The concentrations of acetate esters in beer were reduced by up to 85% by addition of linoleic acid to the fermentation or by pitching with yeast previously enriched with this unsaturated fatty acid.Linoleic acid was rapidly incorporated into yeast lipids and was effective in reducing the rate of ethyl acetate formation within 2 h. Addition of linoleic acid altered the pattern of synthesis of fatty acids by yeast, causing a shift from medium toward long chain acids. Secondly, the amount of squalene in yeast was reduced by up to 70% whereas that of lanosterol was increased threefold. Since total yeast lipid synthesis was reduced by up to 40%, we conclude that less acetylCoA is synthesized in the presence of linoleic acid. Further, high concentrations of linoleic acid decreased the proportion of acetylCoA consumed by the synthesis of acetate esters. Therefore linoleic acid may directly decrease acetate ester synthesis in addition to its effect via reduction of acetylCoA availability.

Aerobically grown pitching yeast is very rich in unsaturated fatty acids and sterol esters compared to traditional, anaerobic yeast. The principal fatty acids in aerobic yeast cells are unsaturated palmitoleic and oleic acids, whereas in anaerobic cells saturated palmitic acid predominates. The difference in fatty acid distribution between aerobic and anaerobic cells is most marked in the sterol esters. The fatty acids of phospho-lipids are more stable, although remarkable differences are observed. The sterols of aerobic cells are almost entirely in esterified form and zymosterol is the principal sterol. During the first hours of fermentation a rapid synthesis of palmitoleic acid is observed when anaerobic yeast is used for pitching and the wort is aerated. The synthesis of oleic acid requires more oxygen and time than is available under normal brewing conditions. When aerobic pitching yeast is used no more unsaturated fatty acids are synthesised and the lipid stores of pitching yeast are distributed among the daughter cells. The decrease in acetate ester production by aerobic pitching yeast is concluded to be due to a decrease in acetyl CoA synthesis, which may be caused by the high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in membrane lipids.

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