Higher alcohols concentration and its relation with the biological aging evolution

The production of 1-propanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol by two flor yeast strains during accelerated biological aging of sherry wines with different aging time has been evaluated. The S. cerevisiae G1 strain has shown a higher production of higher alcohols than the S. bayanus F12 strain highlighting the 1-propanol production in the youngest wine. Differences between the two studied yeasts decreased in relation with the aging time of the initial wine used. The multiple regression analysis carried out to relate the higher alcohols concentration and the values obtained from an aging equation showed R-squared values ranging from 81.1 to 96.5%. The higher alcohols that best described such relation were 1-propanol, isobutanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol.