Monitoring on Alcohol Fermentation Properties of Apple Juice for Apple Vinegar

The alcohol fermentation of apple juice was optimized as a preliminary study for the production of natural apple cider vinegar. To gain an optimal fermentation yield, a central composite design was used to investigate the effects of the independent variables [initial Brix (12/14/16/18/20, ), fermentation time(48/54/60/66/72h, ), and fermentation temperature(24/26/28/30/, )] on the dependent variables (alcohol content, reducing sugar, Brix, acidity). The alcohol content was 3.4-6.4%, the reducing sugar was 1.93-6.24%, and the Brix was . The alcohol content was mainly affected by the fermentation temperature and increased along with the fermentation time and temperature. The amount of the reducing sugar was significantly affected by the initial Brix and fermentation temperature. The optimal conditions for the alcohol content were found to be 15.22 initial Brix, 64.97 h fermentation time, and temperature.