Beer-like fermented malt beverage

Abstract

To provide a beer-like fermented malt beverage that has reduced bitterness and excellent beer-like drinkability.SOLUTION: Provided is a beer-like fermented malt beverage that contains substantially no iso-α-acid, has a malt use ratio of 50 to 100 mass%, and has a final appearance fermentation degree of 90% or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-like fermented malt beverage, and more particularly to a beer-like fermented malt beverage with reduced bitterness. [Background technology]

[0002] A malt beverage is a beverage produced using malt as a raw material. For example, a beverage obtained by fermenting a malt-derived sugar solution or a beverage obtained by mixing malt-derived sugar solutions falls under the category of a malt beverage. A specific example of a malt beverage is a beer-like fermented malt beverage.

[0003] Beer is a beverage made from malt, hops, and water, fermented with yeast. Beer-like fermented malt beverages are malt beverages designed to be similar in taste and aroma to be beer. Beer and happoshu are included in the beer-like fermented malt beverages.

[0004] In beer-like fermented malt beverages, the use of malt as a raw material provides the umami and rich taste characteristic of malt, the use of hops as a raw material provides the bitterness and astringency characteristic of hops, and the fermentation of the raw material provides the aroma and complex flavor of the fermentation products, the stimulating sensation of ethanol and carbon dioxide, and the reduction of sugars provides a refreshing aftertaste.

[0005] Beer-like fermented malt beverages have a unique bitterness and flavor, and are characterized primarily by their thirst quenching and drinkability (the ability to drink multiple cups without getting bored). In particular, a refreshing feeling is an important quality for beer drinkability.

[0006] Beer with a strong bitterness has a lingering bitterness that lingers in the mouth, resulting in a loss of the beer's refreshing feeling, clean aftertaste, crispness, etc., and thus reducing the palatability and drinkability of the beer. Therefore, beer-flavored beverages that use less hops to reduce the bitterness have been investigated.

[0007] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe beer-flavored beverages that are substantially free of hops, maintain a beer-like flavor derived from malt, and maintain a certain level of malt content to prevent poor fermentation due to a lack of nitrogen sources. When hops are not used as an ingredient, the malt flavor stands out, resulting in a thick, heavy taste. This problem is solved by adjusting the total nitrogen and total polyphenol contents within specific ranges, and adjusting the tartaric acid or 4-vinylguaiacol contents within specific ranges, resulting in a refreshing aftertaste characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage.

[0008] Patent Document 3 describes a beer-taste beverage that has a high malt ratio of 50% by mass or more to maintain a good taste, and an apparent attenuation level of 100% or more to improve its refreshing taste. Increasing the apparent attenuation level can result in a monotonous taste. This problem is solved by adjusting the malt ratio, apparent attenuation level, and pyroglutamic acid content, resulting in a beverage with a complex, high-quality taste and a refreshing taste. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6676813 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6703173 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-195318 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In the case of beer-like fermented malt beverages, when hops are not used as an ingredient, the fermentation of yeast becomes vigorous and the amount of esters produced increases, resulting in a strong sweetness derived from the esters and a sticky taste, which reduces the drinkability of the beer.

[0011] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a beer-like fermented malt beverage which has reduced bitterness and excellent beer-like drinkability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention provides Substantially free of iso-α acids, The malt usage ratio is 50 to 100% by mass, To provide a beer-like fermented malt beverage having an apparent final fermentation degree of 90% or more.

[0013] In one embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage has an ethyl acetate concentration of more than 15 ppm.

[0014] In one embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage has a malt usage ratio of 90 to 100 mass %.

[0015] In one embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage is substantially free of hop-derived components.

[0016] In one embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage contains a fermentation product with yeast from which hop-derived components have been substantially removed.

[0017] In one embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage has a final apparent degree of attenuation of 95 to 100% by mass.

[0018] In one embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage has an ethyl acetate concentration of 20 to 35 ppm.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for brewing a malt ... a step of adjusting the saccharification conditions of the raw material so that the final apparent fermentation degree is 90% or more; A method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage, comprising: To provide a method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage, which does not include a step of adding hops or hop-derived components.

[0020] In one embodiment, in the method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage, the yeast used for fermentation includes yeast from which hop-derived components have been substantially removed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, a beer-like fermented malt beverage having reduced bitterness and excellent beer-like drinkability is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] <Method for producing beer-like fermented malt beverage> The beer-like fermented malt beverage of the present invention is produced according to methods and conditions typically used in the production of beer or fermented malt beverages, except that the raw material composition is adjusted so that the malt usage ratio is 50% by mass or more, the saccharification conditions are adjusted so that the apparent final attenuation is 90% or more, and hops or hop-derived components are not used. Specific examples of hop-derived components include hop extracts and compounds contained in hops.

[0023] The method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage of the present invention does not include a step of adding hops or hop-derived components. In other words, the resulting beer-like fermented malt beverage is substantially free of iso-α acids or hop-derived components. Here, "substantially free" means that the content is below the detection limit of commonly used analytical methods. As a result, the bitterness of the resulting beer-like fermented malt beverage is reduced. This is explained in detail below.

[0024] First, crushed malt, auxiliary ingredients such as barley, and warm water are added to a brewing tank and mixed at a predetermined malt usage ratio to prepare a mash. The malt usage ratio refers to the ratio of the mass of malt to the mass of all ingredients excluding hops and brewing water. The higher the malt usage ratio, the stronger the malt-derived umami and richness of the resulting wort. Furthermore, the higher the malt usage ratio, the higher the content of nitrogen compounds in the resulting wort, which reduces the likelihood of fermentation irregularities and unpleasant odors when the wort is subjected to fermentation.

[0025] The malt usage ratio is 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more. The malt usage ratio may be 100% by mass. Malt alone may be used as the starchy raw material for saccharification. The beer-like fermented malt beverage of the present invention is substantially free of iso-α acids, and therefore has little bitterness and tends to have a strong malt-derived grain flavor. Therefore, by adjusting the malt usage ratio within the above range, it is easy to impart a beer-like balance of body and crispness to the beer-like fermented malt beverage.

[0026] The auxiliary raw materials mentioned above refer to raw materials other than malt and hops. Examples of such auxiliary raw materials include starchy raw materials such as barley, wheat, cornstarch, corn grits, rice, and koryan, as well as carbohydrate raw materials such as liquid sugar and sugar. Here, liquid sugar is produced by decomposing and saccharifying starch with an acid or a saccharifying enzyme, and mainly contains glucose, maltose, maltotriose, and the like. Other auxiliary raw materials include spices, herbs, and fruits used for the purpose of imparting or improving flavor.

[0027] Mash can be prepared by conventional methods, for example, by first holding the mixture at 35 to 60°C for 20 to 90 minutes to decompose the proteins derived from the raw materials into amino acids, etc., and then proceeding to the saccharification process. In this process, in addition to the main raw materials and auxiliary raw materials, enzymes such as saccharifying enzymes and proteases, as described below, and flavoring ingredients such as spices and herbs, etc. may be added as needed.

[0028] The mashed mash is then gradually heated and maintained at a predetermined temperature for a certain period of time, whereby the starch is saccharified using enzymes derived from malt or enzymes added to the mashed mash. The temperature and time during saccharification can be determined appropriately taking into consideration the type of enzyme used, the amount of mashed mash, the desired quality of the malt alcoholic beverage, and other factors. For example, saccharification can be performed by maintaining the mashed mash at 60-72°C for 30-90 minutes. After saccharification, the mashed mash is maintained at 76-78°C for approximately 10 minutes, and then filtered in a wort filtration tank to obtain a clear sugar solution. Furthermore, an appropriate amount of enzyme may be added during saccharification, as needed.

[0029] The saccharifying enzyme refers to an enzyme that breaks down starch to produce sugar, and examples of such saccharifying enzymes include α-amylase, glucoamylase, and pullulanase.

[0030] The wort boiling operation may be carried out according to the method and conditions normally used in beer production. For example, the pH-adjusted sugar solution is transferred to a boiling kettle and boiled. The pH of the sugar solution is adjusted to 3.8 to 6.0, preferably 4.0 to 5.7, and more preferably 4.2 to 5.5, to promote protein coagulation in the wort.

[0031] The pH of the syrup is adjusted by adding acidic substances that are recognized as food additives and are harmless to the human body. Examples of such acidic substances include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid. The syrup is then transferred to a settling tank called a whirlpool, where hop dregs and coagulated proteins resulting from boiling are removed, and the syrup is then cooled to an appropriate temperature using a plate cooler. Wort is obtained by the above wort boiling procedure.

[0032] The resulting wort is fermented to produce a fermented malt beverage. Wort fermentation can be carried out according to conventional methods. For example, cooled wort is inoculated with yeast and transferred to a fermentation tank for alcoholic fermentation. Wort contains substantially no hop-derived components such as iso-α-acids. Therefore, during alcoholic fermentation, yeast fermentation is vigorous, resulting in increased production of esters. Examples of esters include ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, and phenylethyl acetate. (Note that the ASBC method also detects higher alcohols such as isoamyl alcohol and phenylethyl alcohol.)

[0033] The resulting beer-like fermented malt beverage has an ethyl acetate concentration of more than 15 ppm, preferably 16 to 60 ppm, and more preferably 20 to 35 ppm. When the ethyl acetate concentration of the beer-like fermented malt beverage is within the above range, the sweetness derived from the ester is strongly perceived.

[0034] The ethyl acetate concentration in a beer-like fermented malt beverage and the ethyl acetate concentration in a beer-like sparkling beverage can be measured in accordance with the "ASBC Methods of Analysis" published by the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC).

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, from the viewpoint of increasing drinkability, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by adjusting the wort temperature to 5.0 to 8.0°C, preferably 6.0 to 7.0°C, and using bottom-fermenting yeast.

[0036] To prevent iso-α acids from being mixed into the resulting beer-like fermented malt beverage, yeast free from hop-derived components is used. For example, when reusing yeast that has been in contact with hop-containing wort or beer, it is preferable to substantially remove the hop-derived components from the yeast by washing with water, etc. Here, "substantially removing" means reducing the amount of hop-derived components to an undetectable level by commonly used analytical methods.

[0037] The final apparent attenuation of the fermented malt beverage of the present invention is adjusted to 90% or more. If the final apparent attenuation of the fermented malt beverage is less than 90%, the resulting fermented malt beverage will have a strong ester-like sweetness and be viscous, failing to provide beer-like drinkability. The final apparent attenuation of the fermented malt beverage of the present invention is preferably 90 to 110%, more preferably 95 to 100%.

[0038] The degree of fermentation is an important indicator of how much fermentation has progressed in beer after fermentation and how the fermentation is progressing. Furthermore, the final degree of fermentation refers to the ratio of the extract that can be assimilated by brewer's yeast to the original wort extract. Here, the extract that can be assimilated by brewer's yeast is the original wort extract minus the extract contained in the finished beer (i.e., the extract that remains after all the extract that can be used by brewer's yeast has been fermented (referred to as the final extract)). The apparent final degree of fermentation refers to the final degree of fermentation calculated using the value of the final extract and the extract concentration (% (w / w)) determined from the specific gravity of the apparent extract, i.e., the beer still containing alcohol.

[0039] The term "extract" refers to the solids remaining after evaporation of wort. Extract is primarily composed of sugars. The extract content can be adjusted by changing the amounts of malt, various starches, and sugars used as raw materials. The true extract concentration of a beer-like fermented malt beverage can be measured, for example, by the EBC method (BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 7.2 (2004), edited by the Brewers Association of Japan). Depending on the context, the term "extract" can refer to the non-volatile solids themselves, the amount of non-volatile solids, or the concentration of non-volatile solids (% (w / w)).

[0040] The final apparent degree of fermentation Vend of the fermented wort can be calculated, for example, by the following formula (1).

[0041] Vend(%)={(P-Eend) / P}×100 (1) [Where P is the original wort extract and Eend is the apparent final extract.]

[0042] Original wort extract (P) is theoretically calculated from the wort extract value before alcoholic fermentation according to Balling's equation using the alcohol concentration and extract value of the finished beer. Specifically, it can be determined by the method shown in Analytica-EBC (9.4) (2007). Furthermore, apparent final extract (Eend) can be determined by placing beer in a flask, adding a large amount of fresh compressed yeast, and fermenting with stirring at 25°C until the extract value no longer decreases (24 hours), and then measuring the apparent extract value of the remaining beer.

[0043] The apparent final extract (Eend) is calculated from the specific gravity of the final extract, including alcohol, and may therefore be a negative value. As a result, the apparent final attenuation may exceed 100%.

[0044] The apparent final attenuation can be controlled, for example, by adjusting the saccharification conditions, such as whether or not enzymes are used when saccharifying the raw materials, and the types and amounts of raw materials used. For example, extending the saccharification time of the raw materials can increase the sugar concentration available to yeast, thereby increasing the apparent final attenuation.

[0045] After fermentation, the resulting fermented wort is further aged in a storage tank and stored at low temperatures of about 0° C. for stabilization in the maturation step. The fermented wort is then filtered to remove yeast, proteins, and the like, to obtain the desired beer-like fermented malt beverage.

[0046] <Beer-like fermented malt beverage> As described above, the beer-like fermented malt beverage of the present invention is substantially free of iso-α acid or hop-derived components, and has a predetermined malt usage ratio and a predetermined apparent final attenuation. In a preferred embodiment, the beer-like fermented malt beverage of the present invention has a predetermined ethyl acetate concentration as described above. 。

[0047] The beer-like fermented malt beverage of the present invention may be commercialized by being filled into a sealable container such as a barrel, a can, or a bottle. [Example]

[0048] The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0049] Example 1 Four kilograms of bottom-fermenting yeast used in the production of hop-containing beer was collected and washed by pouring it into 12 liters of water and stirring four times. The fifth wash water was separated from the yeast and the iso-α-acid concentration was measured using HPLC. No iso-α-acids were detected in the wash water.

[0050] 40 kg of malt was crushed, mixed with 0.2 kg of glucoamylase and hot water, saccharified, and filtered to prepare 160 L of wort. The wort was then freed of sediment, adjusted to a 12% extract, and cooled. An appropriate amount of washed yeast was added to the cooled wort. Primary fermentation was carried out at 10°C for 7 days, followed by aging at 10°C for 10 days. After cooling and filtration, a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide was dissolved to obtain a beer-like fermented malt beverage containing approximately 5.0 v / v% ethanol. The resulting beer-like fermented malt beverage was designated Sample 1. The final appearance attenuation of Sample 1 was 95%. The ethyl acetate concentration of Sample 1 was measured using the ASBC method and found to be 20 ppm.

[0051] A predetermined amount of a fragrance mainly composed of ethyl acetate was added to sample 1 to produce samples 2 to 6.

[0052] <Sensory evaluation> The prepared samples were adjusted to a liquid temperature of approximately 4°C and subjected to a sensory evaluation. The evaluation item was "drinkability," and six trained panelists specializing in beer rated according to the criteria described below. The average of the panelists' ratings was used as the score for each evaluation item. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 1.

[0053] [Evaluation criteria] High drinkability like beer: Beer-like drinkability was scored on a 5-point scale, with Asahi Breweries' "Asahi Super Dry" (product name) receiving 5 points, commercial product 1 (Japan Special, Asahi Breweries) receiving 3 points, and commercial product 2 (100% malt beer) receiving 2 points. A rating of 3 points or higher is considered good.

[0054] The final fermentation rate of Asahi Super Dry was 88% and the ethyl acetate concentration was 15 ppm. The commercial product 1 had a final fermentation rate of 89% and an ethyl acetate concentration of 19 ppm. The commercial product 2 had a final fermentation rate of 83% and an ethyl acetate concentration of 33 ppm.

[0055] [Table 1]

[0056] <Example 2> Except for setting the final appearance attenuation degree to 100%, a beer-like fermented malt beverage was produced, analyzed, and subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0057] [Table 2]

[0058] <Comparative Example> A beer-like fermented malt beverage was produced, analyzed, and sensory evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the final appearance attenuation degree was 88%. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0059] [Table 3]

[0060] <Reference example> 40 kg of malt was crushed and mixed with 0.2 kg of glucoamylase and hot water, mashed, and filtered to produce 160 L of wort. 0.15 kg of bitter hop extract (Hopsteiner) and hop pellets (Hopsteiner) were added in amounts to give a bitterness value of 20.0 BU in the final beer, and the mixture was boiled for 90 minutes. The sediment was removed from the wort, adjusted to a 12% extract content, and cooled. An appropriate amount of bottom-fermenting yeast used in brewing hop-containing beer was added to the cooled wort. Main fermentation was carried out at 10°C for 7 days, followed by aging at 10°C for 10 days. After cooling and filtration, a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide was dissolved to obtain a beer containing approximately 5.0 v / v% ethanol. The final apparent attenuation of the resulting beer was 88%. The ethyl acetate concentration of Sample 1 was measured using the ASBC method and found to be 15 ppm.

[0061] The beers were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Example 1. The results showed that the drinkability was generally rated at 3 points or higher.

[0062] [Table 4]

Claims

1. Substantially free of iso-α acids, The malt usage ratio is 50 to 100% by mass, The final appearance fermentation degree is 90% or more, A beer-like fermented malt beverage having an ethyl acetate concentration of 20 to 40 ppm.

2. 2. The beer-like fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, wherein the malt content is 90 to 100% by mass.

3. 3. The beer-like fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, which is substantially free of hop-derived components.

4. 4. The beer-like fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, which comprises a fermentation product with yeast from which hop-derived components have been substantially removed.

5. The beer-like fermented malt beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a final apparent degree of attenuation of 95 to 100% by mass.

6. A step of adjusting the composition of the raw material so that the malt usage ratio is 50 to 100% by mass; and a step of adjusting the saccharification conditions of the raw material so that the final apparent fermentation degree is 90% or more; A method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage, comprising: A method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage having an ethyl acetate concentration of 20 to 40 ppm, which does not include a step of incorporating hops or a component derived from hops.

7. The method for producing a beer-like fermented malt beverage according to claim 6 , wherein the yeast used for fermentation includes yeast from which hop-derived components have been substantially removed.

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