Fermentation characteristics of cider from late harvest Fuji apples by a sugar tolerant yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae SS89

Abstract

Normal-and late-harvested Fuji apples were fermented using the rapid-fermenting yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae SS89. The late-harvest apples showed a slightly higher soluble-solid content with a lower level of total-acid and moisture (p<0.05) contents as well as hardness (p<0.05) than the normal-harvest apples. During the fermentation, the apples had similar changes in the pH and total-acid content regardless of the harvest time, but the increases in the alcohol content and yeast viable count with the decrease of the soluble-solid content were more rapid in the late-harvest apples than in the normal-harvest apples. After the completion of the fermentation, the soluble-solid and alcohol contents became very similar. The late-harvest cider showed a high total phenolic-compound content and a high DPPH radical scavenging effect, although these were slightly lower than those of the normal-harvest cider. It also showed a higher malic-acid content and higher hue color (p<0.05), Hunter's L, and b (p<0.05) values than the normal-harvest cider. In the sensory evaluation, the late-harvest cider obtained a higher score in taste and a lower score in color compared to the normal-harvest cider.