Obtenção e caracterização de bebida destilada a partir da fermentação do soro de queijo

The present study aimed the production and characterization of a new alcoholic beverage through discontinuous fermentation of cheese whey and subsequent distillation of the fermented product. The fermentative assays were performed at 35 °C and 150 rpm during 92 h in a 7-L bioreactor (total volume) using the yeast Kluyveromyces fragilis. The distillate was separated into three fractions according to the ethanol concentration: the head (>80% v/v), the heart (80-40% v/v) and the tail (<40% v/v). The heart fraction was diluted to an alcoholic content of 40% v/v and the main volatile compounds (esters and higher alcohols) were determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The heart fraction was also submitted to sensory analysis by a panel of trained assessors aiming to establish visual, olfactory and gustatory descriptors. It was concluded that it is possible to obtain a distilled beverage with pleasant odor and taste from cheese whey fermentation.