A method for modulating green character of wine, as well as wine obtainable according to the method also relates to the use of a vine-shoot material as winemaking additive for modulating green character in wine, wherein the vine-shoot material is toasted vine-shoot material. The method includes the steps of providing a vine-shoot material, which is subjected to heating at a predetermined temperature during a period in the range from 30 to 120 minutes; and subjecting a fermentable mixture to fermentation, wherein a determined concentration of the vine-shoot material results from the heating step.

In general, certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide devices and methods for fermentation. According to various embodiments, a device is provided comprising a container for housing an amount of a carbohydrate solution therein. An atomizer coupled to the container converts the carbohydrate solution into an aerosol suspension of particles that is emitted into a first chamber. A first panel separating the first chamber from a second chamber includes a fermentation agent thereon. The carbohydrate solution is emitted as the aerosol suspension of particles into the first chamber and onto the first panel such that the carbohydrate solution is fermented by the fermentation agent. The carbohydrate solution is collected in the second chamber and is returned to the atomizer until the carbohydrate solution has been fermented to a desired state. In certain embodiments, the fermentation agent comprises a yeast culture or other microorganism.

Provided herein are genetically modified yeast cells that recombinantly expresses a gene encoding a mutant beta-lyase. Also provided are methods of producing fermented products and methods of producing ethanol.

A method is described for loading a plant product, preferably must or grape, inside a fermentation tank (12) comprising on its top a loading mouth (14), comprising the steps of: moving a quantity of plant product by putting it inside a container (50) coupled to a guide (22) arranged to guide it up above the loading mouth and, there, and transferring said amount inside the tank.

The method ensures easy handling of the product.

The present invention provides for passive V0C recovery in the fermentation process that does not affect or minimally affects the conditions within the fermentor vessel and does not affect or minimally affects the conditions within the headspace of the fermentor vessel itself while using the production of CO.sub.2 emitted during the fermenting process as the source of driving energy to move a portion of the gaseous/vaporous material in the headspace of the fermentor through an appropriately sized conduit to a chilled surface condensing device to condense the V0Cs (principally ethanol) for recovery and to exhaust the CO.sub.2 to the atmosphere or to recover the CO.sub.2 for other uses. The conduit from the headspace of the fermentor to the condenser is sized to provide a flow restriction in a selected range such that the headspace equilibria are not affected while allowing a portion of the gaseous/vaporous material in the headspace to move through the conduit in response to the generation of the CO.sub.2 during the fermentation process.

A novel fermentation method uses a novel single stage horizontal cylindrical or partial cylindrical fermentor, larger in volume than the target volume of wine, which bounds the entire winemaking process. Fermentor has at least one opening for ingredient insert/removal, one-way venting gaseous closure, fermentor tilting prop, cavity space and bottling tap. Fermentor's cavity space and convex curvature underside provides for a fermentor rocking motion creating agitation and splashing for mixing the wine must and inducing ambient air/oxygen therein. A cavity space for fermentation foam expansion, heavier fermentation emitted CO.sub.2 gas purges out the ambient air/oxygen then retains CO.sub.2 gas providing a safe substantially oxygen free environment for a manually applied to the fermentor rocking motion creating agitation and splashing for mixing, degassing and resting the wine to clear in a safe substantially oxygen free environment until ready for direct bottling via bottling tap.

The present invention is directed to a generic methodology for preparing wines and other beverages having reduced ethanol content, where said wines or beverages may be sweet, dry or demi-sec beverages. The methodology comprises different fermentation stages, wherein wine yeasts Pichia anomala y Saccharomyces sp. are used. The present invention teaches a methodology, in which yeast groups are used, and said groups are capable of generating several yields of ethanol production by controlling critical variables in the production of an organoleptically acceptable wine through a minor intervention in the aromatic compounds and the final product, resulting in a wine of similar features to those ones available in the market, which has the antioxidant properties and the quality of traditional wines, with lower alcoholic content.

The present invention is directed to a method for decreasing the lag time in a fermentation of a culture medium to prepare a target substance, wherein the target substance is not yogurt and wherein the fermentation results in formation of acid or ethanol, which method comprises the steps of providing, to a suitable culture medium, a fermentation starter culture comprising a microorganism which liberates acid or ethanol, adding a potato protein protease inhibitor to the culture medium, culturing the microorganism, and obtaining the target substance.

It has been found that addition of potato protein protease inhibitor to a fermentation feed significantly reduces the lag time of the fermentation. The required amount of potato protein is low enough not to affect the taste of the target substance adversely, and the lag time reduction occurs both in batch- and in semi-continuous processes. The invention further pertains to a fermented food product which is not yogurt, comprising potato protein protease inhibitor.

Bacterial strains are provided that can be isolated from the microflora of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), and that are capable of increasing the antioxidant content of their growth medium. The bacteria can be used, for example, to increase the antioxidant content of various foodstuffs, as probiotics or as additives to animal feed. Antioxidant-enriched compositions produced by fermentation processes utilising the bacteria are also provided. The antioxidant-enriched compositions can be used in the preparation of cosmetics and nutritional supplements. The antioxidant-enriched compositions also have therapeutic applications.

The present invention relates to a yeast strain likely to be obtained by hybridizing a strain S1 with a strain S2, said yeast strain presenting, according to test A, the following characteristics: fermentation kinetics from 15 to 22 days at a temperature of 24? C.; and resistance with an alcoholic strength of more than or equal to 15% v/v; and a nitrogen requirement of less than or equal to 200 ppm,
to the method of producing this strain and to its use.