Abstract
We studied the influence of immobilised yeasts on fermentation parameters and beer quality using a continuous gas‐lift bioreactor system with Saccharomyces warum entrapped in calcium pectate beads. The higher the amount of biomass, the shorter the fermentation time. At an immobilised biomass volume to wort ratio of 0.35:1 (v/v), productivity began to fall and the specific rate of saccharide utilisation decreased. The optimum level for productivity and beer quality was obtained at the ratio of 0.27:1 (v/v) biocatalyst volume to the wort volume. Beer with suitable flavour, low level of diacetyl (less than 0.1 mg/1) and an optimum ratio of the higher alcohols to esters content (4.53:1) has been produced with a residence time of 13.16 h and maximum specific rate of saccharide utilisation of I.106 g/g.h. Except for higher nitrogen and lower amyl alcohols contents, the parameters characterising the beer quality produced in this bioreactor were close to the parameter values of classically produced beer.