Saprochaete suaveolens aka Geotrichum

Distillation methods and improvements.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
User avatar
Single Malt Yinzer
Trainee
Posts: 973
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2016 3:20 pm

Saprochaete suaveolens aka Geotrichum

Post by Single Malt Yinzer »

Off on a new tangent with Rum research. Geotrichum is a very common soil yeast. Geotrichum Fragrans and Geotrichum Candidum produce an array of esters and other flavor and aromatic compounds. If you use seasoned dunder or muck there's a good chance that you have this. Commercially it is used in making cheese.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotrichum

https://drfungus.org/knowledge-base/geotrichum-species/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotrichum_candidum
G. candidum can be used commercially to inoculate wash-rinds and bloomy rind cheeses
The fungus also neutralizes the curd by catabolizing lactic acid produced by bacteria.
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... M_FRAGRANS

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25407290/
A yeast identified as Saprochaete suaveolens was investigated for its capacity to produce a large panel of flavouring molecules. With a production of 32 compounds including 28 esters, S. suaveolens seems to be a good producer of fruity flavours and fragrances and especially of unsaturated esters, such as ethyl tiglate.
https://cheesemaking.com/products/geotr ... ese-making
Last edited by Single Malt Yinzer on Fri Jul 24, 2020 4:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
SaltyStaves
Distiller
Posts: 1049
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:18 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Saprochaete suaveolens aka Geotrichum

Post by SaltyStaves »

Ethyl Tiglate is highly volatile and won't survive a pit environment. Once harnessed, it needs to be used and ideally in the spirit run somewhere rather than the wash.

I experimented with Dragon fruit skin and had one success and one failure.
The Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) I have the best access to is imported from Vietnam. It is not chemically treated, but thermally treated, so I left the fruit outside for three days to sequester S. Suaveolens from the environment. After the 3 days, I peeled the skin, discarded the fruit and added it to a mason jar with 1.5L of glucose solution (OG 1.040). The next day I added a Tbsp of boiled yeast and kept the jar at around 30C for 72Hrs. After that, I refrigerated it until I was ready.
Dragon Water.jpg

S. Suaveolens
is an alt-yeast in the form of a biofilm and that is precisely what formed on top of the surface of the liquid.
I made two identical small ferments of Molasses and inoculated one with the liquid from the top of the Dragon fruit (drawn with a pipette).

Both fermented out and I ran them both through my mini pot still. Compared to the control, the Dragon fruit inoculation was like an Apple brandy with a molasses finish. It was much more like a fruit brandy than a rum. Still very desirable though. Not fake apple in any way, it was crisp red apple and I'd love to have a big batch of it for blending.

My second attempt was a failure because I allowed it to go for 96hrs. It formed a spectacular mold colony with every colour of the rainbow and I had to toss it. Wish I had a photo of it. Was a disappointment, because I had also used a locally grown, organic Dragon Fruit.
User avatar
Hambone
Rumrunner
Posts: 509
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2020 7:24 am
Location: MO, just around the bend...

Re: Saprochaete suaveolens aka Geotrichum

Post by Hambone »

I used a scoop of my garden dirt (potato bed) for my dunder. Who knows what all is in there...
Good judgement is the result of experience.

Experience is usually the result of bad judgement..
Post Reply