Impact of Saccharomyces cerevisiae single inoculum and mixed inoculum with Meyerozyma caribbica on the quality of mead

Abstract

The sensory quality of fermented beverages, such as mead, is directly related to the raw material, microorganisms, and production process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as single inoculum and co-inoculated with Meyerozyma caribbica on the physicochemical and sensory quality of mead. The meads were characterized according to their sugar, ethanol, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, ethyl carbamate, phenolics, volatile compounds, and sensory profile. Both starter cultures showed good fermentative capacity, resulting in beverages with 12% (w/v) alcohol content. 4-Methylumbelliferone and gallic acid were the most abundant phenolic compounds detected in both beverages. Ethyl carbamate was not detected; furfural detected below the quantification limit and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was not higher than 0.3 mg/L. Among the identified volatile compounds, esters were the most abundant group. In general, unlike expected, the mixed inoculum resulted in a reduction of the volatile compounds. The mead produced with S. cerevisiae presented 1403.3 µg/L of esters and while mixed inoculum, 1084 µg/L. This result impacted the sensory analysis, in which the scores for flavor, aroma, and purchase intention were slightly higher for the mead produced with S. cerevisiae, although there was no statistical difference from the mixed inoculum. The results of this work indicate that further studies, such as on the adequacy of the must composition, are necessary for a better understanding of the potential of the used mixed inoculum.