TY  - JOUR
T1  - Production of a Mexican Alcoholic Beverage: Sotol
AU - , H. De La Garza-Toledo AU - , M. Martinez AU - , L. Lara AU - , R. Rodriguez-Herrera AU - , J. Rodriguez-Martinez AU - , C.N. Aguilar 
JO  - Research Journal of Biological Sciences
VL  - 3
IS  - 6
SP  - 566
EP  - 571
PY  - 2008
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1815-8846
DO  - rjbsci.2008.566.571
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=rjbsci.2008.566.571
KW  - Sotol
KW  -Dasylirion
KW  -fermentation
KW  -traditional process
KW  -alcoholic beverage
AB  - Sotol is a distilled alcoholic beverage (similar to Tequila) obtained  by  fermentation  of sotol <I>Dasylirion</I> sp. a <I>Neolinacea</I> that grows in the semi-desert areas of Mexico. The liquor is obtained by cooking of the central part of sotol plants (known as &quot;pineapples&quot;), which are previously fermented and distilled. This traditional process does not have a quality control program. However, this alcoholic beverage is very popular and economically important. In this research the physiochemical parameters of raw materials and liquor manufacturing process were evaluated; in addition, microorganisms associated to different stages of alcoholic fermentation were isolated and identified. Results indicated an average concentration of 31.9% of reducing sugars in the extracts of cooked pineapples and, 10.15% of reducing sugars, in the fermentation tank, the fermentation temperature was 18-25 <SUP>0</SUP>C, pH was 4.4, soluble sugars content at the initial step was 10 Brix degrees (ºBX) and 5 ºBX at the final step. After the first distillation, the alcoholic grade was 35 ºGay Lussac (ºG.L.). and after a second distillation it was, 46-50 ºG.L. Associated to sotol plant were found different bacteria, yeasts and fungi species. However, diversity of microorganisms was diminished after the cooking process, but in the fermentation step, a fungus, 6 bacteria and 2 yeasts were isolated. Microorganisms were identified by traditional and automatic biochemical tests. Future  research will be made to select the native <I>Saccharomyces cerevisieae</I> strain(s) according to their enological characteristics of the Sotol liquor.
ER  -