Produção de hidromel de forma artesanal e avaliação dos parâmetros durante o processo fermentativo.

Abstract

Alcoholic fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates into ethanol. One of the oldest beverages consumed by humans perhaps even before the wine, probably the forerunner of beer was originally made from fermented honey and water in what was called mead or "drink of the gods". The aim of this work was to produce mead from honey bee (Apis mellifera), using a commercial strain of microorganism Saccharomyce cerevisiae. The process of batch fermentation took place in a handmade polyethylene fermenter with maximum volume of 5L. For analysis of the fermentation process, every 24 hours (nine days), aliquots of 50ml of wort were removed for analysis for pH, Brix and cell growth. With respect to pH, the fermentation process, noting that there was little variation thereof, which was during the whole process less than four and more than three (3 < pH< 4), in relation to changes occurred on °Brix, ending at 10% of Brix. The cell mass (dry and moist) had a slight decrease during the process, with small oscillations. 500ml of wine were distilled in two steps, obtaining the alcohol content of the sample between 10% and 17.2%, representing a conversion efficiency factor. After clarification of fermented mead 2.000mL were obtained with clear appearance with a typical translucent color of honey.