GB/T 19508-2007Product of geographical indication - Xifeng liquor (English PDF)

0 Foreword

The standard was drawn up on the basis of the Provisions for the protection of geographical indication products issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, of GB 17924-1999 General requirements for products of origin, and of GB/T 14867-2007 Feng-flavour Chinese spirits.

The standard replaces and repeals GB 19508-2004 Product of designated origin - Xifeng liquor. Compared with GB 19508-2004 the main changes are: the relevant names were changed in line with the Provisions for the protection of geographical indication products; the standard was changed from mandatory to recommended; and part of the wording was revised for clearer expression.

Annex A of the standard is a normative annex.

The standard was proposed by and is under the administration of the National Working Group on Standardization of Products of Designated Origin. The drafting organization is Shaanxi Xifeng Liquor Co., Ltd.

The previous edition of the standard replaced is GB 19508-2004.

1 Scope

The standard lays down the protected area of the geographical indication product, the terms and definitions, the requirements, the test methods, the inspection rules and the marking, labelling, packaging, transport and storage of Xifeng liquor.

It applies to Xifeng liquor protected by approval of the competent administrative department for quality supervision, inspection and quarantine under the Provisions for the protection of geographical indication products.

2 Normative references

For dated references, later amendments other than corrections, and revised editions, do not apply to the standard; parties reaching agreement on the basis of the standard are however encouraged to consider whether the latest editions may be used. For undated references the latest edition applies.

The documents cited are GB 1351 Wheat; GB 2757 Hygienic standard for distilled spirits and blended spirits; GB/T 5009.48 Method for the analysis of hygienic standard of distilled spirits and blended spirits; GB 5749 Standard for drinking water quality; GB/T 8231 Sorghum; GB 10344 General standard for the labelling of prepackaged alcoholic beverages; GB/T 10345 Methods of analysis for Chinese spirits; GB/T 10346 Inspection rules and marking, packaging, transport and storage of Chinese spirits; GB/T 10460 Peas; and GB/T 15109 Terminology of the Chinese spirits industry.

3 Protected area of the geographical indication product

The protected production area of Xifeng liquor is limited to the area approved by the competent administrative department for quality supervision, inspection and quarantine under the Provisions for the protection of geographical indication products, as shown in Annex A.

4 Terms and definitions

The terms and definitions established in GB/T 15109 apply, together with the eleven that follow.

4.1 Xifeng liquor - liquor made from quality barley, wheat, peas, sorghum and water as raw materials, produced inside the protected area of the geographical indication product by the traditional and innovative Xifeng liquor process.

4.2 Xifeng liquor brick shaped raw starer - the saccharifying and fermenting agent made from quality barley, wheat and peas by the traditional Xifeng liquor process, divided into green-stubble qu, locust-pulp qu and red-heart qu. The English term is printed as starer in the original.

4.3 big conservator for liquor storage - the vessel used for storing Xifeng liquor, woven from rattan, sized with an adhesive made from egg white and similar substances and lined with white cotton cloth and the like.

4.4 storage time of liquor - the time for which Xifeng liquor is stored and matured in the big conservator, counted in years.

4.5 fermentation cycle - the time from opening the pit and taking out the fermented grain, blending, loading the retort and distilling, discharging from the retort and adding water, cooling and adding qu, and putting into the pit to ferment, up to the next opening of the pit.

4.6 first fermented stage - the process in which, at the start of each new production year, the raw material is blended, heaped, steamed and gelatinized, cooled and mixed with qu to make three retorts of big cha and put into the pit to ferment.

4.7 second fermented stage - the process in which the fermented grain of the first fermented stage, after one fermentation cycle, is mixed with new grain and distilled together, then cooled and mixed with qu to make four retorts of big cha and put into the pit to ferment.

4.8 third fermented stage - the process in which the fermented grain of the second fermented stage, after one fermentation cycle, has three retorts of big cha taken first, mixed with new grain and distilled together, then cooled and mixed with qu to make four retorts of big cha, while the remaining one retort of big cha fermented grain is distilled, cooled and mixed with qu to make return cha, and the material is put into the pit in layers to ferment.

4.9 normal fermented stage - the process in which the fermented grain of the third fermented stage, after one fermentation cycle, has three retorts of big cha taken first, mixed with new grain and distilled together, then cooled and mixed with qu to make four retorts of big cha, while the remaining one retort of big cha fermented grain is distilled, cooled and mixed with qu to make return cha, and the material is put into the pit in layers to ferment, the return cha of the third fermented stage becoming spent grain after being distilled directly for liquor. Cyclic production begins from this point.

4.10 quitting fermented stage - the last round of the process before the production year is completed, in which no new grain is put into any of the big cha fermented grain, cleaned and steamed rice husk is added and the material distilled, then cooled and mixed with qu to make return cha and put into the pit to ferment, the return cha of the normal fermented stage becoming spent grain after being distilled directly for liquor.

4.11 ending of fermented stage - the stage in which the return cha of the quitting fermented stage, after one fermentation cycle, is distilled directly for liquor and becomes spent grain.

5 Requirements

5.1.1 Water is taken from groundwater inside the protected production area and conforms to GB 5749.

5.1.2 Sorghum comes mainly from Fengxiang county and the neighbouring counties, partly from specified sorghum production bases. The grains are to be plump and strongly glutinous, and conform to GB/T 8231.

5.1.3 Wheat comes mainly from Fengxiang county and the neighbouring counties and conforms to GB 1351.

5.1.4 Barley. Sensory requirement: plump grains, golden colour, the odour proper to barley, free from diseased grains, from mustiness and from other off-odours. Physico-chemical requirements: pure grain rate not less than 95.0 %; impurities not more than 1.5 %; moisture not more than 13.5 %; starch content not less than 55.0 %.

5.1.5 Peas conform to GB/T 10460.

5.1.6 Qu: Xifeng liquor daqu is used, stored for three months or more.

5.2 Brewing environment. The area lies on the skirt of the alluvial fan in front of the northern hills of Fengxiang county, Shaanxi province, at an altitude of about 830 m, with a loess cover more than one hundred metres thick. The soil is of the loessial type described in the original by a character the extractor did not resolve, and suits the making of fermentation pits and the growing of crops. The climate is warm temperate semi-arid, with a mean annual temperature of 11.5 °C and a mean annual precipitation of 600 mm. Sunshine is ample through the four seasons and the day-to-night temperature difference is large, which has given the area a particular microbial population and provided the natural setting in which Xifeng liquor is brewed.

5.3 Production process. Xifeng liquor is the outcome of the traditional process combined with modern technology. The continuous cha method and earthen pit fermentation are used, the pit sealing mud is renewed once a year, the fermentation cycle is 14 d to 30 d, and after distillation the liquor is stored in the big conservator for three years or more. Each production year passes through six stages: first, second, third, normal, quitting and ending fermented stages. The liquors made at the different stages, together with the flavouring liquor made by a special process, are analysed, blended, tasted, matured, packed and released.

5.4 Sensory requirements, Table 1, given for two alcoholic strength groups, 40.0 % vol or above and below 40.0 % vol, both at 20 °C. Colour, for both groups: colourless, clear and transparent, free from suspended matter and from sediment. Aroma, for both groups: refined and elegant mellow aroma, a composite aroma dominated by ethyl acetate and ethyl caproate. Taste: for 40.0 % vol or above, mellow and full, sweet and smoothly bracing, with all the flavours in harmony and a clean lingering finish; for below 40.0 % vol, mellow, mild and sweet, harmonious and clean. Style, for both groups: the distinctive style proper to the product.

5.5 Physico-chemical indexes, Table 2, given for the same two alcoholic strength groups, 40.0 % vol or above first and below 40.0 % vol second. Total acid, as acetic acid, in g/L: not less than 0.35 and not less than 0.20. Total esters, as ethyl acetate, in g/L: not less than 1.80 and not less than 1.20. Ethyl acetate, in g/L: not less than 0.60 and not less than 0.40. Ethyl caproate, in g/L: not less than 0.30 and not less than 0.20. Solids, in g/L: not more than 1.20 and not more than 1.10. A note states that the permitted tolerance on the alcoholic strength is +/- 1.0 % vol at 20 °C.

5.6 Hygienic indexes are as laid down in GB 2757.

6 Test methods

Testing is carried out as laid down in GB/T 10345 and GB/T 5009.48.

7 Inspection rules

Inspection is carried out as laid down in GB/T 10346.

8 Marking, labelling, packaging, transport and storage

Marking and labelling follow GB 10344, and the special mark for the protection of geographical indication products may be shown at the same time.

Packaging, transport and storage follow GB/T 10346.

A Annex A (normative) Map of the protected area of the Xifeng liquor geographical indication product

The protected area of the Xifeng liquor geographical indication product is shown in Figure A.1.

A note gives the protected area as longitude 107 degrees 16 minutes 36 seconds east to 107 degrees 19 minutes 58 seconds east, and latitude 34 degrees 32 minutes 14 seconds north to 34 degrees 33 minutes 43 seconds north. The character used for east longitude in the note is printed in the original as dong jing written with the character for diameter rather than the character for longitude.