The selection of yeast strains for the production of premium quality South African brandy base products

One hundred seven yeast strains were screened for their ability to produce a brandy base wine of exceptional sensory quality. Volatile acids, esters and higher alcohols were quantified and the results were interpreted using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and an average linkage cluster analysis. Significant differences between yeast strains for higher alcohol, fatty acid ester and acetate concentrations were observed, On the basis of their chemical profiles, 16 strains were selected and re-evaluated in larger-scale fermentations and subsequent double distillations. Results show that the yeast lees can have an important effect on the final concentration of higher alcohols and esters in the distillate. Highly elevated levels of ethyl acetate and iso-amyl acetate were found to be undesirable. Elevated levels of all the esters present contributed positively to the overall potential quality of the brandy base product. Too low higher alcohol concentrations were also not desirable. Sensory evaluations showed that, since the panel was composed of representatives of the three largest brandy-producing companies, each company preferred a different yeast strain most suitable for their style of brandy, For these reasons, three strains, B7, LL2 and 20-2, warranted further evaluation on a semi-commercial scale for each of the respective companies.