Co-inoculation of yeasts starters: a strategy to improve quality of low altitude Arabica coffee

Abstract

The study aimed to improve the quality of dry-processed coffee grown at low altitudes through yeast inoculation, using three species (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCMA 0543, Torulaspora delbrueckii CCMA 0684, and Candida parapsilosis CCMA 0544) singly and with co-inoculation for fermentation. Important chemical compounds and groups were analyzed by liquid and gas chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The inoculated coffees with yeast populations around 106 cell/g obtained the highest scores, and the co-inoculation with C. parapsilosis CCMA 0544 and T. delbrueckii CCMA 0684 had the highest score in the sensory analysis (85). Different descriptors were observed in each treatment, and body, flavor, balance, and aftertaste are strongly related to C. parapsilosis CCMA 0544. The fermentation process improved the quality of low-altitude coffees, and the combination of non-Saccharomyces yeasts (C. parapsilosis CCMA 0544 and T. delbrueckii CCMA 0684) was the most indicated as starter cultures.