What You Need to Know
During fermentation, the natural invertase activity of the pineapple and added microorganisms hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructose. Saccharomyces cerevisiae then ferments these sugars to ethanol and CO₂, while Lactobacillus plantarum converts them to lactic acid, lowering the pH and inhibiting spoilage organisms. The resulting product has a mild alcoholic content and a characteristic tartness.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Sucrose → glucose + fructose (invertase) → ethanol + CO₂ (yeast) + lactate (L. plantarum)