Stacking fermentation method for sauce-aroma baijiu

Abstract

A stacking fermentation method for sauce-aroma Baijiu capable of improving the yield and quality of a base liquor of sauce-aroma Baijiu, comprising the following steps: a. subjecting fermented grains to a steaming and gelatinization process, a process of removing grains from a Zeng, and a process of spreading for cooling and Koji addition, and then conveying same to a stacking fermentation process; b. during charging and stacking, the charging temperature being in the range of 23ºC to 32ºC for saccharification stacks, and during the charging and stacking of the fermented grains, at least preparing two saccharification stacks simultaneously by the same shift, wherein the weight of the fermented grains charged per time for each saccharification stack is less than 400 kg; the time interval for each instance of fermented grain charging should be greater than 60 min; and the height of the stacks is 1.5 m to 2 m, the diameter of the bottoms of the stacks is 4 m to 6 m, the capacity of a single saccharification stack is 22-24 Zengs per stack, and the capacity of a single Zeng is 800-1300 kg per Zeng; c. after the charging operation is complete, the stacking saccharification duration being not less than 36 h for first and second grain-feeding stages, and the stacking saccharification duration being not less than 84 h for the first to sixth rounds of liquor production; and d. when the stacking is complete, the stacking temperature of the saccharification stack being in the range of 28ºC to 55ºC.

Description

Method of stacking and fermenting sauce-flavored baijiu Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of Maotai-flavor liquor brewing technology, and in particular to a method for stacking and fermenting Maotai-flavor liquor. Background Technology

[0002] Stacking fermentation is a unique production process for Maotai-flavor baijiu. It's an open process where microorganisms from the surrounding environment are concentrated to saccharify the gelatinized starch after cooking, producing various enzymes. These enzymes catalyze the synthesis of precursors and aroma compounds characteristic of Maotai-flavor baijiu, providing crucial microorganisms and enzymes for subsequent fermentation in the fermentation pits. This process is also known as "secondary koji making." The stacking time is affected by factors such as temperature, the state of the mash, the size and shape of the pile, and dissolved oxygen levels. The brewing process for Maotai-flavor baijiu is more complex than other flavor types, and current mechanical equipment cannot fully match the brewing process. The stacking of mash is primarily carried out by manual teams. Furthermore, low winter temperatures can cause the mash to fail to heat up properly during stacking, or heat up very slowly, severely impacting fermentation in the fermentation pits and leading to "drop-out" in subsequent batches.

[0003] Specifically, during the stacking process, only one saccharification pile is created at a time, with an interval of 40-60 minutes between piles, and each pile weighing approximately 750-1100 kg. This method, due to the short intervals between piles and the excessively thick stacks, results in a stacking time of up to 13 days in winter, with unsatisfactory stacking results. The reason for this is that the short intervals lead to a compact internal structure in the saccharification pile, hindering microbial growth, reproduction, and metabolism. Some automated stacking systems also create only one saccharification pile at a time, with an interval of 40-60 minutes between piles, and each pile weighing approximately 1600-2600 kg. However, this method also suffers from the problem of short intervals between piles. In addition, this method results in a thicker layer of mash being piled each time, which can lead to a saccharification pile being piled up for up to 13 days or even longer in winter. Furthermore, the pile needs to be turned over in the middle of the process. This not only wastes manpower and resources, but also seriously occupies the storage space. In severe cases, production may have to be stopped to wait for the saccharification pile to warm up, which disrupts the production rhythm and reduces production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for fermenting sauce-flavored liquor by reducing the amount of mash added at one time, thereby reducing the downward impact force on the existing mash in the saccharification pile, making the internal structure of the saccharification pile change from dense to loose, and ultimately improving the yield and quality of sauce-flavored liquor base liquor.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a method for the stacking and fermentation of sauce-flavored baijiu, comprising the following steps:

[0006] a. After the fermentation mash undergoes steaming and gelatinization, steaming, cooling and adding yeast, it is transported to the stacking and fermentation process.

[0007] b. During the stacking process, the temperature of the mash in the saccharification pile should be between 23℃ and 32℃; the temperature of the mash in the initial and final stages should be between 23℃ and 26℃, and the temperature of the mash in the first to sixth distillations should be between 26℃ and 32℃ or the ground temperature; when stacking the mash, the same shift should stack at least two saccharification piles simultaneously, and the weight of mash stacked on each saccharification pile should be less than 400kg each time; the time interval between each stacking should be greater than 60 minutes; the pile height should be 1.5m to 2m, the bottom diameter of the pile should be 4m to 6m, the capacity of a single saccharification pile should be 22-24 stills / pile, and the capacity of a single still should be 800-1300kg / still;

[0008] c. After the initial stacking is completed, the stacking saccharification time for the initial and secondary stacking stages shall not be less than 36 hours, and the stacking saccharification time for the first to sixth stages of distillation shall not be less than 84 hours.

[0009] d. When the stacking is completed, the stacking temperature of the saccharification pile is in the range of 28℃ to 55℃; during the initial fermentation stage and the sand-making stage, the temperature at the top of the saccharification pile is 50℃ to 55℃, the temperature on the side of the pile is 40℃ to 48℃, and the temperature at the bottom of the pile is 28℃ to 38℃; for the first to sixth fermentation stages, the temperature at the top of the saccharification pile is 46℃ to 50℃, the temperature on the side of the pile is 40℃ to 48℃, and the temperature at the bottom of the pile is 28℃ to 38℃, thus completing the corresponding stacking fermentation process.

[0010] Furthermore, in step b, when the mash is piled up, it is piled up layer by layer from the bottom to the top of the saccharification pile using a stacking machine until the saccharification pile is completely discarded.

[0011] Furthermore, in step b, the fabric stacking machine ensures that the thickness of the fabric stack is consistent in all directions during the fabric stacking and saccharification process.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This solution improves the original stacking process of building only one saccharification pile at a time to building at least two saccharification piles simultaneously. This extends the time for piling the mash, ensuring that the interval between piling times is greater than 60 minutes. This guarantees that each layer of mash in the saccharification pile has sufficient time to be inoculated with environmental microorganisms. Simultaneously, because at least two saccharification piles are built by the same shift, the number of mash piles added at one time is reduced, thus reducing the thickness of each pile. This reduces the downward impact on the existing mash in the saccharification pile, making the internal structure of the saccharification pile more porous. This, in turn, is conducive to the growth, reproduction, and metabolism of brewing microorganisms, ultimately achieving a steady increase in the yield and quality of Maotai-flavor liquor base. This invention is particularly applicable to the stacking fermentation process of Maotai-flavor liquor. Detailed Implementation

[0013] This embodiment takes the simultaneous operation of four saccharification piles by the same work group as an example, and includes the following steps:

[0014] a. After the fermentation mash undergoes steaming and gelatinization, steaming, cooling and adding yeast, it is transported to the stacking and fermentation process.

[0015] b. During the stacking process, the temperature of the mash in the saccharification pile should be between 23℃ and 32℃; the temperature of the mash in the initial and final stages should be between 23℃ and 26℃, and the temperature of the mash in the first to sixth distillations should be between 26℃ and 32℃ or the ground temperature; when stacking the mash, the same shift should stack four saccharification piles simultaneously, with each stack containing less than 400kg of mash each time; the time interval between each stacking should be greater than 60 minutes; the pile height should be 1.5m to 2m, the bottom diameter of the pile should be 4m to 6m, the capacity of a single saccharification pile should be 22-24 stills / pile, and the capacity of a single still should be 800-1300kg / still;

[0016] c. After the initial stacking is completed, the stacking saccharification time for the initial and secondary stacking stages shall not be less than 36 hours, and the stacking saccharification time for the first to sixth stages of distillation shall not be less than 84 hours.

[0017] d. When the stacking is completed, the stacking temperature of the saccharification pile is in the range of 28℃ to 55℃; during the initial fermentation stage and the sand-making stage, the temperature at the top of the saccharification pile is 50℃ to 55℃, the temperature on the side of the pile is 40℃ to 48℃, and the temperature at the bottom of the pile is 28℃ to 38℃; for the first to sixth fermentation stages, the temperature at the top of the saccharification pile is 46℃ to 50℃, the temperature on the side of the pile is 40℃ to 48℃, and the temperature at the bottom of the pile is 28℃ to 38℃, thus completing the corresponding stacking fermentation process.

[0018] In this embodiment, the original stacking saccharification process, where one shift simultaneously builds one pile, is improved to a process where four piles are built simultaneously. This extends the time for adding mash to each pile, ensuring that the interval between each pile is greater than 60 minutes. This guarantees that each layer of mash in the saccharification pile has sufficient time to be inoculated with environmental microorganisms. Because it is divided into four saccharification piles, the number of mash piles added at one time is effectively reduced, and the thickness of each pile is decreased. This reduces the downward impact on the existing mash in the saccharification pile, causing the internal structure of the saccharification pile to change from dense to loose. This, in turn, is conducive to the growth, reproduction, and metabolism of brewing and ester-producing aroma-producing microorganisms, ultimately achieving a steady increase in the yield and quality of Maotai-flavor baijiu base liquor.

[0019] In step b, when piling the mash, a stacking machine can be used to pile it layer by layer from the bottom to the top of the saccharification pile until the saccharification pile is completely discarded. Preferably, the stacking machine ensures that the thickness of the pile is consistent in all directions when stacking the saccharification pile.

[0020] Example

[0021] To better illustrate the relative advantages of starting multiple saccharification piles simultaneously compared to starting only one saccharification pile within the same work group, a comparative experiment was conducted in an automated production workshop for soy sauce-flavored soy sauce products, comparing the simultaneous starting of multiple saccharification piles with the starting of only one saccharification pile. The data obtained are shown in Table 1 (all conditions were the same except for the different pile fermentation methods):

[0022] Table 1. Data on stacking time, reducing sugars in fermented mash, and base liquor produced from the still.

[0023] As shown in Table 1, compared to building only one saccharification pile, the stacking method of building multiple saccharification piles simultaneously by the same shift requires less stacking time, and the reducing sugar content of the mash after saccharification is significantly higher than that of a single pile. Simultaneously, the yield of base liquor is significantly higher. This is because building multiple saccharification piles simultaneously reduces the thickness of the mash added each time, decreasing the downward impact on the existing mash in the saccharification pile. The internal structure of the saccharification pile changes from dense to loose, and the time interval between mash additions is greatly increased, allowing sufficient time for the previously added mash to inoculate with environmental microorganisms (such as yeast and some molds) and to come into contact with oxygen. This, in turn, is beneficial to the growth, reproduction, and metabolism of brewing and ester-producing aroma-producing microorganisms.

[0024] A comprehensive comparison of stacking time, reducing sugar content of mash after saccharification, and base liquor yield shows that stacking multiple saccharification piles simultaneously is superior to stacking only one saccharification pile at a time.

Claims

1. A method for the stacking and fermentation of soy sauce-flavored baijiu, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: a. After the fermentation mash undergoes steaming and gelatinization, steaming, cooling and adding yeast, it is transported to the stacking and fermentation process. b. During the stacking process, the stacking temperature of the saccharification stack is in the range of 23℃ to 32℃; the stacking temperature of the mash in the lower sand stage and the sand-making stage is 23℃ to 26℃, and the stacking temperature of the mash for the first to sixth distillations is 26℃ to 32℃ or the ground temperature. When piling the mash, the same shift should pile at least two mash piles at the same time, and the weight of mash piled on each mash pile should be less than 400 kg each time; the time interval between each piling should be greater than 60 minutes; the pile height should be 1.5 m to 2 m, the bottom diameter of the pile should be 4 m to 6 m, the capacity of a single mash pile should be 22-24 stills / pile, and the capacity of a single still should be 800-1300 kg / still; c. After the initial stacking is completed, the stacking saccharification time for the initial and secondary stacking stages shall not be less than 36 hours, and the stacking saccharification time for the first to sixth stages of distillation shall not be less than 84 hours. d. When the stacking is completed, the stacking temperature of the saccharification pile is in the range of 28℃ to 55℃; during the initial fermentation stage and the sand-making stage, the temperature at the top of the saccharification pile is 50℃ to 55℃, the temperature on the side of the pile is 40℃ to 48℃, and the temperature at the bottom of the pile is 28℃ to 38℃; for the first to sixth fermentation stages, the temperature at the top of the saccharification pile is 46℃ to 50℃, the temperature on the side of the pile is 40℃ to 48℃, and the temperature at the bottom of the pile is 28℃ to 38℃, thus completing the corresponding stacking fermentation process.

2. The method for fermenting soy sauce-flavored liquor by stacking as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In step b, when the mash is piled up, it is piled up layer by layer from the bottom to the top of the saccharification pile using a stacking machine until the saccharification pile is completely discarded.

3. The method for fermenting soy sauce-flavored liquor by stacking as described in claim 2, characterized in that: In step b, the fabric stacking machine ensures that the thickness of the fabric stack is consistent in all directions during the fabric stacking and saccharification process.

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