Developing new sacchariferous starters for liquor production based on functional strains isolated from the pits of several famous Luzhou-flavor liquor brewers

Abstract

Two new sacchariferous starters were developed based on functional strains isolated from the pits of several famous Chinese Luzhou-flavor liquor brewers and a genetically engineered mold strain previously constructed in this laboratory. Compared with traditional Daqu, the new starters, especially with the genetically engineered strain, possessed higher abilities of saccharification and fermentation as well as a higher alcohol yield ratio and percent conversion. Applying these new starters in liquor production has advantages that include easy preparation, convenient operation and time-savings and thus can greatly elevate the efficiency of liquor production. The taste and flavor of the liquors obtained with the new starters were comparable to those produced with traditional Daqu. This study further contributes to the investigation of the mechanisms of traditional liquor production and the improvement of process control. It also demonstrates the possibility of producing high quality traditional or new-style liquors in different locations. © 2009 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling.