The effect of inoculum level on the formation of higher alcohols,fatty acids and esters in the malt whisky fermentation

The levels of higher alcohols, fatty acids and esters formed in a small-scale whisky fermentation which had been inoculated with different amounts of yeast was investigated. The total level of higher alcohols increased with increasing inoculum levels. However, the relative levels of propanol, isobutanol, amyl alcohols and 2-phenyl ethanol were unaffected. The levels of octanoic, decanoic and dodecanoic acids and their ethyl esters were depressed at inoculum levels above 2 × 10⁷ cells ml^?1. Varying the inoculum levels did not have a consistent effect on the acetate esters of the higher alcohols. However, the highest values were obtained at inoculum levels 4 × 10⁷ cells ml^?1.