Backslopping Time, Rinsing of the Grains During Backslopping, and Incubation Temperature Influence the Water Kefir Fermentation Process

Abstract

For eight backslopping steps, eight series of water kefir fermentation processes differing in backslopping time and rinsing of the grains during each backslopping step and eight series of fermentation processes differing in incubation temperature and backslopping time were followed. Short backslopping times resulted in high relative abundances of <i>Liquorilactobacillus nagelii</i> and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, intermediate backslopping times in high relative abundances of <i>Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides</i>, and long backslopping times in high relative abundances of <i>Oenococcus sicerae</i> and <i>Dekkera bruxellensis</i>. When the grains were rinsed during each backslopping step, the relative abundances of <i>Lentilactobacillus hilgardii</i> and <i>Leuc</i>. <i>pseudomesenteroides</i> increased and those of <i>D</i>. <i>bruxellensis</i> and <i>Liql</i>. <i>nagelii</i> decreased. Furthermore, rinsing of the grains during each backslopping step resulted in a slightly higher water kefir grain growth and lower metabolite concentrations. The relative abundances of <i>Liquorilactobacillus mali</i> were highest at 17°C, those of <i>Leuc</i>. <i>pseudomesenteroides</i> at 21 and 25°C, and those of <i>Liql</i>. <i>nagelii</i> at 29°C. With a kinetic modeling approach, the impact of the temperature and rinsing of the grains during the backslopping step on the volumetric production rates of the metabolites was determined.