Fermentation Rate in Yeast under Varying Starch, Sucrose, and Sodium Phosphate Concentrations

Abstract

Baker’ yeast is an important product that humans use for numerous tasks, like bread making. We conducted this experiment to see how adding starch would affect yeast fermentation. We had two control groups, one with the minimum and one with the maximum recommended quantities of additives. Our experimental trial also consisted of two groups, a biochamber with the minimum recommendations plus starch, and a biochamber with the maximum plus starch. In our results, we found that for carbon dioxide production, the minimum concentrations changed less than the maximum concentrations. In the ethanol trials, we found that the minimum control was very similar to the maximum starch. Also, the minimum starch was very comparable to the maximum control. We concluded that there was a significant difference in change in the ethanol trials compared to the carbon dioxide trials. We assume that in certain trials, the amount of sugar (sucrose and starch) could have overwhelmed the yeast’s ability to produce CO₂ and ethanol (Hoefnagels 2014).