Method for producing beer-taste beverage, and method for reducing ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate

Abstract

To provide a method for producing a beer-taste beverage in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is effectively reduced, and to provide a method for effectively reducing the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in the beer-taste beverage.SOLUTION: A method for producing a beer-taste beverage includes a boiling step of boiling a raw material liquid, a removal step of removing an unwanted substance in the raw material liquid boiled in the boiling step, a cooling step of cooling the raw material liquid from which the unwanted substance has been removed in the removal step, and a fermentation step of performing alcohol fermentation by adding yeast to the raw material liquid cooled in the cooling step. The beer-taste beverage is produced in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is reduced as compared with a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except that the silicone-based defoaming agent is not added.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a beer-taste beverage and a method for reducing ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that, as a result of a sensory evaluation of wort to which an organic antifoaming agent containing an emulsifier as a main component was added, the wort had an enhanced body compared to wort to which the antifoaming agent was not added. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-128240 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, the high content of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate contained in beer-taste beverages can have an undesirable effect on flavor.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objects is to provide a method for producing a beer-taste beverage in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is effectively reduced, and a method for effectively reducing the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in a beer-taste beverage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems comprises a boiling step of boiling a liquid raw material, a removal step of removing unwanted substances from the liquid raw material boiled in the boiling step, a cooling step of cooling the liquid raw material from which the unwanted substances have been removed in the removal step, and a fermentation step of adding yeast to the liquid raw material cooled in the cooling step and carrying out alcoholic fermentation, wherein a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the liquid raw material between the boiling step and the fermentation step to produce a beer-taste beverage with a reduced content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent. According to the present invention, a method for producing a beer-taste beverage with an effectively reduced content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is provided.

[0007] [2] In the method of [1] above, a beer-taste beverage may be produced in which the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content is reduced by 5% or more compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent. [3] In the method of [1] or [2] above, the raw material liquid may be prepared using a hop ingredient, and a beer-taste beverage may be produced in which the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content is reduced and the myrcene content is increased compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent.

[0008] [4] In the method according to any one of [1] to [3] above, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added to the liquid raw material in the boiling step and / or the removing step. [5] In the method according to any one of [1] to [4] above, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added to the liquid raw material in the boiling step. [6] In the method according to any one of [1] to [5] above, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added to the liquid raw material in an amount of 30 ppm or less, calculated as silicone resin, in the liquid raw material. [7] In the method according to any one of [1] to [6] above, the beer-taste beverage may be produced using only malt as the raw material used in preparing the liquid raw material in the brewing step.

[0009] [8] A method for reducing ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in a beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems comprises the steps of: a boiling step of boiling a liquid raw material; a removal step of removing unwanted substances from the liquid raw material boiled in the boiling step; a cooling step of cooling the liquid raw material from which the unwanted substances have been removed in the removal step; and a fermentation step of adding yeast to the liquid raw material cooled in the cooling step and carrying out alcoholic fermentation; and by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the liquid raw material between the boiling step and the fermentation step, the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in the beer-taste beverage is reduced compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent. According to the present invention, a method for effectively reducing the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in a beer-taste beverage is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention provides a method for producing a beer-taste beverage in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is effectively reduced, and a method for effectively reducing the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in a beer-taste beverage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of evaluating the component contents of a beer-taste beverage in Example 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of evaluating the component contents of a beer-taste beverage in Example 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of evaluating the component contents of a beer-taste beverage in Example 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of evaluating the component contents of a beer-taste beverage in Example 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of evaluating the component contents of the beer-taste beverage in Example 5 according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A method according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the method") will be described below, although the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0013] In one aspect, this method comprises a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, which includes a boiling step of boiling a raw material liquid, a removal step of removing unnecessary substances from the raw material liquid boiled in the boiling step, a cooling step of cooling the raw material liquid from which the unnecessary substances have been removed in the removal step, and a fermentation step of adding yeast to the raw material liquid cooled in the cooling step to carry out alcoholic fermentation, and by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid between the boiling step and the fermentation step, a beer-taste beverage is produced that has a reduced content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except that the silicone-based antifoaming agent is not added.

[0014] Specifically, the inventors of the present invention conducted extensive research into technical means for controlling the components of beer-taste beverages and unexpectedly and independently discovered that the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in beer-taste beverages can be effectively reduced by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent between the boiling step and the fermentation step, which led to the completion of the present invention.

[0015] Therefore, in another aspect, the present method includes a method for producing a beer-taste beverage which includes a boiling step of boiling a raw material liquid, a removal step of removing unwanted substances from the raw material liquid boiled in the boiling step, a cooling step of cooling the raw material liquid from which the unwanted substances have been removed in the removal step, and a fermentation step of adding yeast to the raw material liquid cooled in the cooling step to carry out alcoholic fermentation, by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid between the boiling step and the fermentation step, thereby reducing the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in the beer-taste beverage compared to a beer-taste beverage produced in the same manner except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent.

[0016] The silicone-based antifoaming agent used in the present method is not particularly limited as long as it is an antifoaming agent containing a silicone resin and can achieve the effects of the present invention. For example, one or more silicone-based antifoaming agents selected from the group consisting of emulsion-type, oil-type, and oil-compound-type antifoaming agents used in foods are preferably used.

[0017] In the boiling step of this method, the raw material liquid is boiled. The raw material liquid is prepared by mixing the raw material with water in a preparation step carried out prior to the boiling step. The raw material used to prepare the raw material liquid in the preparation step preferably contains a plant material. Specifically, the plant material preferably contains one or more selected from the group consisting of grains, beans, and potatoes. The grains, beans, and potatoes may be germinated, non-germinated, or both.

[0018] The grain is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of wheat, rice, corn, and sorghum, and is particularly preferably wheat. The grain is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of barley, wheat, oats, and rye, and is more preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of barley and wheat, and is particularly preferably barley.

[0019] When the raw material contains wheat or barley, the wheat or barley includes germinated wheat or barley (malt) and / or non-germinated wheat or barley (ungerminated wheat or barley), and preferably contains malt. The malt is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of barley malt, wheat malt, oat malt, and rye malt, more preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of barley malt and wheat malt, and particularly preferably barley malt.

[0020] When the raw material contains wheat or barley, the raw material may further contain ingredients other than the wheat or barley. In this case, the ingredients other than wheat or barley are not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, auxiliary ingredients used in the production of beer, etc. (rice, corn, starch, sugars, etc.) are preferably used.

[0021] When the raw material contains barley, the weight of the barley (when the barley contains malt and ungerminated barley, the sum of the weight of the malt and the weight of the ungerminated barley) per 100 parts by weight of the raw material is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained, but may be, for example, 1 part by weight or more, 10 parts by weight or more, 20 parts by weight or more, 30 parts by weight or more, 40 parts by weight or more, or 50 parts by weight or more. Furthermore, the weight of the barley per 100 parts by weight of the raw material may be, for example, 100 parts by weight or less, or less than 100 parts by weight. The weight of the barley per 100 parts by weight of the raw material may be specified by any combination of any of the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and any of the above-mentioned upper limit values.

[0022] When the raw material contains malt, the weight of the malt (when the malt contains multiple types of malt, the total weight of the multiple types of malt) per 100 parts by weight of the raw material is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained. For example, it may be 1 part by weight or more, preferably 10 parts by weight or more, more preferably 20 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 30 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 40 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 50 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 60 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 70 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 80 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 90 parts by weight or more, and particularly preferably 100 parts by weight or more. However, the weight of malt per 100 parts by weight of the raw material may be less than 100 parts by weight or may be 99 parts by weight or less. The weight of malt per 100 parts by weight of the raw material may be specified by any combination of any of the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and any of the above-mentioned upper limit values.

[0023] When the raw material contains malt, the weight of the malt (if the malt contains multiple types of malt, the total weight of the multiple types of malt) per 100 parts by weight of the raw material is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained. For example, it may be 1 part by weight or more, preferably 10 parts by weight or more, more preferably 20 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 30 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 40 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 50 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 60 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 70 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 80 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 90 parts by weight or more, and particularly preferably 100 parts by weight. However, the weight of malt per 100 parts by weight of the mugi may be less than 100 parts by weight or may be 99 parts by weight or less. The weight of malt per 100 parts by weight of the mugi may be specified by any combination of any of the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and any of the above-mentioned upper limit values.

[0024] In this method, it is particularly preferred to produce a beer-taste beverage using only malt as the raw material used in the preparation of the raw material liquid in the brewing step. That is, in this case, 100 parts by weight of malt is used for every 100 parts by weight of the raw material used in the brewing step (i.e., a raw material consisting entirely of malt is used). Although the effects of the present invention can be obtained in other embodiments as well, the present invention is particularly effective in an embodiment in which only malt is used as the raw material in the brewing step.

[0025] In the mashing step, the raw material liquid may be prepared by saccharification. Saccharification is carried out by heating a raw material liquid containing polysaccharides and proteins (e.g., polysaccharides and proteins derived from wheat or barley) and digestive enzymes (e.g., polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and / or protease enzymes) to a temperature at which the digestive enzymes are active (e.g., 30°C or higher and 80°C or lower). Digestive enzymes that are preferably used are those contained in the raw material (e.g., plant raw materials such as wheat or barley) and / or those that are added externally (e.g., those derived from microorganisms).

[0026] In the boiling step, the raw material liquid prepared in the mashing step as described above is heated to boiling. Specifically, for example, the raw material liquid after saccharification in the mashing step is filtered in a filtration step (so-called wort filtration), and in the boiling step, the filtered raw material liquid is heated to boiling. The boiling time in the boiling step is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but may be, for example, 1 minute or more, 10 minutes or more, 20 minutes or more, 25 minutes or more, or 30 minutes or more. Furthermore, the boiling time in the boiling step may be, for example, 240 minutes or less, 180 minutes or less, 120 minutes or less, 100 minutes or less, or 90 minutes or less. The boiling time in the boiling step may be specified by any combination of any of the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and any of the above-mentioned upper limit values.

[0027] In the boiling step, a raw material liquid containing a hop raw material may be boiled. In this case, for example, in the boiling step, the hop raw material is added to the raw material liquid, and the raw material liquid containing the hop raw material is boiled.

[0028] The hop raw material is not particularly limited as long as it can achieve the effects of the present invention, but is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of hop pellets, hop powder, pressed hops, fresh hops, hop extract, iso-hops, low hops, tetrahops, hexahops, and hop-derived bittering agents (e.g., compositions used as bittering agents containing hop-derived iso-α acids and / or α acids).

[0029] The present method may include a brewing step of preparing a raw material liquid as described above prior to the boiling step. That is, the present method may include a brewing step of preparing a raw material liquid and a boiling step of boiling the raw material liquid prepared in the brewing step. When the raw material liquid containing a hop material is boiled in the boiling step, the hop material may be added to the raw material liquid in advance in the brewing step, or the hop material may be added to the raw material liquid in the boiling step, or the hop material may be added to the raw material liquid in one or more steps selected from the group consisting of a removing step, a fermentation step, and a storage step after the boiling step.

[0030] The vessel in which the boiling step is carried out is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, a boiling kettle used in beer brewing or the like is preferably used. Furthermore, when the present method includes a mashing step, the vessel in which the mashing step is carried out is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, a mashing tank and / or a mashing kettle used in beer brewing or the like is preferably used. In this case, too, in the boiling step, the raw material liquid prepared in the mashing tank and / or mashing kettle is boiled in a boiling kettle. Note that, for example, when a plant material containing grains such as wheat or barley is used in the mashing step, it is preferable to carry out a filtration step after the mashing step to remove husks derived from the grains contained in the raw material liquid prepared in the mashing step, and then carry out the boiling step. In this case, a filtration tank (for example, a Reuter filtration tank) is preferably used as the vessel in which the filtration step is carried out. That is, the raw material liquid prepared in the mashing tank and / or mashing kettle is first transferred to the filtration tank, and then the filtered raw material liquid is transferred to the boiling kettle.

[0031] In the removal step, unnecessary substances are removed from the raw material liquid boiled in the boiling step. The raw material liquid from which unnecessary substances are removed in the removal step is the raw material liquid after boiling. Specifically, the temperature of the raw material liquid from which unnecessary substances are removed in the removal step is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained, but may be, for example, 50°C or higher and lower than 100°C, 60°C or higher and lower than 100°C, 70°C or higher and lower than 100°C, 80°C or higher and lower than 100°C, or 90°C or higher and lower than 100°C.

[0032] The unwanted substances removed in the removal step include thermal coagulation (so-called bruch) produced by boiling the raw material liquid in the boiling step. Specifically, this thermal coagulation includes, for example, protein. Furthermore, when the raw material liquid containing a hop raw material is boiled in the boiling step, the unwanted substances removed in the removal step may include hop waste derived from the hop raw material.

[0033] The method for removing the unnecessary substances from the raw material liquid in the removal step is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained. For example, a method in which the unnecessary substances in the raw material liquid are precipitated and the precipitated unnecessary substances are removed is preferably used.

[0034] The vessel in which the removal step is carried out is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, a settling tank (e.g., a whirlpool) used in beer brewing or the like is preferably used. Specifically, for example, when boiling the raw material liquid in the boiling step is carried out in a first vessel (e.g., a boiling kettle) and removing the unwanted substances from the raw material liquid in the subsequent removal step is carried out in a second vessel (e.g., a settling tank), the raw material liquid is transferred from the first vessel to the second vessel, and the unwanted substances from the raw material liquid are removed in the second vessel. Furthermore, for example, when the boiling step and the removal step are carried out in the same vessel, after boiling of the raw material liquid in the vessel is completed, the unwanted substances from the raw material liquid that is not boiling in the vessel are removed.

[0035] In the cooling step, the raw material liquid from which the unnecessary substances have been removed in the removing step is cooled. The method for cooling the raw material liquid in the cooling step is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, a heat exchanger (e.g., a plate cooler) used in beer brewing and the like is preferably used. Specifically, in this case, in the cooling step, the raw material liquid is cooled by circulating the raw material liquid through a heat exchanger.

[0036] The temperature of the cooled raw material liquid obtained in the cooling step is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but may be, for example, higher than 0°C and not higher than 50°C, higher than 0°C and not higher than 40°C, not higher than 35°C, higher than 0°C and not higher than 30°C, higher than 0°C and not higher than 25°C, or higher than 0°C and not higher than 20°C.

[0037] In the fermentation step, yeast is added to the raw material liquid cooled in the cooling step to carry out alcoholic fermentation. The yeast added to the raw material liquid for alcoholic fermentation is not particularly limited as long as it is a live yeast that carries out alcoholic fermentation, but for example, it is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of beer yeast, wine yeast, shochu yeast, and sake yeast, and beer yeast is particularly preferred. The beer yeast may be bottom-fermenting yeast or top-fermenting yeast. The concentration of yeast in the raw material liquid at the start of alcoholic fermentation is, for example, 1 x 10 6 pcs / mL or more, 3×10 9 It is preferable that the number is less than 1 / mL.

[0038] The temperature at which alcoholic fermentation is carried out may be, for example, 40° C. or lower (e.g., above 0° C. and 40° C. or lower), 35° C. or lower, 30° C. or lower, 25° C. or lower, or 20° C. or lower. The time period for which alcoholic fermentation is carried out may be, for example, 1 day or longer and 14 days or shorter.

[0039] The vessel in which the fermentation step is carried out is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, a fermentation tank used in beer brewing, etc. is preferably used. Specifically, when the raw material liquid is cooled by a heat exchanger in the cooling step and alcoholic fermentation is carried out in the fermentation tank in the subsequent fermentation step, in the fermentation step, for example, the cooled raw material liquid is transferred from the heat exchanger to the fermentation tank, and yeast is added to the raw material liquid being transferred to the fermentation tank and / or the raw material liquid transferred to the fermentation tank, and alcoholic fermentation by the yeast is carried out in the raw material liquid in the fermentation tank.

[0040] In the fermentation step, the fermented liquid obtained by alcoholic fermentation may be aged. In this embodiment, the alcoholic fermentation in the fermentation step corresponds to the main fermentation or pre-fermentation in the production of beer, etc., and the aging corresponds to the storage or post-fermentation in the production of beer, etc.

[0041] The vessel in which the aging is carried out is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, a storage tank used in beer brewing or the like is preferably used. Specifically, for example, in the fermentation process, alcoholic fermentation is first carried out in a fermentation tank, and then the fermented liquid after alcoholic fermentation is transferred from the fermentation tank to a storage tank, and the fermented liquid is aged in the storage tank. However, alcoholic fermentation and aging may also be carried out in the same vessel. That is, in this case, aging is subsequently carried out in the vessel in which alcoholic fermentation was carried out.

[0042] Furthermore, this method may include a filtration step (corresponding to so-called beer filtration) of filtering the fermented liquid obtained after the fermentation step. In this filtration step, for example, the fermented liquid is filtered to remove yeast contained in the fermented liquid. The filtration method is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but for example, one or more methods selected from the group consisting of diatomaceous earth filtration, centrifugation, and filter filtration are preferably used.

[0043] In this method, a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid between the boiling step and the fermentation step. That is, in this method, the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid in one or more steps selected from the group consisting of the boiling step, the removing step, the cooling step, and the fermentation step, which are performed sequentially. Furthermore, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added only once or multiple times in one step.

[0044] In the present method, the concentration of the silicone-based antifoaming agent added to the raw material liquid (when the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added in multiple portions, the total concentration of the silicone-based antifoaming agent added in the multiple portions) may be, for example, 1 ppm or more, preferably 2 ppm or more, more preferably 3 ppm or more, even more preferably 4 ppm or more, and particularly preferably 5 ppm or more, calculated as the silicone resin contained in the silicone-based antifoaming agent.

[0045] In addition, the concentration of the silicone-based antifoaming agent added to the raw material liquid in this method may be, for example, 30 ppm or less in terms of the silicone resin, preferably 25 ppm or less, more preferably 20 ppm or less, even more preferably 15 ppm or less, even more preferably 10 ppm or less, even more preferably 9 ppm or less, even more preferably 8 ppm or less, even more preferably 7 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 6 ppm or less. The concentration of the silicone-based antifoaming agent added to the raw material liquid in this method may be specified by any combination of any of the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and any of the above-mentioned upper limit values.

[0046] 1 ppm corresponds to 0.0001% by weight, or approximately 1 mg / L. Regarding the concentration of the silicone-based antifoaming agent added in terms of silicone resin, for example, when a silicone-based antifoaming agent containing 50% by weight of silicone resin is added to a raw material liquid at a concentration of 50 ppm in terms of silicone resin, the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added in an amount such that the weight ratio of the silicone resin derived from the silicone-based antifoaming agent to the volume of the raw material liquid after the addition of the silicone-based antifoaming agent is 50 ppm (i.e., the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added in an amount such that the weight ratio of the silicone-based antifoaming agent added to the volume of the raw material liquid after the addition of the silicone-based antifoaming agent is 100 ppm).

[0047] In this method, the timing of adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid is not particularly limited as long as it is any time between the boiling step and the fermentation step, as described above, but it is preferable to add the silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid in the (a1) boiling step and / or the (b1) removal step. That is, in this case, the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid between the start of the boiling step and the end of the removal step.

[0048] Here, the start of the boiling step is the time when the raw material liquid starts to be poured into a vessel (e.g., a boiling kettle) for boiling the raw material liquid, and the end of the removing step is the time when the raw material liquid from which the unnecessary substances have been removed is completely discharged from a vessel (e.g., a settling tank) for removing the unnecessary substances from the boiled raw material liquid.

[0049] (a1) When a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid in the boiling step, specifically, the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid between the start of the boiling step and the end of the boiling step, which is the time when the raw material liquid after boiling has been completely discharged from a container for boiling the raw material liquid (for example, a boiling kettle).

[0050] Furthermore, for example, in the boiling step, (a2) a silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added during the period from 15 minutes before the end of boiling of the raw material liquid to the end of the boiling step, where the end of boiling of the raw material liquid refers to the end of the boiling phenomenon of the raw material liquid.

[0051] In this case, in the boiling step (a3), a silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added between the time when boiling of the raw material liquid is completed and the time when the boiling step is completed.Furthermore, in this case, in the boiling step (a4), a silicone-based antifoaming agent is preferably added between the time when boiling of the raw material liquid in the vessel for boiling the raw material liquid is completed and the time when the boiled raw material liquid starts to be discharged from the vessel.

[0052] (b1) When a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid in the removal step, specifically, the silicone-based antifoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid between the start of the removal step and the end of the removal step, where the start of the removal step is the time when the raw material liquid starts to be poured into a container (e.g., a settling tank) for removing unwanted substances in the boiled raw material liquid.

[0053] In this case, in the removal step, (b2) it is preferable to add a silicone-based antifoaming agent during the period from the start of pouring the raw material liquid into a vessel (e.g., a settling tank) for removing unnecessary substances in the boiled raw material liquid to the end of pouring the raw material liquid into the vessel.

[0054] In this method, the latter half of the boiling step and the former half of the removing step may be carried out in parallel. Specifically, for example, the start of the removing step may be before the end of the boiling step. More specifically, for example, when transferring the boiled raw material liquid from a first container (e.g., a boiling kettle) for boiling the raw material liquid to a second container (e.g., a settling tank) for removing unnecessary substances from the boiled raw material liquid, pouring of the boiled raw material liquid into the second container may be started before the boiled raw material liquid is completely discharged from the first container.

[0055] In the present method, the timing for adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid may be determined by any combination of one selected from the group consisting of the above (a1), (a2), (a3), and (a4) and one selected from the group consisting of the above (b1) and (b2).

[0056] That is, for example, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added during the period from 15 minutes before the end of boiling the raw material liquid in the boiling step to the end of the removal step. In this case, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added during the period from the end of boiling the raw material liquid in the boiling step to the end of the removal step.

[0057] Furthermore, in this case, it is preferable to add a silicone-based antifoaming agent during the period from the time when boiling of the raw material liquid is completed in the boiling step to the time when pouring of the raw material liquid into a container (e.g., a settling tank) for removing unnecessary substances in the raw material liquid after boiling is completed in the removing step.

[0058] In this method, when a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added in the boiling step and / or the removal step, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may not be added in steps other than the boiling step and the removal step. Also, in this method, when a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added in the boiling step, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may not be added in steps other than the boiling step. Also, in this method, when a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added in the removal step, the silicone-based antifoaming agent may not be added in steps other than the removal step.

[0059] The silicone-based antifoaming agent added to the liquid stock in this method is generally a highly viscous liquid composition. Naturally, the larger the scale of production of the beer-taste beverage, the greater the amount of silicone-based antifoaming agent added. Therefore, when the scale of production of the beer-taste beverage using this method is relatively large, it is preferable to promote dispersion of the silicone-based antifoaming agent in the liquid stock by adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent to the flowing liquid stock and / or to the liquid stock just before it begins to flow.

[0060] Here, in this method, the beer-taste beverage may be produced at a scale of 10 kL or more, 50 kL or more, 100 kL or more, 150 kL or more, 300 kL or more, or 500 kL or more. The scale for producing a beer-taste beverage refers to the volume of the fermented liquid at the end of alcoholic fermentation in the fermentation tank.

[0061] That is, for example, when producing a beer-taste beverage on a scale of 100 kL or more, a series of pre-fermentation steps consisting of a preparation step to prepare 10 kL or more or 50 kL or more of raw material liquid, a boiling step, a removal step, and a cooling step are carried out multiple times, the raw material liquids prepared in the multiple pre-fermentation steps are transferred to a fermentation tank and mixed, the mixed raw material liquid and yeast are added in the fermentation tank to prepare 100 kL or more of fermentation liquid, and alcoholic fermentation of the fermentation liquid after alcoholic fermentation is carried out, and the fermentation liquid after alcoholic fermentation is then transferred to a storage tank with a capacity of 100 kL or more for maturation.

[0062] According to this method, by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid, a beer-taste beverage is obtained with a reduced content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except that the silicone-based antifoaming agent is not added (hereinafter referred to as the "control beverage").

[0063] Ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate are known as components that impart a desirable flavor to beer-taste beverages, but their high content can sometimes have an undesirable effect on the flavor.

[0064] In this regard, according to the present method, a beer-taste beverage with an effectively reduced content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate can be produced by the simple procedure of adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid.

[0065] This method can produce a beer-taste beverage with a reduced ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of 5% or more compared to a control beverage. In other words, in this case, the percentage calculated by subtracting the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage produced by this method from the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of the control beverage, dividing the difference by the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of the control beverage, and multiplying the result by 100 is 5% or more.

[0066] Furthermore, the reduction in the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content in the beer-taste beverage produced by this method relative to that in the control beverage is, for example, preferably 7% or more, more preferably 10% or more, even more preferably 12% or more, even more preferably 15% or more, even more preferably 18% or more, even more preferably 20% or more, even more preferably 22% or more, even more preferably 25% or more, even more preferably 28% or more, and particularly preferably 30% or more.

[0067] Furthermore, in this method, when a liquid raw material prepared using a hop raw material is used, a silicone-based antifoaming agent may be added to the liquid raw material to produce a beer-taste beverage with a reduced content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate and an increased content of myrcene compared to a control beverage.

[0068] Myrcene is known as one of the aromatic components derived from hop essential oil. In this regard, according to the present method, the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is effectively reduced and the content of myrcene is effectively increased by the simple operation of adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid, making it possible to produce a beer-taste beverage.

[0069] The ethyl acetate content and isoamyl acetate content in the beer-taste beverage produced by this method may each be independently specified by one of the threshold values ​​described above. That is, for example, the ethyl acetate content and isoamyl acetate content in the beer-taste beverage produced by this method may each be specified by one of the threshold values ​​described above that are different from each other.

[0070] This method can produce a beer-taste beverage with a myrcene content that is at least 5% higher than that of a control beverage. In other words, in this case, the percentage calculated by subtracting the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of the control beverage from the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage produced by this method, dividing the difference by the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content of the control beverage, and multiplying the result by 100 is 5% or more.

[0071] Furthermore, the increase in myrcene content in the beer-taste beverage produced by this method relative to that in the control beverage is, for example, preferably 7% or more, more preferably 10% or more, even more preferably 15% or more, even more preferably 18% or more, and particularly preferably 20% or more.

[0072] The beer-taste beverage produced by this method may be specified by any combination of any one of the above-mentioned percentage reductions in the ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate content and any one of the above-mentioned percentage increases in the myrcene content.

[0073] In this specification, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. Examples of beer-taste beverages include, but are not limited to, those classified as beer, happoshu, and other sparkling alcoholic beverages as defined in Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953). Beer-taste beverages also include beverages and soft drinks (e.g., non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages) that do not fall under the category of sparkling alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Act. However, the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is not limited to the above examples.

[0074] The beer-taste beverage may be an alcoholic beverage. An alcoholic beverage is a beverage with an alcohol content of 1% by volume or more (1% by alcohol or more). The alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 2% by volume or more, 3% by volume or more, or 4% by volume or more. The alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 20% by volume or less, 15% by volume or less, 10% by volume or less, or 9% by volume or less. The alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage may be specified by any combination of any of the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and any of the above-mentioned upper limit values. When producing an alcoholic beverage without alcoholic fermentation, the alcoholic beverage can be obtained, for example, by adding an alcohol-containing composition such as ethanol, spirits, or fermented liquid to a raw material liquid.

[0075] The beer-taste beverage may be a non-alcoholic beverage. A non-alcoholic beverage is a beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1% by volume. The alcohol content of a non-alcoholic beverage may be, for example, less than 0.5% by volume, less than 0.05% by volume, or less than 0.005% by volume. When producing a non-alcoholic beverage by alcoholic fermentation, for example, the non-alcoholic beverage can be obtained by subjecting the fermented liquid after alcoholic fermentation to a treatment to reduce the alcohol content.

[0076] The beer-taste beverage may be a sparkling beverage. A sparkling beverage is a beverage that has foaming and foam retention properties. When producing a sparkling beverage without alcoholic fermentation, the sparkling properties can be imparted to the beverage by, for example, one or more methods selected from the group consisting of injecting carbon dioxide gas and using carbonated water.

[0077] The NIBEM value of a sparkling beverage may be 50 seconds or more, preferably 80 seconds or more, more preferably 150 seconds or more, and particularly preferably 200 seconds or more. The NIBEM value of a sparkling beverage is measured by the method described in "8.29 Foam - Foam retention measurement method using NIBEM-T" in the document "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 2013 Revised and Enlarged Edition (Edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, Published by the Brewery Society of Japan, a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)."

[0078] Sparkling drinks have a carbon dioxide pressure of 1.0 kg / cm 2 It may be 2.0 kg / cm or more. 2 The carbon dioxide pressure of a sparkling beverage is not particularly limited, but may be 3.0 kg / cm2 or less. The carbon dioxide pressure of a sparkling beverage is measured by the method described in "8.21 Gas Pressure" in the document "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 2013 Revised and Enlarged Edition (Edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, Published by the Brewery Society of Japan, a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)."

[0079] Next, a specific example according to this embodiment will be described. [Example]

[0080] [Production of beer-flavored beverages] First, a raw material liquid was prepared in the mashing process. Specifically, malt (specifically, barley malt) was mixed with hot water and saccharified. The weight of malt relative to the total weight of the raw materials was 100% by mass. In other words, only malt was used as the raw material for preparing the raw material liquid in the mashing process. Next, in the boiling process, the raw material liquid after saccharification was transferred to a boiling kettle, and hop materials were added and heated to boil the raw material liquid containing the hop materials.

[0081] In the boiling step, a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added to the raw material liquid in the boiling kettle immediately after the boiling was completed (specifically, the raw material liquid at a temperature of 90°C or higher but lower than 100°C) in an amount such that the concentration after addition was 10 ppm in terms of silicone resin. The silicone-based antifoaming agent used was a gel-like liquid composition containing 30% by weight of silicone resin.

[0082] Then, in the removing step, the raw material liquid to which the silicone-based antifoaming agent had been added was transferred to a whirlpool, and unnecessary substances in the raw material liquid were removed.Furthermore, in the cooling step, the raw material liquid from which unnecessary substances had been removed was cooled to obtain a raw material liquid at a temperature of about 12°C (corresponding to so-called cold wort).

[0083] Then, in the fermentation step, about 82 kL of cooled raw material liquid was transferred to a fermentation tank and yeast was added. Similarly, the preparation of about 82 kL of cooled raw material liquid by the mashing step, the boiling step of adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent, the removal step, and the cooling step was carried out two more times, and the raw material liquid was sequentially transferred to the fermentation tank. That is, first, the first raw material liquid (about 82 kL) was transferred to the fermentation tank, then the second raw material liquid (about 82 kL) was transferred to the fermentation tank and mixed with the first raw material liquid (total of about 164 kL), and then the third raw material liquid (about 82 kL) was transferred to the fermentation tank and mixed with the existing raw material liquid (total of about 246 kL).

[0084] Then, in the fermentation process, a total of approximately 246 kL of fermentation liquid (raw material liquid to which beer yeast had been added) was subjected to alcoholic fermentation in one fermentation tank.

[0085] In the filtration step, the fermented broth after aging was filtered to remove the yeast (corresponding to so-called beer filtration) to obtain a beer-taste beverage (Example 1). As a control beverage, a beer-taste beverage was produced using the same method except that no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added (Example 1C).

[0086] [Evaluation of ingredient content] The contents of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate were measured by gas chromatography (GC) for each of the beer-taste beverage (Example 1) and control beverage (Example 1C) produced as described above.

[0087] Furthermore, the percentage change (%) in the content of each component was calculated using the following formula: Percent change (%) = (content in beer-taste beverage produced with the addition of a silicone-based antifoaming agent - content in control beverage) ÷ content in control beverage × 100. Note that a positive percentage change indicates an increase, and a negative percentage change indicates a decrease.

[0088] [result] Figure 1 shows the results of evaluating the contents of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate in beer-taste beverages, as well as their rate of change. As shown in Figure 1, the myrcene content in the beer-taste beverage produced with the addition of a silicone-based antifoaming agent (Example 1) was greater than that in the control beverage (Example 1C). That is, the rate of change (%) of myrcene in Example 1 was all positive, and the myrcene content in the beer-taste beverage produced with the addition of a silicone-based antifoaming agent was higher than that in the control beverage. Specifically, the rate of increase in myrcene in Example 1 was 160.0%.

[0089] On the other hand, the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in the beer-taste beverage (Example 1) produced with the addition of a silicone-based antifoaming agent were both lower than those in the control beverage (Example 1C). That is, the percentage changes (%) in ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 1 were all negative values, and the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in the beer-taste beverage produced with the addition of a silicone-based antifoaming agent were lower than those in the control beverage. Specifically, the percentage reduction in ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 1 was 30.8% or more. [Example]

[0090] A beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 above, except that the amount of raw material liquid was 80 kL and the amount of fermentation liquid was 240 kL, by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid in an amount such that the concentration after addition was 10 ppm in terms of silicone resin (Example 2).A control beverage was also produced in the same manner except that the silicone-based antifoaming agent was not added (Example 2C), and the contents and rates of change of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate were evaluated.

[0091] Figure 2 shows the results of evaluating the contents and percentage changes of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate in beer-taste beverages. As shown in Figure 2, the myrcene content in Example 2, in which a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, was higher than that in Example 2C, in which no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added. Specifically, the percentage increase in myrcene in Example 2 was 21.1%.

[0092] On the other hand, the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 2, in which a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, were both lower than those in Example 2C, in which the silicone-based antifoaming agent was not added. Specifically, the reduction rates of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 2 were 15.8% or more. [Example]

[0093] A beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 above, except that a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added to the raw material liquid in an amount such that the concentration after addition was 5 ppm (Example 3-1) or 20 ppm (Example 3-2) in terms of silicone resin. A control beverage was also produced in the same manner except that no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added (Example 3C), and the contents and rate of change of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate were evaluated.

[0094] Figure 3 shows the results of evaluating the contents and rates of change of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate in beer-taste beverages. As shown in Figure 3, the myrcene content in Example 3-1, in which 5 ppm of a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, was slightly lower than that in Example 3C, in which no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added. In contrast, the myrcene content in Example 3-2, in which 20 ppm of a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, was higher than that in Example 3C. Specifically, the myrcene reduction rate in Example 3-1 was 6%, while the myrcene increase rate in Example 3-2 was 20.0%.

[0095] On the other hand, the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Examples 3-1 and 3-2, in which a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, were both lower than those in Example 3C. Furthermore, the reduction in the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 3-1, in which 5 ppm of a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, was greater than that in Example 3-2, in which 20 ppm of a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added. Specifically, the reduction in the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate was 30.1% or more in Example 3-1 and 21.3% or more in Example 3-2. [Example]

[0096] The preparation of approximately 80 kL of cooled raw material liquid through the mashing process, boiling process in which a silicone-based antifoaming agent is added, removal process, and cooling process was carried out twice, and the resulting liquid was then transferred to a fermentation tank in sequence. A total of approximately 160 kL of fermented liquid (raw material liquid with added brewer's yeast) was subjected to alcoholic fermentation in a single fermentation tank in the same manner as in Example 1 above. A beer-taste beverage was produced by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid in an amount such that the concentration after addition was 10 ppm in terms of silicone resin (Example 4), and a control beverage was produced in the same manner except that the silicone-based antifoaming agent was not added (Example 4C), and the contents and rate of change of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate were evaluated.

[0097] Figure 4 shows the results of evaluating the contents and percentage changes of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate in beer-taste beverages. As shown in Figure 4, the myrcene content in Example 4, in which a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, was higher than that in Example 4C, in which no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added. Specifically, the percentage increase in myrcene in Example 4 was 78.0%.

[0098] On the other hand, the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 4, in which a silicone antifoaming agent was added, were both lower than those in Example 4C, in which the silicone antifoaming agent was not added. Specifically, the reduction rates of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Example 4 were 22.5% or more. [Example]

[0099] A beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 above, except that a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added all at once to the raw material liquid in an amount such that the concentration after addition was 3 ppm in terms of silicone resin (Example 5-1).

[0100] Furthermore, a beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 above, except that a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added to the raw material liquid in multiple batches in an amount such that the concentration after addition was 3 ppm in terms of silicone resin (Example 5-2).

[0101] A control beverage was also prepared in the same manner as in Example 5C, except that no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added. The contents and change rates of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 above.

[0102] Figure 5 shows the results of evaluating the contents and rates of change of myrcene, ethyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate in beer-taste beverages. As shown in Figure 5, the myrcene contents in Examples 5-1 and 5-2, in which a silicone-based antifoaming agent was added, were higher than that in Example 5C, in which no silicone-based antifoaming agent was added. Furthermore, the rate of increase in myrcene in Example 5-2, in which the silicone-based antifoaming agent was added in portions, was greater than that in Example 5-1, in which the silicone-based antifoaming agent was added all at once. Specifically, the rate of increase in myrcene was 70.5% in Example 5-1 and 104.5% in Example 5-2.

[0103] On the other hand, the contents of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Examples 5-1 and 5-2, in which a silicone antifoaming agent was added, were all lower than those in Example 5C, in which the silicone antifoaming agent was not added. Specifically, the reduction rates of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in Examples 5-1 and 5-2 were 13.7% or more.

Claims

1. a boiling step of boiling the raw material liquid; a removing step of removing unnecessary substances from the raw material liquid boiled in the boiling step; a cooling step of cooling the raw material liquid from which the unnecessary substances have been removed in the removing step; a fermentation step in which yeast is added to the raw material liquid cooled in the cooling step to perform alcoholic fermentation; Including, By adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid during the period from the boiling step to the fermentation step, a beer-taste beverage is produced in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is reduced compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent. A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage.

2. A beer-taste beverage is produced in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is reduced by 5% or more compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except that the silicone-based antifoaming agent is not added. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1.

3. The raw material liquid is prepared using a hop raw material, A beer-taste beverage is produced in which the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate is reduced and the content of myrcene is increased, compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except that the silicone-based antifoaming agent is not added. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1.

4. In the boiling step and / or the removing step, the silicone-based defoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1.

5. In the boiling step, the silicone-based defoaming agent is added to the raw material liquid. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1.

6. Adding 30 ppm or less of the silicone-based defoaming agent in terms of silicone resin to the raw material liquid; A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1.

7. The method further includes a preparation step of preparing the raw material liquid prior to the boiling step, The beer-taste beverage is produced using only malt as the raw material used in preparing the raw material liquid in the mashing step. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to claim 1.

8. a boiling step of boiling the raw material liquid; a removing step of removing unnecessary substances from the raw material liquid boiled in the boiling step; a cooling step of cooling the raw material liquid from which the unnecessary substances have been removed in the removing step; a fermentation step in which yeast is added to the raw material liquid cooled in the cooling step to perform alcoholic fermentation; In the production of a beer-flavored beverage containing A method for reducing the content of ethyl acetate and / or isoamyl acetate in the beer-taste beverage compared to a beer-taste beverage produced by the same method except for not adding the silicone-based antifoaming agent, by adding a silicone-based antifoaming agent to the raw material liquid between the boiling step and the fermentation step.

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