What You Need to Know
During fermentation, yeast cells convert the sugars sucrose, glucose, and fructose in palm sap into ethanol and CO₂, while lactic acid bacteria simultaneously reduce sugars to lactic acid, lowering the pH. The resulting acidic environment suppresses spoilage microbes and imparts a characteristic sourness, but if temperature rises above 35 °C or pH is not controlled, acetic acid bacteria oxidize ethanol to acetic acid, producing off‑flavors and potential methanol or biogenic amine formation.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Fermentation of sugars to ethanol and lactic acid