The use of selected starter Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains to produce traditional and industrial cacha‡a: a comparative study

Six Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from cacha double dagger a fermentation were characterized for biomass, ethanol, glycerol, and acetic acid yields, as well as productivity. Three strains presenting the best fermentation parameters were selected for cacha double dagger a production. The experiments were carried out in an industrial distillery that distills this beverage in a stainless steel column, and in a traditional distillery that uses copper alembic for distillation. The permanence of the selected strains was studied by restriction fragment analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Strains UFMG-A1007 and UFMG-A2097 were prevalent in the vats during the 5 days of the fermentation period. Non-Saccharomyces strains were isolated during the entire fermentation period. In general, the cacha double dagger as produced in the stainless steel column had the highest concentrations of volatile acidity, acetaldehyde, esters, and higher alcohols. Both cacha double dagger as did not differ statistically in aroma, taste, and overall impression. The use of these indigenous S. cerevisiae strains as starter ferment could improve the sensory attributes of both industrial and traditional cacha double dagger as.