The Effect of Temperature on Ethanol Production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is used in many diverse applications, such as baking and brewing, to produce ethanol. Ethanol is a byproduct of fermentation, an anaerobic metabolic process used by yeast to produce their energy. Our study was performed to investigate the short-term relationship of ethanol production with increasing intervals of environmental heat. Trials were conducted at three temperatures; at room temperature, 23.8° c, 40.0° c, and 60.0° c. We found that as temperatures increased, ethanol production increased as well. This suggests that yeasts’ metabolic rate also increases with environmental temperature, as yeast’s ethanol production is directly linked with metabolic processes. If yeast’s metabolism increases with temperature, thermophilic yeast strains could be developed that would thrive at higher temperatures and increase efficiency.