Frozen Alcoholic Beverage Composition for Stable Cryohydrate Fluidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Alcoholic beverages intended for low-temperature consumption experience cryohydrate coarsening due to temperature fluctuations, leading to impaired fluidity and mouthfeel, making inventory control and setting of open dates difficult.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating specific amounts of mannan or agar, along with controlled mixing and aeration of ice pieces, to stabilize cryohydrates and maintain fluidity at temperatures between −20° C. and −2° C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the alcoholic beverage is stored in a household freezer or subjected to temperature fluctuations during distribution, then the beverage maintains its low-temperature storage capability, but the cryohydrates coarsen and aggregate, deteriorating mouthfeel and fluidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mannan or agar as intermediary substances that mediate between the cryohydrates and the beverage matrix. These polysaccharides act as stabilizers that prevent direct aggregation of cryohydrate particles during temperature fluctuations, maintaining their fine dispersion state without requiring strict temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the beverage by adding specific concentrations of mannan (0.021-0.083 wt%) or agar (0.0005-0.011 wt%). This parameter modification alters the physical-chemical environment, creating a matrix that suppresses cryohydrate coarsening through molecular interactions, thereby stabilizing the system under varying temperature conditions.
2Temperature
If the beverage includes a high alcohol content to achieve the desired low freezing point, then the beverage remains fluid at low temperatures, but the cryohydrates are more susceptible to coarsening during freezing storage
Solution Approach 1:
Mannan or agar serves as an intermediary protective layer around cryohydrate particles. This intermediary structure prevents direct particle-particle contact and aggregation that would otherwise occur more readily in high-alcohol environments, allowing the beverage to maintain both low freezing point and cryohydrate stability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite beverage system combining alcohol, water, and polysaccharide stabilizers (mannan or agar). This composite structure leverages the low freezing point property of alcohol while the polysaccharide component provides structural stabilization, preventing cryohydrate coarsening through their protective matrix effect.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the beverage is stored for extended periods to facilitate inventory control, then distribution efficiency improves, but cryohydrate coarsening occurs, impairing fluidity and smoothness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding mannan or agar stabilizers before storage. These substances pre-establish a protective environment that prevents cryohydrate aggregation throughout the storage period. The stabilizers are incorporated during manufacturing, creating a pre-stabilized system that resists coarsening over time, enabling extended storage without quality deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The polysaccharide stabilizers act as time-independent intermediaries that continuously prevent cryohydrate aggregation during storage. Their molecular structure creates a steric barrier that remains effective throughout the storage duration, allowing the beverage to be stored for extended periods while maintaining cryohydrate size stability and product quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Suppresses cryohydrate coarsening, ensuring the beverage remains fluid and palatable under low-temperature conditions.
Implementation Method 1
when an alcoholic beverage to be imbibed at low temperature includes at least one of 0.021 wt % or more and 0.083 wt % or less of a mannan, or 0.0005 wt % or more and 0.011 wt % or less of agar, the occurrence of the coarsening of cryohydrates is suppressed
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the mixture to aeration, stirring, and cooling so that a volume fraction of a gas in the resultant becomes from 1% to 150%
Implementation Method 3
subjecting the mixture to aeration, stirring, and cooling so that a product temperature thereof becomes less than −1° C.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an alcoholic beverage to be imbibed at low temperature, which includes cryohydrates and has fluidity under a freezing condition, the alcoholic beverage to be imbibed at low temperature being suppressed in occurrence of the coarsening of the cryohydrates. Specifically, provided is an alcoholic beverage to be imbibed at low temperature including: 2.0 vol % or more of an alcohol; 10 wt % to 85 wt % of cryohydrates each having a major axis length of from 0.01 mm to 5.0 mm; and at least one of 0.021 wt % or more and 0.083 wt % or less of a mannan, or 0.0005 wt % or more and 0.011 wt % or less of agar, wherein the alcoholic beverage to be imbibed at low temperature includes bubbles to have fluidity at a temperature of from −20° C. to −2° C.