The object of the present invention is a method of producing
acetic acid by acetic
fermentation, wherein the
fermentation medium, which is cider containing 5.2 % w / w
ethanol and 20 g / dm3 glucose, is fed from above into a tubular
bioreactor at a
volume rate of 30 cm3 / h, using a
retention time of 66.6 h for the
fermentation medium in the reactor;
oxygen is fed from the bottom of the
bioreactor at a pressure of 110 000 Pa and a volume intensity of 480 cm3 / h; characterised in that the tubular
bioreactor is filled with a porous
bed obtained by a method comprising the steps of: (a) the apple
pomace shall be vacuum dried at a temperature of 40 to 80°C, preferably 50 to 70°C, more preferably at 60°C and under pressure of 60 000Pa to give a product with a
moisture content of 40%; (b) the material obtained is subjected to further
drying, preferably in a
convection dryer, at a temperature of 100 to 110°C, preferably 105°C, until a product with a
moisture content of 20% is obtained; (c) the apple
pomace with a
moisture content of 20% is mixed with
charcoal, preferably apple
charcoal,
silicon oxide,
calcium carbonate and
calcium sulphate and crushed, followed by the addition of an aqueous glass solution and the whole is mixed, the quantities of the individual components being as follows: apple
pomace with a moisture content of 20% (61.82%),
charcoal (30.91%),
silicon oxide SiO2 (0.46%), aqueous glass, solution of 10% by weight in water (6.18%),
calcium carbonate anhydrous (0.31%), calcium sulphate
anhydrous (0.31%); (d) the resulting
mass is extruded in an extruder operating at a
screw speed of 200 rpm, a
compression ratio of 1.75 and a
heating power of 2kW to produce extrudates with a
diameter of 20-30 mm, preferably 25 mm; (e) extrudates are allowed to rest for 24 h; whereby, prior to the acetic fermentation process, the
bed is subjected to conditioning, in which the extrudates are crushed, washed with
distilled water at
room temperature, and poured over a solution of the following composition: water (62.28%), apple juice (31.14%),
ethanol 70% v / v (6.23%),
magnesium sulphate (VI) (0.05%), lyophilised cultures of
Acetobacter (0.31%); and left for 48 h using a
pure oxygen flow rate of 10 ml / min.