Low-Alcohol Sake Fermentation for Reduced Sweetness and Meal Pairing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing low-alcohol beverages, such as sake and red wine-like sake, have high alcohol concentrations and strong sweetness, making them unsuitable for meals, especially with Western food, and lack compatibility with diverse culinary options.
Innovation Solution
A low-alcohol beverage is produced by combining ancient rice and rice koji with a rice-saccharified liquid, subjected to high-temperature decomposition and short-period low-temperature fermentation, resulting in a beverage with reduced sweetness, high acidity, and enhanced umami and aroma through high pantolactone and eugenol content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If low-alcohol sake is produced with high sweetness (sake meter value −50 to −100), then the beverage has a mellow aroma and rice-derived sweetness, but it becomes less compatible with Western food and has strong sweetness that reduces palatability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sake meter value parameter from the conventional −50 to −100 range to a higher range of −30 to +10. This parameter change reduces the sweetness from very strong to moderate or balanced, making the beverage compatible with Western food while maintaining the mellow aroma and rice-derived sweetness characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control of fermentation conditions including temperature (10°C to 25°C for 3 to 7 days) and composition (adding ancient rice and rice koji to rice-saccharified liquid) to achieve the optimal balance between sweetness and compatibility. The fermentation process is dynamically adjusted to produce the desired sake meter value range
2Quantity of substance
If alcohol concentration is reduced in sake, then the beverage becomes more suitable for health-conscious consumers, but the flavor profile changes and may become less compatible with meals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts multiple parameters simultaneously: alcohol concentration is reduced to 6% to 13% (lower than conventional sake), while sake meter value is increased to −30 to +10 to reduce sweetness, and acidity is increased to 5.0 to 10.0 to enhance flavor. This multi-parameter optimization maintains meal compatibility despite lower alcohol content
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite fermentation substrate combining rice-saccharified liquid, ancient rice, and rice koji. This composite approach allows simultaneous control of alcohol production, sweetness reduction, and flavor development, achieving a balanced profile suitable for meal accompaniment
3Quantity of substance
If unpolished rice is used for koji and fermentation, then the beverage has high amino acid content and strong sweetness, but it develops undesirable flavors that make it unsuitable for Western food
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using polished rice (not unpolished rice) for the rice-saccharified liquid and rice koji, while still achieving high amino acid content (2.0 to 10.0) through the specific fermentation process. This selective approach to rice preparation eliminates undesirable flavors from unpolished rice while preserving the beneficial amino acid content
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fermentation parameters including temperature (10°C to 25°C), time (3 to 7 days), and substrate composition (rice-saccharified liquid with ancient rice and rice koji) to achieve high amino acid content without the undesirable flavors associated with unpolished rice fermentation
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
The resulting beverage has a low alcohol concentration, reduced sweetness, and enhanced flavor, making it suitable for meals, particularly compatible with Western food, with improved palatability due to high aroma components.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting a raw material to saccharification treatment and organic acid treatment and then to solid-liquid separation to obtain a separated liquid
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the separated liquid to alcohol fermentation treatment
Data Source
AI summary
A low-alcohol beverage having an alcohol concentration of 6% (v/v) to 13% (v/v), an sake meter value of −30 to +10, an amino acid content of 2.0 to 10.0, and an acidity of 5.0 to 10.0; and a low-alcohol beverage having an alcohol concentration of 6% (v/v) to 13% (v/v), a pantolactone content of 800 ppb to 10,000 ppb, and a eugenol content of 100 ppb to 10,000 ppb, and other such beverage.