Composite Yeast for High Concentration Alcohol Fermentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Alcohol fermentation from sugar-containing raw materials faces challenges with incomplete fermentation due to inadequate nutrition and high residual sugar content, especially at high alcohol concentrations, as existing methods fail to provide necessary nutrients and lead to increased equipment costs.

Innovation Solution

A composite yeast comprising dried yeast and essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, inorganic salts, trace vitamins, and bacteriostatic agents is developed to enhance fermentation efficiency and complete sugar conversion without additional pretreatment, using existing equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If common leaven is used for alcohol fermentation from sugar-containing raw materials, then the fermentation process is simple, but the alcoholicity is limited to 11-13% v/v and residual sugar content increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefermentation process simplicityVSAvoidalcoholicity and raw material utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite yeast comprising multiple strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida millii, and Pichia stipitis) combined with nutrient supplements (yeast extract, peptone, inorganic salts, vitamins) to create a multi-functional fermentation system that achieves high alcoholicity (14.5-15.5% v/v) and complete sugar conversion without complicating the process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If high alcohol concentration fermentation is pursued using common leaven, then alcohol production increases, but residual sugar content becomes higher and raw material utilization deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealcohol productionVSAvoidresidual sugar content
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physiological state parameters of the fermentation system by providing specific nutrients (nitrogen source, phosphorous source, vitamins) that enable yeast to maintain high fermentation activity at elevated alcohol concentrations, allowing complete sugar conversion even when alcoholicity reaches 14.5-15.5% v/v

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of substance

If additional pretreatment and equipment are added to improve fermentation completeness, then residual sugar content decreases, but equipment cost increases sharply

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresidual sugar contentVSAvoidequipment cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the fermentation system self-sufficient by formulating composite yeast with embedded nutrients that enable complete sugar conversion under high alcohol conditions without requiring external pretreatment processes or additional equipment, achieving both fermentation completeness and process simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If nutrient supplementation is provided to improve yeast performance, then fermentation efficiency increases, but production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefermentation efficiencyVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial supplementation with specific nutrients (yeast extract 0.5-1.0%, peptone 0.5-1.0%, and minimal inorganic salts and vitamins) that provide just enough nutrition to enable high alcoholicity and complete fermentation, avoiding excessive cost while achieving the desired fermentation efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composite yeast improves fermentation efficiency, reduces residual sugar content, decreases production costs, and simplifies the process, achieving higher alcohol concentrations (14.5-15.5% v/v) with minimal residual sugar (0-0.1wt%) in sugar-containing raw materials.

Implementation Method 1

alcohol fermentation from sugar-containing raw materials

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Implementation Method 2

a bacteriostatic, providing the necessary nutrition for yeast growth and fermentation, and also inhibiting the other bacteria proliferation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBacteriostatic inhibition: Preservative

Data Source

PatentUS8263374B2Composite yeast suitable for high concentration alcohol fermentation from sugar-containing raw materials
Publication Date: 2012.09.11 ANGEL YEAST CO LTD

AI summary

The present invention relates to a composite yeast suitable for high concentration alcohol fermentation from sugar-containing raw materials, characterizing in that the composite yeast comprises any kind of dried yeast selected from Brewers yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, grape wine yeast Saccharomyces uvarum Beijerinek, and nutritious materials which are necessary for yeast growth, the nutritious materials include: the dried yeast 40-70 parts by weight, a nitrogen source 20-40 parts by weight, a phosphorous source 5-10 parts by weight, an other inorganic salt 2.5-5 parts by weight, a trace vitamin 1-2.5 parts by weight and a bacteriostatic 0.5-1.2 parts by weight. The present invention further relates to a method for preparation of the composite yeast suitable for high concentration alcohol fermentation from sugar-containing raw materials. Using the composite yeast of the present invention to proceed with sugar fermentation can increase fermentation alcoholicity, decrease residual sugar content, and allows the final alcoholicity of standard raw material, such as sucrose to attain to 14.5-15.5% v/v, and the amount of the residual reducing sugar in the fermentation mash is 0-0.1 wt %.