With the increasing demand from the consumer market for better quality products, constant improvement has been sought in cachaça production since all stages of the fermented-distilled beverage production chain are important. The objective of this study was to follow the fermentation process for cachaça production using different Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates from the quantification of secondary metabolites by Gaseous Chromatography. The process was followed from the inoculate preparation to the end of the fermentation process. The study was carried out at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). Eight Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates were used inoculated in sugar cane syrup, from which the samples were removed during the growth phase of the fed-batch and fermentation system. The samples were analyzed for flocculation rate, °Brix, and superior alcohols. The evaluated parameters presented differences for each isolate. The best isolate for the cachaça production was the isolate UFLA CA116 since it presented a high number of live cells, greater flocculation rate, no 1-propanol, and 1.3 butanediol.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae; gaseous chromatography; flocculation
