CHARACTERIZATION BY PLASMID PROFILE ANALYSIS OF ACETIC-ACID BACTERIA FROM WINE, SPIRIT AND CIDER ACETATORS FOR INDUSTRIAL VINEGAR PRODUCTION

The fermentation in industrial high acid submerged fermenters of wine, spirit or cider into vinegar was investigated by direct analysis of the plasmid patterns of the acetic acid bacteria involved. The strains were different in all samples. One strain from a red wine acetator was isolated by the double layer agar technique and proved to be the main fermenting organism. After inoculation of an acetator with this strain, the initiation of acidification was accelerated. Inoculation with spirit vinegar organisms led to immediate acidification. The spirit vinegar organisms were outnumbered after 12 d by fortuitously-occurring, highly adapted red wine vinegar bacteria. Over-oxidation was due to physiological regulation, a genetical change by plasmid loss or occurrence of new organisms was not observed.