The Influence of Pichia kluyveri Addition on the Aroma Profile of a Kombucha Tea Fermentation.

Traditional kombucha is a functional tea-based drink that has gained attention as a low or non-alcoholic beverage. The fermentation is conducted by a community of different microorganisms, collectively called SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and typically consists of different acetic acid bacteria and fermenting yeast, and in some cases lactic acid bacteria that would convert the sugars into organic acids-mostly acetic acid. In this study, the effect of including a Pichia kluyveri starter culture in a kombucha fermentation was investigated. P. kluyveri additions led to a quicker accumulation of acetic acid along with the production of several acetate esters including isoamyl acetate and 2-phenethyl acetate. A subsequent tasting also noted a significant increase in the fruitiness of the kombucha. The significant contribution to the aroma content shows the promise of this yeast in future microbial formulations for kombucha fermentations.

Synthesis of Aroma Compounds as a Function of Different Nitrogen Sources in Fermentations Using Non-Saccharomyces Wine Yeasts.

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts are prevalent at the onset of grape must fermentations and can have a significant influence on the final wine product. In contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the biosynthetic pathways leading to aroma compound formation in these non-conventional yeasts, in particular those that are derived from amino acid metabolism, remains largely unexplored. Within a synthetic must environment, we investigated the amino acid utilization of four species (Hanseniaspora uvarum, Hanseniaspora osmophila, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Starmerella bacillaris) and S. cerevisiae. We report on the differential uptake preferences for amino acids with H. uvarum displaying the most rapid uptake of most amino acids. To investigate the fate of amino acids and their direct contribution to aroma synthesis in H. uvarum, H. osmophila and Z. rouxii, musts were supplemented with single amino acids. Aroma profiling undertaken after three days showed the synthesis of specific aroma compounds by the respective yeast was dependent on the specific amino acid supplementation. H. osmophila showed similarities to S. cerevisiae in both amino acid uptake and the synthesis of aroma compounds depending on the nitrogen sources. This study shows how the uptake of specific amino acids contributes to the synthesis of aroma compounds in wine fermentations using different non-Saccharomyces yeasts.

Co-Fermentations of Kveik with Non-Conventional Yeasts for Targeted Aroma Modulation.

Kveik are consortia of yeast used for farmhouse ale production in Western Norway. Yeast strains derived from these mixtures are known, for example, for their high fermentation rate, thermotolerance, lack of phenolic off flavor production (POF-) and strong flocculation phenotype. In this study, we used five single cell yeast isolates from different Kveik yeasts, analyzed their fermentation and flavor production, and compared it with a typical yeast used in distilleries using 20 °C and 28 °C as the fermentation temperatures. One of the isolates, Kveik No 3, showed an impairment of maltotriose utilization and thus a reduced ethanol yield. Kveik fermentations for spirit production often harbor bacteria for flavor enrichment. We sought to improve Kveik fermentations with non-conventional yeasts (NCY). To this end we co-fermented Kveik isolates with Hanseniaspora uvarum, Meyerozyma guilliermondii and Pichia kudriavzevii using 5:1 ratios (Kveik vs. NCY) at 20 °C. The combinations of Kveik No 1 with P. kudriavzevii and Kveik No 1 with Hanseniaspora uvarum showed substantially increased amounts of specific volatile aroma compounds that were previously identified in the NCYs. Our results indicate that Kveik isolates appear to be suitable for co-fermentations with certain NCY to enhance beer or spirit fermentations, increasing the potential of these yeasts for beverage productions.

The film-forming Pichia spp. in a winemaker's toolbox: A simple isolation procedure and their performance in a mixed-culture fermentation of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Gewürztraminer must.

Certain yeast species belonging to the Pichia genus are known to form a distinctive film on grape must and wine. In a mixed-culture type fermentation, Pichia spp. (P. kluyveri in particular) are known to impart beneficial oenological attributes. In this study, we report on an easy isolation method of Pichia spp. from grape must by exploiting their film-forming capacity on media containing 10% ethanol. We isolated and identified two Pichia species, namely Pichia kudriavzevii and Pichia kluyveri, and subsequently co-inoculated them with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment Gewürztraminer musts. Noteworthy differences included a significant increase in the 2-phenethyl acetate levels with the P. kluyveri co-fermentation and a general increase in ethyl esters with the P. kudriavzevii co-fermentation. Both Pichia co-inoculations yielded higher levels of glycerol in the final wines. Based on all the wine parameters we tested, the P. kluyveri strain that was isolated performed similarly to a commercial P. kluyveri strain.

The Impact of Chitosan on the Chemical Composition of Wines Fermented with Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This study investigates the influence of the antimicrobial agent chitosan on a selected Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain during the alcoholic fermentation of ultra-pasteurized grape juice with a high concentration of malic acid. It also studies a selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain as a control. The study examines several parameters relating to wine quality, including volatile and non-volatile compounds. The principal aim of the study is to test the influence of chitosan on the final chemical composition of the wine during alcoholic fermentation, and to compare the two studied fermentative yeasts between them. The results show that chitosan influences the final concentration of acetic acid, ethanol, glycerol, acetaldehyde, pyruvic acid, α-ketoglutarate, higher alcohols, acetate esters, ethyl esters, and fatty acids, depending on the yeast species.