JP4413860B2 - Production method of vinegar, seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a manufacturing method, for acetic ferment vinegar solution VINEGAR that use vinegar fermentation liquid, for example, as a seed vinegar for the next charge in the fermentation by submerged culture method.

  In the deep culture method of vinegar, it is necessary to add an inoculum to the preparation liquid when starting fermentation. And conventionally, a method of collecting a part of the fermented vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation and leaving it as seed vinegar and adding it directly to the next charged liquid is usually well practiced. However, this method has a problem that it is necessary to always maintain fermentation of vinegar to be used as seed vinegar, and wasteful vinegar can be produced.

In addition, a method in which a preculture solution pre-cultured in a medium for acetic acid bacteria for producing vinegar is prepared in advance and added to a preparation solution as seed vinegar when starting fermentation has been proposed (for example, patents). Reference 1).
JP 2004-33111 A

  However, in the case of the conventional method described in Patent Document 1, a small-scale pre-culture fermentation apparatus must be operated separately from the fermentation apparatus for main fermentation, and there is a problem that work efficiency is poor twice. . Therefore, a technique for collecting and storing a vinegar fermented liquid and using it as a seed vine at a later date according to the production plan has been strongly desired.

  And as an example of such collection and storage technology, the vinegar fermented liquid is centrifuged to separate liquid components such as acetic acid and acetic acid bacteria, and the separated acetic acid bacteria are stored frozen at a temperature below 0 ° C. A storage method has been proposed. However, since this method requires a centrifuge and a freezer, there is a problem that the initial cost and running cost are excessive. Therefore, it can be said that this method is effective at the laboratory level, but it is expected to be accompanied by many difficulties when it is attempted to carry out the industrial scale expansion.

  Therefore, the applicant of the present application sought to maintain the activity of the bacterial cells during storage of the collected vinegar fermented liquid. As a result, for example, the acetic acid concentration should be lowered. For example, it was thought that a neutralizing agent such as an alkali that lowers the acetic acid concentration by a neutralization reaction may be added. However, this type of additive is not always acceptable as a vinegar component, and even if it is acceptable, there is a possibility that the flavor, quality, purity, etc. of vinegar may be reduced by the addition. Therefore, there is a situation where it is desired to avoid the use of additives such as neutralizing agents as much as possible.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said subject, The 1st objective is the vinegar fermentation which can be stored in the state which maintained the microbial cell activity of the vinegar fermentation liquid in spite of being simple and excellent in cost property. It is to provide a method for storing liquid.

  The second object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing vinegar that is convenient for improving productivity because fermentation can be started quickly.

  The third object of the present invention is to provide a seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation that can quickly start fermentation because the cell activity is maintained.

  The present inventor has conducted extensive research to find a means that can solve the above-described problems. If the vinegar fermentation liquid during fermentation is diluted to a temperature that does not freeze, it is represented by a neutralizing agent. It was newly found that it can be stored while maintaining the cell activity without using additives. And this inventor finally came to complete the following invention by conducting earnest research based on this novel knowledge.

That is, the first means for solving the above problems (the invention according to claim 1) is that a vinegar fermented liquid being fermented by a submerged culture method is used, and an acetic acid concentration of 2 wt / vol% or more by adding a diluent solvent is 5 or more. A vinegar fermented liquid diluted to a weight / volume% or lower and cooled to a liquid temperature of 0 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or lower and stored for 24 hours or longer and 60 days or less is subjected to another acetic acid fermentation. The gist is a method for producing vinegar characterized by performing acetic acid fermentation by using as seed vinegar when performing . A second means for solving the above problem (the invention according to claim 2) is that a vinegar fermentation liquid being fermented by a submerged culture method is used, and an acetic acid concentration of 2 wt / vol% or more is 5 by adding a diluting solvent. Dilute so that the dilution ratio is 1.5 times or more and 4.0 times or less under the condition that the weight / volume% or less range , and cool the liquid temperature to be 0 ° C or more and 15 ° C or less The vinegar fermentation solution stored for 24 hours or more and 60 days or less is used as seed vinegar when another acetic acid fermentation is performed .

  Here, although the present applicant thinks that cryogenic temperature, high concentration acetic acid, etc. are the inhibition factors of acetic acid bacteria activity, in the invention concerning the 1st and 2nd means, the vinegar fermented liquor under fermentation remains with a stock solution. Instead, it is stored in a state where the acetic acid concentration is lowered by diluting to some extent, so that the dormant acetic acid bacteria are not easily damaged by acetic acid. Moreover, in the said invention, since the vinegar fermentation liquid is stored at the liquid temperature of 0 degreeC or more and 15 degrees C or less, ie, the low temperature which is not frozen, the dormant acetic acid bacteria become difficult to receive the damage by low temperature. As a result, it is possible to store vinegar fermented liquid while maintaining the cell activity. Therefore, it is possible to use the stored vinegar fermented liquid as seed vinegar at a later date according to the production plan. It becomes.

Furthermore, even when carrying out the way of the invention, the culture fermentor previous small-scale centrifuge, not as essential such devices such as a freezer. Therefore, how the invention is a simple as compared with the conventional method can be said to be excellent in cost properties.

In how the above invention, a vinegar fermentation liquid in the fermentation, by mixing the diluting solvent is set to a temperature lower than vinegar fermentation liquid in the fermentation, dilution and cooling of the vinegar fermentation liquid in the fermentation (Claim 3). According to the present invention, since the dilution solvent also serves as a refrigerant, dilution and cooling can be performed simultaneously and rapidly by mixing. Therefore, compared with the case where dilution and cooling are performed separately, simplicity and workability are reliably improved.

Furthermore, in the way of the invention, a vinegar fermentation solution during the fermentation was collected from submerged fermentation fermentor, and a diluting solvent is set to a temperature lower than vinegar fermentation liquid in the fermentation, acid-resistant It is preferable to store in the storage container after simultaneously diluting and cooling the vinegar fermentation liquid during the fermentation by mixing in the storage container (Claim 4). That is, according to the present invention, the dilution and cooling of the vinegar fermented liquid is performed by moving it to a place different from the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation (that is, in the storage container), so that the environment in the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation is large. The fermentation in the tank can be continued and maintained without affecting. Moreover, since this storage container has acid resistance, even if it is stored for a long period of time, it does not cause corrosion due to acetic acid and can reliably store the vinegar fermented liquid.

  The storage container having acid resistance is preferably provided with a lid, for example, and the lid is preferably closed during storage. The reason for this is that it is possible to prevent invasion of various germs and dust, so that the vinegar fermented liquid can be prevented from decaying and the activity of the acetic acid bacteria can be maintained.

And the 3rd means (invention of Claim 5 ) which solves the said subject is the acetic acid density | concentration of 2 weight / volume% or more 5 by adding the dilution solvent to the vinegar fermented liquid currently fermented by the submerged culture method. A seed for acetic acid fermentation characterized by being diluted to weight / volume% or less, cooled to a liquid temperature of 0 ° C. or more and 15 ° C. or less, and stored for 24 hours or more and 60 days or less The vinegar solution is the gist. Moreover, the 4th means (invention of Claim 6 ) which solves the said subject is a vinegar fermentation liquid currently fermented by the submerged culture method, and the dilution rate is an acetic acid density | concentration 2 weight / volume by addition of a dilution solvent. The solution is diluted so that it is 1.5 times or more and 4.0 times or less under the condition that it is in the range of not less than 5% and not more than 5% weight / volume% , and cooled so that the liquid temperature becomes not less than 0 ° C and not more than 15 ° C. A ginseng solution for acetic acid fermentation, which is stored for 24 hours or more and 60 days or less . Therefore, since the bacterial cell activity is maintained in the seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation of the invention according to the third and fourth means, the fermentation can be started quickly by adding this solution to the charged solution. .

As described in detail above, according to the inventions described in claims 1 to 4, fermentation can be performed quickly by using the vinegar fermented liquid stored in the state of maintaining the bacterial activity of the vinegar fermented liquid as seed vinegar. Since it can start, the manufacturing method of the vinegar which is convenient for productivity improvement can be provided. According to invention of Claim 5 , 6 , since the microbial cell activity is maintained, the seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation which can start fermentation rapidly can be provided.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

  Although it does not specifically limit as an acetic acid bacterium used by the deep culture method in this invention, For example, the acetic acid bacterium of the acetobacter genus is used. Preferable specific examples of Acetobacter acetic acid bacteria include Acetobacter aceti IFO 3281 (Acetobacter acetic IFO 3281) strain, Acetobacter aceti IFO 3283 (Acetobacter acetic IFO 3283) strain and the like. These acetic acid bacteria are acetic acid bacteria used for fermenting production of vinegar at an acetic acid concentration of 10.0% by weight or less, but acetic acid bacteria for high acidity vinegar can also be used. Specific examples thereof include Acetobacter europaeus and Acetobacter altoacetigenes MH-24 (FERM BP-491).

  In the present invention, the acetic acid concentration means an acetic acid equivalent concentration (weight / volume%) obtained as a result of measurement and calculation as follows. That is, 5 mL of vinegar (fermented liquid) as a measurement sample was placed in a beaker, neutralized with 1N sodium hydroxide and neutralized with phenolphthalein as an indicator, and the titration (mL) obtained was multiplied by 1.2 to acetic acid. The concentration converted value was defined as acidity and expressed in%.

  In the present invention, the submerged culture method for obtaining a vinegar fermented liquid is to supply oxygen to the whole fermented liquid by actively aeration and agitation with respect to the fermented liquid in the culture apparatus. Refers to a culture method in which acetic acid bacteria are grown and fermentation is performed, and is usually compared with the surface fermentation method.

  The apparatus for performing the deep culture is not particularly limited, and a general aeration and stirring type deep fermentation apparatus can be used. A conventionally well-known means can be employ | adopted about stirring, for example, it is suitable to use stirring machines, such as a propeller and a rotor. Similarly, conventionally known means can be used for ventilation, and specific examples thereof include a method of supplying a gas such as air or oxygen through a ventilation pipe. About aeration, what is necessary is just to set suitably according to a fermentation condition. For example, the aeration rate of 0.02 to 1 vvm (aeration capacity / amount of fermentation broth / min) is supplied to the lower part of the fermentation broth, the gas is refined and diffused with a stirrer, and the dissolved oxygen in the fermentation broth is What is necessary is just to control so that it may be maintained at about 0.2-8 ppm.

  Moreover, about the fermentation format, the various methods conventionally implemented, such as a batch fermentation method, a semi-continuous fermentation method, and a two-stage fermentation method, are employable.

  And the vinegar fermented liquor during fermentation obtained by said deep culture method is diluted and cooled as follows.

  The vinegar fermented liquor must be collected during fermentation (that is, during production of acetic acid), and more preferably during the period excluding the initial and final stages of fermentation (referred to as the intermediate stage for convenience). That is good. This is because the vinegar fermented liquid during this period contains a large amount of highly active acetic acid bacteria and is therefore suitable for storage. On the other hand, since the fermentation has not yet started sufficiently at the initial stage of fermentation, the number of cells is small, and at the final stage of fermentation, the activity of the cells is no longer high. Because it is not suitable to do.

The concentration of acetic acid bacteria at the time of collecting the vinegar fermented liquor during fermentation is not particularly limited and varies depending on the type of acetic acid bacteria to be used. For example, it is preferably 10 ⁶ / mL or more, particularly 10 ⁷ / It is preferable that it is mL or more. When stored for a long period of time, the number of acetic acid bacteria having activity is inevitably reduced, but if a high concentration of acetic acid bacteria is collected in advance, it becomes easier to secure the required number of acetic acid bacteria. .

  The liquid temperature of the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation is so-called room temperature, and more specifically, 20 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower. Moreover, although the acetic acid concentration in the vinegar fermented liquor during fermentation changes with kinds of acetic acid bacteria to be used, it is generally 5 weight / volume% or more. In addition, alcohol (mainly ethyl alcohol) is usually contained in the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation in an amount of about 0.1 to 3.0% by weight / volume.

  In measuring the alcohol concentration in the acetic acid fermentation process, it is preferable to use gas chromatography, a gas sensor, or the like, which is a highly accurate alcohol measuring device. For example, with a gas chromatography (GC-17A) manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, a column made by GL Science (TC-WAX: 0.53 mm × 30 m) is used and kept at a detection temperature of 220 ° C. and a column temperature of 40 ° C. for 5 minutes, and 4 ° C. Examples include a method of using 1 μL of a sample under measurement conditions in which the temperature is raised to 220 ° C. under the conditions of / min and held at 220 ° C. for 10 minutes.

  Dilution in this invention is performed by mixing the extract | collected vinegar fermented liquor in fermentation and a dilution solvent. The place where such mixing is performed may be in the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation, or may be in a storage container prepared separately. Here, as the diluting solvent, any liquid can be used as long as it is a solution having a lower acetic acid concentration than the collected vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation. However, as a diluting solvent when it is planned to be used as seed vinegar for vinegar fermentation later, a liquid containing only components that are acceptable as vinegar components (for example, water, raw sugar solution, alcohol, etc.) is used. It is desirable to use water in particular. It should be noted that if the diluent solvent contains a large amount of alcohol such as ethanol, the cells may be damaged, so it is preferable to keep the concentration as low as possible. Of course, it is desirable that an additive corresponding to the neutralizing agent described in the prior art is not included in the diluting solvent in the present invention.

  And by addition of such a dilution solvent, the vinegar fermented liquor during fermentation is diluted so that an acetic acid density | concentration will be 2 weight / volume% or more and 5 weight / volume% or less. Even if the acetic acid concentration is diluted to a level exceeding 5% by weight / volume, there is still a large amount of acetic acid, so that damage to acetic acid bacteria during storage cannot be sufficiently reduced. Conversely, when the acetic acid concentration is diluted to less than 2% by weight / volume, the damage of the acetic acid bacteria is reduced due to the presence of the high concentration acetic acid, but the bactericidal action of the acetic acid bacteria is impaired and spoilage occurs. It will be an environment where bacteria are easy to grow. Therefore, it may be difficult to store the vinegar fermented liquid for a long time.

  Further, the fermented vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation depends on the level of acetic acid at the start of dilution, but is diluted so that the dilution ratio becomes 1.5 times or more and 4.0 times or less by the addition of a dilution solvent. If the dilution ratio is less than 1.5 times, there may be a case where the acetic acid concentration cannot be reduced to 5% by weight or less because the addition amount of the dilution solvent is too small. Therefore, in this case, since much acetic acid is still present in the vinegar fermented liquid, damage to acetic acid bacteria during storage cannot be sufficiently reduced. On the other hand, when the dilution ratio exceeds 4.0 times, there may be a case where the acetic acid concentration cannot be increased to 2% by weight or more because the amount of the diluted solvent added is too large. Therefore, in this case, although the damage reduction of acetic acid bacteria due to the presence of high-concentration acetic acid is achieved, the bactericidal action of acetic acid bacteria is impaired and an environment in which spoilage bacteria are likely to grow is obtained. Therefore, it may be difficult to store the vinegar fermented liquid for a long time.

It is preferable that as many acetic acid bacteria as possible are contained in the diluted vinegar fermented broth, specifically 10 ⁵ / mL or more, particularly 10 ⁶ / mL or more. This is because if the concentration of acetic acid bacteria is high, it can be used as seed vinegar even when the storage period is long.

  Moreover, the cooling in this invention reduces the liquid temperature of the vinegar fermented liquor during fermentation to 0 degreeC or more and 15 degrees C or less. If the cooling is incomplete so as not to lower the liquid temperature to 15 ° C., the acetic acid bacteria in the vinegar fermented liquid do not sufficiently sleep, and the number of acetic acid bacteria decreases. Furthermore, since there is a possibility that harmful bacteria such as wild acetic acid bacteria propagate in vinegar production, it is necessary to store at 15 ° C. or lower. On the other hand, if the liquid temperature is lower than 0 ° C., the vinegar fermented broth freezes, causing damage to the acetic acid bacteria, resulting in an inevitable decrease in the activity of the acetic acid bacteria.

  In the present invention, when the vinegar fermented liquid is cooled, any conventionally known method can be adopted as long as the liquid temperature can be lowered to 0 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or lower. As a suitable example, for example, there is an indirect cooling method in which the refrigerant is indirectly contacted via a heat exchanger without directly contacting the fermented vinegar fermentation liquid, and the heat is taken away. The advantage of this method is that the refrigerant is not in direct contact with the fermented vinegar fermentation liquid and the two do not mix with each other, so that the degree of freedom in selecting the refrigerant is great. The refrigerant may be a liquid or a gas.

  Further, instead of the indirect cooling method as described above, it is also possible to employ a direct cooling method in which a refrigerant is brought into direct contact with the fermented vinegar fermentation liquid and heat is taken away. According to this method, the degree of freedom in selecting the refrigerant is reduced, while the refrigerant and the diluting solvent can be shared.

  Here, the speed at which cooling is performed is not particularly limited. For example, when cooling is performed after aeration is stopped, rapid cooling is performed in order to maintain the activity of the cells as much as possible (for example, within 3 hours). It is desirable to complete the cooling). That is, if the aeration is stopped, the activity of the acetic acid bacteria starts to decrease, so that it is desirable to shift the acetic acid bacteria to dormancy as soon as possible before that.

  By the way, in the present invention, dilution may be performed after cooling, or cooling may be performed after dilution, but it is preferable in the process that dilution and cooling are preferably performed simultaneously. In this case, the diluted solvent also serves as a refrigerant in the direct contact method. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform dilution and cooling of the vinegar fermentation liquid during fermentation simultaneously and rapidly.

  In this case, the dilution solvent that also serves as the refrigerant is preferably a liquid set at a temperature lower than the liquid temperature of the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation (usually 20 ° C. or higher), specifically, cold water or ice water of 15 ° C. or lower. It is preferable that That is, because water is acceptable as a vinegar component without any problem, even if added, it does not adversely affect the activity of acetic acid bacteria. In addition, when performing rapid cooling, it is preferable to use cold water or ice water of 5 degrees C or less.

  Dilution and cooling of the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation can be performed in the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation, but can also be performed outside the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation. Specifically, the fermented vinegar fermentation liquid collected from the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation and the diluent solvent that also serves as a refrigerant are mixed in a storage container prepared separately from the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation. Such a storage container is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known one can be used, but one made of a material having acid resistance enough to withstand acetic acid is preferable. If it is such a storage container, even if it stores for a long period of time, it will not corrode by acetic acid and can store vinegar fermented liquid reliably. The material used for the storage container can be arbitrarily selected from metals, glass, synthetic resins, etc., as long as it has acid resistance, but especially metal materials represented by stainless steel etc. are selected. It is preferable to do. Therefore, a commercially available stainless steel container or the like may be used. Moreover, since there is no restriction | limiting in the capacity | capacitance of a storage container, you may use a large thing as needed. For example, in the case of food industry use, a storage container having a capacity of 1 kL or more may be used.

  The storage container having acid resistance is preferably provided with a lid, for example, and the lid is preferably closed during storage. The reason for this is that it is possible to prevent invasion of various germs and dust, so that the vinegar fermented liquid can be prevented from decaying and the activity of the acetic acid bacteria can be maintained. The structure of the lid is arbitrary, but the sealing property is not particularly required.

  And the vinegar fermentation liquid diluted and cooled as mentioned above is stored for 24 hours or more in the state which maintained the range of the liquid temperature. Aeration and agitation of the vinegar fermented liquor during storage are permitted, but this requires a ventilation means and agitation means in the storage container, which increases cost demerits. Therefore, it is advantageous in terms of cost and a simple method to store using a storage container having a simple structure that does not have a ventilation means or a stirring means. In order to keep the temperature of the storage container low, for example, the storage container may be placed in the refrigerator. In the present invention, since it is not necessary to use a freezer and a refrigerator is sufficient, the cost of electricity is not so high and an increase in running cost can be avoided.

  The vinegar fermented liquid stored by the method described above is suitably maintained in cell activity even if stored for a long time. Therefore, if acetic acid fermentation is performed by using this as seed vinegar when performing another acetic acid fermentation, acetic acid fermentation can be started rapidly. Therefore, a desired vinegar can be efficiently manufactured by performing a deep culture method similarly to the last deep culture method. In addition, according to the present invention, since the stored vinegar fermented liquid does not contain any additives, even if this is used as seed vinegar, the flavor, quality, purity, etc. of vinegar are reduced. Not connected.

  Hereinafter, examples in which the embodiment of the present invention is more specific will be described.

In Example 1, a test was performed in which the liquid temperature was kept constant while the acetic acid concentration was set in plural and stored.
(Test method)

Using a fermentation tank capable of deep fermentation (5 L capacity: manufactured by Mitsuwa Richemical Co., Ltd.), a 3 L vinegar fermentation liquid was prepared in advance. This vinegar fermented broth was cultured using Acetobacter aceti, and the acetic acid concentration was 7.0 wt / vol%, the alcohol concentration was 0.3 vol / vol%, and the liquid temperature was 30 ° C to 35 ° C. The concentration of acetic acid bacteria is about 10 ⁸ cells / mL. Several milliliters of such a vinegar fermented liquid was collected at the middle stage of fermentation, that is, at the stage where the activity of the bacterial cells was high and fermentation was actively taking place. Then, the fermented vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation is quickly added to several 10 mL glass test tubes (acid-resistant storage containers) in which 27 ° C. water as a dilution solvent has been put in advance. Were mixed. In this case, in order to set the acetic acid concentration in 5 steps (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0, 7.0 wt / vol%), the dilution factor is diluted by 7.0, 3.5, 2.3, 1.4, 1.0, respectively. Went. Next, the test tube containing the diluted vinegar fermented liquor was transferred to a refrigerator and cooled to 5 ° C., which is the set temperature, within a few hours. And while maintaining this cooling temperature, the vinegar fermentation liquid was stored for 15 days as it was.

  After the lapse of 15 days, the stored vinegar fermented liquid was taken out of the refrigerator to make seed vinegar, and this seed vinegar was put into a fermentation tank for deep fermentation in which a medium for acetic acid fermentation was previously placed. Thereafter, the submerged cultivation of acetic acid bacteria was continuously performed for a predetermined time in accordance with a conventional method while performing aeration and stirring. In addition, what added alcohol (ethanol) so that it might become 3% volume / volume to 804 culture medium (polypeptone 10g, yeast extract 10g, glucose 10g) was used as the fermentation medium for deep culture.

And the time (namely, time lag until the start of fermentation) from the start of culture until the acetic acid concentration starts to rise was measured. These results are shown in the graph of FIG.
(Test results)

  In the graph of FIG. 1, the horizontal axis indicates the acetic acid concentration of the vinegar fermented liquid after dilution, and the vertical axis indicates the time lag until the start of fermentation. According to this graph, it was recognized that the time lag tends to decrease as the acetic acid concentration decreases. It was also found that the time lag suddenly increased when the acetic acid concentration exceeded 5.0 wt / vol%. Here, when it is defined that the practically preferable time lag is within 72 hours, in order to achieve the level, the acetic acid concentration of the vinegar fermented liquid is 1.0 wt / vol% to 5.0 wt / vol. %. However, rot of the vinegar fermented liquid was not observed when the acetic acid concentration was set to 2.0 wt / volume% or more, but rot of the vinegar fermented liquid was not performed when the acetic acid concentration was set to 1.0 weight / volume%. Was recognized.

  Summing up the above results, the vinegar fermented liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method is diluted so that the acetic acid concentration becomes 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol% by adding a diluent solvent, and the liquid As a result, the superiority of the storage method of the vinegar fermented liquid in which the temperature was cooled to 0 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or lower and stored for 24 hours or more was demonstrated. By the way, a test was conducted in which the storage temperature was set to 10 ° C., but since the results were almost the same as those at 5 ° C., the specific data is omitted.

In Example 2, a test was performed in which the acetic acid concentration was kept constant while the liquid temperature and the number of storage days were set in plural.
(Test method)

  Prepare the same vinegar fermented liquid prepared in Example 1, collect this vinegar fermented liquid in the middle stage of fermentation, and add several water that has been preliminarily charged with 27 ° C water as a diluting solvent. Were quickly added to a 10 mL glass test tube, and both solutions were mixed. As a result, a diluted solution of vinegar fermented liquid having an acetic acid concentration of 4.0% weight / volume% was obtained. Next, the test tube containing the diluted vinegar fermented liquor was transferred to a refrigerator and cooled to 15 ° C., which is the set temperature, within a few hours. Moreover, about some things, the test tube was moved to the thermostat, and it maintained at comparatively high temperature (30 degreeC), without cooling. And the vinegar fermented liquor was stored over a long term, maintaining each of these liquid temperature. The number of storage days was set in multiple stages (0, 7, 15, 35, 40, 60, 100 days).

  After the lapse of a predetermined period, the stored vinegar fermented liquid was taken out and used as seed vinegar, and this seed vinegar was put into a fermentation tank for deep fermentation in which a medium for acetic acid fermentation was previously placed. Thereafter, the submerged cultivation of acetic acid bacteria was continuously performed for a predetermined time in accordance with a conventional method while performing aeration and stirring. In addition, what added alcohol (ethanol) so that it might become 3% volume / volume to 804 culture medium (polypeptone 10g, yeast extract 10g, glucose 10g) was used as the fermentation medium for deep culture.

And the time (namely, time lag until the start of fermentation) from the start of culture to the start of increasing acetic acid concentration was measured for each of the cases of 15 ° C. storage and 30 ° C. storage. These results are shown in the graph of FIG.
(Test results)

  In the graph of FIG. 2, the horizontal axis indicates the storage days of the vinegar fermented liquid, and the vertical axis indicates the time lag until the start of fermentation. According to this graph, when stored at a high temperature of 30 ° C., it was found that the time lag until the start of fermentation was 72 hours or more when the storage days exceeded 7 days. Therefore, it became clear that when the liquid temperature of the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation is high, it cannot be stored for a long time.

  On the other hand, when stored at a low temperature of 15 ° C., the time lag until the start of fermentation was within 72 hours even when the storage days exceeded 60 days. Therefore, it became clear that if the temperature of the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation is set to such a low level, it can be stored for a considerably long period of time. Incidentally, a test was conducted in which the storage temperature was set at 5 ° C. and 10 ° C., but since the same tendency as that at 15 ° C. was shown, the specific data is omitted.

  The present embodiment is an example in which the scale is further increased as compared with the first and second embodiments.

Using a large-scale fermentation tank capable of deep fermentation, a 10 kL vinegar fermentation liquid was prepared in advance. This vinegar fermented broth was cultivated using a feed solution made from apples and Acetobacter aceti, with an acetic acid concentration of 7.0 wt / vol% and an alcohol concentration of 0.3 vol / vol. %, The liquid temperature is about 30 ° C. to 35 ° C., and the concentration of acetic acid bacteria is about 10 ⁸ cells / mL. This large-scale fermentation tank has aeration means and agitation means, and these means are always used for aeration and agitation during culture.

  In this embodiment, a storage container is prepared separately from such a large fermentation tank. The storage container used here is an acid-resistant stainless steel box tank (capacity 1 kL), and an openable / closable lid is attached to the opening provided at the top of the box tank. In this storage container, 0.5 kL of ice water (0 ° C.) was previously placed. Ice water is used as a diluent solvent that also serves as a refrigerant.

  Next, after stopping the aeration means and the stirring means of the large-scale fermentation tank, 0.5 kL of vinegar fermented liquor was collected in the middle stage of fermentation. Then, the collected vinegar fermented liquid is quickly transferred into a storage container with a pump or the like, and the vinegar fermented liquid and ice water are mixed in the storage container so that the liquid temperature is about 5 ° C. and the acetic acid concentration is A 3.5 wt / vol% dilution was made. That is, in this example, the dilution factor was set to 2 times.

  Next, the storage container containing the cooled and diluted vinegar fermented liquor was transferred to a refrigerator and covered, and the vinegar fermented broth was stored as it was for 15 days while maintaining a cooling temperature of 5 ° C. If the storage container is placed in the refrigerator in advance, connect the large-scale fermentation tank and the storage container with a pipe, and pump the vinegar fermentation liquid during fermentation through this pipe. May be.

  After 60 days, the stored vinegar fermented liquid is taken out from the storage container to become seed vinegar, and this seed vinegar is put into a large-scale fermentation tank for deep fermentation in which a preparation liquid made from apples is put in advance. did. Thereafter, the submerged culture of acetic acid bacteria was continuously carried out according to a conventional method with aeration and agitation to produce the same type of vinegar (i.e., apple vinegar).

  Hereinafter, in addition to the technical ideas described in the claims, the technical ideas grasped by the above-described embodiments are listed below.

  (1) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the dilution solvent is a liquid containing only components allowed as vinegar components.

  (2) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the dilution solvent is cold water or ice water of 15 ° C. or lower.

  (3) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the dilution solvent is cold water of 1 ° C or higher and 5 ° C or lower.

  (4) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the vinegar fermentation liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method should be collected in a period excluding the initial stage and the final stage of fermentation.

  (5) In any one of Claims 1 to 7, the vinegar fermentation liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method should be collected in a state where the growth rate of the acetic acid bacteria is stable.

(6) In any one of claims 1 to 7, a vinegar fermented liquid that is being fermented by a deep culture method is one having a concentration of acetic acid bacteria of 10 ⁷ / mL or more.

  (7) The diluted and cooled vinegar fermented liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vinegar fermented liquid is stored in a stationary state without positive aeration.

  (8) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the alcohol concentration is diluted to 0.2 wt / vol% or less by adding a diluent solvent.

  (9) A dilute solution of vinegar fermented liquor obtained through a submerged culture method, wherein the acetic acid concentration is 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol% and the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. to 15 ° C. A seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation.

(10) A diluted vinegar fermented liquid obtained through a submerged culture method, wherein the acetic acid concentration is 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol%, the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. to 15 ° C., and acetic acid for acetic ferment vinegar solution, wherein the bacteria concentration is 10 ⁶ cells / mL or more.

(11) A diluted solution of a vinegar fermented liquid obtained through a submerged culture method, wherein the acetic acid concentration is 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol%, the alcohol concentration is 0.2 wt / vol% or less, and the liquid A seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation, wherein the temperature is 0 ° C. or more and 15 ° C. or less, and the concentration of acetic acid bacteria is 10 ⁶ / mL or more.

  (12) Acetic acid fermentation characterized by being a diluted solution of 1.5 times to 4.0 times the vinegar fermented liquid obtained through the submerged culture method, and having a liquid temperature of 0 ° C to 15 ° C Seed vinegar solution.

(13) A diluted solution of 1.5 times or more and 4.0 times or less of the vinegar fermented liquid obtained through the deep culture method, the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or lower, and the acetic acid bacteria concentration is 10 ^6. A seed vinegar solution for fermentation of acetic acid, characterized in that the number is 1 / mL or more.

  (14) The vinegar fermented liquor being fermented by the submerged culture method is diluted so that the concentration of acetic acid is 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol% by adding a diluent solvent, and the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. A seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation, which is cooled to 15 ° C. or lower and stored in a storage container with acid resistance for 24 hours or more.

  (15) The vinegar fermented liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method is diluted by adding a dilution solvent so that the dilution ratio is 1.5 times or more and 4.0 times or less, and the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or higher. A seed vinegar solution for acetic acid fermentation in a container, wherein the seed vinegar solution is stored in a storage container with a lid having acid resistance and cooled for 24 hours or longer.

6 is a graph showing the test results of Example 1. 6 is a graph showing the test results of Example 2.

Claims (6)

The vinegar fermented liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method is diluted by adding a diluent solvent so that the acetic acid concentration becomes 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol%, and the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. to 15 ° C. Production of vinegar characterized by performing acetic acid fermentation by using a vinegar fermented liquid that has been cooled to be as follows and stored for 24 hours or more and 60 days or less as seed vinegar when performing another acetic acid fermentation Method. The dilution ratio of the vinegar fermented liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method is 1.5 times or more 4 on condition that the concentration of acetic acid is in the range of 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol% by adding a diluent solvent. The diluted vinegar fermented liquid is cooled to a temperature of 0 ° C. to 15 ° C. and stored for 24 hours or more and 60 days or less, and another acetic acid fermentation is performed. A method of producing vinegar characterized by performing acetic acid fermentation by using as seed vinegar. The vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation is diluted and cooled by mixing the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation and a dilution solvent set at a lower temperature than the vinegar fermented liquid during fermentation. Item 3. A method for producing vinegar according to Item 1 or 2 . By mixing the fermented vinegar fermented liquid collected from the fermentation apparatus for deep fermentation and the dilution solvent set at a lower temperature than the fermented vinegar fermented liquid in a storage container having acid resistance, The method for producing vinegar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vinegar fermentation liquid during fermentation is simultaneously diluted and cooled, and then stored in the storage container . The vinegar fermented liquid being fermented by the submerged culture method is diluted by adding a diluent solvent so that the acetic acid concentration becomes 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol%, and the liquid temperature is 0 ° C. to 15 ° C. A seed vinegar solution for fermentation of acetic acid, wherein the seed vinegar solution is cooled to be as follows and stored for 24 hours to 60 days . The vinegar fermented broth being fermented by the submerged culture method is 1.5 times or more 4 on condition that the dilution ratio is within the range of 2 wt / vol% to 5 wt / vol% by adding a diluent solvent. A vinegar for acetic acid fermentation characterized by being diluted to 0.times. Or less, cooled to a temperature of 0.degree. C. to 15.degree. C. and stored for 24 hours to 60 days. solution.

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