The glycerol and ethanol production kinetics in low-temperature wine fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains

Increasing glycerol production in low-temperature wine fermentation is of concern for winemakers to improve the quality of wines. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 10 different Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the kinetics of production of glycerol, ethanol and the activities of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in low-temperature fermentation. Ethanol production was influenced by temperature, and it was slightly higher at 13 degrees C than at 25 degrees C. Glycerol yields were significantly affected by both temperature and strains. More glycerol was produced at 25 degrees C than at 13 degrees C because the activity of GPD was higher at 25 degrees C than at 13 degrees C. Glycerol production of the different yeast strains was up to 3.19 and 3.18 g L-1 at 25 and 13 degrees C, respectively. Therefore, isolating the yeast strains with high glycerol production and adaptation to low-temperature fermentation is still the best method in winemaking.