What You Need to Know
During fermentation, yeasts metabolize vegetable sugars to ethanol and CO₂, while lactic acid bacteria convert sugars to lactic acid and, under certain conditions, acetic acid. The combined acidification lowers the pH to ≤4.6, inhibiting spoilage organisms and creating a tangy flavor profile. Oxygen exclusion and controlled salt levels steer the microbial community toward desirable lactic acid production rather than spoilage or off‑flavors.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Fermentation of sugars by yeast and lactic acid bacteria producing lactic acid, acetic acid, CO₂, and ethanol