Produção e caracterização de hidromel

Abstract

Several products can be obtained from honey, from a major economic activity in Brazil, called Apiculture. Among these, there is mead, which consists of a product obtained from the alcoholic fermentation process, carried out with pure honey with the addition of water, yeast and nutrients. The fermentation process of mead production can be influenced by parameters such as the yeast strain, the addition of certain nutrients and the type of honey used, for example, which modify the stability of the fermentation, as well as the time and quality of the final product. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the fermentation process of mead production through the use of the strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Fleischmann) and Saccharomyces bayanus (Red Star Premier Blanc), in media with and without nitrogen supplementation (final concentration of 300 mg L-1). For this purpose, the production of meads consisted of discontinuous fermentation processes over a period of 377 hours, which included daily monitoring of parameters such as substrate concentration, cell concentration and product concentration. The results obtained showed that nitrogen supplementation provided a more agile fermentation process for both yeasts studied, reducing the fermentation period, since the musts without supplementation remained fermenting for a period longer than 377 hours, reaching a period of 840 hours. When comparing the performance of the yeasts studied in the supplemented medium, S. bayanus showed greater resistance to alcohol, reaching a lower final °Brix and, consequently, greater sugar consumption and alcohol production. The meads produced presented 7.19%–10.95% alcohol content, 3.19 meqL-1–4.17 meq L-1for volatile acidity, 53.99 meq L-1 –71.66 meq L-1for total acidity, 50.80 meqL-1–67.98 meq L-1for fixed acidity, and 20.68–62.31 g L-1for residual sugars, complying with the required quality standards. Therefore, the process can be evaluated as efficient, considering that the parameters are in accordance with Brazilian legislation.