Effect of initial sugar concentration on the physico-chemical characteristics and sensory qualities of cashew apple wine

Abstract

The technique for the production of wine from nutritious cashew apple has been standardized. The extracted cashew apple juice was treated with 0.5% food grade gelatin during heating for reducing the tannin contents. The TSS of the treated juice was ameliorated with sugar syrup and 0.1% diammonium hydrogen phosphate (as nitrogen source) to prepare the must. The fermentation rate of the must was found better for a week and reduced thereafter due to higher concentration of alcohol and low fermentation efficiency of the yeast. The fermentation carried out by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus was completed in 15 days. After storing the base wine for six months the physico-chemical characteristics and sensory quality of the product was assessed. The retention of ascorbic acid was better in wine with higher initial sugar concentration (ISC) whereas the titrable acidity, volatile acidity, total esters and total phenols increased and aldehydes decreased with higher initial sugar concentration. The sensory quality of the cashew apple wine revealed that the product having 8.25% alcohol had an edge over other treatments. Flow diagram for wine production as well as cost of production of the product has also been described in the paper.