Assessment of the benefits of wort supplementation with inorganic nutrients in the bioethanol production process

Abstract The scarcity of mineral nutrients in the wort for bioethanol production has been a constant concern within the industrial scale. Serious damage to the production process can be pointed out, such as compromising the vitality of the yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells). This paper evaluated the mineral amounts of ions metals in the industrial fermentation process. A balance of minerals indicated the necessity of yeasts for certain chemical elements, making measurable the levels necessary for the respective supplementation. Through this, laboratory-scale fermentation assays were carried out with different conditions (20, 24 e 26 ° Brix ) that determined the main productivity parameters in response to the application of two commercial nutrients in a combined way. Among the conditions evaluated, the assays with 24 and 26 ° Brix supplemented with the line of inorganic nutrients ™Nitrofós presented better results, increasing the fermentative efficiency by 7 percentage points compared to the control (without product). Fermentations supplemented with the product showed higher levels of cellular vitality, indicating an increase in glucose-reducing metabolism through the nutrition of S. cerevisiae . Considering a scale-up of the bioethanol production process with supplementation of ™Nitrofós accounted for gains of 266 m³ of ethanol/month more than the control group, savings of R$ 586,879.20.