Acceso usuarios
Quito, Ecuador
Sangolqui, Ecuador
Introduction: The diversification of raw materials in winemaking represents an innovative alternative for the agro-industrial use of non-traditional fruits. In this context, yellow pitahaya (Hylocereus megalanthus) stands out for its physicochemical and sensory characteristics, which make it a potential substrate for the production of fermented wines.
Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical and sensory quality of a wine made from yellow pitahaya (H. megalanthus), using different yeast strains and fermentation times.
Materials and Methods: A Factorial Design A*B was applied to analyze the effect of two factors: yeast strains (factor A) and fermentation time (factor B), resulting in a total of four treatments with three replicates each. To determine significant differences between treatments, Tukey's multiple range test (p < 0.05) was used with InfoStat statistical software.
Results: The analyses showed pH values between 3.46 and 3.84, Brix degrees between 14.67 and 17.67, and an alcohol content between 8.30% and 10.23%. Treatment T4 stood out for obtaining the highest scores in aroma (4.61), color (4.60), flavor (4.90), texture (4.60), and overall acceptability (4.90).
Conclusion: the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. cerevisiae with a fermentation time of 15 days allows the production of a pitahaya wine with excellent chemical and sensory characteristics.
