YEAST STRAIN AND KINETIC ASPECTS OF THE FORMATION OF FLAVOUR COMPONENTS IN CIDER

An apple juice was fermented at 8°C using twelve strains of Saccharomyces uvarum. Glucose, fructose, malic and L-lactic acids, isobutanol, 2,3 butanediol, isoamyl alcohol, ethyl acetate and titratable acidity were determined and monitored in the course of fermentation. It was observed that yeast strains differed from one another mainly in fermentation rates. When components were determined in ciders of the same remaining fructose concentration, rather than after the same fermentation time, the only significant effect of the yeast strain was on the amounts of glucose and ethanol in sweeter cider (fructose 34 g/litre), or on the amounts of glucose, acetic acid, isobutanol and amyl alcohols in dryer ciders (fructose 17 g/litre). A sensory analysis showed that standard deviations of concentrations of remaining or formed components in ciders fermented by different yeast strains, was sufficient to be detected by the taste panel. Added glucose in this range of concentration (1.5 g/litre) in cider reduced the perception of sourness while the addition of acetic acid (0.3 g/litre) reduced the perception of the scented flavour. Added Isobutnol (6 mg/litre) reduced the perception of sweetness. No significant effect of added isoamyl alcohol (30 mg/litre) could be detected. Chemical determinations were correlated by means of regression equations derived from earlier work with some organoleptic characteristics. No anticipated effect of the yeast strain could be detected on any studied flavour characteristic. It is concluded that in ciders of the same attenuation, the effect if it does exist, of the S.uvarum strain isolated from ciders, must be low.