rocked at appropriate times during the process, allowing the cloudy components inside the bottle to settle and accumulate on the bottle mouth side - specifically, in a recess on the back side of the stopper (crown cap) that seals the bottle mouth - and is then recovered, after which the bottle is opened and the cloudy components are discharged from the bottle.

[0061] In this embodiment, the timing of opening the bottle is delayed compared to the conventional method in order to reduce as much as possible the amount of sparkling sake discharged together with the cloudy components.

[0062] Specifically, in the conventional method, the bottle is opened before the liquid level in the bottle separates from the lid (stopper), whereas in this embodiment, the bottle is opened after the liquid level separates from the lid.

[0063] In this embodiment, the amount of cloudy components recovered is extremely small, approximately 1 / 250 of that obtained using conventional methods, and by optimizing the timing of opening the bottle as described above, the amount of loss (loss) of the second mixed sake (sparkling sake) in the bottle when removing the cloudy components can be kept extremely small, at less than 3% of the amount of second mixed sake (sparkling sake) in the bottle (the amount of loss using conventional methods is approximately 20% to 30%).

[0064] <Additional filling process> The additional filling step is a step of additionally filling (replenishing) sparkling sake to make up for the amount lost when the cloudy components are removed in the cloudy component removal step.

[0065] Specifically, in this additional filling process, clear sparkling sake from which the cloudy components have been removed is filled into the bottle, and in this embodiment, because the amount of loss is very small as described above, the amount of additional filling (replenishment amount) is also extremely small, or there is no need for additional filling.

[0066] <Pottering process> The corking process is a process of resealing the bottle by corking so that the carbon dioxide inside the bottle does not escape.

[0067] Specifically, in the case of this embodiment, after the bottle is sealed with a cork, a wire hood is attached to seal the bottle again.

[0068] The effects of this embodiment including each of the steps described above will be described below.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first mixed sake, which has a low content of rice (a cloudy component) and a high content of active yeast, is mixed with the second sake that has been transferred to the tank to obtain the second mixed sake. This second mixed sake is then filled into a container and subjected to secondary fermentation in this container. As a result, there is no insufficient secondary fermentation due to a lack of active yeast, the second mixed sake can be subjected to appropriate secondary fermentation, and a sparkling sake with a good carbonation can be obtained.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, because there is very little cloudy components in the first mixed sake that is mixed with the second sake to obtain the second mixed sake, there is also very little cloudy components in the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation. As a result, this second fermented second mixed sake, i.e., sparkling sake, can be made clear in a short amount of time, improving productivity. Furthermore, because there are few cloudy components as described above, the task of removing the cloudy components from the bottle is also easier. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of loss of the second mixed sake (sparkling sake) when removing the cloudy components (conventional example: 20% to 30% of the volume of the sparkling sake in the container → this embodiment: 3% or less of the volume of the sparkling sake in the container), so little or no additional filling of sparkling sake is required, resulting in a revolutionary method for producing sparkling sake with a significantly improved yield compared to conventional methods (about 20% to 30% increase).

[0071] <Example 2> A second specific embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0072] The method for producing sparkling sake in Example 1 described above is a method in which the second mixed sake is filled into a bottle and subjected to secondary fermentation in the bottle to obtain sparkling sake, whereas the method for producing sparkling sake in this example is a method in which the second mixed sake is filled into a storage tank and subjected to secondary fermentation in the storage tank to obtain sparkling sake.

[0073] Below, the method for producing sparkling sake in this example will be specifically described for each of the steps, following the flow chart shown in Figure 5. Note that this example is similar to Example 1 up to the second mixing step to obtain the second mixed sake, so the explanation of the steps before the second mixing step will be omitted, and only the filling step of filling the storage tank and thereafter will be explained.

[0074] <Filling process> The filling step is a step of transferring the second mixed sake into a specified container for secondary fermentation.

[0075] Specifically, in this filling step, the second mixed sake is filled into the storage tank, and then the inside of the storage tank is sealed.

[0076] <Secondary fermentation process> The secondary fermentation step is a step in which the second mixed sake filled in the storage tank is subjected to secondary fermentation within the storage tank (to produce sparkling sake).

[0077] Specifically, in this secondary fermentation process, the second mixed sake filled in a storage tank is fermented (secondary fermentation) for 10 to 50 days in a temperature environment of 15°C to 25°C, resulting in sparkling sake with an alcohol content of 10% to 13%, sake meter value of -40 to -20, acidity of 2 to 4, amino acid content of 0.5 to 1.5, and carbon dioxide content of 4GV to 6GV.

[0078] <Turbidity removal process> The cloudy component removal process is a process in which the cloudy components in the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation are allowed to settle and accumulate at the bottom of the storage tank.

[0079] Specifically, in this turbidity component removal process, the turbidity components are allowed to settle to the bottom of the storage tank and are deposited on the bottom of the storage tank with the temperature environment of the storage tank set at about -5° C. The turbidity components deposited on the bottom of the storage tank are discharged from the discharge port provided at the bottom of the storage tank at an appropriate time.

[0080] <Bottling process> The bottling process is the process of bottling (filling) the clear second mixed sake (sparkling sake) from which the cloudy components have been removed in the storage tank into bottles (specifically, bottles to be used for sales).

[0081] Specifically, in this bottling process, sparkling sake is poured out from a spout installed in a storage tank and filled directly into bottles. The spout of the storage tank is installed above the height at which cloudy components accumulate from the bottom of the storage tank, so the sparkling sake is poured out of the storage tank in a clear state, without any cloudy components.

[0082] <Pottering process> The corking process is a process of sealing the bottle with a cork to prevent the carbon dioxide from escaping from the bottle.

[0083] Specifically, in the case of this embodiment, after the bottle is sealed with a cork, a wire hood is attached to seal the bottle.

[0084] <Sterilization process> The sterilization process is a process in which the sparkling sake in the bottle is sterilized.

[0085] Specifically, in this sterilization step, a heat sterilization treatment is performed, and more specifically, the bottled product is subjected to a pasteurization treatment at 60° C. to 70° C. for 5 minutes or more (for example, 65° C., 10 minutes).

[0086] The effects of this embodiment including each of the steps described above will be described below.

[0087] In this embodiment, like in embodiment 1, the first mixed sake, which has a low content of rice (a cloudy component) and a high content of active yeast, is mixed with the second sake that has been transferred to the tank to obtain the second mixed sake. This second mixed sake is then filled into a container and subjected to secondary fermentation in this container. As a result, there is no insufficient secondary fermentation due to a lack of active yeast, the second mixed sake can be subjected to appropriate secondary fermentation, and a sparkling sake with a good carbonation can be obtained.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, because the first mixed sake that is mixed with the second sake to obtain the second mixed sake contains very little cloudy components, the second mixed sake that has undergone secondary fermentation also contains very little cloudy components, and therefore the height of the cloudy components that accumulate at the bottom of the storage tank is low, and the amount of clear sparkling sake in the storage tank increases. Therefore, by setting the height position of the sparkling sake spout in the storage tank to an appropriate height, more sparkling sake can be obtained, making this a groundbreaking method for producing sparkling sake that significantly improves yields compared to conventional methods.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, and the specific configuration of each component can be designed as appropriate.

Claims

1. A method for producing sparkling sake, comprising: mixing cloudy sake containing active yeast with a first sake that has been pressurized and has an alcohol content of 6% or less so that the ratio of the cloudy sake to the first sake is 0.5% or less by mass to obtain a first mixed sake; then multiplying the active yeast in this first mixed sake; then mixing the first mixed sake with the pressurized second sake to obtain a second mixed sake; then filling this second mixed sake into a container and causing secondary fermentation of the second mixed sake in the container using the active yeast.

2. 2. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 1, wherein the first sake has an alcohol content of 1% to 5% and a sake meter value of -70 to +5.

3. 2. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 1, wherein the second mixed sake has an alcohol content of 9% to 13% and a sake meter value of -50 to ±0.

4. 3. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 2, wherein the second mixed sake has an alcohol content of 9% to 13% and a sake meter value of -50 to ±0.

5. 4. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 3, wherein the second mixed sake is a mixture of the first mixed sake and the second sake having an alcohol content of 9% to 16% and a sake meter value of -60 to +5 in a mass ratio of 10:90 to 50:

50.

6. 5. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 4, wherein the second mixed sake is a mixture of the first mixed sake and the second sake having an alcohol content of 9% to 16% and a sake meter value of -60 to +5 in a mass ratio of 10:90 to 50:

50.

7. 7. The method for producing sparkling sake according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second sake has a glucose concentration of 4% to 7%.

8. 7. A method for producing sparkling sake according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising mixing the cloudy sake and the first sake, and then storing the mixture in an environment at a temperature of 15°C to 35°C for 3 to 7 days to allow yeast in the first mixed sake to grow.

9. 8. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 7, wherein the cloudy sake and the first sake are mixed, and then stored for 3 to 7 days in an environment at a temperature of 15°C to 35°C to allow yeast in the first mixed sake to grow.

10. 7. The method for producing sparkling sake according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10°C to 25°C for 10 to 50 days.

11. 8. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 7, wherein the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10° C. to 25° C. for 10 to 50 days.

12. 9. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 8, wherein the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10° C. to 25° C. for 10 to 50 days.

13. 10. The method for producing sparkling sake according to claim 9, wherein the secondary fermentation is carried out in a temperature environment of 10° C. to 25° C. for 10 to 50 days.

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