IMMOBILIZATION OF YEAST ON DELIGNIFIED CELLULOSIC MATERIAL FOR ROOM-TEMPERATURE AND LOW-TEMPERATURE WINE-MAKING

The immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain AXAZ-1 on delignified cellulosic material was examined by electron microscope. Using the biocatalyst prepared by immobilization, repeated batch fermentations (about 55) were done for glucose and separately for wine making employing must, without any loss of the activity. This biocatalyst caused about a 3-fold increase of the fermentation rate as compared with free cells. Furthermore, it was found that the delignified cellulosic material supported biocatalyst reduces the activation energy, E(a). Repeated batch fermentations performed at low temperatures gave average wine and alcohol productivities at 16 degrees C about equal to those at 30 degrees C; productivities at 10 degrees C were 35% lower than at 30 degrees C and at 0 degrees C were at the level of a fermenter of 1000 L producing 1000 L of dry wine in 1 month.