Yeast competition during alcoholic fermentation of agave. Its comprehension as a way to reach sustainable mezcal production

Abstract

SummaryThe mezcal industry faces challenges such as overexploitation of wild agaves, poor cooking processes, incomplete fermentation, little control of the distillation process, and the generation of agro‐industrial waste. Successful fermentation is essential to reach a sustainable agave exploitation process in this context. This review focuses on the interactions between different yeast species in alcoholic fermentation, particularly agave fermentation, for mezcal production. A significant variation was observed regarding techniques, fermentation conditions, and yeasts used. These variations influence the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages, especially mezcal. The influence of various factors, such as the processing method, geographic origin, agave species used, and microbial populations, is also discussed. An attractive alternative is to design starter cultures with carefully selected yeasts based on a detailed study of their interactions. It would allow reaching an acceptable use of the agave sugars obtaining mezcals with attractive organoleptic characteristics, produced in less time and at a lower cost.