What You Need to Know
In wild fermentation, naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts metabolize sugars to produce lactic acid, ethanol, CO₂, and a complex array of volatile flavor compounds, often at ambient temperatures of 15–25 °C. Controlled fermentation employs inocula such as Lactobacillus plantarum or Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 10⁶–10⁷ CFU/mL, maintained at 20–30 °C, enabling precise manipulation of acid production, ethanol yield, and volatile profiles through adjustments of temperature, sugar concentration, and oxygen exposure.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Fermentation of sugars to lactic acid, ethanol, CO₂, and volatile flavor compounds by microorganisms