Production of an innovative mixedQu(fermentation starter) for waxy maize brewing and comparison of the quality of different waxy maize wines

BACKGROUND Waxy maize (Zea mays L. sinensisKulesh) is a good material for brewing. Waxy maize wine, a kind of Chinese rice wine, is strongly affected by a fermentation starter namedQu. In this study, an innovative mixedQu,consisting of two yeasts and three molds, was produced and the raw-starch brewing method was applied in winemaking. Three other waxy maize wines fermented by three kinds of commercialQuwere also analyzed for comparison. RESULTS Due to superb growth and fermentation characteristics,Saccharomyces cerevisiaeCICC1009 andPichia anomalaCICC1851 were chosen to produce yeastQu. The addition amount of yeastQuwas determined to be 30 g kg(-1). In terms of chemical properties, mixedQuwas more suitable for making maize wine by the raw-starch brewing method than the three kinds of commercialQuwith which it was compared. The most influential components for the overall aroma profile in maize wines fermented by mixedQuand MifengQuwere ethyl butyrate and beta-damascenone, respectively, while in maize wines fermented by AngelQuand LikeQuthe most influential component was ethyl octanoate. Obvious differences were found among four maize wines regarding bitterness,umami,richness, saltiness, and sourness by the electronic tongue. The olfactory characteristics of maize wine fermented by MifengQuwere quite different from the other three according to the electronic nose. CONCLUSION The innovative mixedQucan be considered as an excellent starter for raw-starch brewing of waxy maize. The chemical indices and volatile flavor compounds of waxy maize wines were greatly affected by different kinds ofQu. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Automated summary

The innovative mixedQu developed in this study can be considered as an excellent fermentation starter for brewing waxy maize wine. It is more suitable for making maize wine by the raw-starch brewing method compared to three kinds of commercialQu. Significant differences were observed among maize wines fermented by different types ofQu in terms of bitterness, umami, richness, saltiness, and sourness, as analyzed by electronic tongue and electronic nose.