Influence of different sugar sources, nitrogen sources and inocula on the quality characteristics of apple tea wine

An infusion of tea leaves was prepared using 4 g tea/100 mL of the apple juice, ameliorated with different sugar sources, supplemented with different nitrogen sources and inoculated with 5% incola (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus, consortia 1 and consortia 2). The highest rate of fermentation and ethanol were found in the apple tea wine having sucrose as a sugar source, while apple juice concentrate as a sugar source gave the highest total phenols, caffeine content and overall acceptability. Higher alcohols, volatile acidity and antioxidant activity were the highest in honey as a sugar source. Apple tea wine having DAHP as a nitrogen source documented the highest ethanol, caffeine content and overall acceptability, lowest higher alcohols, whereas peptone as a nitrogen source had the highest total phenols. Among the different types of inocula, for most of the parameters there were non-significant differences. However, must inoculated with S. cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus for the preparation of apple tea wine resulted in the highest fermentation efficiency, ethanol and overall acceptability but the lowest volatile acidity. Apple tea wine prepared by ameliorating the apple tea must with apple juice concentrate, DAHP and inoculated with S. cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus was rated as the best. (C) 2017 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling