ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTION OF MEAD FROM BEER´ AND WHITE WINE´ YEAST

Abstract

Mead is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages to be consumed by man, often linked to mythology - when its nickname was divine elixir - it´s the precursor of today's beer. Even with this backhistory, this drink from the fermented honey still proves to be a challenge for mass production, being more found in its handmade version. The presented project had the objective of analyzing and comparing the production of Mead from two species of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus, in addition to analyzing parameters that define the characteristics of the drink. The experiment was carried out in triplicate, for both species, and started with the dilution of honey in water to guarantee the initial 20.4 ºBrix. Subsequently, the yeasts were inserted dry and fermentation began, which required supplementation and aeration to progress. 28 days later, the fermentation process was finished and the analysis of the results began to be performed. The pH and ºBrix were monitored at the start and at the end of the fermentation process, while the total acid and alcohol content were only measured in the final product. It was found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced a beer with 0.27% more alcohol. Both presented satisfactory performance and expected analysis data.

Keywords: Honey; fermentation; mead; production; analysis; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces bayanus.