S41: Comparison of winery and brewery fermentation processes and practices

The biochemical conversion of sugar to ethanol is central to the production of both wine and beer.  Indeed, thousands of years ago humankind unwittingly domesticated the yeast Saccharomyces due to its inherent ability to convert sugar to ethanol in the presence of oxygen.  This biotransformation produced microbiologically stable and potable beverages from fruit juices and grain extracts.  The yeast Saccharomyces does much more than produce ethanol.  As a consequence of the biochemical reactions associated with growth and redox balance, yeast produces many byproducts that both positively and negatively contribute to the aroma and flavor of alcoholic beverages.  Through the use of pure culture techniques, fermentation practitioners selected for strains of Saccharomyces that displayed desirable fermentation properties and that produced good tasting beverages.  Although both wine and beer are naturally fermented alcoholic beverages, they are produced by different processes and strategies due to the nature of the raw materials and the shelf life of the product.  In this presentation, the microorganisms and the general production practices and processes of modern winery and brewery fermentations will compared and contrasted.