Beer-flavored fermented beverage and its production method

Abstract

To provide a beer-flavored fermented beverage with reduced stinging sourness.SOLUTION: A beer-flavored fermented beverage comprises phenethyl alcohol at a concentration of 35 mg / L or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-flavored fermented beverage and a method for producing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Due to the increasing health consciousness in recent years, there is a demand for beer-taste beverages with a reduced sugar content. Since beers and beer-based beverages with reduced sugar often have a lower intensity of taste and aroma, there is a problem that the huskiness derived from malt and the stinging sour taste are strongly felt.

[0003] As a conventional method for increasing the intensity of taste, there are methods such as increasing the bitterness value (BU) and adding aroma components by hops. However, increasing the BU disrupts the overall taste balance, and adding aroma components by hops results in a monotonous impression.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present inventors have found that by adjusting the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in a beer-flavored fermented beverage to a predetermined range, the stinging sour taste can be reduced. The present invention is based on this finding.

[0005] Accordingly, the present invention provides a beer-flavored fermented beverage with a reduced stinging sour taste and a method for producing the same.

[0006] And the present invention includes the following inventions. (1) A beer-flavored fermented beverage in which the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage is 35 mg / L or more. (2) The beer-flavored fermented beverage according to (1) above, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage is 35 to 80 mg / L. (3) The beer-flavored fermented beverage according to (1) above, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage is 50 to 70 mg / L. (4) The beer-flavored fermented beverage according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the concentration of sugar in the beverage is 0.5 g / 100 mL or less. (5) The beer-flavored fermented beverage according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the malt usage ratio is 50 to 100% by mass. (6) The beer-flavored fermented beverage according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the alcohol concentration is more than 2% by volume. (7) A method for producing a beer-flavored fermented beverage, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage is adjusted to 35 mg / L or more. A method. (8) The method according to (7) above, wherein the concentration of carbohydrates in the beverage is adjusted to 0.5 g / 100 mL or less. (9) The method according to (7) or (8) above, wherein the malt usage ratio is 50 to 100% by mass. (10) The method according to any one of (7) to (9) above, wherein the alcohol concentration in the beverage is adjusted to more than 2% by volume. (11) In a beer-flavored fermented beverage, a method for reducing the sour taste, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage is adjusted to 35 mg / L or more. (12) In a beer-flavored fermented beverage, a method for reducing the husk taste, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage is adjusted to 35 mg / L or more.

[0007] According to the present invention, in a beer-flavored fermented beverage, it is possible to reduce the stinging sour taste. Further, according to the present invention, in a beer-flavored fermented beverage, it is also possible to reduce the husk taste derived from malt. Detailed description of the invention

[0008] The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention has a phenethyl alcohol concentration in the beverage within a predetermined range. Such a beer-flavored fermented beverage can be obtained by adjusting the phenethyl alcohol concentration during its production. The specific means for adjusting the concentration of phenethyl alcohol is not particularly limited, and examples include the addition of phenethyl alcohol, the increase or decrease in the usage amount of raw materials containing phenethyl alcohol, the increase or decrease in the usage amount of raw materials that generate phenethyl alcohol in the final product, and the adjustment of the concentration of substances converted to phenethyl alcohol by fermentation with yeast.

[0009] In the present invention, the "beer-flavored fermented beverage" means beer (a beverage obtained by fermentation with brewer's yeast using malt and hops as raw materials), or a fermented beverage having a flavor similar to that of beer. The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention may be an alcoholic beverage whose alcohol (ethanol) concentration is adjusted after fermentation. The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably a fermented beverage imparted with the aroma of hops by using hops as a raw material. The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention preferably means a fermented malt beverage, that is, a beverage using at least malt as a raw material. Examples of such fermented malt beverages include beer, sparkling sake, liqueurs (for example, beverages classified as "liqueurs (sparkling) (1)" under the Liquor Tax Law), etc., and preferably beer. The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably a fermented malt beverage having a malt usage ratio of 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less.

[0010] In the present invention, the "sour taste" means a stinging sour taste felt when drinking a beer-based beverage. Such a sour taste tends to gradually become prominent as the sugar content of the beer-based beverage decreases. Also, in the present invention, the "huskiness" means a grainy aroma or taste accompanied by astringency, off-flavors, roughness in the aftertaste, or a powdery impression.

[0011] In the present invention, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L", and the unit "ppb" is synonymous with "μg / L".

[0012] The concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is, for example, 35 mg / L or more, preferably 40 mg / L or more, more preferably 45 mg / L or more, and even more preferably 50 mg / L or more. The upper limit of the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beer-flavored fermented beverage is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. For example, it is 90 mg / L, preferably 85 mg / L, more preferably 80 mg / L, even more preferably 75 mg / L, and even more preferably 70 mg / L. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 35 to 90 mg / L, preferably 35 to 85 mg / L, more preferably 35 to 80 mg / L, even more preferably 40 to 80 mg / L, even more preferably 40 to 75 mg / L, even more preferably 45 to 75 mg / L, even more preferably 45 to 70, and even more preferably 50 to 70 mg / L. Phenethyl alcohol may be derived from raw materials, may be added separately from plant raw materials, or may be produced by fermentation. The concentration of phenethyl alcohol can be controlled, for example, by controlling the composition of raw materials and fermentation conditions, etc.

[0013] The quantification of phenethyl alcohol in the beer-flavored fermented beverage can be carried out by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. This GC analysis can be carried out, for example, as follows. First, the aroma components in the beverage are extracted with a hydroxylated polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and analysis can be performed by subjecting it to GC / FID. The internal standard method can be used for the quantification of components, and trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate can be used as internal standard substances. Furthermore, for more accurate concentration measurement, it is desirable to use a calibration curve prepared based on the measured values of several control samples having known concentrations. The analysis conditions of GC can follow Table 1 below.

[0014]

Table 1

[0015] The alcohol concentration in the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be 1% by volume (v / v%) or more, or may be a so-called non-alcoholic beverage or low-alcohol beverage with less than 1% by volume (v / v%). Preferably, the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol concentration of 1% by volume (v / v%) or more, more preferably more than 1% by volume (v / v%), still more preferably 2% by volume (v / v%) or more, still more preferably more than 2% by volume, still more preferably 3% by volume (v / v%) or more, still more preferably more than 3% by volume (v / v%), still more preferably 3.5% by volume (v / v%) or more, still more preferably 4% by volume (v / v%) or more. The upper limit of the alcohol concentration of the beer-flavored fermented beverage is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. For example, it is 20% by volume, preferably 10% by volume, more preferably 7% by volume. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the alcohol concentration in the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably more than 2% by volume and 10% by volume or less, more preferably 3 to 10% by volume or less, still more preferably 3 to 7% by volume, still more preferably 3 to 5% by volume. The measurement of the alcohol concentration in the beer-flavored fermented beverage can be carried out by a known method. Specifically, it can be carried out based on the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method 8.3.6 Alcoholizer Method" determined by the National Tax Agency of Japan.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is a beverage with a reduced sugar content compared to normal. This "reduced compared to normal" means that a measure has been taken to reduce the sugar content when manufacturing the beer-flavored fermented beverage. The specific numerical value of the sugar concentration in such a low-sugar beer-flavored fermented beverage is not particularly limited. For example, it can be 1.5 g / 100 mL or less, preferably less than 1.5 g / 100 mL, more preferably 1.1 g / 100 mL or less, still more preferably 1.0 g / 100 mL or less, still more preferably less than 1.0 g / 100 mL, still more preferably 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, and still more preferably less than 0.5 g / 100 mL. In one embodiment, the concentration of sugar in the low-sugar beer-flavored fermented beverage is 0.4 g / mL or less.

[0017] The measurement of the sugar concentration can be carried out by a known method, and can be carried out according to the method of calculating from the mass of the sample excluding the amounts of water, protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber (refer to the attached analysis methods for nutritional components, etc. in the Food Labeling Standards (March 30, 2015, Shokushoku-hyo No. 139)).

[0018] The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention can be a carbonated beverage. The carbon dioxide gas pressure can be appropriately adjusted according to preference, for example, it can be adjusted in the range of 0.05 to 0.4 MPa (gas pressure at 20°C).

[0019] The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention can adjust the pH to, for example, 2.0 to 5.0, preferably 2.3 to 4.8, more preferably 2.9 to 4.8. The pH of the beverage can be easily measured using a commercially available pH meter (for example, HORIBA Scientific Desktop pH Meter, manufactured by Horiba Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.).

[0020] The beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention is preferably provided as a container-packed beverage. The container used for the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention may be any container commonly used for filling beverages. For example, metal cans, barrel containers, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles, cups), paper containers, bottles, pouch containers, etc. may be mentioned, but preferably metal cans, barrel containers, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles), or bottles.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention can be produced according to the production method of a normal beer-flavored fermented beverage, except for adjusting the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage. As a normal production method, for example, a method of fermenting a pre-fermentation liquid containing at least water and malt, that is, adding beer yeast for fermentation to wort (pre-fermentation liquid) prepared from brewing raw materials such as malt, performing fermentation, and if desired, storing the fermentation liquid at a low temperature and then removing the yeast by a filtration step can be mentioned.

[0022] In the production process of the beer-flavored fermented beverage of the present invention, hops (including processed products of hops) can be added in any process. The addition amount of hops can typically be adjusted to be 0.1 to 5 g / L with respect to the volume of the pre-fermentation liquid in the fermentation process, preferably 0.1 to 2 g / L, and more preferably 0.2 to 1.5 g / L.

[0023] In the present invention, in addition to malt, hops, and water, auxiliary raw materials defined by the Liquor Tax Law such as rice, corn, sorghum, potatoes, starch, saccharides (e.g., liquid sugar), fruits, coriander, etc., nitrogen sources such as protein decomposites and yeast extracts, pigments, foaming and foam-stabilizing agents, water quality regulators, fermentation promoters, and other additives can be used as brewing raw materials. Also, unsprouted cereals (e.g., unsprouted barley (including those in an extracted form), unsprouted wheat (including those in an extracted form)) may be used as brewing raw materials.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, in a beer-flavored fermented beverage, a method for reducing the sour taste is provided, the method including adjusting the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage to the above numerical range.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, in a beer-flavored fermented beverage, a method for reducing the husk feeling is provided, the method including adjusting the concentration of phenethyl alcohol in the beverage to the above numerical range.

Examples

[0026] The present invention will be specifically described based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0027] Example 1: Relationship between phenethyl alcohol concentration and flavor in beer-flavored fermented beverages In this example, tasting samples with adjusted phenethyl alcohol concentrations were prepared based on test-brewed beer, and sensory evaluations were conducted to examine the relationship between the phenethyl alcohol concentration and flavor in the beer-flavored fermented beverage.

[0028] (1) Preparation of tasting samples Tasting samples of the beer-flavored fermented beverage were prepared according to the following procedure.

[0029] In the production of the beer-flavored fermented beverage of this example, barley malt was used as the main raw material (malt usage ratio 60%). During saccharification, an enzyme preparation mainly containing glucoamylase was used, the temperature and time of saccharification were adjusted, and wort was obtained by filtration. Hops and liquid sugar mainly containing assimilable sugar were added to the obtained wort and boiled at 100°C. Then, the wort was allowed to stand to separate the coagulated protein (trub), and after cooling, a pre-fermentation liquid was obtained. Bottom-fermenting yeast was added to the obtained pre-fermentation liquid, and main fermentation and post-fermentation were carried out to obtain a fermented liquid. The obtained fermented liquid was stored at a low temperature to stop fermentation, and by filtration, a clear beer-flavored fermented beverage was obtained.

[0030] The obtained beer-flavored fermented beverage was diluted, and the deficient carbohydrates (sucrose) and alcohol for alcoholic beverage raw materials (First Alcohol Co., alcohol concentration 95%) were added thereto to prepare a base beverage having 0.4 g / 100 mL of carbohydrates and alcohol (ethanol) concentrations of 3 and 5% (v / v). Phenethyl alcohol was added to this base beverage so that the concentration of phenethyl alcohol became the value shown in the following table, and a tasting sample was adjusted. In addition, the alcohol (ethanol) concentration, carbohydrate, and phenethyl alcohol concentration in each beverage in the examples were measured according to the following methods, respectively.

[0031] The alcohol concentration in each beverage in the examples was measured according to the "BCOJ Beer Analysis Method 8.3.6 Alcoholizer Method" determined by the National Tax Agency of Japan.

[0032] The carbohydrate concentration in each beverage in the examples was measured by subtracting the mass of each of water, protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the beverage to be measured, based on the "Analysis Methods for Nutritional Components, etc. (Appendix to the Food Labeling Standards (March 30, 2015, Sho-shoku-hyo No. 139))" determined by the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan.

[0033] The measurement of the phenethyl alcohol concentration in each beverage in the examples was performed by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverage were extracted with a hydroxylated polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and the obtained extract was subjected to GC / FID. In addition, trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate were used as internal standard substances. The analysis conditions of GC were as shown in Table 2 below.

[0034]

Table 2

[0035] (2) Sensory evaluation of tasting samples A trained panel of six people conducted a sensory evaluation of the tasting samples obtained in (1) above. The evaluation items for the sensory evaluation were "husky flavor" and "acidity." The specific evaluation criteria for each are shown below. a. Husky feeling: Evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 (weakly felt) to 3 (moderately felt) to 5 (strongly felt). b. Sourness: Evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 (weakly perceived) to 3 (moderately perceived) to 5 (strongly perceived).

[0036] The phenethyl alcohol concentration, alcohol (ethanol) concentration, and sensory evaluation results in the samples are summarized in Table 3. The scores of the sensory evaluation results are shown as the average value and standard deviation.

[0037] [Table 3]

[0038] In the sensory evaluation, the score of test group 3 (ethanol concentration 5 v / v%, phenethyl alcohol concentration 30 mg / L) was fixed at 4.0.

[0039] From the results shown in Table 3, it is clear that the sourness sensation is significantly reduced when the phenethyl alcohol concentration is 35 mg / L or more, regardless of whether the ethanol concentration is 3 v / v% or 5 v / v%, and it is clear that the effect of reducing the sourness sensation is more significantly achieved when the phenethyl alcohol concentration is 35 to 80 mg / L, particularly 50 to 70 mg / L. Furthermore, a similar tendency was observed in the effect of reducing the husky sensation.

Claims

1. A beer-flavored fermented beverage with a malt usage ratio of 50 to 100% by mass, a sugar concentration of 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, an alcohol concentration of more than 3% by volume and 7% by volume or less, and a phenethyl alcohol concentration of 35 to 75 mg / L.

2. The beer-flavored fermented beverage according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol is 35 to 50 mg / L.

3. A method for producing a beer-flavored fermented beverage, wherein in the beer-flavored fermented beverage the malt usage ratio is adjusted to 50 to 100% by mass, the sugar concentration is adjusted to 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, the alcohol concentration is adjusted to more than 3% by volume and 7% by volume or less, and the concentration of phenethyl alcohol is adjusted to 35 to 75 mg / L.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the concentration of phenethyl alcohol is adjusted to 35 to 50 mg / L.

5. A method for reducing the sour taste in a beer-flavored fermented beverage with a malt usage ratio of 50 to 100% by mass, a sugar concentration of 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, and an alcohol concentration of more than 3% by volume and 7% by volume or less, wherein in the beer-flavored fermented beverage, the concentration of phenethyl alcohol is adjusted to 35 to 75 mg / L.

6. A method for reducing the husky taste in a beer-flavored fermented beverage with a malt usage ratio of 50 to 100% by mass, a sugar concentration of 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, and an alcohol concentration of more than 3% by volume and 7% by volume or less, wherein in the beer-flavored fermented beverage, the concentration of phenethyl alcohol is adjusted to 35 to 75 mg / L.

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