Fermented malt beverage

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A fermented malt beverage obtained by fermenting a malt with a yeast, wherein the fermented malt beverage comprises (A) and (B): (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 is 30 to 45 BU; and (B) a total content of components consisting of glucose, sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, and a trisaccharide is 0.9 to 3.0 w/v %; wherein the content of the trisaccharide is from 0.65 to 1.50 w/v %, and wherein a ratio of the content of trisaccharide to a total content of glucose, sucrose, maltose and isomaltose is 1.24:1 to 3.5:1.

2. A fermented malt beverage obtained by fermenting a malt with a yeast, wherein the fermented malt beverage comprises (A) and (C): (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 is 30 to 45 BU; and (C) a content of a trisaccharide is 0.65 to 1.50 w/v %, wherein a ratio of the content of trisaccharide to a total content of glucose, sucrose, maltose and isomaltose is 1.24:1 to 3.5:1.

3. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, wherein the trisaccharide comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of maltotriose and isomaltotriose.

4. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, wherein the color is from 10 to 20 EBC.

5. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol content is 3.8 w/v % or less.

6. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, which comprises a yeast.

7. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, from which a yeast is removed.

8. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 2, wherein the trisaccharide comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of maltotriose and isomaltotriose.

9. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the content of trisaccharide to a total content of glucose, sucrose, maltose and isomaltose is 1.24:1 to 2.74:1.

10. The fermented malt beverage according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the content of trisaccharide to a total content of glucose, sucrose, maltose and isomaltose is 1.24:1 to 2.74:1.

Description

EXAMPLES

(1) The present invention will be specifically described hereinbelow by the Examples, without intending to limit the scope of the present invention to the following Examples.

Test Example 1

Examples 1 to 12 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3

(2) Nine-hundred and fifty kilograms of malts were milled to an appropriate powder size, the powder was placed in a mashing kettle, and 3,800 L of warm water was then added thereto to produce a mash at about 40 C. In one part, the temperature was elevated to 100 C. to boil, and the remaining part was allowed to be saccharified. The mash of which saccharification was completed was raised to 78 C., and transferred to a wort filtration tank to filter, to give a filtrate (wort concentration: 12.5 w/w %).

(3) One part of the filtrate obtained was taken, and hops were added thereto, and the mixture was boiled for 60 to 90 minutes. These adjusted worts were added with a bottom fermenting brewer's yeast which assimilates mainly glucose, sucrose, maltose, and isomaltose but does not or hardly assimilate the trisaccharide under the same conditions, and fermentation was carried out at about 10 C. for 10 to 30 days, to give a storage beer (lagered beer) of Examples having a bitterness unit and sugar contents as listed in Table 1. Here, the filtered beer was produced by filtering the storage beer, and the non-filtered yeast-containing beer was produced without filtration.

(4) The flavor was evaluated by a sensory test according to scoring method by setting a temperature of the beer obtained to 7 C. Five well trained sensory panelists were asked to evaluate with a 5-point max score with respect to the presence or absence of bitterness, sweetness, and the balance between bitterness and sweetness. An average score of the evaluation points was calculated by defining strongly felt as score 5, felt as score 4, somewhat felt as score 3, slightly felt as score 2, and not felt as score 1, and the evaluation was carried out under the following criteria in accordance with the average score. As comparative examples, the flavors of the commercially available beers were evaluated in accordance with a sensory test in the same manner. The results are shown in Table 1. Here, the beer temperature refers to a temperature measured at a central part of the liquid portion of the beer immediately after the froths settled when the glass was filled with the beer obtained to the upper brim of the glass (height: 11 cm, diameter: 6 cm, and 250 mL in volume), which was a value measured with a thermometer Testo 103 manufactured by Testo. In addition, the evaluation criteria of 0 or more are preferred, and the evaluation criteria of are more preferred.

(5) <Criteria of Evaluation Scores>

(6) X: an average score of 1.0 or more to less than 2.0;

(7) : an average score of 2.0 or more to less than 3.0;

(8) : an average score of 3.0 or more to less than 4.0; and

(9) : an average score of 4.0 or more to 5.0 or less.

(10) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Examples 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Property Values Alcohol Content (w/w %) 3.48 3.48 3.45 3.42 3.70 3.73 3.67 3.67 Bitterness Unit (BU) 38.1 37.7 32.8 37.4 34.1 35.0 32.8 37.2 Color (EBC) 15.7 16.7 13.9 16.3 14.9 14.2 15.4 13.5 Sugar Analysis Glucose (w/v %) 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.04 0.03 0.03 Sucrose (w/v %) 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 Maltose (w/v %) 0.37 0.38 0.25 0.44 0.08 0.11 0.12 0.12 Isomaltose (w/v %) 0.16 0.14 0.11 0.19 0.22 0.22 0.22 Trisaccharide (w/v %) 1.15 1.16 1.01 0.92 0.79 1.02 1.07 1.01 Total Content (w/v %) of 1.71 1.72 1.39 1.41 1.10 1.41 1.46 1.40 Sugar Composed of Glucose, Sucrose, Maltose, Isomaltose, and Trisaccharide Total Content (w/v %) of 0.56 0.56 0.38 0.49 0.31 0.39 0.39 0.39 Monosaccharide and Disaccharide Weight Ratio of 2.05 2.07 2.66 1.88 2.55 2.62 2.74 2.59 Trisaccharide Based on Total of Monosaccharide and Disaccharide (Trisaccharide/Monosaccharide and Disaccharide) Presence or Absence of Absent Present Absent Absent Absent Present Present Present Yeast Bitterness Sweetness Balance Between Bitterness and Sweetness Comparative Examples Examples 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 Property Values Alcohol Content (w/w %) 3.46 3.34 3.45 3.52 3.98 4.03 4.00 Bitterness Unit (BU) 38.2 36.9 40.3 38.2 28.9 20.6 19.8 Color (EBC) 18.3 16.3 15.6 15.1 10.2 8.1 7.6 Sugar Analysis Glucose (w/v %) 0.03 0.06 0.04 0.01 0.03 0.02 0.02 Sucrose (w/v %) 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.01 Maltose (w/v %) 0.25 0.70 0.39 0.26 0.10 0.08 0.08 Isomaltose (w/v %) 0.17 0.11 0.10 0.15 0.08 0.06 0.05 Trisaccharide (w/v %) 1.21 1.08 1.04 0.76 0.07 0.05 0.06 Total Content (w/v %) of 1.68 1.95 1.57 1.19 0.29 0.22 0.21 Sugar Composed of Glucose, Sucrose, Maltose, Isomaltose, and Trisaccharide Total Content (w/v %) of 0.47 0.87 0.53 0.43 0.22 0.17 0.15 Monosaccharide and Disaccharide Weight Ratio of 2.57 1.24 1.96 1.77 0.32 0.29 0.40 Trisaccharide Based on Total of Monosaccharide and Disaccharide (Trisaccharide/Monosaccharide and Disaccharide) Presence or Absence of Present Present Absent Absent Absent Absent Absent Yeast Bitterness Sweetness Balance Between Bitterness and Sweetness

(11) As is clear from Table 1, Examples 1 to 12 were provided with bitterness and sweetness, and balances thereof were felt. In addition, Examples 2 and 6 to 10 contained yeast, which also were provided with bitterness and sweetness in the same manner, and balances thereof were felt.

(12) In addition, it could be found from Table 1 that in beers of which bitterness unit was 30 BU or more, the fermented malt beverage having a content of specified sugars in particular ratios showed differences in the manner of feeling sweetness depending on the presence or absence of an yeast. For example, both of Examples 2 and 9 have the same level of a total sugar content as Example 1, but in the sensory evaluation of Examples 2 and 9, stronger sweetness was felt, perhaps due to the containment of an yeast. In addition, from the comparison of Examples 2 and 10 with Example 1, even if they had the same level of the trisaccharide concentration, in the sensory evaluation of Examples 2 and 10 stronger sweetness was felt than Example 1 perhaps due to the containment of an yeast. Also, Example 4 had the same level of the concentration of the trisaccharide, a total content of the sugars, a total content of the monosaccharides and the disaccharides, as in Examples 6 to 8, but in the sensory evaluation of Example 4, weaker sweetness was felt than Examples 6 to 8 perhaps due to the absence of an yeast.

(13) On the other hand, as to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, although the balances between bitterness and sweetness were excellent, all of them had the tendencies that the strength of either one of the bitterness or sweetness was weak.

Test Example 2

Example 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3

(14) The beer of Example 4 and the beers of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 prepared in Test Example 1 were evaluated for the presence or absence of balance between bitterness and sweetness as the flavor of the beers at temperatures listed in Table 2 by five well trained sensory panelists in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The beer temperatures in the table were values measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and a liquid temperature of the beer was gradually raised to room temperature, so that the liquid temperature was adjusted by allowing the beer to stand at room temperature of 25 C. while placing a thermometer inside the beer poured to a glass. The results are shown in Table 2. In addition, the indicated temperature was recorded at the timing where the numerical figures inside the temperature range in Table 2 were indicated by the thermometer. Here, as the temperature range in the table, for example, in a case where the temperature is listed as 0 to 2 ( C.), it shows a temperature range of 0 C. or higher and lower than 2 C.

(15) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Comparative Comparative Comparative Example 4 Example 1 Example2 Example 3 Temp. Measured Measured Measured Measured Range Value Value Value Value ( C.) ( C.) Evaluation ( C.) Evaluation ( C.) Evaluation ( C.) Evaluation 0 to 2 1.0 X 1.5 0.5 1.0 2 to 4 3.0 2.5 3.5 3.0 4 to 6 5.0 5.5 4.5 5.0 6 to 8 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 8 to 10 9.0 9.5 8.5 9.0 10 to 12 11.0 10.5 11.5 11.0 X 12 to 14 13.0 13.5 X 12.5 X 13.0 X 14 to 16 15.0 14.5 X 15.5 X 15.0 X 16 to 18 17.0 17.5 X 16.5 X 17.0 X 18 to 20 19.0 X 18.5 X 19.5 X 19.0 X

(16) As is obvious from Table 2, it could be seen that Example 4 is excellent in the balances between bitterness and sweetness over a wide temperature range, and on the other hand, Comparative Examples 1 to 3 have narrower temperature ranges which are excellent in the balances between bitterness and sweetness.

(17) As described above, since the fermented malt beverage of the present invention is provided with bitterness and sweetness, and excellent also in the balances thereof, and further keeps the balances over a wider temperature range. Therefore, even if the temperature of the beverage to be served cold upon drinking is raised and become lukewarm, the taste can be maintained, so that it is suggested that the time period of feeling the richness in taste is extended.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(18) 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.