Method for producing beer-flavored beverage

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, the method comprising at least a boiling step, wherein the boiling step includes aerating a raw material liquid with a gas in a state in which the temperature of the raw material liquid is kept below the boiling point of the raw material liquid.

Description

Beer-flavored beverage manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a beer-taste beverage.

[0002] The production of beer-taste beverages typically involves a boiling step in which a raw material liquid such as wort is held at a high temperature (usually the boiling point) for a certain period of time. In the boiling step, holding the raw material liquid at a high temperature (usually the boiling point) for a certain period of time achieves various purposes, such as changing the bittering components of hops and dissolving them in the wort, thermally coagulating proteins, increasing the color of the wort, producing reducing substances, sterilizing the wort, inactivating enzymes, and volatilizing volatile substances (e.g., off-flavors). Therefore, the boiling step is an important step that affects the quality of the beer-taste beverage, such as its flavor.

[0003] Conventionally, the boiling step is carried out by raising the temperature of a raw material liquid such as wort to its boiling point and then continuing to boil the raw material liquid for 90 to 120 minutes while maintaining that temperature. Therefore, the boiling step is the step that consumes the most energy in the production of a beer-taste beverage. Several technologies have been proposed to reduce the energy required for the boiling step. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, which comprises boiling a raw material liquid that has been previously held in a non-boiling state at 93°C or higher so that the evaporation rate per unit time of the liquid is 5 to 7% / hour.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-216904

[0005] By maintaining the raw material liquid in a non-boiling state in the boiling step, the energy required to produce a beer-taste beverage can be significantly reduced. However, as described above, the boiling step is an important step that affects the quality of the beer-taste beverage, such as the flavor, and maintaining the raw material liquid in a non-boiling state can pose problems in terms of the quality of the resulting beer-taste beverage, such as insufficient volatilization of off-flavors.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a beer-taste beverage that can produce a beer-taste beverage of sufficient quality while reducing the energy required for production.

[0007] The present invention relates to a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, which includes at least a boiling step, in which the boiling step includes aerating a gas into a liquid ingredient while maintaining the temperature of the liquid ingredient below the boiling point.

[0008] The production method according to the present invention includes the boiling step described above, and therefore can produce a beer-taste beverage of sufficient quality while reducing the energy required for production.

[0009] The gas may be at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and air, or may be at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, argon gas, helium gas, neon gas, and air.

[0010] The flow rate of the gas is 0.0003 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid. ３ / h or more 0.0027Nm ３ / h or less.

[0011] In the above-described production method, the boiling step may further include maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point without aerating the raw material liquid with gas.

[0012] The raw material liquid may be, for example, wort.

[0013] The above production method may further include a fermentation step of fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast after the boiling step.

[0014] In the above production method, for example, the gas may be supplied into the raw material liquid through a vent hole having a pore size of 1.0 mm or less. When the pore size is in this range, the contact efficiency between the gas and the raw material liquid is increased, and aroma components related to off-flavors can be more reliably evaporated.

[0015] The present invention encompasses, for example, the following inventions. [1] A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising at least a boiling step, wherein the boiling step comprises aerating a gas into the raw material liquid while maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point. [2] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to [1], wherein the gas is at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and air. [3] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the gas is at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, argon gas, helium gas, neon gas, and air. [4] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage, wherein the flow rate of the gas is 0.0003 Nm3 per 1 L of raw material liquid. ３ / h or more 0.0027Nm ３ / h or less. [5] The production method according to any of [1] to [4], wherein the boiling step comprises maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point without aerating a gas. [6] The production method according to any of [1] to [5], wherein the raw material liquid is wort. [7] The production method according to any of [1] to [6], further comprising, after the boiling step, a fermentation step of fermenting a pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. [8] The production method according to any of [1] to [7], wherein the gas is supplied into the raw material liquid through a vent hole with a hole diameter of 1.0 mm or less.

[0016] The present invention provides a method for producing a beer-taste beverage that reduces the energy required for production while still producing a beer-taste beverage of sufficient quality.

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0018] In this specification, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. Examples of beer-taste beverages include, but are not limited to, those classified as beer, happoshu, and other sparkling alcoholic beverages as defined in Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953). Beer-taste beverages also include beverages and soft drinks (e.g., non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages) that do not fall under the category of sparkling alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Act. The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is not limited to the above examples.

[0019] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment includes at least a boiling step. The boiling step is a step in which a raw material liquid (e.g., wort) is maintained at a high temperature for a certain period of time to obtain a boiled liquid. Conventionally, the boiling step is carried out by raising the temperature of a raw material liquid, such as wort, to its boiling point and then continuing to boil the raw material liquid for 90 to 120 minutes while maintaining that temperature. However, in the production method according to this embodiment, instead of boiling for this predetermined period of time, gas is bubbled into the raw material liquid while the temperature of the raw material liquid is maintained below its boiling point. Therefore, the boiling step in the production method according to this embodiment can also be referred to as a high-temperature aeration step. The high-temperature aeration step is a step similar to a conventional boiling step, and can be carried out in the same manner as a conventional boiling step, except that boiling for a predetermined period of time is not performed and gas is bubbled into the raw material liquid. In the following description, the boiling step in the production method according to this embodiment will be referred to as the boiling step according to this embodiment, but both can also be referred to as a high-temperature aeration step. In addition, the boiling process according to this embodiment does not exclude raising the temperature of the raw material liquid to the boiling point, and may include raising the temperature of the raw material liquid to the boiling point or maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid at the boiling point for a certain period of time (a period of time shorter than the conventional boiling time).

[0020] The raw material liquid subjected to the boiling process according to this embodiment has undergone, for example, a saccharification process described below, and is usually at a lower temperature than during the boiling process. Therefore, a process of raising the temperature of the raw material liquid until it reaches the initial temperature of the raw material liquid in the boiling process (heating process) is usually included before the start of the boiling process. Furthermore, the raw material liquid after the boiling process (post-boiling liquid) is subjected to, for example, a fermentation process and / or a blending process described below, and the temperature required for the post-boiling liquid in these processes is usually lower than during the boiling process. Therefore, a process of cooling the post-boiling liquid after the boiling process until it reaches the temperature required for the post-boiling liquid in the process following the boiling process (cooling process) is usually included. Cooling may be achieved by allowing the raw material liquid to dissipate heat naturally in an unheated state, or by cooling the raw material liquid via a cooling means in an unheated state.

[0021] The boiling process according to this embodiment includes a step of aerating a gas through the raw material liquid while maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point (hereinafter referred to as a "high-temperature aeration step"). The boiling process according to this embodiment may also include a step of maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point without aerating a gas (hereinafter referred to as a "high-temperature holding step"). The high-temperature holding step is not necessarily an essential step, but by carrying out this step, reactions that proceed at high temperatures (e.g., the conversion reaction of S-methylmethionine (SMM) to dimethyl sulfide (DMS)) can be sufficiently promoted. From this perspective, when the boiling process according to this embodiment includes a high-temperature holding step, it is preferable to carry out the high-temperature aeration step after carrying out the high-temperature holding step. Furthermore, the high-temperature holding step and the high-temperature aeration step can be repeated.

[0022] Typically, the discrimination threshold for DMS in beer-taste beverages is considered to be 0.05 to 0.06 mg / L (50 to 60 μg / L) (Reference: Basic Technology of Beer, edited by the Brewers Association of Japan, published by the Brewery Association of Japan). Because the production method according to this embodiment includes the boiling step according to this embodiment, the DMS content in the resulting beer-taste beverage is sufficiently reduced. Therefore, the DMS content in the beer-taste beverage obtained by the production method according to this embodiment may be, for example, less than 60 μg / L, 50 μg / L or less, 40 μg / L or less, 35 μg / L or less, 30 μg / L or less, 25 μg / L or less, or 20 μg / L or less.

[0023] The gas to be aerated into the raw material liquid may be supplied into the raw material liquid through, for example, a vent hole having a hole diameter of 1.0 mm or less. In this specification, the hole diameter of a vent hole is defined as the diameter of a circle having the same area as the vent hole. The hole diameter of the vent hole may be, for example, 1.0 mm or less, 0.8 mm or less, 0.6 mm or less, 0.5 mm or less, 0.4 mm or less, or 0.3 mm or less. The hole diameter of the vent hole may also be, for example, 0.1 mm or more. When the hole diameter of the vent hole is within this range, the contact efficiency between the gas and the raw material liquid is increased, and aroma components related to off-flavors can be more reliably volatilized. The number of vent holes is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set so that the gas can be sufficiently and evenly aerated into the raw material liquid. As an example of the number of vent holes, ２ The number of vent holes per slit may be, for example, one or more, 10 or more, or 100 or more. The amount of raw material liquid per vent hole may be 10 L or more, 50 L or more, or 100 L or more. The shape of the vent hole may be, for example, a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially circular shape, an elliptical shape, a circular shape, or a circular shape. The direction in which air is vented through the raw material liquid may be perpendicular to the liquid surface, horizontal, or at an angle therebetween.

[0024] The method for aerating a gas into the raw material liquid is not particularly limited, and for example, an apparatus for aerating a gas may be used. The apparatus may, for example, be composed of a supply unit for the gas to be aerated (e.g., a gas cylinder, a gas production unit, an air (atmospheric) intake unit, etc.), a gas conveyance unit (e.g., a hose, etc.) connected to the supply unit, and an aeration unit connected to the conveyance unit and aerating the gas into the raw material liquid. The aeration unit may, for example, be a container having a hollow portion for receiving the gas from the conveyance unit and having one or more vent holes provided in the container. The container constituting the aeration unit may be part of the conveyance unit. The diameter, number, shape, etc. of the vent holes are as described above. The aeration unit may also be located at the bottom of a container (e.g., a boiling kettle) that contains the raw material liquid. The aeration unit may be located in the raw material liquid, thereby supplying the gas into the raw material liquid through the vent holes. The apparatus may further include a heating unit (e.g., a heater, etc.) for heating the gas to be aerated. The heating section may be provided midway through the conveying section, adjacent to the supply section, or adjacent to the ventilation section.

[0025] The temperature-raising step may be a step of raising the temperature until it reaches the temperature of the raw material liquid set in the first step of the boiling step, i.e., the high-temperature aeration step or the high-temperature holding step, or may be a step of raising the temperature until it reaches a temperature higher than the set temperature of the raw material liquid.

[0026] The temperature of the raw material liquid when the high-temperature aeration step is carried out need only be below the boiling point. This eliminates or significantly reduces the energy required to continuously boil the raw material liquid, thereby reducing the energy required for the production method according to this embodiment. Furthermore, by keeping the temperature below the boiling point, the content of malt aroma components and / or hop-derived aroma components can be controlled, as described below. There is no particular lower limit for the temperature of the raw material liquid when the high-temperature aeration step is carried out, but from the perspective of improving the quality of the resulting beer-taste beverage, the temperature may be, for example, 90.0°C or higher, provided that it is below the boiling point. From a similar viewpoint, the temperature of the raw material liquid when the high-temperature aeration step is performed may be, for example, 90.5°C or higher, 91.0°C or higher, 91.5°C or higher, 92.0°C or higher, 92.5°C or higher, 93.0°C or higher, 93.5°C or higher, 94.0°C or higher, 94.5°C or higher, 95.0°C or higher, 95.5°C or higher, 96.0°C or higher, 96.5°C or higher, 97.0°C or higher, 97.5°C or higher, 98.0°C or higher, 98.5°C or higher, 99.0°C or higher, or 99.5°C or higher, provided that the temperature is below the boiling point. Note that the boiling point may vary depending on the composition of the raw material liquid, the atmospheric pressure of the environment in which the raw material liquid is placed, and the like, but is usually 100°C or higher. Therefore, the temperature of the raw material liquid when the high-temperature aeration step is performed may be, for example, less than 100°C, provided that the temperature is below the boiling point. The temperature of the raw material liquid being below the boiling point is synonymous with the raw material liquid being in a non-boiling state, except in the case of overheating.

[0027] The time for which the high-temperature aeration step is carried out is not particularly limited and may be set appropriately depending on the properties desired for the resulting beer-taste beverage. Note that sufficient effects can be obtained by carrying out the high-temperature aeration step for a time approximately the same as the boiling time in a conventional boiling process. From this perspective, the time for which the high-temperature aeration step is carried out may be, for example, 30 minutes or more and 150 minutes or less, 60 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, 70 minutes or more and 110 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or more and 100 minutes or less.

[0028] In the high-temperature aeration step, a gas is passed through the raw material liquid. By passing a gas through the raw material liquid, the evaporation of volatile substances such as off-flavors is promoted, and a beer-taste beverage of sufficient quality can be obtained. The type of gas passed through is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, at least one gas selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and air. Examples of inert gases include nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, argon gas, helium gas, and neon gas.

[0029] The gas to be aerated in the high-temperature aeration step may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, argon gas, helium gas, neon gas, and air. ２ From the viewpoint of reducing emissions, the gas passed through in the high-temperature aeration step may be at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, argon gas, helium gas, neon gas, and air. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of minimizing interaction with the raw material liquid and thereby improving the quality of the resulting beer-taste beverage, the gas passed through in the high-temperature aeration step may be at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, argon gas, helium gas, and neon gas. The type of gas passed through in the high-temperature aeration step can be selected appropriately depending on the purpose.

[0030] The boiling process according to this embodiment does not require the input of energy to boil the raw material liquid (for example, the supply of steam to boil the raw material liquid), and is therefore expected to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide gas emitted during boiling by up to approximately 99% compared to conventional boiling processes.

[0031] The flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 0.0001 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid. ３ / h or more 0.01Nm ３ From the viewpoint of making the effect of the present invention more remarkable, the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step may be 0.0002 Nm / h or less per 1 L of the raw material liquid. ３ / h or more 0.004Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0003Nm ３ / h or more 0.003Nm ３ / h or less, or 0.0003 Nm３ / h or more 0.0027Nm ３ / h or less.

[0032] The flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is set to 0.0001 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid, from the viewpoint of increasing the content of malt aroma components in the resulting beer-taste beverage and making the malt aroma more pronounced. ３ / h or more 0.002Nm ３ / h or less, 0.00015Nm ３ / h or more 0.0015Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0002Nm ３ / h or more 0.001Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0003Nm ３ / h or more 0.0009Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0001Nm ３ / h or more 0.0004Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0006Nm ３ / h or more 0.0012Nm ３ / h or less.

[0033] Malt aroma components are characteristic aroma components of beers made using special malts such as caramel malt and black malt, and specific examples include maltol, furaneol, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, and guaiacol. Malt aroma components contained in beer-flavored beverages can be measured, for example, by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). In the SPME-GC-MS method, measurement may also be performed by the standard addition method, which uses a calibration curve prepared by separately adding a standard solution to a sample.

[0034] Because the production method according to the present embodiment includes the boiling step according to the present embodiment, the content of malt aroma components in the resulting beer-taste beverage can be controlled by controlling the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step. Among malt aroma components, pyrazines (e.g., 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine) in particular exhibit significant changes in content depending on the gas flow rate. Therefore, the content of pyrazines in the resulting beer-taste beverage can be used as an indicator of the content of malt aroma components. This indicator may be, for example, the total content of one or more pyrazines selected from the group consisting of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine. It may also be the total content of two or more pyrazines selected from the group consisting of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, or the total content of all three pyrazines, i.e., 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine.

[0035] Furthermore, when producing a light-colored beer-taste beverage with a color degree of 15° EBC or less, the total content of all three pyrazines, i.e., 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 6.0 μg / L or more, 7.0 μg / L or more, 8.0 μg / L or more, 9.0 μg / L or more, 10.0 μg / L or more, 11.0 μg / L or more, or 12.0 μg / L or more, and may be 30.0 μg / L or less, 25.0 μg / L or less, 20.0 μg / L or less, or 15.0 μg / L or less.

[0036] Furthermore, when producing a dark-colored beer-taste beverage with a color degree of 80° EBC or higher, the total content of all three pyrazines, i.e., 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 40.0 μg / L or more, 45.0 μg / L or more, 50.0 μg / L or more, 55.0 μg / L or more, 60.0 μg / L or more, 65.0 μg / L or more, or 70.0 μg / L or more, and may be 100.0 μg / L or less, 90.0 μg / L or less, 80.0 μg / L or less, 70.0 μg / L or less, or 60.0 μg / L or less.

[0037] The total content of all three pyrazines, i.e., 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, in a beer-taste beverage obtained by the production method according to this embodiment may be, for example, 120% or more, 140% or more, 160% or more, 180% or more, or 200% or more, relative to the total content of these pyrazines in a beer-taste beverage obtained without carrying out a high-temperature aeration step.

[0038] The flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is set to 0.001 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid, from the viewpoint of allowing the hop-derived aroma components in the resulting beer-taste beverage to more fully volatilize. ３ / h or more 0.01Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0015Nm ３ / h or more 0.005Nm ３ / h or less, 0.002Nm ３ / h or more 0.004Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0025Nm ３ / h or more 0.0035Nm ３ / h or less.

[0039] Hop-derived aroma components are aroma components that migrate from hops to the raw material liquid, and specific examples include humulene, myrcene, linalool, isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, citronellol, and geraniol. Hop-derived aroma components contained in beer-taste beverages can be measured, for example, by SPME-GC-MS.

[0040] The flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is set to 0.0001 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid from the viewpoint of further enhancing the hop-derived aroma components in the resulting beer-taste beverage. ３ / h or more 0.002Nm ３ / h or less, 0.00015Nm ３ / h or more 0.0015Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0002Nm ３ / h or more 0.001Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0003Nm ３ / h or more 0.0009Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0001Nm ３ / h or more 0.0004Nm ３ / h or less, 0.0006Nm ３ / h or more 0.0012Nm ３ / h or less.

[0041] Because the production method according to this embodiment includes the boiling step according to this embodiment, the content of hop-derived aroma components in the resulting beer-taste beverage can be controlled by controlling the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step. Among hop-derived aroma components, the content of linalool, citronellol, and geraniol in particular changes significantly depending on the gas flow rate. Therefore, the content of linalool, citronellol, and geraniol in the resulting beer-taste beverage can be used as an indicator of the content of hop-derived aroma components. This indicator may be, for example, the total content of one or more aroma components selected from the group consisting of linalool, citronellol, and geraniol. It may also be the total content of two or more aroma components selected from the group consisting of linalool, citronellol, and geraniol, or the total content of all three aroma components, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol.

[0042] When the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is controlled to more fully volatilize the hop-derived aroma components, the total content of all three aroma components, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol, in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 15.0 μg / L or less, 14.0 μg / L or less, 13.0 μg / L or less, 12.0 μg / L or less, or 11.0 μg / L or less, or may be 3.0 μg / L or more, 4.0 μg / L or more, 5.0 μg / L or more, 6.0 μg / L or more, 7.0 μg / L or more, 8.0 μg / L or more, 9.0 μg / L or more, or 10.0 μg / L or more.

[0043] When the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is controlled to further emphasize the hop-derived aroma components, the total content of all three aroma components, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol, in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 11.0 μg / L or more, 12.0 μg / L or more, 13.0 μg / L or more, 14.0 μg / L or more, 15.0 μg / L or more, 20.0 μg / L or more, 30.0 μg / L or more, 40.0 μg / L or more, or 50.0 μg / L or more.

[0044] When the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is controlled to further emphasize hop-derived aroma components and reduce DMS to a preferred range, the ratio of the total content (unit: μg / L) of all three aroma components, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol, to the DMS content (unit: μg / L) in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 1.1 or more, 1.2 or more, 1.3 or more, 1.4 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.6 or more, 1.7 or more, 1.8 or more, 1.9 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, or 5.0 or more.

[0045] Furthermore, among the hop-derived aroma components, the contents of isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate also change significantly depending on the gas flow rate. Therefore, the contents of isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be used as an indicator of the content of hop-derived aroma components. This indicator may be, for example, the total content of one or more aroma components selected from the group consisting of isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate. Alternatively, it may be the total content of two or more aroma components selected from the group consisting of isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, or the total content of all three aroma components, i.e., isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate.

[0046] When the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is controlled to more fully volatilize the hop-derived aroma components, the total content of all three aroma components, i.e., isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, in the resulting beer-taste beverage is, for example, 2.00 μg / L or less, 1.90 μg / L or less, 1.80 μg / L or less, 1.70 μg / L or less, 1.60 μg / L or less, or It may be 1.50 μg / L or less, 1.40 μg / L or less, 1.30 μg / L or less, 1.20 μg / L or less, 1.10 μg / L or less, or 1.00 μg / L or less, or may be 0.10 μg / L or more, 0.20 μg / L or more, 0.30 μg / L or more, 0.40 μg / L or more, 0.50 μg / L or more, 0.60 μg / L or more, 0.70 μg / L or more, or 0.80 μg / L or more.

[0047] When the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is controlled to further emphasize the hop-derived aroma components, the total content of all three aroma components, i.e., isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 1.00 μg / L or more, 1.50 μg / L or more, 2.00 μg / L or more, 2.50 μg / L or more, 3.00 μg / L or more, 4.00 μg / L or more, or 5.00 μg / L or more.

[0048] When the flow rate of the gas aerated in the high-temperature aeration step is controlled to further emphasize hop-derived aroma components and reduce DMS to a preferred range, the ratio of the total content (unit: μg / L) of all three aroma components, i.e., isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, to the content (unit: μg / L) of DMS in the resulting beer-taste beverage may be, for example, 0.05 or more, 0.10 or more, 0.15 or more, 0.20 or more, 0.25 or more, 0.30 or more, 0.35 or more, 0.40 or more, 0.45 or more, or 0.50 or more.

[0049] The high-temperature aeration step may include heating the raw material liquid as needed to maintain the temperature of the raw material liquid within a set temperature range. The raw material liquid can be heated according to a conventional method. Specifically, for example, it can be heated by circulating steam or the like outside the container containing the raw material liquid. Furthermore, in order to maintain the temperature of the raw material liquid within a set temperature range, the gas to be aerated may be preheated as needed to increase the temperature of the gas. The gas can be preheated, for example, by placing a heater in the gas flow path to heat the gas.

[0050] The temperature of the liquid raw material when the high-temperature holding step is carried out need only be below the boiling point. This eliminates or significantly reduces the energy required to continuously boil the liquid raw material, thereby reducing the energy required for the production method according to this embodiment. There is no particular lower limit for the temperature of the liquid raw material when the high-temperature holding step is carried out, but from the perspective of improving the quality of the resulting beer-taste beverage, the temperature may be, for example, 90.0°C or higher, provided that it is below the boiling point. From a similar viewpoint, the temperature of the raw material liquid when the high-temperature holding step is performed may be, for example, 90.5°C or higher, 91.0°C or higher, 91.5°C or higher, 92.0°C or higher, 92.5°C or higher, 93.0°C or higher, 93.5°C or higher, 94.0°C or higher, 94.5°C or higher, 95.0°C or higher, 95.5°C or higher, 96.0°C or higher, 96.5°C or higher, 97.0°C or higher, 97.5°C or higher, 98.0°C or higher, 98.5°C or higher, 99.0°C or higher, or 99.5°C or higher, provided that the temperature is lower than the boiling point.

[0051] The time for carrying out the high-temperature holding step is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 70 minutes or less. The time for carrying out the high-temperature holding step may be, for example, 65 minutes or less, 60 minutes or less, 55 minutes or less, 50 minutes or less, or 45 minutes or less. Furthermore, the time for carrying out the high-temperature holding step may be, for example, 5 minutes or more, 10 minutes or more, 15 minutes or more, 20 minutes or more, 25 minutes or more, 30 minutes or more, 35 minutes or more, 40 minutes or more, or 45 minutes or more.

[0052] In the boiling process according to this embodiment, the high-temperature holding step and the high-temperature venting step can be repeatedly performed. Furthermore, the boiling process according to this embodiment may start with the high-temperature holding step, or may start with the high-temperature venting step, or may end with the high-temperature holding step, or may end with the high-temperature venting step. However, by ending with the high-temperature venting step, it is expected that DMS will be more effectively volatilized. Specifically, the boiling process according to this embodiment may be performed, for example, in the order of the high-temperature holding step, the high-temperature venting step, the high-temperature holding step, the high-temperature venting step, and the high-temperature holding step, or in the order of the high-temperature venting step, the high-temperature holding step, the high-temperature venting step, the high-temperature holding step, and the high-temperature venting step. The number of times the high-temperature holding step is repeated is not particularly limited, and may be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 or more times. The number of times the high-temperature ventilation step is repeated is not particularly limited, and may be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 or more times. The number of times the high-temperature holding step is repeated and the number of times the high-temperature ventilation step is repeated may be the same or different.

[0053] The raw material liquid to be subjected to the boiling step according to this embodiment may be a sugar-containing liquid. The sugar-containing liquid is a solution containing sugar that can be assimilated by yeast, and specific examples thereof include wort and syrup.

[0054] Hops may be added to the raw material liquid subjected to the boiling step according to this embodiment. Examples of the hops that can be added include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract. The hops may also be processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extracts. When hops are added, there are no particular limitations on the timing of hop addition. For example, hops may be added to the raw material liquid during the heating step, just before the boiling step, during the boiling step, or after the boiling step. Furthermore, hops may be added only during the heating step, just before the boiling step, or not during the boiling step, or not after the boiling step.

[0055] The raw material liquid to be subjected to the boiling step according to this embodiment can be obtained, for example, through a saccharification step. The saccharification step is a step in which raw materials and water are mixed together and then the raw materials are saccharified. The saccharification step may include, for example, a step in which the raw materials and brewing water are brewed, and the temperature is adjusted to 50 to 76°C and maintained at that temperature. In this step, the temperature is maintained at 50 to 76°C for, for example, 1 to 200 minutes. This allows, for example, saccharification of the raw materials to proceed and soluble components to elute, resulting in a saccharified liquid containing components necessary for yeast metabolism.

[0056] The production method according to this embodiment may include a filtration step of filtering the saccharified solution obtained in the saccharification step after the saccharification step and before the boiling step. The sugar-containing solution subjected to the boiling step according to this embodiment may be the saccharified solution obtained in the saccharification step, or may be the filtered saccharified solution obtained in the filtration step of filtering the saccharified solution.

[0057] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain a barley ingredient as an ingredient. In this specification, the term "barley ingredient" refers to barley or a processed barley product. Examples of barley include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, and oats. Examples of processed barley products include barley extract, malt, and malt extract. Barley extract is obtained by extracting barley extract components containing sugars and nitrogen from barley. Malt is obtained by germinating barley. The malt may be colored malt (e.g., caramel malt, crystal malt, dark malt, chocolate malt, coffee malt, etc.) produced by roasting or drying the malt at a relatively high temperature (e.g., about 120°C) and charring it during malt production, or colored malt may be omitted. Malt extract is obtained by extracting extract components containing sugars and nitrogen from malt.

[0058] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain ingredients other than barley. Examples of ingredients other than barley include grains such as corn, rice, and sorghum; potatoes such as potatoes and sweet potatoes; and legumes such as soybeans and peas.

[0059] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as an ingredient. Hops include, for example, dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract, as well as processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extracts.

[0060] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain sugars as ingredients. Examples of sugars include liquid sugar and powdered sugars such as granulated sugar. When sugars are used, the sugar content (ratio of the sugars to the ingredients other than water and hops) may be, for example, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more. Furthermore, the sugar content (ratio of the sugars to the ingredients other than water and hops) may be, for example, 50% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less.

[0061] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain other ingredients typically incorporated into beverages, such as bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, and salts. In addition to the hops mentioned above, bittering agents include, for example, iso-α acids, caffeine, gentian extract, peptides, theobromine, naringin, bitter persimmon extract, artemisia extract, and cinchona extract. Coloring agents include, for example, caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Sweeteners include, for example, high-fructose glucose syrup, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, saccharin sodium, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of acidulants include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL-malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and sodium DL-malate. Examples of salts include table salt, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate. The timing of adding other raw materials can be appropriately determined depending on the types of other raw materials, and may be, for example, added in the saccharification step, the post-fermentation step, or the blending step.

[0062] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may have a malt usage ratio (the proportion of malt in ingredients other than water and hops) of 0% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The malt usage ratio may be 10% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, 66% by mass or more, 67% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, 99% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. The malt usage ratio may also be less than 100% by mass, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less.

[0063] The production method according to this embodiment may further include a fermentation step and / or a post-fermentation step, as necessary, after the boiling step. After the boiling step, a cooling step is included before the next step (e.g., the fermentation step or the post-fermentation step). The cooling step is a step of cooling the boiled liquid to a temperature required for the next step.

[0064] The cooling step may include a removal step, if necessary. In the removal step, solids (trub) in the post-boiling liquid are removed to obtain a purified liquid. The removal step can be carried out according to a conventional method. Specifically, the removal step can be carried out, for example, by allowing the post-boiling liquid to stand to precipitate insoluble solids contained in the post-boiling liquid. Examples of solids include thermal coagulation produced in the boiling step and, if hops are added in the boiling step, hop residue. The removal step may be carried out in a whirlpool. The above-mentioned hops may be added to the post-boiling liquid in the removal step. As a result, it can be said that the post-boiling liquid is naturally cooled in the removal step. After the removal step, the cooling step may further include, if necessary, a step of cooling the post-boiling liquid to a temperature required for the next step. The cooling in the cooling step may be performed by allowing the post-boiling liquid to naturally release heat in an unheated state, or by cooling the post-boiling liquid via a cooling means in an unheated state.

[0065] The fermentation step is a step of fermenting a pre-fermentation liquid (a liquid after boiling or a purified liquid after the removal step) with yeast. The fermentation step can be carried out according to a conventional method. The fermentation step ferments the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast to obtain a post-fermentation liquid. Specifically, the fermentation step involves inoculating yeast into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermenting it to obtain a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast. The yeast used in the fermentation step may be ordinary beer yeast.

[0066] The production method according to this embodiment may include, as post-fermentation steps following the fermentation step, a step of storing and maturing the post-fermentation liquid (storage step) and a step of filtering the post-fermentation liquid (filtration step). These post-fermentation steps can be carried out according to conventional methods. By carrying out the filtration step, insoluble solids, yeast, etc. can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

[0067] In the production method according to this embodiment, as another post-fermentation step, the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration step) may be heated (sterilized) or the like.

[0068] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be not only a method for producing a beer-taste beverage through fermentation using yeast or the like as described above (a brewing method), but also a method for producing a beer-taste beverage by mixing ingredients (a blending method).

[0069] The blending method includes, for example, a blending step of blending water, and optionally alcohol and / or other raw materials into a raw material tank. In the blending step, the boiled liquid (e.g., boiled wort) obtained in the boiling step according to this embodiment may be used as part of the raw materials.

[0070] The compounding method may further include a filtration step of filtering the mixed liquid obtained by mixing the components in the blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling a container such as a bottle, a can, or a plastic bottle with the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filled in the container in the filling step together with the container.

[0071] The blending step may involve mixing while stirring using a stirrer or the like so that the components are thoroughly mixed. The filtration step may be carried out using, for example, a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization step may be carried out by plate sterilization from the standpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this and can be applied as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling step may be carried out in a clean room that maintains a degree of cleanliness that is typically achieved in beverage production. The second sterilization step may be carried out by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization step may be a non-heating sterilization step. Examples of non-heating sterilization steps include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to carry out non-sterilized filling without performing a sterilization step. In addition, when making a sparkling beverage, carbonation may be carried out, for example, before the filling step.

[0072] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be a beer-taste alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1.0 v / v% or more, or a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1.0 v / v%. In this specification, "alcohol" refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0073] When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is a beer-taste alcoholic beverage, the alcohol content is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 1.0 v / v % or more, 2.0 v / v % or more, 3.0 v / v % or more, 3.5 v / v % or more, 4.0 v / v % or more, 4.5 v / v % or more, 5.0 v / v % or more, 5.5 v / v % or more, 6.0 v / v % or more, or 6.5 v / v % or more. Furthermore, the alcohol content of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 20.0 v / v% or less, 15.0 v / v% or less, 10.0 v / v% or less, 9.0 v / v% or less, 8.0 v / v% or less, 7.0 v / v% or less, 6.5 v / v% or less, 6.0 v / v% or less, 5.5 v / v% or less, 5.0 v / v% or less, 4.5 v / v% or less, 4.0 v / v% or less, 3.5 v / v% or less, or 3.0 v / v% or less.

[0074] When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the alcohol content may be, but is not particularly limited to, less than 1.0 v / v%, and may be 0.9 v / v% or less, 0.8 v / v% or less, 0.7 v / v% or less, 0.6 v / v% or less, 0.5 v / v% or less, 0.4 v / v% or less, 0.3 v / v% or less, 0.2 v / v% or less, 0.1 v / v% or less, or less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%). Furthermore, the alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be 0.1 v / v% or more, 0.2 v / v% or more, 0.3 v / v% or more, 0.4 v / v% or more, or 0.5 v / v% or more.

[0075] The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcolyzer Method)" or "8.3.7 Headspace GC-FID Method" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan [Analysis Committee], revised and expanded in 2013).

[0076] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.0 or less, or 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, 10.0 or more, 15.0 or more, 20.0 or more, or 25.0 or more. The bitterness value of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan [Analysis Committee], revised and expanded in 2013). The bitterness value of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be appropriately set within the above range, for example, by adjusting the type and amount of ingredients used.

[0077] The color of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 3.0° EBC or more, 4.0° EBC or more, 5.0° EBC or more, 10.0° EBC or more, 20.0° EBC or more, 30.0° EBC or more, 40.0° EBC or more, 50.0° EBC or more, 60.0° EBC or more, 70.0° EBC or more, 80.0° EBC or more, or 90.0° EBC or more, and may be 150.0° EBC or less, 120.0° EBC or less, 100.0° EBC or less, 80.0° EBC or less, 60.0° EBC or less, 50.0° EBC or less, 40.0° EBC or less, or 30.0° EBC or less. The color of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.8.2 Absorbance Method" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013). The color of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be appropriately set within the above range by, for example, adjusting the types and amounts of ingredients used.

[0078] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be a fermented beverage (a beer-taste fermented beverage) or a non-fermented beverage (a beer-taste non-fermented beverage). Fermented beverages are produced through fermentation with yeast or the like. Non-fermented beverages are produced without fermentation with yeast or the like. Note that non-fermented beverages also include beer-taste beverages produced by blending alcohol (e.g., distilled alcohol such as spirits or raw material alcohol) without fermentation with yeast or the like.

[0079] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be either non-sparkling or sparkling. Here, non-sparkling refers to a beverage that has a gas pressure of 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm) at 20°C. ２ ) at 20°C, and foaming refers to a state in which the gas pressure is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm ２ In the case of foaming, the upper limit of the gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm ２ ), and the pressure may be about 0.25 MPa (2.55 kg / cm ２ ) may be used.

[0080] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be served in a container. Any container that can be sealed can be used, and metal (e.g., aluminum or steel) cans or barrels can be used. Glass containers, PET bottles, paper containers, pouches, and other containers can also be used. The container capacity is not particularly limited, and any currently available containers can be used. Metal containers are preferred because they completely block gases, moisture, and light, and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for long periods of time.

[0081] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In the following test examples, the boiling points of the raw material solutions were all above 100°C.

[0082] Test Example 1: Production and evaluation of beer-taste beverages Test Example 1-1 Malt (malt usage ratio of 50% by mass or more), corn, starch, rice, and brewing water were used to produce a saccharified solution (saccharification step) and filter the saccharified solution (filtration step) according to standard methods to obtain a sugar-containing solution. The obtained sugar-containing solution was subjected to a heating step and a boiling step as described below. Hops were added to the sugar-containing solution immediately before the boiling step.

[0083] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the temperature of the raw material liquid reached the boiling point (heating step). Heating was continued, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at the boiling point for 90 minutes (conventional boiling step).

[0084] The resulting boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling) was heated and allowed to stand in a conventional manner to precipitate trub (removal step). The raw liquid was then cooled (cooling step), fermented with yeast (fermentation step), and stored to mature the fermented liquid (storage step), yielding a beer-taste beverage of Test Example 1-1 (color 7.1° EBC, bitterness value (BU) 19.8, pH 4.4, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%).

[0085] Test Example 1-2 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 1-2 (color: 7.3° EBC, BU: 15.8, pH: 4.4, alcohol by volume: 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 1-1, except that the heating step and boiling step were changed as follows.

[0086] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the temperature of the raw material liquid reached 100°C (heating step). Heating was immediately stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher and lower than 100°C for 60 minutes (high-temperature holding step). During the high-temperature holding step, if the temperature of the raw material liquid fell below 98°C, heating was resumed, and when it reached 100°C, heating was stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher and lower than 100°C. Next, with the temperature of the raw material liquid maintained at 95°C or higher and lower than 100°C, 0.0015 Nm per 1 L of raw material liquid was added. ３ Nitrogen gas was passed through the raw material liquid at a flow rate of 1000 kJ / h (high-temperature aeration step). The high-temperature aeration step was carried out for 90 minutes. During the high-temperature aeration step, if the temperature of the raw material liquid fell below 95°C, heating was resumed, and when it reached 100°C, heating was stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 95°C or higher but lower than 100°C. Thereafter, the nitrogen gas pass was stopped.

[0087] Test Example 1-3 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 1-3 (color 7.7° EBC, BU 15.3, pH 4.4, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 1-2, except that air was aerated instead of nitrogen gas in the high-temperature aeration step.

[0088] <Measurement of Color, Bitterness Unit (BU), and pH> The color of the obtained beer-taste beverage was measured in accordance with the method described in "8.8.2 Absorbance Method" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan [Analysis Committee], revised and expanded in 2013).

[0089] The bitterness value (BU) of the resulting beer-taste beverage was measured in accordance with the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation, edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013).

[0090] The pH of the resulting beer-taste beverage was measured according to the method described in "8.7 pH" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013).

[0091] The alcohol content of the resulting beer-taste beverage was measured according to the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcolyzer Method)" or "8.3.7 Headspace GC-FID Method" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan [Analysis Committee], revised and expanded in 2013).

[0092] <Measurement of Aroma Components> Hop-derived aroma components contained in the obtained beer-taste beverage were measured using the SPME-GC-MS method. Off-flavor-related aroma components (dimethyl sulfide, S-methylmethionine, dimethyl sulfoxide) were measured using the headspace GC-MS method. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0093]

[0094] As shown in Table 1, compared to the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 1-1 (control), which underwent a conventional boiling process, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-2 and 1-3, which underwent a boiling process including a high-temperature aeration step in which gas (nitrogen gas or air) was aerated while the temperature was maintained below the boiling point and at a high temperature (95°C or higher but lower than 100°C), had a higher content of hop-derived aroma components (from humulene to 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate) and a similar content of off-flavor-related aroma components (dimethyl sulfide, S-methylmethionine, dimethyl sulfoxide). The contents of all off-flavor-related aroma components were below the threshold. The results shown in Table 1 demonstrate that by performing a high-temperature aeration step instead of boiling, the hop-derived aroma components were enhanced and the off-flavor-related aroma components were sufficiently vaporized.

[0095] Test Example 2: Production and evaluation of beer-taste beverages Test Example 2-1 Malt (malt usage ratio of 50% by mass or more), corn, starch, rice, and brewing water were used to produce a saccharified solution (saccharification step) and filter the saccharified solution (filtration step) according to standard methods to obtain a sugar-containing solution. The obtained sugar-containing solution was subjected to a heating step and a boiling step as described below. Hops were added to the sugar-containing solution immediately before the boiling step.

[0096] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the temperature of the raw material liquid reached the boiling point (heating step). Heating was continued, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at the boiling point for 90 minutes (conventional boiling step).

[0097] The resulting boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling) was heated and allowed to stand in a conventional manner to precipitate the trub (removal step). The raw liquid was then cooled (cooling step), fermented with yeast (fermentation step), and stored to mature the fermented liquid (storage step), yielding a beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-1 (color 7.8° EBC, BU 19.1, pH 4.3, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%).

[0098] Test Example 2-2 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-2 (color 8.1° EBC, BU 17.2, pH 4.3, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 2-1, except that the heating step and boiling step were changed as follows.

[0099] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the raw material liquid reached 100°C (heating step). Heating was immediately stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher and lower than 100°C for 60 minutes (high-temperature holding step). During the high-temperature holding step, if the temperature of the raw material liquid fell below 98°C, heating was resumed, and when it reached 100°C, heating was stopped and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher and lower than 100°C. Next, with the temperature of the raw material liquid maintained at 95°C or higher and lower than 100°C, 0.0010 Nm per 1 L of raw material liquid was added. ３Nitrogen gas was passed through the raw material liquid at a flow rate of 1000 kJ / h (high-temperature aeration step). The high-temperature aeration step was carried out for 90 minutes. During the high-temperature aeration step, if the temperature of the raw material liquid fell below 95°C, heating was resumed, and when it reached 100°C, heating was stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 95°C or higher but lower than 100°C. Thereafter, the nitrogen gas pass was stopped.

[0100] Test Example 2-3 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-3 (color 8.4° EBC, BU 18.2, pH 4.3, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 2-2, except that air was aerated instead of nitrogen gas in the high-temperature aeration step.

[0101] <Measurement of Color, Bitterness Value (BU), and pH> The color, bitterness value (BU), pH, and alcohol content of the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0102] <Measurement of Aroma Components> The aroma components contained in the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0103]

[0104] As shown in Table 2, compared to the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 2-1 (control), which underwent a conventional boiling process, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 2-2 and 2-3, which underwent a boiling process including a high-temperature aeration step in which gas (nitrogen gas or air) was aerated while the temperature was maintained below the boiling point and at a high temperature (95°C or higher but lower than 100°C), had a higher content of hop-derived aroma components (from humulene to 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate) and a similar content of off-flavor-related aroma components (dimethyl sulfide, S-methylmethionine, dimethyl sulfoxide). The contents of all off-flavor-related aroma components were below the threshold. The results shown in Table 2 demonstrate that by performing a high-temperature aeration step instead of boiling, the hop-derived aroma components were enhanced and the off-flavor-related aroma components were sufficiently vaporized.

[0105] Test Example 3: Production and Evaluation of Beer-Taste Beverage Test Example 3 was carried out on a larger scale than the other Test Examples. As a result, in Test Examples 3-2 and 3-3, the range of temperature change (temperature drop) in the high-temperature holding step and high-temperature aeration step was small, and the temperature was maintained within the set range even without reheating the raw material liquid.

[0106] (Test Example 3-1) Malt (malt usage ratio of 50% by mass or more), corn, starch, rice, and brewing water were used to produce a saccharified liquid (saccharification step) and filter the saccharified liquid (filtration step) according to a conventional method, thereby obtaining a sugar-containing liquid. The obtained sugar-containing liquid was subjected to a heating step and a boiling step as follows. Hops were added to the sugar-containing liquid immediately before the boiling step.

[0107] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the temperature of the raw material liquid reached the boiling point (heating step). Heating was continued, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at the boiling point for 90 minutes (conventional boiling step).

[0108] The resulting boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling) was heated according to a conventional method, and the raw material liquid was allowed to stand to precipitate the trub (removal step). The removal step can be considered as a natural cooling step. The raw material liquid was then cooled (cooling step), fermented with yeast (fermentation step), and stored to mature the fermented liquid (storage step), yielding the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-1 (color 6.3° EBC, BU 23.7, pH 4.4, alcohol by volume 5.0 v / v%).

[0109] Test Example 3-2 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-2 (color 6.2° EBC, BU 23.0, pH 4.4, alcohol by volume 5.0 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 3-1, except that the heating step and boiling step were changed as follows.

[0110] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the raw material liquid reached 100°C (heating step). Heating was immediately stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher but lower than 100°C for 60 minutes (high temperature holding step). Next, while the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 95°C or higher but lower than 100°C, 0.0004 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid was added. ３Nitrogen gas was passed through the raw material liquid at a flow rate of 1000 kJ / h (high-temperature aeration step). The nitrogen gas was passed through a jig (ventilation section) connected to the end of a hose (transport section) connected to a gas cylinder (supply section) that supplied nitrogen gas. The jig was doughnut-shaped with a hollow section and had 16 circular vent holes with a hole diameter of 0.3 to 0.4 mm, spaced approximately evenly. The jig was placed in the raw material liquid so that gas could be passed through the entire boiling kettle. The high-temperature aeration step was carried out for 90 minutes. Thereafter, the nitrogen gas pass was stopped.

[0111] Test Example 3-3 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-3 (color 6.5° EBC, BU 25.3, pH 4.4, alcohol by volume 5.0 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 3-2, except that air was aerated instead of nitrogen gas in the high-temperature aeration step.

[0112] <Measurement of Color, Bitterness Value (BU), and pH> The color, bitterness value (BU), pH, and alcohol content of the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0113] <Measurement of Aroma Components> The aroma components contained in the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0114] <Measurement of Malt Aroma Components> The malt aroma components contained in the obtained beer-taste beverage were measured using the standard addition method and SPME-GC-MS. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0115]

[0116] As shown in Table 3, compared to the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-1 (control), which underwent a conventional boiling process, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 3-2 and 3-3, which underwent a boiling process including a high-temperature aeration step in which gas (nitrogen gas or air) was aerated while the temperature was maintained below the boiling point and at a high temperature (95°C or higher but less than 100°C), had a slightly higher content of hop-derived aroma components (linalool) and similar contents of aroma components associated with off-flavors (dimethyl sulfide, S-methylmethionine, dimethyl sulfoxide). The contents of all off-flavor-related aroma components were below the threshold. The results shown in Table 3 demonstrate that by performing a high-temperature aeration step instead of boiling, the hop-derived aroma components were enhanced and the off-flavor-related aroma components were sufficiently vaporized.

[0117] Furthermore, as shown in Table 3, compared to the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-1 (control), which underwent a conventional boiling process, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 3-2 and 3-3, which underwent a boiling process including a high-temperature aeration step in which gas (nitrogen gas or air) was aerated while the temperature was maintained below the boiling point and at a high temperature (95°C or higher but lower than 100°C), tended to have a higher content of malt aroma components (from maltol to guaiacol). The results shown in Table 3 demonstrate that by performing a high-temperature aeration step instead of boiling, the content of malt aroma components can be increased, resulting in a beer-taste beverage with a stronger malt aroma.

[0118] The energy required for 90 minutes of boiling (evaporation rate 6%) in the same equipment as in Test 3 is approximately 830 MJ / charge. On the other hand, under the conditions of Test Example 3-2 and Test Example 3-3 (aeration), it is possible to reduce the amount of energy required for 90 minutes of boiling. After converting the energy required for 90 minutes of boiling into the amount of steam, CO ２ On the other hand, the amount of CO2 emissions was calculated to be 38.02 kg / charge. ２ The calculated emissions are 0.495 kg / charge and 0.135 kg / charge, respectively, and the CO ２ The reduction rates are calculated to be 98.7% and 99.6%, respectively.

[0119] Test Example 4: Production and evaluation of beer-taste beverages Test Example 4-1 Malt (malt usage ratio of 50% by mass or more), corn, starch, rice, and brewing water were used to produce a saccharified solution (saccharification step) and filter the saccharified solution (filtration step) according to standard methods to obtain a sugar-containing solution. The obtained sugar-containing solution was subjected to a heating step and a boiling step as described below. Hops were added to the sugar-containing solution immediately before the boiling step.

[0120] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the temperature of the raw material liquid reached the boiling point (heating step). Heating was continued, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at the boiling point for 90 minutes (conventional boiling step).

[0121] The resulting boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling) was heated and allowed to stand in a conventional manner to precipitate the trub (removal step). The removal step essentially involves allowing the liquid to cool naturally. The liquid was then cooled (cooling step), fermented with yeast (fermentation step), and stored to mature the fermented liquid (storage step), yielding the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 4-1 (color 9.5° EBC, BU 21.8, pH 4.3, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%).

[0122] Test Example 4-2 A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 4-2 (color 9.8° EBC, BU 22.3, pH 4.3, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as Test Example 4-1, except that the heating step and boiling step were changed as follows.

[0123] The raw material liquid (sugar-containing liquid) was transferred to a boiling kettle and heated until the raw material liquid reached 100°C (heating step). Heating was immediately stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher and lower than 100°C for 60 minutes (high-temperature holding step). During the high-temperature holding step, if the temperature of the raw material liquid fell below 98°C, heating was resumed, and when it reached 100°C, heating was stopped and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 98°C or higher and lower than 100°C. Next, with the temperature of the raw material liquid maintained at 95°C or higher and lower than 100°C, 0.0003 Nm per 1 L of raw material liquid was added. ３Nitrogen gas was passed through the raw material liquid at a flow rate of 1000 kJ / h (low flow rate) (high-temperature aeration step). The high-temperature aeration step was carried out for 90 minutes. During the high-temperature aeration step, if the temperature of the raw material liquid fell below 95°C, heating was resumed, and when it reached 100°C, heating was stopped, and the temperature of the raw material liquid was maintained at 95°C or higher but lower than 100°C. Thereafter, the nitrogen gas aeration was stopped.

[0124] (Test Example 4-3) In the high-temperature aeration step, the flow rate of nitrogen gas was set to 0.0009 Nm per 1 L of raw material liquid. ３ A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 4-3 (color 9.8° EBC, BU 20.9, pH 4.4, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as in Test Example 4-2, except that the flow rate was changed to 1 / h (medium flow rate).

[0125] (Test Example 4-4) In the high-temperature aeration step, the flow rate of nitrogen gas was set to 0.0027 Nm per 1 L of raw material liquid. ３ A beer-taste beverage of Test Example 4-4 (color 10.0° EBC, BU 21.7, pH 4.3, alcohol by volume 4.9 v / v%) was obtained in the same manner as in Test Example 4-2, except that the flow rate was changed to 1000 rpm.

[0126] <Measurement of Color, Bitterness Value (BU), and pH> The color, bitterness value (BU), pH, and alcohol content of the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0127] <Measurement of Aroma Components> The aroma components contained in the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0128] <Measurement of Malt Aroma Components> The malt aroma components contained in the resulting beer-taste beverage were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 3. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0129]

[0130] As shown in Table 4, compared to the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 4-1 (control), which underwent a conventional boiling process, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 4-2 to 4-4, which underwent a boiling process including a high-temperature aeration step in which gas (nitrogen gas or air) was aerated while the temperature was maintained below the boiling point and at a high temperature (between 95°C and 100°C), had equivalent or slightly higher contents of hop-derived aroma components (from myrcene to 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate) and malt aroma components (from maltol to guaiacol), and similar contents of off-flavor-related aroma components (dimethyl sulfide, S-methylmethionine, dimethyl sulfoxide). The contents of all off-flavor-related aroma components were below the threshold. The results shown in Table 4 demonstrate that by performing a high-temperature aeration step instead of boiling, the hop-derived aroma components and malt aroma components were emphasized in the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 4-2 to 4-3, and off-flavor-related aroma components were sufficiently vaporized. Furthermore, in the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 4-4, aroma components derived from hops, malt aroma components, and aroma components related to off-flavors were able to be sufficiently vaporized.

Claims

At least a boiling step is provided, A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, wherein the boiling step comprises aerating a gas into the raw material liquid while maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point. 　 The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gas is at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and air.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas is at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, argon gas, helium gas, neon gas, and air. 　 The flow rate of the gas is 0.0003 Nm per 1 L of the raw material liquid. ３ / h or more 0.0027Nm ３ 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reaction time is 100 minutes or less. 　 The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the boiling step comprises maintaining the temperature of the raw material liquid below the boiling point without aerating the raw material liquid with gas. 　 The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the raw material liquid is wort. 　 The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a fermentation step of fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast after the boiling step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas is supplied into the raw material liquid through a vent hole having a diameter of 1.0 mm or less.

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