Evaluation of Probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii Yeast as a Distillery Strain

The probiotic properties of the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii are fairly well recognised, and research into the use of this strain in fermentation processes has been ongoing for several years. In this article, we have described the research results to evaluate the distillery potential of S. boulardii yeast. Compared to Ethanol Red and Thermosacc Dry yeast, the probiotic strain formed slightly different amounts of volatile compounds and fermented the available sugars less vigorously. The final ethanol concentration formed by the probiotic yeast was close to that observed for the distillery strains. Rye distillates with an alcohol content of 40% (v/v) obtained with S. boulardii yeast, according to the sensory panel, were distinguished by their delicately composed flavour and were rated better than distillates after fermentation by distillery yeast. The results are promising for the possibility of production of niche distillates using probiotic yeast.