Continuous production of
wine in a tower fermentor using entrapped
yeast cells in double layer alginate – chitosan beads
Panos Drichoutis1*, Elias T. Nerantzis2,
Maria Liouni1
(1): National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry,
Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry, University Campus, Zografou, 15771 Athens,
Greece.
(2): Technological Educational Institution (TEI) of Athens, Department of
Oenology
and Beverage Technology, Biotechnology and Industrial Fermentations Laboratory,
Ag. Spyridona Street, Aegaleo, 12210 Athens, Greece.
*Author for correspondence: Tel: +2107274420, +6946824592, Fax: +2107221800,
Email: pdri@mailbox.gr
Abstract
Continuous production of wine in a tower fermentor by entrapped yeast cells of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae in double layer alginate – chitosan beads (DAC beads)
has been studied. The wine was produced from the grape variety of Muscat of
Alexandria. Continuous fermentation was carried out for 53 days and the
composition of the wines produced in different flow rates of the medium was
determined. Also suspended yeast cells in a free state from the same strain were
used under similar conditions for the production of wine by batch fermentation.
The composition of the wines produced by the entrapped cells in the continuous
process in the different flow rates of the medium was similar. The maximum
productivity of ethanol and the maximum daily production of wine achieved during
the continuous process were 3 - 4 times higher than those achieved during the
batch process. The composition of the wines produced from the two different
processes was similar. In the continuous fermentation the concentrations of
higher alcohols were at lower level while the concentrations of volatile esters
were at higher level compared to batch fermentations.
Keywords: Continuous wine production,
alginate-chitosan complex, double layer
beads, tower fermentor
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