SELECTION OF YEAST AND OPTIMIZATION OF WINE PRODUCTION FROM NAM ROI POMELO (Citrus grandis L.)

Abstract

Nam Roi pomelo (Citrus grandis L.) is a common fruit grown in the Mekong Delta that is traditionally famous for its delicious taste and a variety of healthy nutrients. The objective of this study was to select a suitable commercial yeast strain for the application in Nam Roi grapefruit wine fermentation. This study optimized the fermentation conditions according to the response surface method including yeast concentrations, dry matter contents and pH levels. As a result, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BV818 was selected to have the best fermentation ability among 7 commercial yeast strains. Grapefruit wine was fermented from S. cerevisiae BV818 yeast with initial blending of 30°Brix, pH 5.0 and 0.04% yeast inoculation at ambient temperature (28-32°C) in 9 days in which ethanol content reached 13.24% (v/v). The product had an aroma and evenly bright yellow color that was typical for grapefruit wine products.