An organoleptic survey of meads made with lactic acid-producing yeasts

Abstract

We previously reported the isolation a suite of wild lactic acid-producing yeasts (LAYs) that enable “primary souring” during beer fermentation without the use of lactic acid bacteria. With sour meads gaining popularity in modern mead making, we were interested in exploring the same primary souring approach to traditional semi-sweet meads. In this study, we utilized 13 LAY strains to produce semi-sweet meads using a standardized batch of honey must to ensure consistent starting conditions. Thirteen 11-L batches of mead were prepared, and each was inoculated with one of the LAY strains, along with two control batches inoculated with champagne yeast. The initial pH and specific gravity were measured for each batch before inoculation. Traditional organic staggered nutrient addition was utilized for the first 72 h of fermentation with specific gravities being taken throughout the mead making process. Meads were racked, tasted, stabilized, cold crashed, bottled, and transported to the American Mead Maker’s Association 2018 Conference in Broomfield, Colorado. There, organoleptic surveys were conducted on these meads utilizing an array of tasters with varying levels of mead sensory analysis experience. The results of the sensory analysis, focusing on aroma and flavor, are discussed.

Overcoming stochastic variations in culture variables to quantify and compare growth curve data

“…For instance, some authors simply show representative curves of single cultures rather than attempt to average data (see Figure 1 in [ 10 ] ). Others display averaged data from three or more experiments but omit error bars (see Figure 2B in [ 11 ] ). In some cases, a large number (> > 3) of individual experiments are performed and used to calculate means and perform statistical comparisons, but this approach limits the high‐throughput advantage of such plate reader assays.…”

“…Reiteratively imaging plates over time and using software to compare the change in colony size to wild-type or another control can address some of this F I G U R E 1 Spot dilution assay of S. cerevisiae DEB sensitivity. Cells of the indicated genotypes (see [11] ) were grown to saturation in rich medium (YPD), diluted to an optical density at 600 nm of 1.0, serially diluted 10-fold to 10 −4 , and then 5 μL of each dilution was spotted onto YPD plates and YPD plates containing DEB. The plates were incubated at 30 • C for ∼36 h before imaging using a flatbed scanner.…”

How native and exotic Brazilian fruits affect the profile of organic acids and the yeast performance during the mead fermentation process?

“…Mead is an alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting honey diluted in water, commonly added with other ingredients such as herbs, spices, and/or fruits in order to obtain products with different chemical and sensory characteristics. 1 Although mead has been produced in various regions of the world since ancient times, mainly in Nordic countries and Eastern Europe, in recent years this beverage has shown an important growth in the global alcoholic beverage market. 2 Recent studies have investigated the chemical composition of mead, elucidating the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and amino acid profile.…”

Prospecção Tecnológica de Patentes sobre Hidromel: panorama atual e perspectivas futuras

“…O hidromel é uma bebida alcoólica obtida pela fermentação do mel diluído em água (ARAÚJO et al, 2020), sendo comum a adição de outros ingredientes como ervas, especiarias e/ou frutas, com o intuito de obter produtos com características químicas e sensoriais diferenciadas (AMORIM et al, 2018;CAVANHOLI et al 2021;PEEPALL et al, 2019;ROMANO et al, 2021). O hidromel é produzido desde a antiguidade em várias regiões do mundo, com particular relevância de consumo no continente europeu (SCHWARZ et al, 2021), e vem ganhando progressivamente importância econômica devido ao seu potencial bioativo, atribuído ao mel e aos demais ingredientes utilizados na sua elaboração (MENDES-FERREIRA et al, 2010;KAWA-RYGIELSKA et al, 2019;SILVA et al, 2020).…”