Fermented Malt Beverage Bitterness Balance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fermented malt beverages with bitterness units exceeding 30 BU often have an unbalanced taste, with excessive bitterness overpowering richness, and there is a demand for beverages with new tastes due to diversifying consumer preferences.

Innovation Solution

Brewing beers with specific sugar content ratios, including a trisaccharide content of 0.65 to 1.50 w/v %, and adjusting bitterness units to 30 to 45 BU by controlling the boiling time of hops, ensures a well-balanced taste between bitterness and sweetness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the bitterness unit is increased to exceed 30 BU to enhance richness in taste, then the richness in taste is improved, but the bitterness becomes excessively outstanding and unbalanced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebitterness unitVSAvoidtaste balance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the beer by controlling the trisaccharide content to 0.65 to 1.50 w/v%, which modifies the taste profile to balance bitterness with sweetness, allowing high bitterness units (30-45 BU) to coexist with harmonious taste

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If the amount of hops is reduced to avoid excessive bitterness, then the taste balance is improved, but the richness in taste derived from bitterness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetaste balanceVSAvoidbitterness unit
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the sugar composition parameters, specifically maintaining trisaccharide content at 0.65 to 1.50 w/v%, which provides sweetness that balances the bitterness from hops, allowing sufficient hops to be used for richness without excessive bitterness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 fermented malt beverage achieves a balanced bitterness and sweetness, maintaining richness in taste across a wide temperature range, extending the duration of flavor experience even when the beverage's temperature changes.

Implementation Method 1

fermenting a malt with an yeast

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Data Source

PatentEP2990473B1Fermented malt beverage
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 SUNTORY HLDG LTD

AI summary

A fermented malt beverage obtained by fermenting a malt with an yeast, characterized in that the fermented malt beverage fulfills: (A) a bitterness unit measured in accordance with a method described in the section 8.15 Bitterness Units of The Methods of Analysis of BCOJ: 30 to 45 BU; and (B) a total content of sugars composed of glucose, sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, and a trisaccharide: 0.9 to 3.0 w/v %. The fermented malt beverage of the present invention is provided with bitterness and sweetness, and excellent in the balances thereof, so that the beverage can provide a new taste as a luxury product.