OPTIMIZATION OF THE FERMENTATION PROCESS FOR BANANA (Musa spp.) – ROSELLE (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA L.) WINE AT LABORATORY SCALE

Abstract

This study was carried out to explore suitable fermentation conditions for producing wine from a mixture of bananas (Musa spp.)  and Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) flowers at the laboratory scale. The response surface methodology (RSM) using a Box–Behnken design was applied to examine the influence of initial total soluble solids (TSS) concentration (18–22 °Brix), yeast inoculation ratio (1–3% v/v), and fermentation time (120–168 hours) on the residual reducing sugar content and alcohol concentration in the final product. The most appropriate set of conditions was identified as 20 °Brix initial TSS, a yeast inoculation ratio of 2.48% (v/v), and a fermentation time of 152.1 hours, yielding a wine containing 9.86% (v/v) ethanol and 13.09 g/L reducing sugar. The yeast inoculation ratio and fermentation time showed clear effects on sugar utilization and alcohol production. The product underwent sensory assessment and routine quality analysis, both indicating satisfactory results. These outcomes suggest that combining bananas with Hibiscus sabdariffa L. may be a promising approach for developing a new tropical fruit wine with potential commercial and nutritional value. Future work could extend to larger-scale experiments, long-term stability evaluation, and tracking changes in bioactive compounds during fermentation.