Influence of Selected Saccharomyces and Schizosaccharomyces Strains and Their Mixed Cultures on Chemical Composition of Apple Wines.

Currently in apple winemaking, pure cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. bayanus strains are mainly used. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Johannisberg Riesling - LOCK 105), S. bayanus (DSMZ 3774), S. paradoxus (CBS 7302), and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (DSMZ 70576) applied in pure and mixed cultures on the chemical composition and sensory profile of apple wines. Pasteurized Gloster apple musts with addition of sucrose (up to 22°Blg) were inoculated with specific volume (0.6 g dry weight per liter) of yeast pure or mixed cultures (in a ratio of 1:1, 1:1:1, or 1:1:1:1) and fermented for 28 d at 22 °C. The influence of pure/mixed culture on the chemical composition, volatile profile, and sensory properties of apple wines was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) methods. All pure culture of yeasts used for the apple wines production are characterized by good enological profiles. S. bayanus and Sch. pombe are the most distinct to S. cerevisiae. S. bayanus strain increases the level of malic acid and carbonyl compounds in apple wines, whereas Sch. pombe highly deacidifies it and produces the most of glycerol, esters, and acetic acid. The wines obtained with these 2 species gained also, respectively, the best and the worse notes during sensory analysis. Mixed cultures (in most cases) produce greater amounts of ethanol, methanol, and volatile esters compared to pure cultures. The presence of S. bayanus in the mixed culture is beneficial for the quality of apple wines.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Good understanding of the properties of yeasts and the procedures for their selection will make it easier to find strains that could improve the quality of wine. Since wine is formed by the action of a number of species and strains of yeasts, many authors have studied the effect of mixed cultures on the final quality of the product. Most of this research was focused on the effect of the inoculation of Saccharomyces yeast with other species on the aroma of wine. However, there is a little data on the fermentation using simultaneous inoculation of different strains of S. cerevisiae.