Coconut toddy wild yeast kinetics: sugar Brix drops and alcohol ABV curves after dark?
How do wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains drop sap sugar from 15% Brix to 5% ABV within six hours of evening collection?
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4 Answers from travellers
Fresh coconut inflorescence sap (Thelijja) begins at an unfermented sugar level of 14-16% Brix dominated by sucrose. The interior walls of unglazed collecting earthenware pots harbor dense biofilms of wild alcohol-tolerant yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora guilliermondii) alongside lactic acid bacteria. Once pots are gathered from palm fronds at dusk, fermentation kinetics accelerate exponentially under warm ambient night temperatures (28-31°C). Within six hours, yeasts invert sucrose and convert glucose into ethanol, dropping Brix down to 4-6% while alcohol climbs to 5.5% ABV with intense natural effervescence.
If left unpasteurized past noon the following morning, Acetobacter aceti bacteria take over, oxidizing ethanol into acetic acid and turning the toddy into sour vinegar.
Coating collection pots with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) raises pH above 8.0, which inhibits wild yeast glycolysis and preserves the sap as sweet non-alcoholic treacle.
Fermented toddy must be transported to licensed coastal arrack distilleries in stainless steel tanks within 12 hours of collection to avoid volatile acid spoilage.
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