The clarification of sugarcane juice and the use of CA-11 yeast produces better quality cachaça

Resumo

Cachaça is the second most consumed alcoholic beverage in Brazil, obtained by distilling wine from
fermented sugarcane must, and has an alcohol content of 38 to 48% (v/v) at 20 ºC. The quality of the drink is affected by
the raw material used, the treatment of the juice, the type of yeast and the distillation process. The aim of this study was to
evaluate the performance of two types of yeast (selected and pressed) and the prior physical and chemical treatment of the
sugarcane juice on the quality of the cachaça. The experimental design was completely randomised with 9 replications. The
primary treatment was represented by the must (obtained from clarified and non-clarified juice) and the secondary treatment
by the types of yeast (CA-11 and pressed biological). The microbiological behaviour of the yeast during fermentation
was evaluated together with the chemical composition of the wine and cachaça. The use of selected strains and the prior
treatment of the juice resulted in better performance of the fermenting yeasts, producing distillates of suitable physical and
chemical standards and quality.