Effect of ultra-high temperature transient sterilization on quality of rice wine

Objective: To study the effect of ultra-high temperature (UHT) on the quality of rice wine. Methods: Korean rice wine underwent weekly measurements of its physicochemical, sensory, and microbiological parameters during the storage period after being subjected to UHT. This allowed for the analysis of changes in the quality and functional components of the sterilized Korean rice wine after 20 weeks of storage, as well as the determination of the best sterilization conditions for this method. Results: Sterilization time of 5 s at 125 ℃ is the optimum parameter for UHT. After 20 weeks of storage, the total amino acid content was 0.70 mg/100 mL and the organic acid content was 321.68 mg/100 mL. Conclusion: Although the UHT has a certain negative effect on the amino acid content, it can guarantee the flavor of rice wine while efficiently sterilizing, which provides a strong basis for the processing and storage of Korean rice wine.