Method for producing premium distilled liquor using shelled walnuts

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing distilled liquor using shelled walnuts as a raw material. The distilled liquor is produced by the method comprising steps of: removing the shell of raw walnuts, washing residual shell, and drying same to obtain shelled walnuts; selecting the shelled walnuts; mixing the shelled walnuts with macerated distilled spirits and performing maceration at room temperature to prepare a macerated stock solution containing the shelled walnuts; separating the macerated stock solution from the shelled walnuts to obtain the maceration stock solution; and filtering the macerated stock solution to obtain an amber-colored distilled liquor. The macerated distilled spirits are prepared by the steps of: brewing and fermenting an alcoholic base to produce fermented distilled spirits; distilling the fermented distilled spirits to produce distilled spirits; and adding water to the distilled spirits to prepare the macerated distilled spirits.

Description

A method for making premium distilled liquor using walnuts.

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a premium distilled liquor using walnuts as a raw material, and more specifically, by soaking walnuts in an infused alcohol produced from distilled alcohol, an amber-colored distilled liquor is produced, thereby producing a premium distilled liquor with the color and flavor of walnuts without the oil contained in the walnuts being extracted.

[0002] Walnut spirits are typically made by steeping walnut flesh, obtained by removing the shells of walnuts. Steeping the walnut flesh in distilled liquor can produce walnut spirits. However, walnut spirits contain a large amount of oil, which can leach into the spirit during the steeping process, potentially ruining the color and flavor of the resulting walnut spirit.

[0003] In Korea, while there are records of distilled liquor production since the Goryeo Dynasty, no records of long-term aged liquor have been found. The so-called three most famous liquors of the Joseon Dynasty were also distilled liquors mixed with various ingredients, and cannot be considered liquors aged for more than three years.

[0004] Generally, premium distilled spirits are distilled spirits that have an alcohol content of 40% or more through long-term aging for more than three years after fermentation and distillation. This alcohol content is the lower limit of the whiskey manufacturing standard, but it also serves as a guideline for products in the high-end distilled spirits market.

[0005] Distilled liquor made by distilling fermented liquor from grains must be aged for at least one year to remove various impurities generated during the distillation process and to be fully matured and recognized as a premium liquor.

[0006] However, if long-term aging only has the effect of removing impurities, there is no difference from simple alcohol, so simple long-term aging is meaningless. It would be meaningful if the flavor obtained during the long-term aging process increases in value through aging.

[0007] The most representative example of a spirit whose value increases with aging is Scotch whisky. Made from barley spirit and aged in oak casks, Scotch whisky possesses a characteristic characteristic of deepening flavor with age. This long-aged spirit has become synonymous with premium spirits worldwide.

[0008] Countries without a high-end distillery likely imitate Scotch whisky because they lack the cultural elements of their own country that can counter the allure of whisky. Furthermore, the popularity of amber is so strong that whisky makers even use caramel coloring to achieve a deep amber color similar to that of Scotch whisky. To achieve this vibrant amber color, they use a process of post-aging whisky in fumigated oak barrels.

[0009] The applicant disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0078960 a method for producing amber-colored walnut wine using walnuts as a raw material. This prior art utilizes alcohol, commonly used in the production of infused liquors, to produce amber-colored, oil-free walnut wine. Applying this manufacturing method to establish a process for infusing walnuts using traditional distilled liquors is expected to yield high-quality, premium distilled liquors.

[0010] The present invention has been conceived in consideration of the above-described prior art, and its purpose is to provide a method for producing an amber-colored distilled liquor with high consumer preference using walnuts as a raw material.

[0011] In addition, the purpose is to provide a method for producing distilled liquor with improved color and flavor by using the infusion alcohol obtained by applying the traditional distilled liquor manufacturing process.

[0012] In addition, the purpose is to provide a method for producing high-quality premium distilled liquor by optimizing the post-aging process of the manufactured distilled liquor.

[0013] The method for producing distilled liquor of the present invention for solving the above-described problem of the present invention comprises the steps of removing the outer skin of a walnut, washing the outer skin residue, and drying to obtain whole walnuts, the step of selecting the whole walnuts, the step of mixing the whole walnuts with infusion alcohol and infusion at room temperature to produce an infusion solution containing the whole walnuts, the step of separating the infusion solution and the whole walnuts to obtain an infusion solution, and the step of filtering the infusion solution to obtain an amber-colored distilled liquor, and the infusion alcohol is characterized in that it is produced by including the steps of brewing alcohol with an alcohol raw material to produce fermented alcohol, the step of distilling the fermented alcohol to produce distilled alcohol, and the step of adding water to the alcohol to produce the infusion alcohol.

[0014] At this time, in the step of manufacturing the distilled alcohol, the distillation process may be performed once, or may be repeated 2 to 5 times.

[0015] Additionally, the process of washing and drying in the step of obtaining the above walnuts can be repeated 2 to 5 times.

[0016] As the raw material for manufacturing the above-mentioned infusion alcohol, any one of walnut rice, cooked rice, made by steaming rice and walnuts together, alpha-fine powder, made by puffing rice, and saccharide, made by enzymatically decomposing rice without steaming, can be used.

[0017] In addition, after obtaining the amber-colored distilled liquor, a step of post-aging the amber-colored distilled liquor may be additionally included.

[0018] The above-mentioned post-maturation can be performed by filling the distilled spirit into an oak barrel and maturing it for 6 months or more, or by repeating the process of filling the distilled spirit into an oak barrel and maturing it while moving it to an oak barrel in which other alcohols were matured.

[0019] Additionally, the above-mentioned post-aging can be performed by filling the distilled liquor in a stainless steel tank and mixing oak chips or walnut chips with the distilled liquor.

[0020] In addition, a branded liquor may be manufactured by additionally including a step of mixing 5 to 60 parts by volume of a brewed liquor selected from whiskey, wine, fruit wine, brandy, beer, and soju with respect to 100 parts by volume of the distilled liquor.

[0021] According to the method for producing distilled liquor of the present invention, an amber-colored distilled liquor with high consumer preference can be produced using walnuts as a raw material.

[0022] In addition, by applying the traditional distillation process, it is possible to manufacture distilled liquor with improved color and flavor using the obtained infusion alcohol, and by optimizing the post-aging process of the manufactured distilled liquor, it is possible to manufacture high-quality premium distilled liquor.

[0023] Figure 1 is a process diagram showing a process for manufacturing distilled liquor using walnuts of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a photograph showing a cross-section of a walnut tree.

[0025] Figure 3 is a photograph observing the color change of walnut flesh according to the temperature conditions of hot air drying when manufacturing walnut rice, which is a raw material for alcohol.

[0026] Figure 4 is a photograph observing the color change of distilled liquor according to the content of walnuts.

[0027] The present invention will be described in more detail below. Terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings. Rather, they should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of a term to best explain his or her invention.

[0028] The method for producing a distilled liquor of the present invention includes a process for producing an infused liquor using walnuts as a raw material and traditional distilled liquor as an alcohol, and the process for producing the distilled liquor includes, as shown in FIG. 1, a step of removing the outer skin of a walnut, washing the outer skin residue, and drying to obtain walnuts, a step of selecting the walnuts, a step of mixing 5 to 40 parts by weight, preferably 10 to 30 parts by weight, of the walnuts with respect to 100 parts by weight of infused alcohol and infusing at room temperature to produce an infused liquor containing the walnuts, a step of separating the infused liquor from the walnuts to obtain an infused liquor, and a step of filtering the infused liquor to obtain an amber-colored distilled liquor.

[0029] At this time, the above-mentioned infusion alcohol can be manufactured by including a step of manufacturing fermented alcohol by brewing alcohol using an alcohol raw material, a step of manufacturing distilled alcohol by distilling the fermented alcohol, and a step of manufacturing infusion alcohol by adding water to the distilled alcohol.

[0030] The manufacturing process of the above-mentioned infusion alcohol is an optimized process that applies the traditional method of manufacturing distilled alcohol, and can be manufactured using any one of the following as the alcohol raw material: walnut rice, cooked rice, made by steaming rice and walnuts together; alpha-micron powder, made by puffing rice; and saccharides, made by enzymatically decomposing rice without steaming.

[0031] That is, by adding the above-mentioned alcoholic raw materials to the base liquor, an additional liquor is produced, which is then fermented to produce fermented alcohol. The fermented alcohol contains a relatively low concentration of alcohol, 15 to 18 wt%, and when distilled, a high-proof distilled alcohol with an alcohol content of 40 to 80% can be obtained. When the distilled alcohol is watered to adjust the alcohol content to 30 to 65%, an infused alcohol capable of infusing walnuts can be obtained. A distilled alcohol can be produced by impregnating the infused alcohol with walnuts and infusing them.

[0032] Additionally, in the step of manufacturing the distilled alcohol, the distillation process may be performed only once, or may be repeated 2 to 5 times. If the distillation process is repeated, the alcohol content of the distilled alcohol increases compared to a single distillation, so the alcohol content of the distilled alcohol can be adjusted by adjusting the number of distillations depending on the distilled alcohol to be manufactured.

[0033] For example, in the case of fermented alcohol using barley as a raw material, it shows an alcohol content of 6 to 8%, and if it is distilled for the first time, the alcohol content increases to 18 to 20%, if it is distilled for the second time, the alcohol content increases to 60 to 75%, and if it is distilled for the third time, distilled alcohol with a high alcohol content of 85% or more can be manufactured. In addition, the distillation process can be performed using a multi-stage continuous still, and through this, it can be performed within the still in a repeated distillation process.

[0034] In one embodiment, the process for manufacturing the above-mentioned infusion alcohol includes: cooking cooked rice with nuruk, rice, and other ingredients, mixing the cooked rice, adding an appropriate amount of water to perform primary fermentation to produce sufficient yeast, gelatinizing a large amount of rice, adding water, and fermenting to produce a brewed liquor with an alcohol content of 15 to 18%, and performing the primary processing of the brewed liquor to complete it, thereby obtaining a fermented liquor that is the source of traditional liquors. When the above-mentioned fermented liquor is distilled, distilled alcohol can be obtained by dividing it into the first, main, and second streams. The first stream contains a lot of hazardous substances such as methanol, and the second stream has a strong carbonized odor, etc., so the main stream, excluding the first and second streams, can be separately extracted to complete the distilled alcohol. The above-mentioned distilled alcohol can typically be obtained by dividing the portion with an alcohol content of about 40 to 75% when first distilled as the main stream.

[0035] As the alcohol concentration is high, the volatility also increases, which is disadvantageous for long-term leaching work, so the alcohol content of the leaching alcohol needs to be determined depending on the material. In the case of walnuts, 30-45% is appropriate, and when considering long-term aging, 50-65% is appropriate. Therefore, the leaching alcohol can be manufactured by adjusting the alcohol content to 30-45% for distilled liquors for blending and 50-65% for distilled liquors for long-term aging. In addition, leaching alcohol with a higher alcohol content can be manufactured and used as needed.

[0036] In addition, in the gelatinization process during the manufacturing of the above-mentioned infusion alcohol, the rice is soaked in water for 2 to 24 hours, which is the usual method for making cooked rice, and then it is steamed in a steamer. Then, an appropriate amount of walnuts are placed on top of the soaked rice and steamed to make walnut rice, thereby enhancing the characteristics of walnut wine in distilled alcohol.

[0037] In addition, after manufacturing walnut rice, it is processed by hot air drying, and as shown in Fig. 3, it can be seen that the color of the walnut flesh changes in the case of not processing (a), in the case of hot air drying at 39 to 40°C for 48 to 72 hours (b), in the case of hot air drying at 45°C for 48 to 72 hours (c), and in the case of hot air drying at 50°C for 48 to 72 hours (d), which affects the color of the distilled liquor.

[0038] Walnuts are made up of a shell that encases the walnuts, as shown in Figure 2. The process of obtaining walnuts involves removing the shell, washing the residue, and drying. Generally, the shell can be removed by a process of rotting the shell and then peeling it off, or the shell can be peeled off using a peeling device.

[0039] Because walnuts have an uneven surface, it is difficult to completely remove husk residue, and even after washing, pieces of husk or oil typically remain in the crevices. When walnuts obtained through this general peeling process are impregnated with alcohol, various husk residues such as oil, contaminants, bacteria, and viruses remaining in the crevices of the walnut surface are dissolved and mixed with the alcohol, which not only affects the flavor of the distilled liquor but also causes hygiene problems. In particular, even after washing, husk residues may remain here and there in the crevices of the walnut shell, and contamination due to not only simple residues but also the dyeing components of the husk can occur.

[0040] In the case of regular walnuts, the outer shell can be removed, the contents can be checked for abnormalities, and then released. However, when walnuts are used as a raw material for distilled liquor, the outer shell residue can seriously affect the quality. Therefore, it is recommended to wash the walnuts manually or with a precision washing machine during the washing process. Furthermore, since it is difficult to determine whether there is contamination when wet, it is necessary to select and remove any walnuts containing contaminants that cannot be removed even with washing after sufficient drying.

[0041] Therefore, in the present invention, in order to obtain the walnuts, the outer skin is removed, the walnuts are washed, and the washed walnuts are dried at 38 to 80°C for 1 to 5 days, thereby completely removing the components remaining on the surface of the walnuts.

[0042] In addition, the above washing and drying process is repeated two to five times to remove all components that may remain on the surface of the walnuts.

[0043] In addition, the obtained walnuts are not used as is in the distillation process, but only walnuts whose quality has been secured through a selection process are used as raw materials.

[0044] To this end, in the step of sorting the walnuts, defective products having damaged or blackened areas on the surface of the walnuts can be selected through a visual inspection. In addition, walnuts that exceed a preset weight ratio by measuring the weight ratio for the standard size of each walnut variety can be excluded from the raw material. In addition, the walnuts can be subjected to an X-ray inspection to exclude raw materials with defective internal conditions. It is preferable to perform visual inspection, weight measurement, and X-ray inspection in the above sorting step, and if necessary, walnuts can be sorted by only one or two of the above sorting means.

[0045] The selective filtration function of the walnut shells is utilized to selectively extract components that enhance the walnut flavor during the infusion process. This ensures that the infusion process reduces impurities in the distilled liquor while preventing the loss of walnut fat. Therefore, products with damaged shells must be filtered out during the selection process.

[0046] In addition, if the fat component of the walnut flesh is excessively extracted, the quality of the distilled liquor becomes poor, such as containing oil, so the above selection process becomes an important process for producing high-quality distilled liquor.

[0047] In addition, during the drying process to obtain the above walnuts, the walnut shells turn dark due to heat, and this part is leached, giving the color of the leached alcohol an amber color. In addition, since the color of the walnut shells varies depending on the drying temperature, the color obtained can be controlled by adjusting the drying temperature of the walnuts. In addition, the color of the shells can be controlled by repeating the immersion washing and drying, and thus the color of the leached alcohol obtained can also be controlled.

[0048] A distilled liquor can be manufactured by impregnating the walnuts selected through the above selection process into the infusion alcohol. The walnuts are mixed in an amount of 5 to 40 parts by weight, preferably 10 to 30 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the infusion alcohol, and the mixture is infused at room temperature to obtain an infusion liquid containing the walnuts.

[0049] Walnuts have a high fat content, so the fat can be extracted during steeping, which can deteriorate the properties of the distilled liquor, and the rough and bitter taste of the shell can deteriorate the taste and flavor of the distilled liquor. Therefore, it is very important to determine the appropriate steeping period to prevent the deterioration of taste due to excessive steeping. The appropriate steeping period increases as the alcohol content of the steeped alcohol increases, and also increases as the weight ratio of whole walnuts to the steeped alcohol decreases. The results of an experiment that calculated the appropriate steeping period considering this showed that when the alcohol content of the steeped alcohol is 50% and the weight ratio of whole walnuts to the steeped alcohol is 100, it takes about 8 to 20 days to obtain a distilled liquor with an appropriate color.

[0050] Through this infusion process, an infusion solution containing walnuts is obtained. Thereafter, the infusion solution and the walnuts are separated to obtain an infusion solution, and the infusion solution is filtered to obtain an amber-colored distilled liquor (primary finished liquor).

[0051] Additionally, distilled liquor requires a post-aging process because off-flavors may occur during the distillation process. During the post-aging process, alcohol bonds are formed, which changes the concentration of alcohol, and this has a great impact on the taste and flavor of the distilled liquor.

[0052] In the above-mentioned steeping process, when walnuts are mixed into the steeping liquid, alcohol is absorbed through the top of the walnuts, so the same effect as the alcohol binding that occurs during the distillation process in the steeped state can be achieved. This allows the walnuts to have the effect of accelerating the aging process of the distilled liquor.

[0053] The above distilled liquor goes through a maturation process, and depending on the maturation method, products with different flavors of the distilled liquor can be manufactured.

[0054] To enhance flavor through long-term aging, various aging methods can be used, including oak barrel aging, oak chip aging, walnut chip aging using walnut shells, and aging in walnut wood barrels.

[0055] In the case of oak barrel aging, the distilled spirit can be filled into an oak barrel and aged for at least six months, or as long as 50 years or more. Alternatively, the distilled spirit can be transferred to an oak barrel previously used for aging other alcoholic beverages, and the process can be repeated several times to further age the spirit. In this case, the change in oak barrel can produce a distilled spirit with a unique flavor.

[0056] In addition, when applying the oak chip aging method or the walnut chip aging method, a method of filling the stainless steel tank with the distilled liquor and mixing oak chips or walnut chips with the distilled liquor can be applied.

[0057] In addition, after obtaining the amber-colored distilled liquor, a process of branding the brewed liquor may be additionally performed before the maturation process. In this case, the branded distilled liquor may be produced by mixing 5 to 60 parts by volume, preferably 15 to 35 parts by volume, of a brewed liquor selected from the group consisting of whiskey, wine, fruit wine, brandy, beer, and soju with respect to 100 parts by volume of the distilled liquor, and the branded distilled liquor may be maturated by applying the aforementioned maturation process to produce the distilled liquor.

[0058] In addition, the spirit made with alwalnuts has a unique walnut flavor and amber color, but it goes very well with the oak flavor, so the flavor can be enhanced by oak barrel aging. In order to find out the flavor change due to oak aging, we blended it with Scotch whiskey, which can be considered the origin of oak flavor, to make a branded spirit and conducted a comparative sensory test with Scotch whiskey. It was confirmed that the unique flavor of Scotch whiskey was added to the nutty flavor of walnuts, resulting in a result with a flavor that is completely different from existing whiskey and rather superior.

[0059] Additionally, the walnuts used in the manufacturing process of the above distilled liquor can be collected and recycled or used in the manufacturing of low-proof distilled liquor.

[0060] In order to produce a low-proof distilled liquor, the walnuts separated through the step of obtaining the above-mentioned infusion liquid are subjected to water to produce a walnut infusion liquid, the walnut infusion liquid is stirred and separated to produce a low-concentration infusion liquid, and the low-concentration infusion liquid is then mixed with the above-mentioned infusion liquid to produce a low-proof distilled liquor.

[0061] Furthermore, since the low-concentration infusion liquid contains some of the flavor and color of walnuts, it can be used as a beverage ingredient. Furthermore, makgeolli with a walnut flavor can be produced by adding the low-concentration infusion liquid to the fermentation process for making makgeolli.

[0062] In addition, regenerated walnuts can be obtained by extracting the alcohol inside the separated walnuts through osmosis and then re-drying them.

[0063] By applying the distilled liquor manufacturing method of the present invention, a new Korean-style premium distilled liquor can be produced by combining distilled liquor made using traditional methods with walnuts, a representative traditional nut. As shown in Fig. 4, the distilled liquor has a consumer-preferred amber color, and can be varied in color intensity as needed.

[0064] The color concentration of the distilled liquor may vary depending on the amount of walnuts. Since the distilled liquor is produced through the osmotic filtration of walnuts, an increase in the amount of walnuts increases the alcohol absorption rate, which in turn changes the alcohol content of the distilled liquor. Therefore, the color concentration and alcohol content can be adjusted by the amount of walnuts and the steeping time added to the distilled liquor production process. In addition, by utilizing the osmotic filtration of walnuts, the odor of the distilled liquor can be removed and a distilled liquor with an excellent flavor containing the nutty taste of walnuts can be produced. For example, when 22 wt% of walnuts are mixed with 36-degree infused alcohol, a 32-degree distilled liquor can be produced.

[0065] In addition, the distilled liquor harmonizes well with oak aroma and can be improved in quality through oak barrel aging, making it possible to produce premium distilled liquor.

[0066] In addition, after making premium distilled liquor using walnuts, if the remaining walnuts are separated, a low-proof distilled liquor can be made as described above, but regenerated walnuts can also be obtained by stirring, separating, and drying the walnuts. Since the walnut flesh contained in the regenerated walnuts continues to contain oil, the walnut flesh can be separated to produce walnut oil, and the walnut shells can also be used as a raw material for walnut chips.

[0067] While the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments as described above, it is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such modifications and variations are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A step of removing the outer skin of a walnut, washing the outer skin residue, and drying to obtain whole walnuts; The step of selecting the above walnuts; A step of mixing the above walnuts in the leaching agent and leaching at room temperature to prepare an leaching solution containing walnuts; A step of obtaining an infusion solution by separating the infusion solution and walnuts; A step of filtering the above-mentioned extract to obtain an amber-colored distilled liquor; Includes, The above leaching agent is, The step of making fermented alcohol by brewing alcohol using alcoholic raw materials; A step of producing distilled alcohol by distilling the above fermented alcohol; A step of producing an alcoholic beverage by adding alcohol to the distilled alcohol; A method for producing distilled liquor using walnuts, characterized in that it is manufactured including .

2. In claim 1, A method for producing distilled alcohol using walnuts, characterized in that the step of producing the above distilled alcohol comprises distilling once or repeatedly distilling twice to five times.

3. In claim 1, A method for producing distilled liquor, characterized in that the step of obtaining the above walnuts is performed by repeating the process of washing and drying 2 to 5 times.

4. In claim 1, A method for producing distilled liquor using walnuts, characterized in that the raw material for producing the above-mentioned infusion liquor is any one of walnut rice, cooked rice, alpha-micron powder manufactured by puffing rice, and saccharide manufactured by enzymatic decomposition without steaming rice.

5. In claim 1, It additionally includes a step of maturing the amber-colored distilled liquor, A method for manufacturing distilled liquor using walnuts, characterized in that the above-mentioned post-maturation is performed by filling the distilled liquor in an oak barrel and post-maturating it for 6 months or more, or by moving the distilled liquor to an oak barrel in which other liquors were matured during the post-maturation process and repeating the process.

6. In claim 1, It additionally includes a step of maturing the amber-colored distilled liquor, A method for producing distilled liquor using walnuts, characterized in that the distilled liquor is filled in a stainless steel tank and oak chips or walnut chips are mixed with the distilled liquor.

7. In claim 1, A method for producing distilled liquor using walnuts, characterized in that it additionally includes a step of mixing 5 to 60 parts by volume of a brewed liquor selected from whiskey, wine, fruit wine, brandy, beer, and soju with respect to 100 parts by volume of the distilled liquor.

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