Application of Thermotolerant Yeast at High Temperature in Jar-fermentor Scale.

We investigated the possibility of industrial application and economit process of high temperature fermentation by thermotolerant alcohol producing yeasts as previously reported. From the 20% glucose media, the RA-74-2 produced 11.8% (v/v) ethanol at $32^{\circ}C$ (0.5% inoculum) and 10.6% (v/v) ethanol at $40^{\circ}C$ (3% inoculum), respectively. Also, 11.3% (v/v) ethanol was produced for 96 hours in the temperature-gradient fermentation. These results suggest that the RA-74-2 could isuccessfully be applied to save the cooling water and energy in industrial scale without re-investment or modification of established fermentation systems. When potato starch was used as the substrate for the RA-74-2, high temperature fermentation above $40^{\circ}C$ was more appropriate for industrial utilization because organic nitrogen was not necessary to economical fermentation. As the naked barley media just prior to industrial inoculation, taken from the Poongkuk alcohol industry Co., were used, 9.6% (v/v) ethanol was produced at $40^{\circ}C$ for 48 hours in jar-fermentor scale (actually, 9.5-9.8% (v/v) ethanol was produced at 30~$32^{\circ}C$ for 100 hours in industrial scale). The ethanol productivity was increased by the high glucoamylase activity as well as the high metabolic ratio at $40^{\circ}C$ Therefore, if the thermotolerant yeast RA-74-2 would be used in industrial scale, we could obtain a high productivity and saving of the cooling water and energy. Meanwhile, the RA-912 produced 6%(v/v) ethanol in 10% glucose media at $45^{\circ}C$ and showed the less ethanol-tolerance compared with industrial strains. As the produced alcohol was recovered by the vacuum evaporator at $45^{\circ}C$ in 15% glucose media, the final fermentation ratio was enhanced (76% of theoretical yields). This suggest that a hyperproductive process could be achieved by a continuous input of the substrate and continuous recovery of the product under vacuum in high cell-density culture.