A Solid State Fermentation System for Production of Ethanol from Apple Pomace

A solid state fermentation system for the production of ethanol from apple pomace with a Montrachet strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is described. The yields of ethanol varied from about 29g to more than 40g per kg of apple pomace, depending on the samples fermented. Separation of up to 99% of the ethanol from spent apple pomace was achieved with a rotary vacuum evaporator. The results of this study indicate that the alcoholic fermentation of apple pomace might be an efficient method of alleviating waste disposal problems with the concomitant production of ethanol.