Initiation of fermentation

Abstract

The invention relates to an activation solution useful for incubation of microbial organisms prior to inoculation into a liquid composition, such as wine, and to a dry activation composition from which the activation solution may be produced. The activation solution preferably comprises microbial organisms capable of fermenting malic acid to lactic acid, but having impaired capability of degrading citric acid. These microbial organisms are useful in methods of inducing malolactic fermentation during wine production.

1 . An activation solution comprising
 i) A nitrogen source   ii) In the range of 60 to 140 g sugar per L   iii) In the range of 5×10 8  and 5×10 10  colony forming units per ml of a microbial organism capable of fermenting at least one fermentable compound   iv) a chemical compound with buffering capacity,   
       wherein the solution has a pH in the range of 4 to 6. 
     
     
         2 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein said fermentable compound is malic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein said microbial organism is capable of fermenting malic acid to lactic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The activation solution of  claim 3 , wherein said microbial organism, when placed in a medium at an initial concentration in the range of 1×10 6  to 5×10 7  colony forming units per ml medium, said medium initially containing a predetermined amount of citric acid in the range of 100 to 1,000 mg/L, and a predetermined amount of malic acid in the range of 1,000 to 10,000 mg/L, is only capable of degrading at the most 80% of said citric acid within the period required for degradation of the malic acid within the medium to an amount not exceeding 30 mg/L,
 and wherein the microbial organism is capable, under suitable growth conditions, of adaptation to, when said microbial organism in a frozen or freeze dried state is added directly into a fermented fruit juice: 
 i) a survival rate which is at least 1% after two days at 23° C. in a fermented sterile fruit juice with a pH of less than 4 and comprising at least 12 vol % ethanol, and/or 
 ii) a survival rate which is at least 70% after two days at 1700 in a fermented sterile fruit juice with a pH of less than 4 comprising at least 13.9 vol % ethanol. 
 
     
     
         5 . The activation solution of  claim 4  wherein the microbial organism belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting of  Lactobacillus, Pediococcus , and  Oenococcus.    
     
     
         6 . The activation solution of  claim 4  wherein the microbial organism belongs to the genus  Oenococcus.    
     
     
         7 . The activation solution of  claim 4  wherein the degradation of citric acid is at most 70%. 
     
     
         8 . The activation solution of  claim 4  wherein the degradation of citric acid is at most 60%. 
     
     
         9 . The activation solution of  claim 4  wherein the degradation of citric acid is at most 50%. 
     
     
         10 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein said microbial organism is selected from the group consisting of bacteria belonging to the Oenococcus family and the Lactobacillus family. 
     
     
         11 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein the microbial organism is selected from the group consisting of DSM 15568, DSM 7008, DSM 15569, DSM 15570, and DSM 15571. 
     
     
         12 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein said microbial organism is selected from the group consisting of MBR Alpha, MBR Beta, MBR 31, MBR 41, MBR OSU, Inobacter (IB), OSU, ProVino, MCW, 3X, MT01, Viniflora oenos and Viniflora CH35. 
     
     
         13 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein the sugar is selected from the group consisting of fructose and glucose. 
     
     
         14 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein the glucose content of the solution is in the range of 30 g to 100 g glucose per liter solution. 
     
     
         15 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein the fructose content of the solution is in the range of 30 g to 100 g fructose per liter solution. 
     
     
         16 . The activation solution according to  claim 1 , wherein said chemical compound is selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, phosphate and citrate. 
     
     
         17 . A dry activation composition, wherein in the range of 80 to 200 g of said dry activation composition comprises
 i) a nitrogen source,   ii) in the range of 60 to 140 g sugar,   iii) in the range of 5×10′ and 5×10 13  colony forming units of a microbial organism capable of fermenting a fermentable compound, and   iv) a chemical compound with buffering capacity, wherein the chemical compound is capable of buffering a solution to a pH in the range of 4.0 to 6.0,   
       wherein addition of 1 L water to said dry activation composition results in an activation solution according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein in the range of 110 to 150 g of said dry activation composition comprises in the range of 80 to 110 g sugar. 
     
     
         19 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the sugar is selected from the group consisting of fructose and glucose. 
     
     
         20 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the glucose concentration is 40 to 80 g/L the fructose concentration is 40 to 80 g/L. 
     
     
         21 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the fermentable compound is malic acid. 
     
     
         22 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein said microbial organism when incubated in a liquid composition comprising a predetermined amount of malic acid is capable of fermenting at least 50% of said malic acid. 
     
     
         23 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein said microbial organism is selected from the group consisting of bacteria belonging to the Oenococcus family and the Lactobacillus family. 
     
     
         24 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the microbial organism is selected from the group consisting of DSM 15568, DSM 7008, DSM 15569, DSM 15570, and DSM 15571. 
     
     
         25 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the microbial organism is selected from the group consisting of MBR Alpha, MBR Beta, MBR 31, MBR 41, MBR OSU, Inobacter (IB), OSU, ProVino, MCW, 3X, MT01, Viniflora oenos and Viniflora CH35. 
     
     
         26 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the microbial organism after activation for more than 5 hours in the activation solution has a survival rate which is at least 3% after two days at 23° C. when inoculated into a fermented fruit juice having an ethanol content of at least 12.0 vol %. 
     
     
         27 . The composition according to  claim 26 , wherein activation is in the range of 8 to 48 hours. 
     
     
         28 . The composition according to  claim 26 , wherein activation is performed at a temperature in the range of 18° C. to 25° C. 
     
     
         29 . The composition according to  claim 26 , wherein the survival rate is at least 33% after two days at 23° C. when inoculated into a fermented fruit juice prepared by yeasting a sterile grape fruit juice without added sulphite, said fermented fruit juice having an ethanol content of 12.0 vol %, pH 3.4, below 5 g/L residual sugar, 3.3 g/L of malic acid, and 450 mg/L of citric acid. 
     
     
         30 . The composition according to  claim 26 , wherein the survival rate is at least 94% after two days at 23° C. when inoculated into a fermented fruit juice prepared by yeasting a sterile grape fruit juice without added sulphite, said fermented fruit juice having an ethanol content of 12.0 vol %, pH 3.4, below 5 g/L residual sugar, 3.3 g/L of malic acid, and 450 mg/L of citric acid. 
     
     
         31 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein said chemical compound is selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, phosphate and citrate. 
     
     
         32 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein said composition furthermore comprises a salt. 
     
     
         33 . A method of inducing fermentation in a liquid composition comprising a fermentable compound comprising the steps of
 i) providing a dry composition according to  claim 17 , wherein said microbial organism is capable of fermenting said fermentable compound;   ii) adding water to said dry composition, thereby obtaining an activation solution;   iii) incubating said activation solution for an activation time under activation conditions; and   iv) inoculating a liquid composition comprising a fermentable compound with said activation solution;   
       thereby inducing fermentation in said liquid composition. 
     
     
         34 . A method of inducing fermentation in a liquid composition comprising a fermentable compound comprising the steps of
 (i) providing an activation solution according to  claim 1 ;   (ii) incubating said activation solution for an activation time under activation conditions; and   (iii) incubating a liquid composition comprising a fermentable compound with said activation solution;   
       thereby inducing fermentation in said liquid composition. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the activation time is in the range of 8 to 48 hours. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein activation conditions comprises incubation at a temperature in the range of 10° C. to 40° C. 
     
     
         37 . A method of inducing fermentation in a liquid composition comprising a fermentable compound comprising the steps of
 (i) providing an activation solution according to  claim 1 , said solution having been activated by incubation for an activation time under activation conditions; and   (ii) inoculating a liquid composition comprising a fermentable compound with said activated solution;   
       thereby inducing fermentation in said liquid composition. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the liquid composition is a fruit juice or a fermented fruit juice. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the fermentable compound is malic acid.