Composition of Fermented Grape Juice Continuously Produced by Immobilized Lactobacillus casei

Continuous fermentation of grape juice was carried out in a packed bed column system using Lactobacillus casei adsorbed onto ceramic beads. Chemical components in the reaction vessel of this system were compared with those of a free-cell fermentation. No major differences were noted in the principal components. Diacetyl and methionine levels decreased, however, whereas aspartic acid and cysteine increased. Silica levels increased immediately after initiation of the immobilized cell culture due to elution from the ceramic carrier beads. In two of the five trials the reactor was contaminated with Bacillus megaterium.