Effects of sediment and temperature on the long-term aging process of rice wine: Microbial and metabolic insights

Rice wine is low in alcohol content (6 %), rich in nutrients, and contains live microorganisms; therefore, it is generally produced without an aging process during manufacturing. In this study, we investigated the microbial and metabolic changes that occur during the long-term aging of undiluted rice wine with different amount of sediment and aging temperatures. Rice wine samples with higher amounts of sediment had higher yeast counts and alcohol content, indicating a crucial role of sediment in providing nutrients for yeast survival during aging. Furthermore, the rice wine samples that were aged at 12 degrees C exhibited a notable increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus after 100 days of aging. Metabolic profiling revealed that the production of metabolites during rice wine aging was greatly influenced by the amount of sediment and aging temperature, with most metabolites showing a strong correlation with these factors. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of sediment and temperature on the microbial and metabolic changes that occur during the long-term aging of rice wine.

Automated summary

This study investigated the microbial and metabolic changes during the long-term aging of rice wine with different amounts of sediment and aging temperatures. It was found that rice wine samples with higher amounts of sediment had higher yeast counts and alcohol content, while rice wine aged at 12 degrees C exhibited an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Metabolic profiling showed that the production of metabolites during rice wine aging was greatly influenced by sediment and temperature.