JP7672193B2 - Beer-like carbonated beverage and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

This article relates to a beer-like carbonated beverage and its manufacturing method.

Beer and beer-like sparkling beverages such as happoshu are known. For example, a typical method for producing beer is as follows. First, wort is prepared from malt and the like. Next, the wort is boiled. After boiling, the wort is cooled. After cooling, yeast is added to the wort, which is then fermented and aged. This produces beer.

In many cases, hops are used in beer-like sparkling beverages to impart bitterness and aroma. In order to impart the desired aroma, the timing and method of adding hops may be considered.

For example, Patent Document 1 (International Publication WO2016/080282) discloses a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, which comprises boiling a raw liquid, cooling the boiled liquid, boiling a hop suspension, which is a mixture of hops and an aqueous solvent, and recovering the steam as hop evaporation components, adding the boiled hop suspension to the liquid before cooling, and adding the recovered hop evaporation components to the liquid after the boiling step.

In addition, Patent Document 2 (JP 2018-183124 A) discloses that the sharpness of beer-like sparkling beverages can be improved by adjusting the concentration ratio of geraniol and β-citronellol, which are aroma components derived from hops, to within a specific range.

International Publication No. WO2016/080282 JP 2018-183124 A

The inventors are considering strengthening the hop-derived aroma in order to achieve a good balance between the grain aroma derived from grain raw materials such as malt and the floral aroma derived from hops. In order to strengthen the hop-derived aroma components, it is considered to add aroma hops in the latter half of the boiling process or later. The hop-derived aroma components evaporate during boiling. If aroma hops are added in the latter half of the boiling process or later, the evaporation of the hop-derived aroma components due to boiling is suppressed, and the floral aroma derived from the aroma hops can be strengthened.

However, if hops are simply added in the latter half of the boiling process, the grassy aroma derived from the hops is emphasized. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a good balance between the grain aroma and the floral aroma derived from hops while suppressing the grassy aroma derived from hops.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a beer-like sparkling beverage that has a good balance between grain aroma and floral aroma while reducing the grassy odor derived from hops, and a method for producing the same.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following.
[1] A method for producing a beer-like sparkling beverage, comprising the steps of boiling a raw material liquid containing a grain-derived component, and adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid so that the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 or more and the myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 or less.
[2] The method according to [1], further comprising the step of adding hops to the raw material liquid during boiling of the raw material liquid. [3] The method according to [2], wherein the boiling step comprises boiling the raw material liquid for 40 minutes or more after the addition of the hops.
[4] The manufacturing method according to [2] or [3], wherein the step of adding hops includes a step of adding the hops within 20 minutes after the start of boiling of the raw material liquid.
[5] The process for adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid includes adding an additive containing linalool or β-citronellol so that the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 to 2.4. [1] to [4], the manufacturing method according to any one of the above.
[6] The manufacturing method described in [5], further comprising a step of cooling the raw material liquid after the boiling step, and the step of adding the additive comprises a step of adding the additive between the end of the boiling step and the start of the step of cooling the raw material liquid.
[7] The method of any one of [1] to [6], further comprising a step of fermenting the raw material liquid.
[8] The manufacturing method according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the step of adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid includes a step of adjusting the composition so that the concentration of the β-citronellol is 0.5 to 50 ppb.
[9] A beer-like sparkling beverage having a linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of 1.0 or more and a myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of 1.0 or less.

The present invention provides a beer-like sparkling beverage that has a good balance between grain aroma and floral aroma while reducing the grassy odor derived from hops, and a method for producing the same.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment relates to a beer-like carbonated beverage.

1: Beer-like sparkling beverage In the present invention, the term "beer-like sparkling beverage" refers to a sparkling beverage having a flavor, taste, and texture equivalent to or similar to that of beer, and having high thirst quenching properties and drinkability. The beer-like sparkling beverage may be an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. The beer-like sparkling beverage may be a beverage made from malt or a beverage not made from malt. The beer-like sparkling beverage may be a fermented beverage or a non-fermented beverage.
Specific examples of beer-like sparkling beverages include beer, malt-based sparkling beer, sparkling alcoholic beverages that do not use malt, low-alcohol sparkling beverages, and non-alcoholic beer. In addition, liqueurs obtained by mixing a beverage produced by a fermentation process using malt as a raw material with an alcohol-containing distilled liquid may be used. The alcohol-containing distilled liquid is a solution containing alcohol obtained by a distillation operation, and may be, for example, raw material alcohol, and distilled liquors such as spirits, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and shochu can be used.

Preferably, the beer-like sparkling beverage is a fermented malt beverage. The fermented malt beverage may contain malt as a raw material. The raw material of the fermented malt beverage may contain, in addition to malt, a plant raw material other than malt. Examples of the plant raw material other than malt include wheat other than malt; beans such as rice, corn, and soybeans; potatoes; and sugars such as sucrose.
More preferably, the beer-like carbonated beverage has a malt usage ratio (proportion of malt in the raw materials excluding water) of 25% by mass or more. The malt usage ratio is even more preferably 40% by mass or more. The malt usage ratio is preferably 90% or less, and even more preferably 67% or less.

In the beer-like sparkling beverage according to this embodiment, the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 or more, and the myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 or less.
Myrcene is an essential oil component that contributes to the grassy smell derived from hops. On the other hand, linalool and β-citronellol are components that contribute to the good aroma of hops. By making the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) 1.0 or more and the myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) 1.0 or less, it is possible to obtain a beverage that has little off-flavor (grassy smell) derived from hops and has a good balance between a floral aroma and a grain aroma.
The linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) may be 1.0 or more, and is preferably 1.0 to 2.4.
The β-citronellol content is, for example, 0.5 to 50 ppb, preferably 1.0 to 40 ppb, and more preferably 1.5 to 30 ppb.
The linalool content is, for example, 3 to 150 ppb, preferably 5 to 100 ppb. The myrcene content is, for example, 10 ppb or less, preferably 5 ppb or less, more preferably 1 to 4 ppb.
Furthermore, the beer-like carbonated beverage preferably contains geraniol in an amount of 0.5 to 20 ppb, more preferably 1 to 10 ppb.
The above-mentioned aroma components (linalool, β-citronellol, myrcene, and geraniol) are components contained in hops, but they may actually be derived from hops, or may be derived from materials other than hops.

The beer-like sparkling beverage may or may not contain hops, but preferably contains hops. The hops are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that bitter hops are contained. For example, bitter hops with an alpha acid content of 10% or more can be used. Examples of bitter hops include Shinshu Wase, Nugget, Hercules, Tomahawk, Zeus, Columbus, Apollo (trademark), Bravo (trademark), Brewer's Gold, Magnum, Taurus, Phoenix, Summit (trademark), and Pioneer, and preferably Hercules.

Beer-like sparkling beverages preferably have a bitterness value of 10 to 45 B.U., preferably 15 to 30 B.U. "Bitterness value" is an index of the bitterness imparted by a group of hop-derived substances, the main component of which is isohumulone. The bitterness value can be measured, for example, by the EBC method (Beer Brewing Association: "Beer Analysis Methods" 8.15, 1990).

As mentioned above, the beer-like sparkling beverage may be either an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage, but is preferably an alcoholic beverage. The alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage is, for example, 1 to 10% by volume, preferably 2 to 8% by volume, and more preferably 3 to 7% by volume.

2: Method for Producing Beer-Like Sparkling Beverage Next, an example of the method for producing the beer-like sparkling beverage according to this embodiment will be described.

First, a raw material liquid containing a grain-derived component is prepared.
For example, when malt is used as a raw material, ground malt as the main raw material and, if necessary, starch such as rice or corn starch as a secondary raw material are prepared, and then warm water is added to these and mixed and heated. In this way, the starch is saccharified mainly by using the enzymes in the malt. The resulting saccharified liquid is filtered to obtain a raw material liquid. Alternatively, the raw material liquid may be prepared by saccharifying a suspension of ground malt, separating the husk, and then adding a secondary raw material such as sucrose.
On the other hand, when using a raw material other than malt, for example, liquid sugar containing a carbon source and a nitrogen source-containing material other than malt (e.g., hydrolysis products of protein raw materials such as soybeans, peas, and corn) are mixed with warm water to prepare a liquid sugar solution as a raw material liquid.

The raw material liquid is then boiled. The boiling time (the time during which the raw material liquid is boiled) is, for example, 60 to 150 minutes, and more preferably 70 to 120 minutes.
In this case, the hops are preferably added to the raw material liquid within 20 minutes after the start of boiling.
Also, preferably, the boiling time after the addition of hops is 40 minutes or more, more preferably 70 minutes or more. Alternatively, hops are not added after 20 minutes from the start of boiling.
By adding hops at the above-mentioned timing, hop-derived α-acids can be sufficiently isoconverted to impart the desired bitterness, and hop-derived off-flavors (such as myrcene) can be sufficiently evaporated and reduced.

After boiling, precipitates such as proteins that have formed as a result of boiling are removed. For example, after boiling, the raw liquid is transferred to a solid-liquid separation tank called a whirlpool, where the precipitate is separated into solid and liquid. In the whirlpool, solid-liquid separation is carried out at, for example, about 50 to 100°C.

After removing the sediment, the raw material liquid is cooled to a temperature suitable for fermentation using a heat exchanger (plate cooler) or the like. Next, yeast is inoculated into the cooled raw material liquid to carry out fermentation. The cooled fermented raw material liquid may be subjected to the fermentation process as is, or may be subjected to the fermentation process after being adjusted to the desired extract concentration. There are no particular limitations on the yeast used for fermentation, and it can be appropriately selected from yeasts normally used in the production of alcoholic beverages. It may be either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast, but bottom-fermenting yeast is preferred because it is easily applicable to large brewing equipment.

The resulting fermented liquid is then aged in a storage tank and stored under low-temperature conditions at around 0°C until it is stabilized. After that, the fermented liquid after maturation is filtered to remove yeast and proteins that are insoluble in that temperature range. This allows the desired beer-like sparkling beverage to be obtained.

Furthermore, by omitting the fermentation and maturation processes and adding carbon dioxide gas to the boiled solution, a non-fermented beer-like sparkling beverage can be obtained.

The method for producing a beer-like sparkling beverage according to the present embodiment described above includes a step of adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid so that the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 or more and the myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) is 1.0 or less, preferably 1.0 to 2.4.

The composition of the raw material liquid can be adjusted, for example, by adding additives including linalool or β-citronellol.
The additive containing linalool or β-citronellol may be obtained by synthesis, or may be extracted from a natural product and purified.

The timing of adding the additive containing linalool or β-citronellol is preferably between the end of boiling the raw material liquid and the start of the process of cooling the raw material liquid. Adding the additive after the end of boiling the raw material liquid prevents linalool or β-citronellol from evaporating, making it easier to obtain the desired linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) and myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio). Adding the additive before the process of cooling the raw material liquid allows the additive to be sterilized.

As described above, the beer-like sparkling beverage according to this embodiment has a linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of 1.0 or more and a myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of 1.0 or less, so that it is possible to impart a floral aroma derived from hops without introducing the grassy smell derived from hops, and to obtain a good balance between grain aroma and floral aroma.

(Example)
The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples.

[Measurement of aroma component concentration]
In the following Examples and Comparative Examples, the concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, myrcene and geraniol were measured by the following methods.
The concentration of each hop aroma component was measured using the stir bar sorptive extraction method (SBSE method). In detail, β-damascone was added as an internal standard to the final product, a beer-like sparkling fermented beverage, so that the concentration was 0.1 ppb. The sample was diluted 5 times, and 20 ml of the diluted sample was collected in a 30 ml vial. A stir bar (length = 20 mm; Twister (trade name); manufactured by Gerstel, Germany) coated with 47 μl of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) was placed in the vial, the lid was closed, and the mixture was stirred at 40° C. for 2 hours to allow the hop aroma components to be adsorbed onto the stir bar. The stirring rod was removed from the vial, and after removing all water droplets, the vial was inserted into a GC-MS equipped with a thermal desorption unit (TDU; Gerstel) and a programmable temperature-vaporization inlet (CIS4; Gerstel).

The GC-MS conditions are as follows:
Gas chromatograph: Agilent Technologies 6890
Detector: MSD5973N quadrupole mass spectrometer (Agilent Technologies)
Column: DB-WAX capillary column (length: 60 m, inner diameter: 0.25 mm, film thickness: 0.25 μm, manufactured by Agilent Technologies)
Injection port: 250°C pulsed splitless injection mode
Injection volume: 1 μL
Carrier gas: helium (1 ml/min).
Column temperature setting: 40°C (5 min hold) - (3°C/min) - 240°C (20 min)
Mass-to-charge ratio: 30 to 350 (m/z),
Ionization conditions: 70 eV, single ion-monitoring (SIM) mode
Quantitation: Quantitation was performed by comparing the peak area of each aroma component with the peak area of an internal standard.

[Sensory test]
A panel of nine well-trained people evaluated the two points of (1) the balance between the floral aroma and the grain aroma, and (2) the grassy aroma, according to the following criteria.

(1) Balance of floral and cereal aromas: 4: Very good balance of floral and cereal aromas. 3: Good balance of floral and cereal aromas. 2: Slightly poor balance of floral and cereal aromas. 1: Floral or cereal aromas are prominent (poor balance).

(2) Grainy smell 4: Grainy smell 3: Slightly grassy smell 2: Slightly grassy smell 1: Almost no grassy smell

Comparative Example 1: Example in which aroma hops were added after boiling for flavoring 18 kg of pale malt was coarsely crushed and dissolved in 160 L of raw material hot water. The resulting liquid was saccharified at 62°C for 2 hours, and then treated at 78°C for 5 minutes to inactivate the malt-derived enzymes. The husk was then separated to obtain wort as a raw material liquid. 20 kg of granulated sugar (manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.) and raw material water were added to the resulting wort, and the concentration was adjusted so that the solid content was 12%.
Next, the wort was boiled. At the same time as the start of boiling, 40 g of Hercules hop pellets were added. After the end of wort boiling, 76 g of Cascade hop pellets were added. The boiling time was 90 minutes. After boiling, 160 L of wort was collected and cooled to about 6 degrees. Furthermore, about 18 x 10^6 cells/ml of yeast was added and fermented for 7 days. Further, maturation, cooling, and filtration were performed to obtain a beer-like sparkling beverage according to Comparative Example 1. The bitterness value of the final product was 20 BU. The alcohol content of the final product was 6% by volume.

[Examples 1 to 4, Comparative Examples 2 to 3]
18 kg of light-colored malt was coarsely crushed and dissolved in 160 L of raw material hot water. The resulting liquid was saccharified at 62°C for 2 hours, and then treated at 78°C for 5 minutes to inactivate the malt-derived enzymes. The husk was then separated to obtain wort as a raw material liquid. 20 kg of granulated sugar (manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.) and raw material water were added to the resulting wort, and the concentration was adjusted so that the solid content was 12%.
The wort was then boiled. At the same time as the wort boiling started, 60 g of Hercules hop pellets were added. The boiling time was 90 minutes. After boiling, 160 L of wort was collected and cooled to about 6 degrees. Furthermore, about 18 x 10^6 cells/ml of yeast was added, and fermented for 7 days. Further, the mixture was aged, cooled, and filtered to prepare a beer-like sparkling beverage as the base happoshu. The bitterness value of the base happoshu was 20 BU.
The obtained base happoshu was divided into six portions, and different amounts of linalool, β-citronellol, and myrcene were added to each portion to obtain beverages according to Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3, which differ only in the concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, and myrcene.

The contents of linalool, geraniol, β-citronellol, and myrcene were measured for the base happoshu, Examples 1 to 4, and Comparative Examples 1 to 3. The results are shown in Table 1. In addition, a sensory evaluation was conducted for each beverage. The results are shown in Table 2.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) in the beverages according to Examples 1 to 4 was 1.0 to 2.4, and the myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) was 1.0 or less. These beverages had a good balance between the floral aroma and the grain aroma of 3.0 or more. In addition, the grassy odor was 2.0 or less, and the grassy odor was sufficiently suppressed.
In contrast, in the beverages according to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) was outside the range of 1.0 to 2.4, or the myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) exceeded 1.0. Furthermore, compared to Examples 1 to 4, these beverages had a poorer balance of floral aroma and cereal aroma, and also had a stronger grassy odor.

Claims (5)

A step of boiling a raw material liquid containing a grain-derived component;
A step of adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid so that the beer-like carbonated beverage has a linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of 1.0 to 2.4 and a myrcene/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of 1.0 or less;
Equipped with
A method for producing a beer-like carbonated beverage, comprising:
The method further includes a step of adding hops (with the proviso that the hops do not include Hallertau Tradition) to the raw material liquid during the boiling of the raw material liquid,
The boiling step includes boiling the raw material liquid for 40 minutes or more after adding the hops,
The step of adding hops includes a step of adding the hops within 20 minutes after the start of boiling of the raw material liquid,
the hops include bitter hops;
The beer-like carbonated beverage has a myrcene content of 10 ppb or less,
The beer-like carbonated beverage has a malt usage ratio of 25% by mass or more.
Production method (except for the addition of only Hallertau Huelmelon hops at the end of the boil and in the whirlpool). The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid includes a step of adding an additive containing linalool or β-citronellol so that the linalool/β-citronellol (mass ratio) of the beer-like sparkling beverage is 1.0 to 2.4. The method further comprises a step of cooling the raw material liquid after the boiling step,
The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of adding the additive comprises the step of adding the additive during a period from the end of the boiling step to the start of the cooling step of the raw material liquid. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a step of fermenting the raw material liquid. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the step of adjusting the composition of the raw material liquid includes a step of adjusting the composition so that the concentration of the β-citronellol in the beer-like sparkling beverage is 0.5 to 50 ppb.