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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #329761
Research Project: Developing Technologies that Enable Growth and Profitability in the Commercial Conversion of Sugarcane, Sweet Sorghum, and Energy Beets into Sugar, Advanced Biofuels, and Bioproducts

Location: Commodity Utilization Research

Title: Impact of added nutrients in sweet sorghum syrup fermentation to produce ethanol

Author
item Klasson, K Thomas

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2017
Publication Date: 6/28/2017
Citation: Klasson, K.T. 2016. Impact of added nutrients in sweet sorghum syrup fermentation to produce ethanol. In: Eggleston, G., Lima, I. (eds). Proceedings for the Advances in Sugar Crop Processing and Conversion Conference 2016, Vol. 1. p. 294-308.

Interpretive Summary: This work showed that sweet sorghum syrup was efficiently converted to ethanol by baker’s yeast. The conversion in broth with sweet sorghum syrup was better (at least faster) than with only pure sugars due to the less acidity in sweet sorghum syrup broth. Sugar solutions containing up to 200 g/L total sugar from sweet sorghum syrup were easily converted with or without added nutrients. The addition of nutrients marginally improved the rate of the conversion but did not impact the final product levels. The impact of yeast extract and peptone added together as nutrients was demonstrated.

Technical Abstract: This work demonstrated that sweet sorghum syrup was efficiently converted to ethanol by yeast. Fermentation broth with sweet sorghum syrup performed better (at least faster) than with only pure sugars due to the pH-buffering effect of sweet sorghum syrup solutions. Sugar solutions containing up to 200 g/L total sugar from sweet sorghum syrup were easily fermented with or without added nutrients. The addition of nutrients marginally improved the rate of the fermentation but did not impact the final product distribution. The synergetic impact of yeast extract and peptone as nutrients were demonstrated.