Optimization of alcohol production from Jerusalem artichokes

Fermentation of Jerusalem artichoke extracts by yeasts with inulinase activity is possible, without prior hydrolysis or sterilization, if carried out at pH 3.5. For semi-continuous production, a small amount of the yeast harvested at the end of the previous fermentation can be used as the subsequent inoculant. Up to 75 hl of alcohol per ha can be obtained by this process under favorable energetic conditions. A partial inhibition of the fermentation was detected in extracts obtained from tubers harvested too early; this inhibition seems unrelated to the extent of polymerization of sugars.