Fermented beverage and method for producing same

Abstract

To provide a fermented beverage excellent in balance of intensity of grain flavor and body feeling even at a low alcohol concentration, and to provide a method for producing the same.SOLUTION: A method for producing a fermented beverage, comprising a charging step of obtaining a saccharified solution from a starch material, a fermentation step of fermenting the obtained saccharified solution with a yeast to obtain a fermented liquid, and a dilution step of diluting the obtained fermented liquid with water, wherein an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugar from assimilable sugar and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the charging step, and the fermented beverage has an alcohol concentration of less than 4.0 vol%, a raw wort extract concentration of less than 10 mass%, a dextrin concentration of 10.0g / L or less, and a sweetness degree 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 consumer demand for beer-flavored beverages, such as low-alcohol beers with a similar taste to beer and non-alcoholic beers that contain substantially no alcohol. These beer-flavored beverages are generally consumed as beer substitutes when consumers cannot drink high-alcohol beers, and therefore it is preferable that they have a taste similar to beer except for the alcohol concentration. For this reason, there is a demand for the development of beer-flavored beverages that have a taste more similar to beer.

[0003] A known method for producing a beer-flavored beverage with a low alcohol concentration is to add α-glucosidase (transglucosidase) to a saccharified solution 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 it has the same richness and full body as regular 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 any prominent sweetness or other unnatural flavors. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in which the bitterness value relative to the extract content of the final product is adjusted to fall within a specified range, with the aim of providing a method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage that has sufficient body, 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] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-239460 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-133924 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In addition to the above-mentioned problems, beer-flavored beverages produced with the addition of transglucosidase have the problem that the grain aroma derived from malt is relatively prominent due to the low alcohol concentration. While it is possible to balance the intensity of the grain aroma by diluting the beverage according to the alcohol concentration, this also results in a loss of body and a flat taste. It was found that the technologies of Patent Documents 3 and 4 have room for improvement in terms of the balance of the intensity 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 body even with a low alcohol concentration, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors of the present invention have noted that in beer-flavored beverages with a low alcohol concentration, sugars with a higher sweetness than dextrin contribute more to enhancing the body of the beverage, and have discovered that the above-mentioned problem can be solved by adding an enzyme that converts assimilable sugars into non-assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin to the brewing process for obtaining a saccharified solution from a starchy raw material, and further including a dilution process for diluting the obtained fermentation solution with water.

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

[15] . [1] A preparation process for obtaining a saccharified liquid from a starchy raw material; a fermentation step in which the obtained saccharified liquid is fermented with yeast to obtain a fermented liquid; and A dilution step of diluting the obtained fermentation liquid with water, A method for producing a fermented beverage, wherein an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the mashing step. [2] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to [1] above, wherein the non-assimilable sugar is isomaltooligosaccharide. [3] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the enzyme that converts assimilable sugars into non-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 according to [4], wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucoside bond of the dextrin includes pullulanase. [6] A method for producing a fermented beverage according to [4], wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond of the dextrin includes a maltogenic α-amylase. [7] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to [4], wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond of the dextrin includes a heat-resistant α-amylase. [8] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the starchy raw material includes malt. [9] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to 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 alcohol concentration of the fermented beverage is less than 4.0 vol%.

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

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

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

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

[13] The method for producing a fermented beverage according to 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. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fermented beverage that has an excellent balance of grain aroma intensity and body, even with a low alcohol concentration, and a method for producing the same. [Brief explanation 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 below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [Manufacturing method of fermented beverages] The method for producing a fermented beverage of the present invention comprises a brewing 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 brewing step. In the present invention, "dextrin" refers to a starchy hydrolysate, 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 at a low alcohol concentration. The reason for this is unclear, but is thought to be as follows. Traditionally, sweetness and dextrin have been thought to contribute to enhancing the body (richness, satisfying taste) of beer-taste beverages. However, research by the present inventors has revealed that, in low-alcohol beer-taste beverages, sugars with 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 solution from a starchy raw material, an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin is added in addition to an enzyme that converts assimilable sugars into non-assimilable sugars. This allows the dextrin to exist as a low-molecular-weight sugar in place of the dextrin present in conventional beer-taste beverages, and is thought to result in an enhanced body. Furthermore, by including a dilution process in which the resulting fermented solution is diluted with water, the intensity of the cereal aroma can be suppressed and balanced without impairing the body, and therefore a fermented beverage with a well-balanced cereal 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 mashing step (hereinafter also simply referred to as "mashing step") of obtaining a saccharified solution from a starchy raw material. In the preparation process, it is preferable to prepare a mixture containing starchy raw materials and raw material water (hereinafter also referred to as "mash"), heat it, and perform a saccharification process to saccharify the starch in the starchy raw materials, thereby obtaining a saccharified liquid. In the production method of the present invention, from the viewpoint of adjusting the alcohol concentration and enhancing the body of the beer, an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the mashing step.

[0013] (Starchy ingredients) In the present invention, the starchy 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. using 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 also 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.

[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 flavor.

[0015] In addition, in the mashing step, 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 contains glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, maltotriose, etc. The carbohydrate raw material may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0016] (Enzymes that convert assimilable sugars into non-assimilable sugars) In the mashing step, an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars is added to convert assimilable sugars into non-assimilable sugars. Specifically, assimilable sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, and maltotriose are converted into 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 body of the sake. Isomaltooligosaccharides are oligosaccharides whose constituent sugar is glucose and which have at least one α-1,6 bond, one α-1,2 bond, one 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 step, and alcohol production can be suppressed, thereby reducing the alcohol concentration of the resulting fermented beverage.

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

[0018] In order to adjust the alcohol concentration, when adding transglucosidase (Transglucosidase L "Amano" manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.), the amount of enzyme added that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars is preferably 0.05 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of starchy raw material, and is preferably 1 part by mass or less, more preferably 0.8 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 0.6 parts 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 catalyzed by the added enzyme is sufficiently carried out by the end of the mashing 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 (mashed rice) containing the starchy raw material and raw water, or may be added during the saccharification treatment of the starch in the starchy raw material. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of allowing the enzymatic reaction to proceed sufficiently, it is preferable to add the transglucosidase at an early stage in the mashing process, and more preferably when preparing the mashed rice in the mashing 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 starchy 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 the α-1,6 glucoside bond or the α-1,4 glucoside bond of dextrin. Examples of enzymes that hydrolyze the α-1,6 glucosidic bond of dextrin include pullulanase and isoamylase, and it is preferable to include pullulanase. Examples of enzymes that hydrolyze the α-1,4-glucosidic bond of dextrin include α-amylase and β-amylase, and preferably include α-amylase. The α-amylase preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of thermostable α-amylase and maltogenic α-amylase. Glucoamylase is an example of an enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,4 glucoside bonds and α-1,6 glucoside bonds. Among these, from the viewpoint of reducing the dextrin concentration and enhancing the body, the dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucoside bond of dextrin and an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond of dextrin, more preferably includes an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucoside bond of dextrin and an enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond of dextrin, even more preferably includes pullulanase and α-amylase, and even more preferably includes pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase.

[0022] In order to reduce the dextrin concentration and enhance the body, the amount of the dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme added, 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 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more, and is preferably 1 part by mass or less, more preferably 0.8 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 0.6 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of the starchy raw material.

[0023] The addition of the dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme is not particularly limited as long as the reaction caused by the added enzyme is sufficiently carried out by the end of the mashing process. For example, when a composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase ("Ceremix® Flex" manufactured by Novozymes) is used as the dextrin-hydrolyzing enzyme, the composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase may be added together with the starchy raw material during preparation of a mixture (mashed rice) containing the starchy raw material and raw water, or may be added during saccharification of the starch in the starchy raw material. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of sufficiently proceeding the enzymatic reaction, the composite enzyme of pullulanase, thermostable α-amylase, and maltogenic α-amylase is preferably added at an early stage of the mashing process, and more preferably during preparation of the mashed rice in the mashing process.

[0024] (Saccharification treatment) The saccharification process is carried out by keeping the mashed rice at a predetermined temperature for a certain period of time, using enzymes derived from the starchy raw material and added enzymes. The preparation of the mashed potatoes can be carried out by a conventional method, such as by keeping them 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 saccharification can be adjusted appropriately taking into consideration the type and amount of starchy raw material, the type and amount of enzyme 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 holding them at 50°C or higher and 72°C or lower for 30 minutes or higher and 90 minutes or lower. 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, 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 holding the mash at 76°C or higher and 78°C or lower for about 10 minutes, and then filtering the mashed 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 determined as appropriate. By adding herbs, flavorings, etc. as appropriate before or during the boiling process, a fermented beverage with 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 hops in several portions), and the boiling conditions can be determined appropriately. The boiled saccharified liquid (wort) is preferably transferred to a tank called a whirlpool, where hop dregs and coagulated proteins resulting from the 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 typically between 8°C and 15°C.

[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 solution with yeast to obtain a fermented solution. In the fermentation step, it is preferable to inoculate the cooled saccharified liquid (wort) obtained in the mashing step with yeast, transfer it to a fermentation tank, and carry out fermentation. The yeast used for fermentation is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected from yeasts typically 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 then store it under low-temperature conditions at about 0°C to stabilize it. After that, 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 broth (hereinafter also referred to as a "dealcoholization step") in order to reduce 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 liquor obtained by removing alcohol from the fermentation liquor 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") in which the obtained fermented liquid is diluted with water in order to adjust the balance of the intensity 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 adjusted appropriately according to the desired original wort extract concentration, alcohol concentration, true extract concentration, etc. of the product, but it is preferable to adjust the original wort extract concentration to less than 10% by 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 the process after the yeast fermentation process. 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 finished product.

[0031] [Fermented drinks] 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 its alcohol content. Specific examples of beer-taste beverages include beer, happoshu, new genre beer (a type of sparkling alcoholic beverage that uses hops as one ingredient and does not fall under the category of beer or happoshu), low-alcohol beer, and non-alcohol beer.

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

[0034] 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, from the viewpoint of enhancing the body feeling. There is no particular lower limit, but from the viewpoint of productivity, it 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 body feeling, the fermented beverage of the present invention preferably contains an oligosaccharide in which 2 to 6 glucose units are bonded, and more preferably contains one or more oligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose.

[0036] From the viewpoint of enhancing the body feeling, the total content of oligosaccharides having 2 to 6 glucose bonds in the fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably 20 g / L or more, more preferably 25 g / L or more, even more preferably 30 g / L or more, and even more preferably 33 g / L or more, and is preferably 45 g / L or less, more preferably 40 g / L or less, and 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 with 2 to 6 glucose bonds to the dextrin concentration (g / L) in the fermented beverage of the present invention [total content of oligosaccharides with 2 to 6 glucose bonds / dextrin concentration] is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, even more preferably 7 or more, and even 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.

[0037] From the viewpoint of enhancing the body, 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 preferably 20 g / L or more, more preferably 25 g / L or more, even more preferably 30 g / L or more, and even more preferably 33 g / L or more, and is preferably 45 g / L or less, more preferably 40 g / L or less, and 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, and even 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 body 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%, a raw wort extract concentration of less than 10 mass%, a dextrin concentration of 10.0 g / L or less, and a sweetness level of 5 or more. [Example]

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

[0041] <Measurement of raw wort extract concentration> The raw 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 the "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" in the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (2013 revised edition)").

[0043] <Measurement of true extract concentration> The measurement of true extract was carried out in accordance with 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: Aminex HPX-42A column for sugar analysis (300 x 7.8 mm, manufactured by 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: 5 μL The sugars used as reagents were D(-) fructose, D(+) glucose, maltose monohydrate, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose, and the peaks corresponding to the reagents were identified as fructose, glucose, maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and maltohexaose, respectively. Due to the characteristics of this analytical method, branched chain sugars are not separated, and therefore the analytical value for maltose is the total amount of maltose, isomaltose, trehalose, kojibiose, and nigerose, the analytical value for maltotriose is the total amount of maltotriose, isomaltotriose, and panose, the analytical value for maltotetraose is the total amount of maltotetraose and isomaltotetraose, the analytical value for maltopentaose is the total amount of maltopentaose and isomaltopentaose, and the analytical value for maltohexaose is the total amount of maltohexaose and isomaltohexaose. The analysis values ​​of sugars with molecular weights greater than that of maltohexaose were measured as high-polymerization 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 malt powder and 20 kg of corn starch were added and mixed as starchy raw materials to the water whose hardness had been adjusted so that the mass ratio of raw water to 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 (Ceremix (registered trademark) Flex, manufactured by Novozymes) was added per 1 kg of starchy raw materials, and 4 g of transglucosidase (Transglucosidase L "Amano", manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) per 1 kg of starchy raw materials was added, and the mixture was heated in a three-stage diagram at 50°C for 30 minutes, 64.5°C for 45 minutes, and 70°C for 10 minutes to carry out saccharification treatment. 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, to which water was added so that the original wort extract concentration was 12% by mass. Next, an appropriate amount of hops was added, and the mixture was boiled for 70 minutes. Water was then added to adjust the original wort extract concentration to 12% by mass. Solid-liquid separation was carried out in a whirlpool (swirl separation tank), and the wort was then cooled in a heat exchanger. Next, yeast was added to the cooled wort and fermented to obtain a fermented liquid. The resulting fermented liquor was diluted to the desired concentration of raw wort extract for the final product and then 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 be the same as the alcohol concentration in Example 1.

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

[0049] The original wort extract concentration, alcohol concentration, true extract concentration, and sugar content of the resulting fermented beverages were measured, and the sweetness was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1. Figure 1 shows the sugar content 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 strength of the grain aroma and body were equivalent or not, depending on the degree of this, using the evaluation criteria below.The average value of the 10 expert panelists' scores, rounded to the nearest tenth, is shown in Table 1 as the evaluation score. [Evaluation criteria] 4: Equivalent to commercially available regular beer. 3: Almost 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 of a beer-taste beverage. Furthermore, the fermented beverage of Comparative Example 2 is a further diluted version of the fermented beverage of Comparative Example 1, and therefore has an appropriate grain aroma intensity for a beer-taste beverage, but lacks a full body. On the other hand, Table 1 and Figure 1 show that the fermented beverage of Example 1 has a lower total sugar content than the fermented beverages of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, yet has grain aroma and full-bodied flavor that are both suitable for a beer-flavored beverage. This is thought to be because, due to the addition of an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin in the brewing process, the dextrin concentration was reduced as shown in Figure 1, but relatively sweet oligosaccharides were produced, enhancing the full-bodied flavor. Furthermore, the inclusion of a dilution process in which the resulting fermented liquid was diluted with water enabled the intensity of the grain aroma to be optimally adjusted, resulting in a fermented beverage with an excellent balance of grain aroma intensity and full-bodied flavor. Furthermore, as can be seen from Table 1, in Example 1, the intensity of the grain aroma can be adjusted to be optimal by including a dilution process in which the obtained fermented liquid is diluted with water, so that it is possible to produce a larger amount of fermented beverage from the same amount of raw materials while still having a body similar to that of Comparative Example 1, and the yield can also be improved.

[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 resulting fermented liquid was sprayed into a degassing tank under reduced pressure of around 90 mbar to remove carbon dioxide, and then heated to around 50°C using a plate cooler. The liquid was then brought into contact with steam heated to around 50°C in a reduced pressure column at around 90 mbar, causing the volatile components to adsorb onto the steam, and removing the alcohol and volatile components 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 the same as in Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2, and carbon dioxide gas was dissolved to make the gas pressure 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, sensory evaluation of grain aroma and body was carried out by 10 beer expert panelists using the same method as 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 exhibits both a grain aroma and a full-bodied flavor that are more suitable for a beer-flavored beverage than the fermented beverages of Comparative Examples 3 and 4. This shows that even when the alcohol concentration is lowered, the same trends as those of 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 a well-balanced grain aroma intensity and an excellent body, even at a low alcohol concentration, and the production method thereof is widely applicable to the production of beer-flavored beverages such as low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages and non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages. Furthermore, these beer-flavored beverages generally meet the needs of consumers as a beer substitute when they cannot drink high-alcohol beers.

Claims

1. A preparation process to obtain a saccharified liquid from starchy raw materials; a fermentation step in which the obtained saccharified liquid is fermented with yeast to obtain a fermented liquid; and A dilution step of diluting the obtained fermentation liquid with water, A method for producing a fermented beverage, wherein an enzyme that produces non-assimilable sugars from assimilable sugars and an enzyme that hydrolyzes dextrin are added in the mashing step.

2. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the non-assimilable sugar is isomaltooligosaccharide.

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

4. The method for producing a fermented 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.

5. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 4, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glucoside bond of dextrin includes pullulanase.

6. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 4, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond of dextrin includes a maltogenic α-amylase.

7. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 4, wherein the enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-1,4 glucoside bond of dextrin includes a thermostable α-amylase.

8. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the starchy raw material comprises malt.

9. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the fermented beverage is a beer-taste beverage.

10. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol concentration of the fermented beverage is less than 4.0 vol %.

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

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

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

14. The method for producing a fermented beverage according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of removing alcohol from the fermented 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 having a sweetness level of 5 or more.

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