OPTIMIZATION OF FERMENTATION PROCESS FOR TEQUILA PRODUCTION USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM)

The objective of this work was to optimize sugar concentrations, nitrogen and phosphorus in the medium, in order to increase the efficiency production, establishing the influence of these macronutrients in the flavor compounds listed in the Mexican legislation (NOM-006-SCFI-2005). It was used two strains of Saccharomyces yeasts and two types of must: 100% Agave and mixed Agave (Agave plus sucrose). At first it was used a factorial design (2(4-1)). Control variables: sugar concentration, nitrogen and phosphorus, and temperature. Response variables: fermentation efficiency and concentrations of the compounds listed in the NOM. The objective function was determined by minimum squares for each response variable with its restrictions. For the efficiency of 94.58% (with a desirable function of 0.891312), the program suggested, mixed Agave (Agave and sucrose), Saccharomyces THL 110; 8 degrees Bx; 0.797979 g/ 1 N; 0.376875 g/ 1 P, and at 40 degrees C.