Resumen de Determination of the chemical and sensory quality of yellow pitahaya wine (Hylocereus megalanthus) using different layers and fermentation times

Tanya Melody Muzo Briones, Jonathan Arguello Cedeño, Karol Yannela Revilla Escobar, Jhonnatan Placido Aldas Morejon, Juan Alejandro Neira Mosquera, Sungey Naynee Sánchez Llaguno

• 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.