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Queenie Gene Gadong January 19, 2010

Comm 2-1

Concept Paper

Alcohol Fermentation

ALCOHOLin chemistry is a term usually applied to a group of

organic compounds with hydroxyl functional group (-OH) bound to a carbon

atom. In Food Technology the term applies to fermented and distilled

alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages have been consumed by humans

for years and years, as ethanol, C2H5OH.

Alcohol is produced through fermentation, a process that involves

the use of microorganism to convert food substrates into other

acceptable compound. Fermentation is the by-product of a

microorganisms effort to harness a food substrate. To be able to

digest the food substrate the microorganisms produce catalytic-enzymes

that convert the food. When this food conversion takes place gas

formation can be noted, also increase in the substrates acidity can be

felt.

Many of the food we eat are produced through fermentation.

Fermentation improves the foods taste, texture, aroma, quality and

shelf-life. Dairy products like cheese, mayonnaise, yogurts, bread and

alcoholic beverages are produced through fermentation.

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There are different types of fermentation based on the food

substrate and the product form after the process. As for alcoholic

fermentation we convert sugars, to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Every different alcoholic beverage has its own unique substrate. In

wine making we use as substrate the sugar found in the grape fruit,

table wines contain between 10 and 14 percent alcohol.

The main grapevine cultivated for wine production is the European wine

grape, Vitis vinifera.1 Beers, made from cereal grains, has an average

alcohol content of 2 to 6 percent; rums are from molasses while whiskeys

are from grain mash.

The microoraganisms used in alcoholic fermentation are those which

are already inherent to the substrate, as in this case, yeast. Alcoholic

fermentation begins when the glucose is ingested by the microorganism

and is broken down to pyruvic acid by the use of the yeasts enzyme.

Pyruvic acid is This pyruvic acid is then converted to CO2, ethanol, and

energy for the cell.

Humans have long taken advantage of this process in making bread,

beer, and wine. In these three product the same microorganism is used:

the common yeast or Saccharomyces Cerevisae.

1Linda F. Bisson

Christian E. Butzke

Microsoft Encarta 2008. 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Alcohols are normal by-products of digestion and chemical processes

within cells and are found in the tissues and fluids of animals and

plants.

Sources:

y Microsoft Encarta 2008. 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation. Allrights reserved.

y http://www.tempeh.info/fermentation/alcohol-fermentation.phpy Linda F. Bisson

Christian E. Butzke

y Microsoft Encarta 2008. 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation. Allrights reserved.

y