The Influence of Fermentation Vessels on Yeast Microbiota and Main Parameters of Sauerkraut

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the yeast microbiota occurring during cabbage fermentation, along with selected parameters important for the quality of sauerkraut, depending on the vessel used. For this purpose, glass jars were used, in which anaerobic conditions are quickly created, and stoneware vessels, whose appearance and characteristics are similar to tanks used on an industrial scale. WL nutrient agar with chloramphenicol and 10% NaCl was used to enumerate yeast. Isolates were differentiated using RAPD-PCR and identified by sequencing of the 5.8S-ITS rRNA gene region and PCR-RFLP. Selected organic acids, sugars, and polyols were analyzed using UHPLC-UV-Vis and -RI. Sauerkraut obtained in stoneware vessels was characterized by the presence of a larger amount of yeast, including those considered spoilage, such as Rhodotorula and Wickerhamomyces. It also contained 50% less lactic acid and a few times more acetic acids than that obtained using glass jars. A pH around 3.8 and 1.5% lactic acid, which are parameters indicating the end of fermentation of sauerkraut, were obtained in glass jars on the tenth day of fermentation. The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus may be an indicator of the presence of oxygen during sauerkraut fermentation, while Clavispora lusitaniae may indicate anaerobic conditions.