Effect of pH,aeration and feeding non‐sterilized agave juice in a continuous agave juice fermentation

BACKGROUND: Continuous cultures have been used since the 1950s in beer and wine fermentations due to their higher productivities compared to traditional batch systems; nevertheless, the tequila industry has not taken advantage of the possible improvements that continuous fermentations could offer. In this work, the effect of pH, aeration and feeding of non‐sterilized medium, on the fermentative capability of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (S1 and S2) cultured in continuous fermentation, using agave juice as the fermentation medium, were studied. RESULTS: In continuous cultures, the control of the medium pH (set point at 4) did not have a significant effect on fermentation efficiency compared to fermentations in which the pH was not controlled (pH 2.5 ± 0.3). Conversely, aeration of the cultures of both strains improved biomass production and consumption of reducing sugars and ammonium. The aeration also significantly augmented ethanol production only for S1 cultures (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the feeding of medium, either sterilized or not, did not show significant differences on the production of ethanol for S1 cultures. Higher concentrations of acetoin, succinic acid and diacetyl were found in the cultures fed with non‐sterilized medium. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to S2, S1 has a better fermentative performance in continuous non‐sterilized medium fermentations. Not controlling the pH during the cultures could prevent the possibility of microbial contamination as a result of the extreme medium acidity (pH 2.5 ± 0.3). This work showed the possibility of scaling up agave juice continuous fermentation feeding non‐sterilized medium with no control of pH. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Construction of Cellulose Binding Domain Fusion FMN-Dependent NADH-Azoreductase and Glucose 1-Dehydrogenase for the Development of Flow Injection Analysis with Fusion Enzymes Immobilized on Cellulose

The cellulose binding domain (CBD) of cellulosome-integrating protein A from Clostridium thermocellum NBRC 103400 was genetically fused to FMN-dependent NADH-azoreductase (AZR) and glucose 1-dehydrogenase (GDH) from Bacillus subtilis. The fusion enzymes, AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH, were expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami B (DE3). The enzymes were purified from cell-free extracts, and the specific activity of AZR-CBD was 15.1 U/mg and that of CBD-GDH was 22.6 U/mg. AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH bound strongly to 0.5 % swollen cellulose at approximately 95 and 98 % of the initial protein amounts, respectively. After immobilization onto the swollen cellulose, AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH retained their catalytic activity. Both enzymes bound weakly to 0.5 % microcrystalline cellulose, but the addition of a high concentration of microcrystalline cellulose (10 %) improved the binding rate of both enzymes. A reactor for flow injection analysis was filled with microcrystalline cellulose-immobilized AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH. This flow injection analysis system was successfully applied for the determination of glucose, and a linear calibration curve was observed in the range of approximately 0.16–2.5 mM glucose, with a correlation coefficient, r, of 0.998.     

Ethanol production from carob pod extract by immobilized saccharomyces cerevisiae cells on the mineral kissiris

The production of ethanol from carob pod extract by immobilized S. cerevisiae cells on the mineral kissiris was investigated. The optimum conditions for carob pod extract fermentations were pH 3.5 ‐ 6.5, temperature 30°C and initial sugar concentration of 250g/l. A maximum ethanol concentration (64.5g/l), ethanol yield (28.3%) and sugar utilization (94%) was achieved at an initial sugar concentration of 250, 200 and 250g/l, respectively. In repeated batch fermentations, the immobilized S. cerevisiae cells on kissiris retained their ability to produce ethanol for 30 days.     

Effects of magnesium ions on both VHG batch and continuous fruit wine fermentations

In Poland, fruit wines or aromatized fruit wines are semi‐sweet or sweet and contain approximately 15–16% (v/v) ethanol. Their production can be classified as a very high‐gravity (VHG) fermentation. Magnesium has a beneficial effect on VHG fermentations as it protects the yeast cells against ethanol, osmotic and temperature stress. The effect of the magnesium concentration in an apple must, containing 32% sugars, on the fermentative parameters of batch and continuous fermentations was assessed. In the batch process, a magnesium concentration of ~8.5 mg/L resulted in decreased the ethanol production in comparison to a magnesium concentration of ~250, 490 and 970 mg Mg²⁺/L. The highest amount of Mg also caused a metallic taste. A continuous fermentation was carried out for 2.5 months in a four‐column packed‐bed fermentor. The medium contained ~50, 250 and 490 mg Mg²⁺/L and the yeast was immobilized on foam glass. During the continuous fermentation, no differences at p ≤ 0.05 in terms of fermentative parameters were seen with magnesium additions. The same beginning amount of magnesium ions in the medium led to a similar use of this element, both in batch and in continuous fermentation. The more Mg²⁺ that was present in the medium, the more Mg²⁺ was used by the yeast. The results suggest that the minimal dose of magnesium, under the described conditions, is 50 mg/L, corresponding to the amount of Mg in the medium prepared using concentrated apple juice and tap water. This finding has industrial significance, as Polish wine companies prepare their fruit musts using tap water. Copyright © 2014 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The Usefulness of Intermediate Products of Plum Processing for Alcoholic Fermentation and Chemical Composition of the Obtained Distillates

In this study, an evaluation of intermediate products of plum processing as potential raw materials for distillates production was performed. Effects of composition of mashes on ethanol yield, chemical composition and taste, and flavor of the obtained spirits were determined. The obtained results showed that spontaneous fermentations of the tested products of plum processing with native microflora of raisins resulted in lower ethanol yields, compared to the ones fermented with wine yeast Saccharomyces bayanus. The supplementation of mashes with 120 g/L of sucrose caused an increase in ethanol contents from 6.2 ± 0.2 ÷ 6.5 ± 0.2% v/v in reference mashes (without sucrose addition, fermented with S. bayanus) to ca. 10.3 ± 0.3% v/v, where its highest yields amounted to 94.7 ± 2.9 ÷ 95.6 ± 2.9% of theoretical capacity, without negative changes in raw material originality of distillates. The concentrations of volatile compounds in the obtained distillates exceeding 2000 mg/L alcohol 100% v/v and low content of methanol and hydrocyanic acid, as well as their good taste and aroma make the examined products of plum processing be very attractive raw materials for the plum distillates production.     

Maltose Transport by Brewer's Yeasts in Brewer's Wort

The kinetics of maltose transport by two industrial yeasts were studied. The ale and lager strain each showed both high and low affinity transport. For the lager strain, maltose transport was only weakly inhibited by maltotriose, sucrose and trehalose, suggesting that its dominant maltose transporter is the maltose‐specific type coded by MALx1 genes. For the ale strain, maltose transport was strongly inhibited by maltotriose, sucrose and trehalose, suggesting that its dominant maltose transporter may be the AGT1‐encoded type that also carries these sugars. Also glucose inhibited transport by the ale strain more than that by the lager strain. Instantaneous inhibition by ethanol at concentrations met in brewery fermentations was moderate (about 25% at 50 g ethanol · L^?1). The apparent Vmax for high affinity transport increased about 100‐fold between 0 and 30°C, whereas the Km (3 ± 1 mM) was constant. Standard activities of maltose transport and maltase were followed through pilot fermentations of 11–24°P worts. Rapid (20 s) measurements of the zero‐trans‐rate of maltose uptake were also made with each day's yeast (rapidly harvested and washed) in reaction mixtures containing the same day's wort labelled with tracer ¹⁴C‐maltose. Results suggested that maltose uptake is the dominant factor controlling the rate of maltose utilization in these wort fermentations.     

Fermentation kinetics and chemical characterisation of vino tostado,a traditional sweet wine from Galicia (NW Spain)

BACKGROUND: Grapes after harvesting are air dried and pressed in order to concentrate sugars, acids and flavour compounds to produce vino tostado (toasted wine), a wine with intense aroma and flavour notes and high residual sugar concentration. In order to get a better knowledge of the difficulties involved, several fermentations were conducted at 12 and 28 °C using 0, 15 and 30 g hL^?1 ammonium sulfate and 0, 25 and 50 g hL^?1 exogenous commercial yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. bayanus) to study the kinetics of sugar consumption and ethanol, acetic acid and glycerol production. RESULTS: Fermentation kinetic parameters were calculated and metal concentrations and antioxidant activity were analysed. CONCLUSION: The spontaneous fermentation at 12 °C and all fermentations conducted with the commercial yeast gave vino tostado of adequate quality, while the spontaneous fermentation at 28 °C was sluggish. High‐temperature fermentations led to sweeter wines with higher volumetric productivities, although low‐temperature fermentations produced better wines in terms of higher glycerol and lower acetic acid levels. Fructose was the only sugar to be consumed during spontaneous fermentations, while both glucose and fructose were consumed during fermentations of the inoculated musts, with preference for each monosaccharide depending on temperature. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Scale‐up batch fermentation of bioethanol production from the dry powder of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tubers by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This study is a first exploration of industrial bioethanol production from the dry powder of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tubers by recombinant S. cerevisiae 6525. Scale‐up fermentation of bioethanol production from the dry powder of Jerusalem artichoke tubers by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 6525 was carried out at the scale of 50 and 500 L agitating fermentors. For the 50 L fermentor, 85.67 g/L of ethanol was obtained within 72 h of fermentation, and the ethanol yield was 90.1%. For the 500 L fermentor, the highest ethanol concentration of 77.00 g/L was achieved at 84 h, and the ethanol yield was 81.01%. These results indicated that a relatively high yield of ethanol could also be obtained from a scaled‐up fermentation of Jerusalem artichoke powder. Thus, it may be feasible to use a Jerusalem artichoke tuber feedstock to carry out ethanol fermentations using the recombinant S. cerevisiae 6525 for industrial production. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Optimising chitosan–pectin hydrogel beads containing combined garlic and holy basil essential oils and their application as antimicrobial inhibitor

Chitosan–pectin hydrogel beads that trap and release the maximal amount of combined garlic and holy basil essential oils to inhibit food microorganisms were developed based on the central composite design, with chitosan (0.2–0.7% w/v), pectin (3.5–5.5% w/v) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) (5.0–20.0% w/v) contents. The optimal bead consisted of 0.3–0.6% w/v chitosan, 3.9–5.1% w/v pectin and 8.0–17.0% w/v CaCl₂, which had a high encapsulation efficiency (62.16–79.06%) and high cumulative release efficiency (31.55–37.81%) after storage at 5 °C for 15 days. Optimal hydrogel beads were packed into a cellulose bag to evaluate antimicrobial activity by the disc volatilisation method. The beads inhibited Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus but did not affect Lactobacillus plantarum and Salmonella Typhimurium. The oil-containing beads could potentially be applied in food packaging to inhibit the mentioned microorganisms.     

Analysis and direct quantification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora guilliermondii populations during alcoholic fermentation by fluorescence in situ hybridization, flow cytometry and quantitative PCR

Traditionally, it was assumed that non-Saccharomyces (NS) yeasts could only survive in the early stages of alcoholic fermentations. However, recent studies applying culture-independent methods have shown that NS populations persist throughout the fermentation process. The aim of the present work was to analyze and quantify Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) and Hanseniaspora guilliermondii (Hg) populations during alcoholic fermentations by plating and culture-independent methods, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative PCR (QPCR). Species-specific FISH probes labeled with fluorescein (FITC) were used to directly hybridize Sc and Hg cells from single and mixed cultures that were enumerated by epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Static and agitated fermentations were performed in synthetic grape juice and cell density as well as sugar consumption and ethanol production were determined throughout fermentations. Cell density values obtained by FISH and QPCR revealed the presence of high populations (10⁷–10⁸ cells/ml) of Sc and Hg throughout fermentations. Plate counts of both species did not show significant differences with culture-independent results in pure cultures. However, during mixed fermentations Hg lost its culturability after 4–6 days, while Sc remained culturable (about 10⁸ cells/ml) throughout the entire fermentation (up to 10 days). The rRNA content of cells during mixed fermentations was also analyzed by flow cytometry in combination with FISH probes. The fluorescence intensity conferred by the species-specific FISH probes was considerably lower for Hg than for Sc. Moreover, the rRNA content of Hg cells, conversely to Sc cells, remained almost unchanged after boiling, which showed that rRNA stability is species-dependent.     

Screening for new brewing yeasts in the non‐Saccharomyces sector with Torulaspora delbrueckii as model

This study describes a screening system for future brewing yeasts focusing on non‐Saccharomyces yeasts. The aim was to find new yeast strains that can ferment beer wort into a respectable beer. Ten Torulaspora delbrueckii strains were put through the screening system, which included sugar utilization tests, hop resistance tests, ethanol resistance tests, polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting, propagation tests, amino acid catabolism and anabolism, phenolic off‐flavour tests and trial fermentations. Trial fermentations were analysed for extract reduction, pH drop, yeast concentration in bulk fluid and fermentation by‐products. All investigated strains were able to partly ferment wort sugars and showed high tolerance to hop compounds and ethanol. One of the investigated yeast strains fermented all the wort sugars and produced a respectable fruity flavour and a beer of average ethanol content with a high volatile flavour compound concentration. Two other strains could possibly be used for pre‐fermentation as a bio‐flavouring agent for beers that have been post‐fermented by Saccharomyces strains as a consequence of their low sugar utilization but good flavour‐forming properties. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lactose uptake rate measurements by C-labelled lactose reveals promotional activity of porous cellulose in whey fermentation by kefir yeast

Lactose uptake rate by kefir yeast, immobilized on tubular cellulose and gluten pellets during fermentation of lactose and whey, was monitored using ¹⁴C-labelled lactose. Results illustrated that, in all cases, lactose uptake rate was strongly correlated with fermentation rate and the fermentation’s kinetic parameters were improved by kefir yeast entrapped in tubular cellulose. As a result, twofold faster fermentations were achieved in comparison with kefir yeast immobilized on gluten. This is probably due to cluster and hydrogen bonds formation between cellulose and inhibitors, such as Ca⁺⁺ and generated lactic acid, by which they leave the liquid medium. The findings, regarding the promotional effect of cellulose, seem promising for application in industrial whey fermentations.     

Development of a “Stress Model” Fermentation System for Fuel Ethanol Yeast Strains

During industrial scale fuel ethanol fermentations, yeast encounters a multitude of stress factors that impose constraints on growth and fermentative metabolism. These stresses include high sugar concentration, elevated temperature, high ethanol concentrations, low external pH and the weak organic acids lactic and acetic. Yeast strains which are tolerant to these stresses and able to synthesize high ethanol concentrations in their presence would be most desirable for use in industrial scale fuel ethanol production. In this study, a “stress model” fermentation system was developed as a tool to screen candidate yeast strains for relative stress resistance. The stress model was designed on the basis that the degree of ethanol produced by a particular strain would be indicative of the stress resistance of that particular strain. Eight strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, each with different backgrounds and fermentative capabilities, were screened for relative stress resistance using the stress model. The results obtained indicate that the sum of the stress factors in the stress model exceeded the tolerance level of most of the strains screened (approximately 40%). Two strains in particular, J006 and A007, displayed superior fermentative performance and produced significantly (P > 0.01) higher final ethanol concentrations when compared to the other strains.     

KINETICS OF BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM WHEAT MILLING BY-PRODUCTS

An overview of the potential application of wheat milling by‐products as substrate for bioethanol production is presented. In order to select a suitable microorganism, model fermentations were conducted using glucose and dry baker's yeast. The overall ethanol yield was nearly stable (ca. 0.35 g/g), independent of mash glucose concentration; mashes with 100 g glucose/L resulted in an overall ethanol productivity of 3.48 g/L·h. Slurries containing low‐grade wheat flour (LG) (100, 200 or 300 g/L) were used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with Zymomonas mobilis. Fermentation performance was evaluated based on ethanol concentration (P), productivity (Q_v), yield (Y_P/S), production rate (Q_p) and glucose consumption rate (Q_s). Mashes containing 200 g LG/L produced about 52 g ethanol/L, with Q_vof 2.17 g/L·h. Based on the relatively high fermentation rate of LG, reaching peak ethanol productivity within ca. 9 h of SSF, considerable savings on fermentation time was achieved. Using Z. mobilis for LG fermentation, P was about 30% higher than that obtained with Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YEAST CELL PROLIFERATION AND INTRACELLULAR ESTERASE ACTIVITY DURING BREWING FERMENTATIONS

Flow cytometry was used for the determination of the intracellular esterase activity of unstressed and stressed Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells using fluorescein diacetate as substrate during brewing fermentations in EBC tubes. The determination of intracellular esterase activity by flow cytometry was compared with in vitro assays for determination of yeast esterase activity. The method was regarded valid with a high degree of reproducibility. Intracellular esterase activity during brewing fermentations was dependent on the yeast strain applied but independent of the wort compositions applied within this study. Further, the intracellular esterase activity during fermentation was correlated with cell proliferation determined by DNA staining and flow cytometry and by calculating the percentage of G1-phase cells. Yeast esterase activity in both unstressed and ethanol stressed cells followed a similar pattern during brewing fermentations. Furthermore, this pattern could be correlated with the percentage of G1-phase cells during fermentation indicating that the esterase activity was in some way related to cell cycle progression .     

Production of an Alcoholic Beverage by Fermentation of Whey Permeate with Kluyveromyces fragilis I: Primary Metabolism

Whey permeate from the ultrafiltration processing of cheese manufacturing was used for alcoholic fermentation with Kluyveromyces fragilis, the objective being the production of an alcoholic beverage of low alcoholic grade. The effect of temperature, initial pH, agitation and initial biomass on yeast growth and ethanol production were assayed in batch cultures. In addition, continuous culture behaviour was studied due to interest in a continuous industrial process for a new product. An unstructured kinetic model (a Riccati kinetic equation) is proposed; batch data being employed to obtain the kinetic parameters. This model fits the continuous culture results well except for ethanol production, where calculated values were lower than experimental data. When the fermentation temperature was changed from 18 to 37°C, a maximum of Y_P/S close to 30°C was observed, which gives an efficiency in the conversion of lactose to ethanol of 88%. The initial pH of the whey did not affect yeast growth significantly. Experiments carried out at different initial biomass concentrations showed that an initial dry weight close to 0.5 g/litre was sufficient to carry out the fermentation. An increase in ethanol concentrations was found at higher rates of agitation. In continuous culture, a maximum productivity for biomass and ethanol was attained at a dilution rate of 0.11 h^?1. Higher efficiencies (96%) were achieved in continuous culture rather than in batch cultivation mode.     

Influence of sequential inoculum of Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on flavonoid composition of monovarietal Sangiovese wines

The selection of Starmerella bacillaris strains to be used with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as mixed cultures has been recently suggested in order to produce wines containing lower ethanol and higher glycerol concentrations and to promote fructose degradation due to their fructophilic character. However, studies about effects of such mixed starter cultures on phenolic compounds, which are responsible for the colour and health-enhancing properties in red wines, are currently lacking. Therefore, in this work, the influence of sequential inoculated fermentation (SIF) with Starm. bacillaris and S. cerevisiae on phenolic content of monovarietal Sangiovese wine was evaluated by fermentations at laboratory scale. Axenic fermentations (AXFs) with S. cerevisiae were performed as control. S. cerevisiae attained higher cell densities in AXF compared with SIF. The experimental wines obtained by SIF showed significant lower ethanol and higher glycerol concentrations, whereas no significant difference was detected in colour intensity. The total phenol index reached significantly lower values in SIF. Furthermore, the wines produced by SIF contained higher concentrations of vitisin A that has a greater colour stability than the anthocyanin monomer. Finally, a lower content of both free anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols, key compounds for wine quality possessing also health-enhancing properties, was found in wines obtained by SIF. On the contrary, no significant difference was detected on flavonol concentration between SIF and AXF. This study highlighted that the use of sequential inoculum of Starm. bacillaris and S. cerevisiae can contribute to increasing the colour stability of red wines, even if at the expense of compounds with health properties.     

WORT ENTEROBACTERIA—A REVIEW

Of the family Enterobacteriaceae, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter aerogenes, Ent. cloacae, Hafnia alvei, Klebsiella aerogenes and Serratia species have been detected in fermenting wort. Escherichia coli and animal parasites have not been isolated. As shown by G.C. ratio, DNA base sequence comparison, numerical taxonomy and phage typing, Obesumbacterium proteus shares the same family and is placed in the genus Hafnia as H. protea, with two subspecies. H. protea survives brewery fermentations better than other members of the family and is therefore common in pitching yeast. However, all wort enterobacteria are sensitive to pH values below 4.4 and to a lesser degree to ethanol concentrations over 2% (w/v). Rates of brewery fermentations may be retarded by enterobacteria and the beer pH elevated. Other wort bacteria isolated, species of Achromobacter, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas, are sensitive to pH and ethanol, and present in smaller numbers in wort than the enterobacteria. Beer flavour with respect to fusel alcohols and esters, volatile sulphur compounds, carbonyl compounds and volatile phenols is seriously influenced by wort enterobacteria. Isolation and enumeration of the enterobacteria in fermenting wort are conveniently carried out on MacConkey agar medium; H. protea colonies grow in 48–72 h at 30°C but the other enterobacteria produce colonies in 20–30 h.     

Bacterial community dynamics,lactic acid bacteria species diversity and metabolite kinetics of traditional Romanian vegetable fermentations

BACKGROUND: Artisanal vegetable fermentations are very popular in Eastern European countries. Fresh vegetables undergo a spontaneous fermentation in the presence of salt, which is mainly carried out by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). RESULTS: Culture‐dependent and culture‐independent analyses of end‐samples of various spontaneous vegetable fermentations carried out in houses of the Chiodju region (central Romania) revealed Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis as the most frequently isolated LAB species. Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Leuconostoc citreum were also found. Furthermore, the community dynamics of spontaneous cauliflower and mixed‐vegetable (green tomatoes, carrots and cauliflower) fermentations revealed three steps: an initial phase characterised by the presence of Enterobacteriaceae and a wide LAB species diversity, encompassing Weissella species; a second phase from day 3 onwards wherein L. citreum and Lb. brevis occurred; and a final phase characterised by the prevalence of Lb. brevis and Lb. plantarum. Metabolite target analysis revealed that glucose and fructose were mostly depleted at the end of fermentation. The main products of carbohydrate metabolism were lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol and small amounts of mannitol, indicating heterolactate fermentation. CONCLUSION: Given their prevalence at the end of vegetable fermentations, Lb. brevis and Lb. plantarum appear to be good candidate starter cultures for controlled vegetable fermentation processes. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Isolation and Characterisation of Sri Lankan Yeast Germplasm and Its Evaluation for Alcohol Production

Use of inferior yeast cultures represents one of the reasons for low fermentation efficiencies in Sri Lankan alcohol distilleries that use sugarcane molasses. The present study isolated and characterised yeast strains found in natural environments in Sri Lanka and evaluated their performance under laboratory conditions in an effort to select superior strains for industrial fermentations. Yeasts were characterised based on morphological and physiological features such as sugar fermentation and nitrate assimilation. Ethanol production, alcohol tolerance and growth rate of the most promising strains were monitored following laboratory fermentations of molasses. Over a thousand yeast cultures were collected and screened for fermentative activity and a total of 83 yeast isolates were characterised as higher ethanol producers. Most of these belonged to the genus Saccharomyces. Certain strains produced over 10% (v/v) alcohol in molasses media during 72 h laboratory fermentations. Only two strains, SL‐SRI‐C‐102 and 111, showed an appreciable fermentation efficiency of about 90%. The latter strain produced the highest level of ethanol, 11% (v/v) within a 48 h fermentation and exhibited improved alcohol tolerance when compared with the baker's yeast strains currently used in Sri Lankan alcohol distilleries. This study highlights the benefits of exploiting indigenous yeasts for industrial fermentation processes.