Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage

Abstract

To provide a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 10% or more, which has suppressed cloying sweetness, a good finish, and excellent flavor balance. [Solution] A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in which the difference between the final visible fermentation level (AAL) and the visible fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more, The following components (A) to (C); (A) Serine 2 ppm or more, (B) Phosphate ions 60-800 ppm (C) Alcohol 1.5~4.0v / v% Contains A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to the growing interest in alcohol-related problems and the increasing health awareness, the demand for beer-taste beverages with a similar flavor to beer and a low alcohol concentration has been increasing. However, low-alcohol beer-taste beverages are likely to have their beer-like flavor balance impaired due to the reduction of alcohol.

[0003] Conventionally, for example, in a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage that has been made low-alcohol by a dealcoholization process, it has been reported that by controlling the true extract concentration to be constant and containing a predetermined amount of bitter amino acids and components derived from a dealcoholized wort fermentation broth, the beer-like flavor balance can be improved (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As a method for producing low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages, one method is to reduce the alcohol concentration by diluting beer produced by a conventional method with water or by removing alcohol through a de-alcoholization process. Another method is to control the alcohol concentration during the fermentation process, for example, by controlling the difference between the apparent final fermentation level (AAL) and the apparent fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) (hereinafter also simply referred to as "difference (AAL-AA)"). The inventors of this invention have found that when they attempted to reduce the alcohol content of beer-flavored beverages by controlling fermentation, a large amount of sugar remains, resulting in a sweeter taste compared to beer. In particular, if the amount of residual sugar is too high, it can cause an unpleasant sticky sweetness, and the finish is reduced, resulting in a loss of the beer-like flavor balance. The object of the present invention is to provide a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 10% or more that has suppressed sticky sweetness, a good finish, and an excellent balance of beer-like aroma and flavor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of these problems, the inventors conducted research and found that by controlling the fermentation of a beverage to reduce its alcohol content so that the above-mentioned difference (AAL-AA) exceeds a specific value, and then combining a specific amino acid and a specific acid, and including specific amounts of each, it is possible to obtain a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage that suppresses sticky sweetness, improves the finish, and has an excellent balance of beer-like aroma and flavor.

[0007] In other words, the present invention provides the following [1] to [6]. [1] A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in which the difference between the final fermentation level (AAL) and the fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more, The following components (A) to (C); (A) Serine 2 ppm or more, (B) Phosphate ions 60-800 ppm (C) Alcohol 1.5~4.0v / v% Contains A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage. [2] The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage described in [1] above, wherein the content of component (A) is 2 to 40 ppm. [3] A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the content of component (B) is 100 to 700 ppm. [4] A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the ratio of the total amount of component (A) and component (B) to component (C) [(A)+(B)] / (C) is 30 to 400 (ppm) / (v / v%). [5] A method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in which the difference between the final appearance fermentation level (AAL) and the appearance fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more, A fermentation process in which fermentation is carried out so that the difference between the final visible fermentation level (AAL) and the visible fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more, (A) Adjusting the serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher, (B) adjusting the phosphate ion concentration to 60-800 ppm, and (C) adjusting the alcohol concentration to 1.5-4.0 v / v%. A manufacturing method that includes this. [6] A method for improving at least one of the following characteristics of a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, which has a difference (AAL-AA) between the final appearance fermentation level (AAL) and the appearance fermentation level (AA) of 10% or more: A method to adjust the following: (A) serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher, (B) phosphate ion concentration to 60-800 ppm, and (C) alcohol concentration to 1.5-4.0 v / v%. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 10% or more that has suppressed sticky sweetness, a good finish, and an excellent balance of beer-like aroma and flavor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is produced by controlling the fermentation process so that the difference between the final visible degree of fermentation (AAL) and the visible degree of fermentation (AA) (AAL-AA) is above a specific value, thereby suppressing the alcohol concentration to 1.5-4.0 v / v%. In other words, the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is a low-alcohol beer-flavored fermented beverage produced through a fermentation process, and is clearly distinguished from non-fermented low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages. Furthermore, the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention contains a combination of (A) serine and (B) phosphate ions, and the content of each is adjusted to be above a specific value. As a result, even in a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage with a high difference (AAL-AA), sticky sweetness is suppressed, the finish is improved, and the beer-like flavor balance is enhanced.

[0010] In this specification, "low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage" refers to a beer-flavored beverage containing 1.5 to 4.0 v / v% alcohol, and "alcohol" means ethanol. Furthermore, "beer-flavored beverage" refers to a beverage designed to have a taste and aroma reminiscent of beer, while "beer" refers to a beverage obtained by fermenting carbon sources, nitrogen sources, water, etc., with yeast. Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages include not only beverages produced through a fermentation process, but also liqueurs obtained by mixing such beverages with an alcohol-containing distillate. The alcohol-containing distillate can be any solution containing alcohol obtained through distillation, generally classified as a distilled spirit. Examples include raw material alcohol, spirits, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, tequila, gin, shochu, and other distilled spirits.

[0011] <Difference (AAL-AA)> The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the difference between the apparent final fermentation level (AAL) and the apparent fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more. For example, it may be 15% or more, 20% or more, 25% or more, 30% or more, 35% or more, or 40% or more. Furthermore, the upper limit is not particularly limited and may be 60% or less, 55% or less, or 50% or less. The difference (AAL-AA) can be adjusted by appropriately changing the conditions of the fermentation process (e.g., time, temperature, aeration rate, etc.). By setting this difference (AAL-AA) to 10% or more, it is possible to produce low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages, specifically low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages with an alcohol concentration of 1.5-4.0 v / v%.

[0012] In this specification, "Apparent Attenuation Limit (AAL)" refers to the final degree of fermentation calculated using the apparent extract. The apparent attenuation limit (%) is calculated by measuring the apparent extract (F) obtained when beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage product is fermented by adding beer brewing yeast to the original wort extract (S) contained in the wort before fermentation, and consuming assimilated sugars to the limit. It is calculated as the percentage of assimilated sugars (SF) in the wort extract. That is, the apparent attenuation limit (%) is expressed by the following formula (1).

[0013] Appearance of final fermentation level (%) = {(SF) / S} × 100 ···(1)

[0014] Furthermore, "Apparent Attenuation (AA)" is calculated by measuring the raw wort extract (S) contained in the wort before fermentation and the apparent extract (E) contained in the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage, and then determining the percentage of apparent extract (SE) that was lost due to fermentation from the start of fermentation to the time of measurement. In other words, the apparent attenuation (%) is expressed by the following formula (2).

[0015] Appearance of fermentation level (%) = {(SE) / S} × 100 ... (2)

[0016] AAL(%) indicates the proportion of assimilable sugars in the original wort extract, while AA(%) indicates the proportion of sugars that have been assimilated, and the difference (AAL - AA)(%) indicates the proportion of the remaining assimilable sugars by yeast. Therefore, the value obtained by subtracting the apparent fermentation degree (%) from the apparent final fermentation degree (%) can be an indicator of the residual sugar content of the beverage.

[0017] The apparent final fermentation degree (AAL) is not particularly limited as long as the difference (AAL - AA) is 10% or more. For example, it can be 60% or more, 65% or more, 70% or more, and 110% or less, 100% or less, 90% or less, etc. The quantification of AAL can be carried out using, for example, an alcoholizer (Anton Paar), and more specifically, the method described in the examples below can be cited.

[0018] The apparent fermentation degree (AA) is not particularly limited as long as the difference (AAL - AA) is 10% or more. For example, it can be 40% or more, 45% or more, 50% or more, and 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, etc. The quantification of AA can be carried out using, for example, an alcoholizer (Anton Paar), and more specifically, the method described in the examples below can be cited.

[0019] <Component (A)> The low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention contains serine as component (A). Serine is one of the assimilable nitrogen sources contained in the fermentation broth. Although there are various nitrogen-containing compounds in the assimilable nitrogen source, the inventors have found that serine is effective in suppressing sticky sweetness and improving aftertaste among the assimilable nitrogen sources. Serine may be derived from the raw materials, generated during the manufacturing process, or added later. In other words, the serine source may be derived from two or more components. If derived from the raw materials, the amount of serine may be adjusted depending on the type of yeast used in the fermentation process and the fermentation conditions, as the yeast may assimilate most of the serine in the fermentation liquid. If added later, it may be a synthetic product or extracted and purified from a natural product. Serine may be in L-form, D-form, or a mixture of these, such as a racemic mixture.

[0020] <Ingredient (B)> The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention contains phosphate ions (PO4) as component (B). 3- ) contains. Most of the acids in beer are organic acids, which originate from the raw materials, the boiling of the wort, and the metabolism of the yeast. The inventors focused on phosphate ions contained in the fermentation liquid and investigated phosphate ions, finding that they are effective in imparting a lingering acidity. Furthermore, the inventors discovered that while increasing only phosphate ions results in an overly acidic taste that disrupts the overall balance of flavor, combining phosphate ions with serine suppresses cloying sweetness, improves the lingering finish, and enhances the characteristic flavor balance of beer. The phosphate ions may originate from the raw materials, be generated during the manufacturing process, or be newly added. In other words, the phosphate ion source may come from two or more components. If it originates from the raw materials, the phosphate ion concentration may be adjusted depending on the type of yeast used in the fermentation process and the fermentation conditions. If it is newly added, phosphoric acid and inorganic phosphates can be used as sources of phosphate ions, but are not limited to these. Examples of inorganic phosphates include potassium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium trihydrogen phosphate.

[0021] <Ingredient (C)> The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention contains alcohol as component (C). Component (C) is not particularly limited as long as it is a drinkable alcohol. Since the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is produced through fermentation, it contains at least alcohol obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of sugar by yeast, but it may also contain one or more distilled spirits such as spirits (e.g., gin, vodka, rum, tequila), liqueurs, whiskies (e.g., whiskey, brandy, etc.), and shochu (e.g., continuously distilled shochu, single-distilled shochu).

[0022] <Content of each ingredient> The content of component (A) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 2 ppm or more, but from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish, 5 ppm or more is preferred, 8 ppm or more is more preferred, and 10 ppm or more is even more preferred. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of a beer-like flavor balance, 40 ppm or less is preferred, 35 ppm or less is more preferred, 30 ppm or less is even more preferred, and 25 ppm or less is even more preferred. That is, the content of component (A) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is preferably 2 to 40 ppm, more preferably 5 to 35 ppm, even more preferably 8 to 30 ppm, and even more preferably 10 to 25 ppm. In this specification, the unit "ppm" means "mg / L". The quantitative determination of component (A) can be performed by methods known to those skilled in the art (for example, the ninhydrin method, in which amino acids are separated by column chromatography using a cation exchange resin, and then the absorbance is measured after color development with ninhydrin). Furthermore, the filtrate obtained by filtering the sample through a 0.45 μm filter can be used as the analytical sample solution and easily measured using commercially available equipment (for example, the High-Speed ​​Amino Acid Analyzer L-8900 (manufactured by Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation), etc.).

[0023] The content of component (B) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 60 to 800 ppm, but from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish, 80 ppm or more is preferred, 100 ppm or more is more preferred, 150 ppm or more is even more preferred, 200 ppm or more is even more preferred, and 300 ppm or more is particularly preferred. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of enhancing the balance of beer-like aroma and flavor, 750 ppm or less is preferred, 700 ppm or less is more preferred, 600 ppm or less is even more preferred, and 550 ppm or less is even more preferred. In other words, the content of component (B) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is preferably 80 to 750 ppm, more preferably 100 to 700 ppm, even more preferably 150 to 600 ppm, even more preferably 200 to 600 ppm, and particularly preferably 300 to 550 ppm. Furthermore, the quantitative determination of component (B) can be performed by capillary electrophoresis, and specifically, the method described in the examples below can be used.

[0024] The total amount of components (A) and (B) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention [(A) + (B)] is preferably 82 ppm or more, more preferably 100 ppm or more, even more preferably 150 ppm or more, even more preferably 250 ppm or more, even more preferably 350 ppm or more, and especially preferably 450 ppm or more, and from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish, it is preferably 1000 ppm or less, more preferably 900 ppm or less, even more preferably 750 ppm or less, even more preferably 700 ppm or less, and especially preferably 650 ppm or less. That is, the total amount [(A) + (B)] in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is preferably 82 to 1000 ppm, more preferably 100 to 900 ppm, even more preferably 150 to 750 ppm, even more preferably 250 to 700 ppm, even more preferably 350 to 650 ppm, and especially preferably 450 to 650 ppm.

[0025] The content of component (C) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 1.5 to 4.0 v / v%, meaning that "low-alcohol" in the present invention means containing 1.5 to 4.0 v / v% of alcohol. The content of component (C) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention may be 2.0 v / v% or more, 2.5 v / v% or more, or 3.5 v / v% or less. That is, the content of component (C) in the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention may be 2.0 to 4.0 v / v%, 2.5 to 4.0 v / v%, or 1.5 to 3.5 v / v%, 2.0 to 3.5 v / v%, or 2.5 to 3.5 v / v%. The quantitative determination of component (C) can be carried out according to the method described in the "National Tax Agency prescribed analytical method".

[0026] <Ratio of each component> In the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, the ratio of the total amount of components (A) and (B) to component (C), [(A)+(B)] / (C), is preferably 30 or more, more preferably 37 or more, even more preferably 45 or more, and even more preferably 55 or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of enhancing the balance of beer-like aroma and flavor, it is preferably 400 or less, more preferably 350 or less, even more preferably 320 or less, and even more preferably 280 or less. That is, such a ratio [(A)+(B)] / (C) is preferably 30 to 400, more preferably 37 to 350, even more preferably 45 to 320, and even more preferably 55 to 280. The unit of the ratio [(A)+(B)] / (C) is "(ppm) / (v / v%)".

[0027] In the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, the mass ratio of component (A) to component (B) [(B) / (A)] is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 4 or more, even more preferably 10 or more, even more preferably 15 or more, and especially preferably 20 or more, and from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish, it is preferably 400 or less, more preferably 320 or less, even more preferably 200 or less, even more preferably 150 or less, and especially preferably 90 or less. That is, such a mass ratio [(B) / (A)] is preferably 3 to 400, more preferably 4 to 320, even more preferably 10 to 200, even more preferably 15 to 150, and especially preferably 20 to 90.

[0028] In the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, the ratio of component (A) to component (C) [(A) / (C)] is preferably 0.5 or higher, more preferably 1.5 or higher, and even more preferably 2 or higher, from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of enhancing the balance of beer-like aroma and flavor, it is preferably 20 or lower, more preferably 16 or lower, even more preferably 12 or lower, and even more preferably 8 or lower. That is, such a ratio [(A) / (C)] is preferably 0.5 to 20, more preferably 1.5 to 16, even more preferably 1.5 to 12, and even more preferably 2 to 8. The unit of the ratio [(A) / (C)] is "(ppm) / (v / v%)".

[0029] In the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, the ratio of component (B) to component (C) [(B) / (C)] is preferably 15 or more, more preferably 20 or more, even more preferably 25 or more, and even more preferably 30 or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing sticky sweetness and improving the finish. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of enhancing the balance of beer-like aroma and flavor, it is preferably 370 or less, more preferably 300 or less, even more preferably 270 or less, and even more preferably 180 or less. That is, such a ratio [(B) / (C)] is preferably 15 to 370, more preferably 20 to 300, even more preferably 25 to 270, and even more preferably 30 to 180. The unit of the ratio [(B) / (C)] is "(ppm) / (v / v%)".

[0030] The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited in terms of the malt usage ratio, but may be 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 67% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 100%, or 100% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, or 80% or less. These upper and lower limits can be set in any combination.

[0031] The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients as long as they do not interfere with the effects of the present invention. For example, it may contain coloring agents, sweeteners, flavoring agents, flavoring agents, isomerized hop extract, yeast extract, etc.

[0032] The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention preferably has a pH (25°C) of 3.5 or higher, more preferably 3.7 or higher, even more preferably 4.0 or higher, preferably 5.0 or lower, more preferably 4.7 or lower, and even more preferably 4.5 or lower. That is, the pH (25°C) is preferably 3.5 to 5.0, more preferably 3.7 to 4.7, and even more preferably 4.0 to 4.5. A pH adjusting agent can be used to adjust the pH. The pH adjusting agent is not particularly limited as long as it is commonly used in the art.

[0033] [Manufacturing method] The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be manufactured, for example, as follows. First, wort is prepared from brewing ingredients such as malt, hops, adjuncts, and brewing water, and fermentation is carried out by adding brewer's yeast to this wort. In this fermentation process, the difference between the apparent final fermentation level (AAL) and the apparent fermentation level (AA) (AAL-AA) is controlled to be 10% or more. Then, the wort fermentation liquid is stored at a low temperature to stop fermentation and filtered to produce a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage. The adjustment of the concentrations of (A) serine, (B) phosphate ions, and (C) alcohol can be carried out at any stage of the manufacturing process of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, for example, in the fermentation process or in another step. The specific details of the difference (AAL-AA) and the concentrations of (A) serine, (B) phosphate ions, and (C) alcohol are as described above, and the ratio of the components can also be adjusted within the range described above.

[0034] Controlling the differential (AAL-AA) in the fermentation process can be achieved by adjusting fermentation conditions (time, temperature, aeration rate, etc.) and using commercially available carbohydrate-degrading enzymes to control the yeast's sugar consumption.

[0035] Furthermore, the alcohol concentration of beverages produced by this method may be reduced by de-alcoholization treatment. Examples of de-alcoholization treatments include (i) a method of removing alcohol and low-boiling point components by distillation under reduced pressure or atmospheric pressure, (ii) a method of removing alcohol and low-molecular-weight components using a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, and (iii) a method of removing volatile components by adsorption to vapor using centrifugal force.

[0036] Wort can be prepared according to conventional methods. For example, a mixture of brewing ingredients and brewing water can be saccharified, filtered to obtain wort, hops can be added to this wort, it can be boiled, and the boiled wort can be cooled to prepare the wort.

[0037] The wort ferment can be either top-fermented or bottom-fermented. Top-fermented wort refers to wort inoculated with top-fermenting yeast and fermented under normal fermentation conditions, for example, at 15-25°C for several days. Bottom-fermented wort refers to wort inoculated with bottom-fermenting yeast and fermented under normal fermentation conditions, for example, at around 10°C for about a week.

[0038] In the production of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, in addition to malt, the following can be used as brewing ingredients: unsprouted grains (for example, unsprouted barley (including extracts), unsprouted wheat (including extracts)); auxiliary ingredients specified by the Liquor Tax Law, such as rice, corn, sorghum, potatoes, starch, and sugars (for example, liquid sugar); nitrogen sources such as protein hydrolysates and yeast extracts; and additives such as flavorings, colorings, foaming and foam retention enhancers, water conditioners, and fermentation aids.

[0039] [Improvement method] The present invention provides an improvement method that adjusts the concentrations of (A) serine, (B) phosphate ions, and (C) alcohol, and is exclusively used to improve one or more of the sticky sweetness, aftertaste, and beer-like flavor balance of low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages in which the difference (AAL-AA) between the apparent final fermentation degree (AAL) and the apparent fermentation degree (AA) is 10% or more. The adjustment of the concentrations of (A) serine, (B) phosphate ions, and (C) alcohol can be carried out using the same method as the manufacturing method described above. The specific embodiments of the difference (AAL-AA) and the concentrations of (A) serine, (B) phosphate ions, and (C) alcohol are as described above, and the ratio of the components can also be adjusted within the range described above. [Examples]

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0041] 1. Analysis of serine The filtrate obtained by filtering a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage through a 0.45 μm filter was used as the analytical sample and measured using a high-speed amino acid analyzer (L-8900, Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation).

[0042] 2. Analysis of phosphate ions The phosphate ion concentration in low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages was determined by capillary electrophoresis. Specifically, the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage was diluted 10-fold with ultrapure water, placed in an ultrafiltration filter, and centrifuged at approximately 10°C and 9,000 × G for 12 minutes to be used as the analytical sample. The detector analysis conditions are shown in Table 1.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] 3. Analysis of alcohol The alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) was analyzed using the method specified in the "National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method."

[0045] 4. Difference (AAL-AA) (1) Analysis of the final fermentation level (AAL) based on appearance The apparent final fermentation level (AAL) was calculated based on the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method 8.11, by measuring the raw wort extract using an alcoholizer (Anton Paar), adding brewing yeast to consume all assimilated sugars in the product, and then measuring the apparent extract again.

[0046] (2) Analysis of the degree of fermentation by appearance (AA) The degree of fermentation (AA) was calculated using an alcoholizer (Anton Paar) according to the Alcolyzer method described in ASBC Methods of Analysis “ALCOHOL” G. BY NEAR-INFRARED AND ORIGINAL EXTRACT CONTENT.

[0047] (3) Difference (AAL-AA) The difference (AAL-AA) was calculated from the apparent final fermentation level (AAL) and apparent fermentation level (AA) calculated above.

[0048] 5. Sensory evaluation The sensory evaluation was conducted by five trained panelists who agreed to evaluate each item on three criteria: "sticky sweetness," "aftertaste," and "flavor balance," using a score range of 1.0 to 5.0 in increments of 0.5, according to the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2. They also agreed to set the score for each item of the samples from Test Section 1-1 (Table 3), Test Section 2-1 (Table 4), Test Section 3-1 (Table 5), Test Section 4-1 (Table 6), and Test Section 5-1 (Table 7) to "1.0." The average of the scores given by the five panelists was then calculated. "Sticky sweetness" evaluated the intensity of the sticky sweetness that lingered on the tongue after drinking. "Aftertaste" evaluated the intensity of the refreshing feeling from the bitterness after drinking and the lingering sensation in the mouth. "Flavor balance" evaluated whether the sticky sweetness was suppressed, the aftertaste was good, and the flavor balance was excellent, resembling that of a beer. Samples with a score of 2.0 or higher were judged to have an improvement in that evaluation item, samples with a score of 3.0 or higher had a favorable effect in that evaluation item, samples with a score of 3.5 or higher had a more favorable effect in that evaluation item, and samples with a score of 4.0 or higher were judged to have a particularly favorable effect in that evaluation item.

[0049] [Table 2]

[0050] Manufacturing Example 1 Barley malt and dark malt were used as the main ingredients (malt usage ratio 100%). The malt was saccharified using enzymes and filtered to obtain wort. Hops were added to the obtained wort and boiled at 100°C. Next, the wort was allowed to stand to separate the coagulated protein (treve), and then cooled to obtain the pre-fermentation liquid. Bottom-fermenting or top-fermenting yeast was added to the obtained pre-fermentation liquid, and primary and secondary fermentation were carried out to obtain the fermented liquid. The obtained fermented liquid was stored at a low temperature to stop fermentation and filtered to produce a low-alcohol beer-flavored fermented beverage. In addition, yeast with low alcohol production capacity (Association for Wine No. 1) was used for fermentation, and by controlling the fermentation conditions (time, temperature, aeration rate, etc.) to control the yeast's sugar consumption, three types of low-alcohol beer-flavored fermented beverages with a difference (AAL-AA) of "20%", "40%", and "13%" were prepared.

[0051] Example 1 First, water and raw material alcohol were added to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 20% to adjust the alcohol content to 3.0 v / v%. Next, serine and / or phosphoric acid were added to this base beverage to achieve the serine and phosphate ion concentrations shown in Table 3, and test sample beverages (test groups 1-1 to 1-14) were prepared. Sensory evaluation was then performed on each test group's beverage.

[0052] [Table 3]

[0053] Example 2 First, water and raw material alcohol were added to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 20% to adjust the alcohol content to 2.0 v / v%. Next, serine and phosphate were added to this base beverage to achieve the serine and phosphate ion concentrations shown in Table 4, and test sample beverages (test groups 2-1 to 2-8) were prepared. Sensory evaluation was then performed on each test group's beverage.

[0054] [Table 4]

[0055] Example 3 First, water and raw material alcohol were added to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 20% to adjust the alcohol content to 4.0 v / v%. Next, serine and phosphate were added to this base beverage to achieve the serine and phosphate ion concentrations shown in Table 5, and test sample beverages (test groups 3-1 to 3-8) were prepared. Sensory evaluation was then performed on each test group beverage.

[0056] [Table 5]

[0057] Example 4 First, water and raw material alcohol were added to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 40% to adjust the alcohol content to 3.0 v / v%. Next, serine and phosphate were added to this base beverage to achieve the serine and phosphate ion concentrations shown in Table 6, and test sample beverages (test groups 4-1 to 4-8) were prepared. Sensory evaluation was then performed on each test group's beverage.

[0058] [Table 6]

[0059] Example 5 First, water and raw material alcohol were added to a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage with a difference (AAL-AA) of 13% to adjust the alcohol content to 3.0 v / v%. Next, serine and phosphate were added to this base beverage to achieve the serine and phosphate ion concentrations shown in Table 7, and test sample beverages (test groups 5-1 to 5-8) were prepared. Sensory evaluation was then performed on each test group's beverage.

[0060] [Table 7]

[0061] As shown in Table 3, in low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages with a difference (AAL-AA) of 20%, test group 1-2 with a low serine concentration of 1 ppm, test group 1-3 with a low phosphate ion concentration of 50 ppm, and test groups 1-7 and 1-14 with a high phosphate ion concentration of 1000 ppm showed improvement in sticky sweetness or aftertaste compared to test group 1-1, but the beer-like flavor balance was insufficient. In contrast, by increasing the serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher and controlling the phosphate ion concentration to 60-800 ppm, it was confirmed that the sticky sweetness and aftertaste were further improved compared to the tasting sample of test group 1-1, as shown in test groups 1-4 to 1-6 and 1-8 to 1-13, and the beer-like flavor balance was significantly enhanced. It can be seen that this enhancing effect can be further increased by (A) setting the serine concentration to 2-40 ppm and (B) setting the phosphate ion concentration to 100-700 ppm. Furthermore, the results in Tables 4 and 5 show that by controlling (A) the serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher and (B) the phosphate ion concentration to 60-800 ppm, (C) even if the alcohol content is different, the sticky sweetness is suppressed, the finish is improved, and the beer-like flavor balance is enhanced. Furthermore, the results in Tables 6 and 7 show that by controlling (A) the serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher and (B) the phosphate ion concentration to 60-800 ppm, even if the difference (AAL-AA) is different, the sticky sweetness is suppressed, the finish is improved, and the beer-like flavor balance is enhanced.

Claims

1. A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in which the difference between the final visible degree of fermentation (AAL) and the visible degree of fermentation (AA) (AAL - AA) is 10% or more, The following components (A) to (C): (A) Serine 2 ppm or more, (B) Phosphate ions 60-800 ppm (C) Alcohol 1.5-4.0 v / v% Contains A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage.

2. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of component (A) is 2 to 40 ppm.

3. The low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to claim 2, wherein the content of component (B) is 100 to 700 ppm.

4. A low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ratio of the total amount of component (A) and component (B) to component (C) [(A) + (B)] / (C) is 30,400 (ppm) / (v / v%).

5. A method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage in which the difference between the final visible degree of fermentation (AAL) and the visible degree of fermentation (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more, A fermentation process in which fermentation is carried out so that the difference between the final visible degree of fermentation (AAL) and the visible degree of fermentation (AA) (AAL - AA) is 10% or more, Concentration adjustment process: (A) Serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher, (B) Phosphate ion concentration to 60 to 800 ppm, and (C) Alcohol concentration to 1.5 to 4.0 v / v%. A manufacturing method that includes this.

6. A method for improving at least one of the following characteristics of a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage: sticky sweetness, aftertaste, and beer-like flavor balance, wherein the difference between the final appearance level (AAL) and the appearance level (AA) (AAL-AA) is 10% or more. A method to adjust the following: (A) serine concentration to 2 ppm or higher, (B) phosphate ion concentration to 60 to 800 ppm, and (C) alcohol concentration to 1.5 to 4.0 v / v%.

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