FERMENTATION OF DOUGLAS-FIR 

HYDROLYZATE BY S. cerevisiae 

June 1946 

No. R1618 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: 

FOREST SERVICE 

FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY 

Madison, Wisconsin 

In Cooperation with the University of Wisconsin 
FERMENTATION OF DOUGLAS-FIR HYDROLYZATE BY S. cerevisiae 

By 

ELWIN E. HARRIS, 

GEORGE J. HAJNY, 

MARTHA HANNAN, 

and 

SEDGWICK ROGERS, 

Introduction 

Chemist 

Chemist 

Bacteriologist 

Chemist 

Previous work at the Forest Products Laboratory has demonstrated that the 

sugars produced by the saccharification of wood could be used to propagate 

yeast and produce ethyl alcohol by fermentation provided that treatments were 

given or conditions used which overcame the effect of some of the inhibiting 

materials in the wood-sugar hydrolyzates. Leonard and Hajny1 have demonstrated that addition of sodium bisulfite, a heat treatment at neutrality, or 

the use of large quantities of inoculum aided in overcoming the effect of the 

inhibiting materials. Peterson and his coworkers2 found that the use of a 

rich inoculum was beneficial to the growing of yeast on wood hydrolyzates, 

Grondal and Berger3, found that removal of lignin and furfural plus the addition of autolyzed yeast aided in the butanol fermentation of waste sulfite 

liquor. Sjolander, Langlykke, and Peterson4, found that clarification of the 

solutions with activated carbon produced solutions that were easily fermented. 

Many other notable contributions have been made by others especially in connection with the Scholler process for wood saccharification in Germany5. 

by improvements which affect the ease of fermentation have been made in the 

process of wood saccharification as developed at the Forest Products 

Laboratory.6 Hydrolyzate prepared by these processes were used for study in 

these experiments. 

1Leonard, R. H. and Hajny, G. J.; J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 37, 390 (1945).

2Peterson, W. H. , Snell, J. F. , and Frazer, W. C., Ind. Eng. Chem. 37, 30, 

(1945) . 

3Grondal, B. and Berger, H. W. , Chem. and Met, Eng., 52:6, June 1945. 

4Sjolandar, N. O., Langlykke, A. F. and Peterson, W. H., J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 

30, 1251 (1938).

5U. S. Patents: 2,083,347, June 8, 1937; 2,083,348, June 8, 1937; 2,188,192, 

January 23, 1940, 2,188,193, January 23, 1940. 

6Harris, E. E., Beglinger, E., Hajny, G. J., and Sherrard, E. C.; J. Ind. 

Eng. 37, 12 (1945). Saccharification of Wood, FPL Report No. R1475, 

March 1945. 

Report No. R1618 -1-
The need for the removal of furfural from liquors to be fermented has been 

pointed out by Leonard and Hajny1 and by Emil Hauser7. In recent works at 

the Forest Products Laboratory a method of flashing the hydrolyzate after 

neutralization has been used. This procedure removes all but traces of 

furfural and at the same time permits removal of calcium sulfate at elevated 

temperatures, 

The effect of these changes on the ease of fermentation and a study of the 

problems connected with pilot-plant-scale fermentations, such as yeast requirements, conditions for growth of yeast, methods for removing yeast from the 

fermented liquors, nutrient requirements for growing yeast, and for fermentation and other problems are described in this report, 

The yeast used was a strain of brewer's yeast S. cerevisiae No. 49 from the 

University of Wisconsin collection and was selected because of its high 

alcohol-yielding capacity. 

Wood hydrolyzates prepared according to procedures described in earlier 

reports, which had been neutralized at temperatures of 130° to 135° C. to a 

pH of 4.7 to 5.0 with lime, filtered within that temperature range, flashed 

to atmospheric pressure, cooled to 30° C. and then filtered, were treated 

with sodium carbonate until the hydrolyzate had a pH value between 5.6 and 

5.8. 

Analytical Methods 

Total Yeast Counts Were &de by a Procedure 

Using a Mold-counting Chamber 

The yeast count was made on a sample estimated to contain about 50 million 

cells per milliliter. For estimating purposes it was found that 1 percent 

wet volume of yeast was equivalent to about 100 million Torula cells or 80 

million brewer's yeast cells per milliliter. Special cam was given to 

obtain a representative sample. With the concentration of yeast usually 

used in these fermentations a dilution of one part of sample with two parts

of water was satisfactory. 

The diluted sample was shaken to provide even distribution of the cells. By means of a capillary pipette a small drop of the diluted sample was placed 

on a mold-counting chamber (U. S. Dept. of Agr. Bulletin No. 581, 1917) and 

spread evenly with the pipette. The cover slip was placed on tho counting 

chamber so that there were no air bubbles or overflow of fluid, and so that 

Newton's bands appeared at the points of contact between the cover slip and 

tho edges of the moats, 

7Hauser, E., Cellulose Chemie, 1, 41 (1920). 

Report No. R1618 -2-
Through the high power objective of a microscope with a micrometer dish 

inserted in the eyepiece, the cells were counted in A row of 10 large squares. 

Counting was repeated until 10 fields chosen at random, but scattered over 

the entire mold chamber, had been counted. Cells touching the left and upper 

edge of the row were counted while those touching the right and lower edges 

were disregarded. Buds were counted as separate cells. 

Calculations 

Million cells per milliliter = Number of cells per large square (1) times dilution times factor 

The factor will vary with each microscope, objective, and eyepiece used. 

factor is found by measuring the dimensions represented by a square of the 

micrometer disk in the eyepiece at a definite setting of draw tube and with 

This 

the combination of lenses to be used for counting, and then converting the 

volume represented by a square to 1 milliliter. With the combination of 

equipment used in this study, the factor was 14.8. When the average number

of cells per square are multiplied by this factor and the dilution, the 

millions of cells per milliliter are obtained. 

Wet-yeast volume was determined in a graduated 15-milliliter centrifuge tube 

by centrifuging 10 milliliters of a representative sample of the suspension 

of yeast in the fermentation liquor. The wet volume was read directly from 

the tube; 0.1 milliliter of wet yeast is equivalent to approximately 1 

percent wet-yeast volume. 

The dry weight of the yeast was determined by the method described by 

Peterson, Snell, and Frazier.

2 

Reducing sugar, fermentable sugar, and alcohol were determined by methods 

described by Saeman, Harris, and Kline.8 

Inoculum Production 

In the production of alcohol by the use of large volumes of preformed 

inoculum, it is desirable to keep the cost of the production of yeast at a 

minimum. Alcohol being the desired end product, there is no loss if alcohol 

is produced while propagating the inoculum. It is possible, therefore, to 

obtain higher utilization of the air and decrease the cost of yeast production by using a lower rate of air to medium than in the usual yeast 

production. The use of less air when growing yeast on wood hydrolyzates also 

reduces the amount of organic material which precipitates. 

For the growing of yeast, (table 1) inoculum which had been developed from a 

slant on a glucose and malt-sprout medium was propagated on 2.6 gallons of a 

8Saeman, J. F., Harris, E. E., Kline, A.; Analyl. Ed. Ind. Eng. Chem. 17, 95 

(1945). 

Report No. R1618 -3-
sterilized solution containing 2 percent sugar obtained by diluting Louisiana 

second-crop molasses, 2 grams of ammonium sulfate, 2 grams of disodium 

phosphate, 8 grams of urea, and the aqueous extract from 200 grams of malt 

sprouts. This solution was aerated through a cloth sparger for 16 hours and 

then added to 4.2 gallons of a sterilized solution containing 8 percent sugar 

from Louisiana second-crop molasses, 12.7 grams disodium phosphate, 12.7 grams 

ammonium sulfate, and 50 grams of urea. This 6.8 gallons of inoculum was 

aerated as described for 8 hours and was then placed in a 75-gallon-fermentation tank and, while aerating at a rate of 4 cubic feet of air per minute, 

neutralized wood hydrolyzate was added at a rate of 2 to 3 gallons per hour 

for 16 hours. The inoculum thus produced was placed in a 500-gallon 

fernentor and, while aerating at a rate of 0,2 volume of air to 1 volume of 

liquid per minute, wood hydrolyzate was added at a rate of 0.75 gallon per 

minute for 7 to 8 hours. 

In general the more concentrated solutions were acted upon more slowly. 

Fermentation P5 (table 1) did not appear to follow this general observation 

because the rate of feed of the wood-sugar inoculum was larger, and therefore the amount of yeast added to the large fermentor was greater. The sugar 

in both fermentations P4 and P5 were utilized in the time allowed while the 

higher concentrations of fermentations P6 and P7 were used more slowly. The 

experiment was not continued but it is believed that a longer period of time 

would have given high yields of yeast in fermentations P6 and P7. 

A series of fermentations (P8 to P18 in table 2), were made to study the 

effect of increasing the time and variations in the ratio of air to medium 

on the yield of yeast and alcohol from more concentrated sugar solutions. 

For this series, past was started on 5 gallons of 3 percent sugar from 

diluted Louisiana second-crop molasses containing 20 grams ammonium sulfate, 

20 grams of monosodium phosphate, 40 grams of urea, and the extract from 

570 grams of malt sprouts. This medium was sterilized for 30 minutes at 

15 pounds per square inch steam pressure, adjusted to pH 4.8, and cooled to 

30° C. The yeast was added and then the mixture was aerated at approximately 2.5 air-to-liquid ratio through a 3.5-inch cloth sparger for 16 hours, 

This molasses inoculum was placed in a 75-gallon fermentor and wood sugar was 

added while aerating and stirring took place. In fermentations P8 through 

P13, the sugar was fed in slowly, the addition requiring 6 to 8 hours. 

Samples were taken at the end of 9 hours and then aeration was continued to 

the end of 24 hours when samples were again taken. An increase in the rate of 

aeration decreased the rate of sugar utilization in 9 hours but increased the 

total amount of yeast produced. The total yeast produced was limited by tho 

amount of nutrient present which was that required to produce a 20 percent 

growth of yeast. 

In fernentations P14 through P18, the sugar was added as a batch and aerated. 

Fermentation P14 differed from P16 in the rate of agitation, In fermentation 

P14 the agitation was half the rate used in the series P15 through P18. 

Yields of yeast in 9 hours in series P14 through P18 were higher than from 

the series that was fed slowly because the full amount of the sugar was 

present the entire time and a greater utilization of the air resulted. The 

Report No. R1618 -4-
yield in 24 hours, however, was about the same, In the series P8 through P18, 

the alcohol produced in 9 hours was in most fermentations almost equal to that 

in 24 hours, indicating that only yeast was produced after the first 9 hours, 

or that alcohol may either have been used in the growing of yeast, or was lost 

due to evaporation. 

Preliminary Pilot-plant-scale Alcoholic Fermentation. 

In fermentations shown in table 3, yeast was first grown on 5 gallons Of 

diluted molasses, then transferred to wood sugar in a 75-gallon fermentor 

and aerated for 16 hours for further development of yeast, and was then 

transferred to a 350-gallon batch of wood sugar for anaerobic fermentation. 

In the series P20, P21, and P22, the yeast, which had increased from about 

0.35 pound on a dry basis to more than a pound, was added to about 350 

gallons of approximately 5 percent wood-sugar solution, The inoculum in 

these fermentations did not contain enough yeast to carry the fermentation 

to completion in 24 hours. Fermentation P22 was allowed to continue for 40 

hours. The yield of alcohol was normal for the sugar subjected to alcoholic 

fermentation, Except for the time required, fermentation P22 was satisfactory. 

Fermentations P24, P25, P26, and P29 comprised a study of the rate of 

fermentation using varying amounts of inoculum. In fernentations P24 and P25 

a large amount of inoculum, 1.8 to 2.0 pounds on a dry basis in 76 gallons, 

was used. Fermentation was complete in 5.5 to 6.0 hours. Half that amount 

of inoculum, as in fermentation P29, required 14 hours. Fermentation P26 was 

not complete in 7.5 hours but would have been in 9.5 hours. The sugar subjected to alcoholic fermentation gave good yields, but because the amount 

used to grow the yeast was large, the over-all yield of alcohol was low, 

Growth factors in the form of molasses and extract of malt sprouts were added 

to fermentations P27 and P28, but the rate of fermentation did not appear to 

be affected. 

Growth factors which may have been carried over in the solution from the 

molasses inoculum were removed in fermentations P30 through P33 by centrifuging and washing! the yeast before transferring to a wood-sugar solution. The 

effect of the addition of varying amounts of growth factors was determined by 

adding molasses to the fermentation. In fermentation P30 molasses was added 

for the growing of inocula on wood sugars and also for the fermentation. In 

fermentations P31 and P32, molasses was used in the production of the yeast 

only, while in fermentation P33 the only sources of growth factors were those 

in the centrifuged and washed yeast. Fermentations were slower as the amount 

of molasses was decreased, but all were complete with good conversion of 

sugar to alcohol in 24 hours. Over-all conversion was low because of the 

large amount of wood sugar used for growing the yeast. 

Report No. R1618 -5-
The past produced in the alcoholic fermentation in these series was usually 

less than that lost in the beer during separation in a yeast separator. 

Further experiments were therefore carried out to produce an amount of yeast 

in each fermentation equal to that lost in the separation of the yeast and 

through mechanical losses. 

The efficiency of the wood-sugar fermentation, where yeast is produced with 

each fermentation, may be determined from the results in fermentation P29. 

Since 25 gallons of the 58 gallons of wood-sugar inoculum were used to supply 

the past for the anaerobic fermentation, the equivalent of 17.9 gallons of 

5.23 percent sugar were used to grow the yeast, thus only 24.7 percent of the 

sugar was converted to alcohol. In the alcoholic fermentation, 45 gallons of 

5.28 percent sugar were fermented, producing a yield of alcohol of 40 percent 

based on the sugar. This gives an over-all efficiency of only 35.8 percent, 

whereas an average yield of 38 to 39 percent is required to maintain plant 

output, In order to obtain this efficiency, it would be necessary to recover 

the past and transfer it to a new batch of sugar solution, 

Fermentation of Clarified Wood Hydrolyzate 

To doternine the factors that were responsible for the failure to grow sufficient yeast to carry the fermentations through several transfers, 

variations were introduced. 

In a previous report,1 attention has been called to the precipitate which is 

deposited on yeast while aerating the wood hydrolyzate during the propagation 

of yeast. Upon centrifuging, this precipitate collects with the yeast, makes 

it difficult to determine the amount of yeast actually present, and possibly 

interferes with the metabolism of the yeast. 

Because the precipitate has some of the properties of lignin, it was suggested 

that its rate of precipitation may be controlled by oxidation, reduction, or 

coagulation with some multivalent ion. Oxidizing agents such as peroxide, 

calcium hypochlorite, and bromine, water seemed to have very little affect in 

quantities that would be permissible. Reducing substances such as sulfur 

dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfites, and phosphites seemed to have no effect. 

Polyvalent ions such as the aluminum ion were very effective in clarifying 

the solution, The amount required was about 2 pounds of aluminum sulfate for 

each 500 gallons of wood hydrolyzate but quantities as low as 1 pound for 500 

gallons were helpful. 

Seven-litor fermentation 

Wood hydrolyzates which had been clarified by the use of aluminum sulfate were 

fermented in 7-liter fermentations (table 4) with 0.5 percent, 1 percent, and 

1.5 percent yeast by wet volume. At the end of the fermentation the yeast 

was removed in a centrifuge and was added with 700 milliliters of the fermented 

liquor to 6,300 milliliters of approximately 5 percent sugar solution 

Report No. R1618 -6-
containing sufficient urea (0.01 percent concentration) and potassium 

phosphate (0.003 percent concentration) to permit a 20 percent increase in 

yeast, The fermentation was carried through four transfers, one each 24 

hours, The results are shown in tables 4 and 5. 

It appears that an increase in the utilization of sugars and their conversion 

into alcohol results through continuous transfer of the yeast. There vas no 

difficulty in maintaining yeast concentrations. All fermentations on 

clarified solutions were complete in 6 to 12 hours but the yeast was left in 

the beer to the end of 20 hours to determine any loss in vitality that may 

have resulted from standing. The yeast was very active and seldom more than 

half an hour elapsed before vigorous fermentation started, and in all fermentors increased beyond that required for maintenance of satisfactory 

fermentation rate in 20 hours, 

Fermentation in 77-gallon Batches by Yeast Transfer 

Fermentations of wood hydrolyzates using solutions clarified with aluminum 

sulfate were also studied in 77-gallon batches. In the first of the fermentation series, as shown in table 6, P39 was made on the clarified 

hydrolyzate, while series P42 was made on liquor that had. been clarified- aid 

then aerated for 24 hours before using it for the growing of yeast and for 

fermentation. 

The experiments were handicapped because the yeast separator was in poor condition and about 20 percent of the yeast was lost with each transfer. The 

yeast growth during fermentation, however, was sufficient to maintain 

satisfactory yeast concentrations to bring about fernentat ion in 20 hours. 

Yeast inoculum was first grown on a sterilized solution of 825 milliliters of 

Louisiana second-crop molasses dissolved in 5 gallons of water which contained 

urea and phosphate sufficient to produce 40 percent of yeast from the sugar. 

After 16 hours the yeast was removed from this inoculum by centrifuging and 

transferred to a fermentor containing 10 gallons of water and 36 gallons of 

approximately 5 percent wood-sugar solution for further yeast growth. This 

mixture was stirred and aerated slowly with about 0.7 volume of air per volume 

of liquid per minute for 16 hours. Then 23 gallons of this inoculum was placed 

in a fermentor and mads up to 77 gallons with wood-sugar solution. At the 

end of 20 hours the yeast was removed by centrifuging; about 8 gallons of 

yeast cream were obtained. This yeast cream was added to the next fermentor 

and made up to 77 gallons with 5 percent wood-sugar solution. The rates of 

fermentation for fermentations P39 and P42 are shown in figure 1. 

The over-all yield of alcohol based on the total sugar used for yeast production and alcohol for fermentation P39 was 38.2 percent while that for 

fermentation P42 vas 37.3 percent. The aeration of fermentation P42 produced 

a precipitate which made the yeast much darker and may have been responsible 

for the lower alcohol yield. 

Report No. R1618 -7-
The clarified wood-sugar solution was used for two other series of fermentations, series C and series D, involving yeast reuse by transfer of the yeast 

from a completed fermentation to fresh sugar solutions. 

Series C was carried out in 55-gallon batches to which 54 milliliters of 

Louisiana second-crop molasses had been added to supply growth factors. Fermentations were usually complete in 12 to 14 hours, but the yeast was not 

removed until the end of 20 hours. This series was continued for 38 transfers. 

The data for these fermentations are given in table 7. The average values 

for the 38 transfers were fermentability, 83.8 percent; yield of alcohol from 

total reducing sugar, 39.6 percent; and yield of- alcohol from fermentable 

sugar, 47.4 percent, after correcting for molasses which had been added. 

Series D was similar to series C except that the molasses was omitted. 

fermentations required 14 to 16 hours and the yeast was removed by means of a 

The 

yeast centrifuge at the end of 20 hours and transferred to fresh sugar. This 

series was continued for 25 Cays. The values for the various fermentations 

are given in table 8. The average values for the 25 transfers were fermentable sugars, 83.9 percent; yield of alcohol on total reducing sugar, 39.4 

percent; and on fermentable sugar, 47.0 percent. 

In both series C and D, fermentations started readily and yeast sufficient 

to replace that lost mechanically was grown during the fermentation. Hourly 

counts of the yeast indicated that the greatest increase in yeast occurred 

after the alcoholic fermentation was complete. The average values of these 

fermentations are compared with other fermentations in table 5. 

Fermentation of Solutions Produced Under 

Milder Hydrolysis Conditions 

Another variable studied was the use of better control in the production of 

the sugar. It has been noted that excessive temperatures or long holding 

periods in the production of the sugar from wood resulted in the formation 

of large amounts of tar-like material. It was believed that the same 

reaction which produced tar may also produce substances that affect the 

fermentability of the hydrolysates. 

Wood hydrolysate, which had been produced under conditions such that the 

minimum amount of tar was produced as described in Forest Products Laboratory 

Report No. R1475 (1945) was subjected to 7 liter, (1.85 gals.) 55-gallon 

and 300-gallon fermentations. The results of these series are shown in 

table 5. 

Tho 7-liter fermentation series shown as series N in table 5 was carried 

through 14 transfers of the past. (Table 9) Tests were made in duplicate, 

two starting with 0.5 percent and two with 1.0 percent yeast using 5 percent 

sugar solutions. Yeast was removed from the fermented solutions at the end 

of 20 hours by centrifuging and was added with 700 milliliters of fermented 

liquor to 6,300 milliliters of hydrolyzate for the next fermentation. Urea 

and phosphate sufficient to permit a 20 percent increase in yeast were added 

to each fermentation. The change in the sugar utilized and in the alcohol 

Report No. R1618 -8-
produced by 0.5 percent and 1.0 percent yeast volumes when carried through 14 

transfers is shown in figure 2. There was only a slight difference in the 

utilization of sugar between the fermentors with 0.5 percent volume of yeast 

and those with 1.0 percent. Sugar utilization increased gradually and reached 

a maximum at about the thirteenth transfer, 

The change in yeast-cell count during the fermentation is shown in figure 3. 

In the first fermentation the cells retained a considerable amount of the 

growth rate exhibited during their propagation on molasses and continued to 

increase rapidly. The inhibiting substances in the wood hydrolyzate decreased 

this rate of growth in the second transfer and for the next four transfers 

remained practically constant. After the sixth transfer the yeast became 

acclimated and began to increase. By the tenth to twelfth transfer the yeast 

had developed sufficiently to promote a good utilization of the sugar. 

During the sixth transfer samples were taken each hour to determine the rate 

of sugar utilization. Each of the curves in figure 4 shows the averages of 

2 fermentations; one curve represents fermentations started with 0.5 percent 

yeast and the other with 1.0 percent yeast. All four fermentations were 

complete in 12 to 16 hours but were allowed to stand to the end of 20 hours. 

This fact may, therefore, account for the small variations in sugar 

utilization between 0.5 percent and 1.0 percent yeast as shown in figure 2. 

The fermentability of the sugar and the yield of alcohol for the N series in 

the first and fourteenth transfers are shown in table 5. 

Fermentation in 55-gallon Batches 

Yeast propagated as in fermentation P20 was used to start two 55-gallon 

fermentations on the hydrolyzate produced under milder conditions as follows: 

"A" series on the hydrolyzate alone, and "B" series on the same hydrolyzate 

but with 54 milliliters of Louisiana second crop molasses (0.025 percent) 

per fermentor added to provide growth factors. 

The contents of the tanks used for fermenting the A and B series fermentations were agitated by an external centrifugal pump which took liquid at a 

rate of 4 gallons per minute from the bottom of the fermentor tank and 

returned it to the tank about 6 inches below the surface of the liquid. 

Both fermentations started at about the same rate. The yeast was centrifuged 

from the beer as 10 percent yeast cream. During each transferring process 

about 20 percent of the yeast was lost either in the beer or mechanically. 

The yeast suspension, in these fermentations about 5.5 gallons, was placed in 

the fermentor and, with the pumps running, wood hydrolyzate containing 

approximately 5 percent reducing sugar, and urea, and phosphate, sufficient 

to produce a 20 percent increase in yeast, was pumped into the fermentor. 

The sugar in the solution dropped immediately, due to the absorption on the 

large volume of yeast and carbon dioxide began to be evolved in about 2 hours. 

The fermentations (B series) to which the molasses had been added, was about 

90 percent completed in 10 hours. The remaining 10 percent required about 3 

hours longer for completion. Tho fermentation (A series), which contained no 

Report No. R1618 -9-
molasses, was 30 percent complete in 14 hours and did not change after 17 

hours. Since all transfers were made after 20 hours, sufficient time had 

elapsed for complete utilization of the fermentable sugar. 

The series A fernentation was continued for 59 days; the values for the first 

24 days are given in table 10. The average values for 59 transfers were 

fermentable sugars, 83.5 percent; yield of alcohol from total reducing sugar, 

39.3 percent'; and. from fermentable sugar, 47.2 percent. 

The series B fermentation was continued for 25 transfers. The values after 

correcting for the molasses added are given in table 11. 

Yeast growth in the A and B series was adequate to maintain a good rate of 

fernentation in spite of losses suffered in transferring. 

Fermentation in 300-gallon Batches 

The hydrolyzate produced under milder conditions was fermented in 300-gallon 

batches in the L series. Yeast from the A, B, C, and D series fermentations, 

suspended in 28 gallons of fermented liquor, was placed in a 500-gallon steel 

tank with a side stirrer and while stirring, 270 gallons of Douglas-fir wood 

hydrolyzate containing approximately 5.2 percent reducing sugar was added. 

The quantity of alcohol did not increase after 18 hours although only 78.4 

percent of the total reducing sugar was utilized. After 20 hours the yeast 

was removed as a cream in 30 gallons of liquor in a yeast separator. The 

yeast cream was returned to the 500-gallon fermentor and 270 gallons of fresh 

sugar was added. The series was continued for 31 days, transferring the 

yeast to new hydrolyzate containing 5.0 to 5.6 percent reducing sugar after 

20 hours of fermentation. The concentration of alcohol produced ranged from 

1.90 to 2.2 grams per 100 milliliters. 

The amount of stirring was somewhat less than that used in the 55 and 75 

gallon fermentations and the yeast growth during the fermentation was less. 

Fermentation required 18 hours and did not have time for the yeast to grow 

after the alcoholic fermentation, a3 was tho case in other series. About 15 

percent of the yeast was lost during centrifuging and transferring. Because 

of the limited growth of yeast, there was no opportunity to increase the 

yeast except by adding new yeast. The cell count was increased to 120 

million per milliliter at the seventeenth transfer, which promoted a more 

rapid fermentation and a slight increase in the reducing sugar utilized but 

there was very little increase in the alcohol produced. The average values 

for tho 31 transfers were fermentable sugar, 81.1 percent; yield of alcohol 

On total sugar, 39.4 percent; and on fermentable sugar, 48.2 percent. 

A summary of the values of the fermentation on clarified hydrolyzate and on 

the hydrolyzate produced under more carefully controlled hydrolysis conditions is shown in table 5. 

Report No. R1618 -10-
It is demonstrated in this study involving 196 fermentations that sugar 

utilization and alcohol production is improved by acclimitization and continued transfer of the yeast. These 196 fementations have been carried- out 

without bacterial or mold contamination or evidence of contamination with 

other yeasts. 

In the pilot plant work involving the 55-gallon and 300-gallon fermentations, 

the amount of fermented liquor to be centrifuged was too small to obtain 

satisfactory results with the yeast separator available. It is believed that 

with larger quantities and larger separators better adapted for the work that 

higher yeast counts can be maintained and that 8- to 16-hour fermentations 

in large batches can be expected, 

Using 2 percent yeast (dry basis), or approximately 4 percent wet yeast 

volume, fermentations have been completed in 5 to 6 hours (forumtations P24 

and P25, table 3). The ability to separate and return high quantities of 

yeast has been difficult in pilot plant work. Further work on higher rates 

of fermentation is in progress. 

Distillation of Fermented Solutions 

Fermented liquors containing approximately 2 grams of alcohol per 100 

milliliters were distilled in a 50-gallon still equipped with a 4-inch 

bubble-cap-plate column. Ninety-eight percent of the alcohol was obtained 

in a liquor containing approximately 70 percent alcohol. This 70 percent 

alcohol was further fractionated by distilling in a 5-foot, 25 millimeter 

glass laboratory fractionating column packed with glass helices. In this 

distillation a 20 to 1 reflux ratio was used. A volume equivalent to 0.3 

percent of the alcohol present in the still distilled as a yellow liquid 

before the temperature of 78° C. was reached. Samples of this low-boiling 

material are being collected for further examination. 

The alcohol had a strong odor but this was reduced by the addition of a 

small amount of alkali. Ten millimeters of alcohol, which had been treated 

with alkali, did not reduce 1 cubic centimeter of 0.1 percent potassium 

permanganate in 20 minutes. 

The fusel oil remaining in the flask after distilling off the alcohol was 

separated by salting out and extraction, and was equivalent to 0.31 percent 

of the alcohol produced. 

is in progress. 

Further work on the composition of this material 

Pilot-Plant Distillation 

In order to obtain information concerning the behavior of alcohol solutions 

when subjected to distillation in a pressure still, 1,200 gallons of fermented 

liquor containing 1.99 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters was shipped to 

Report No. R1618 -11-
the Vulcan Copper and Supply Co., Cincinnati, Ohio and distilled in their 

pilot plant 61 plate, bubble-cap column which is 4 inches in diameter. The 

following information is from their report on this distillation. 

The same still was used for both stripping and refining operations. The 

stripping operation was carried out with a steam pressure of 17.8 pounds per 

square inch gage pressure at the bottom, Tho feed was preheated to 107° C. 

and fed into the still at an average rate of 121 pounds per hour. The steam 

rate was 17.6 pounds per hour. Alkali was fed in at the rate of 0.13 pounds 

per hour. Alcohol distilled over at the rate of 2.38 pounds per hour. 

Reflux rate was 18.6 pounds per hour and the spent beer rate was 135 pounds 

per hour. Ethanol content of the spent beer was 0,022 percent. The alcohol 

obtained was 189.5 proof. 

Some losses resulted because of variations in making adjustments in the distillation equipment but a satisfactory balance between input and yield was 

found. No appreciable amounts of fusel oil were obtained. 

The same still was set up for the purification of the crude 189.5 proof 

alcohol. The distillation was made at atmospheric pressure. The crude 

alcohol was preheated to 71° C. and fed in at a rate of 8.9 pounds per hour 

at the thirtieth plate. Steam was supplied to an external calandria at the 

bottom of the column at a rate of 8.3 pounds per hour. Reflux was at a 

rate of 14.44 pounds per hour. The amount of heads was so small that it was 

not possible to draw off any until the still had been in operation for 7 

hours, after which a quantity of heads equivalent to about 0.5 percent of the 

alcohol was removed. 

These heads were distilled in a glass still and found to contain about 50 

percent ethanol, 25 percent methanol, 10 percent acetaldehyde, and 15 percent 

a yellow-colored material having come of the properties of diacetyl but which 

boiled just below ethanol. It must have been a constant-boiling mixture of 

diacetyl with ethanol. Treatment with a small amount of permanganate or 

strong caustic removed the material. 

Alcohol removed from the base of the purifying column was treated with varying amounts of 5 percent potassium permanganate for further purification. 

Treatment of the rectified alcohol with 0.2 milliliter of 5 percent 

potassium permanganate per 100 milliliters of alcohol and distilling gave a 

product that remained pink for 30 minutes when 10 milliliters of alcohol was 

tested with 1 milliliter of 0.1 percent potassium permanganate according to 

the Army Specification F-4f. This material easily meets specifications which 

require that the color remain for 20 minutes. 

Conclusions 

Brewer's yeast, S. cerevisiae, No. 49 University of Wisconsin collection, has 

been propagated on 1 percent wood sugar giving yeast yields of 16 to 28 

percent in 14 to 18 hours using a 2 to 1 air-to-liquid ratio. 

Report No. R1618 -12-
Yeast produced on wood-sugar solutions converted 5 percent wood sugar into 

ethyl alcohol. When 2 percent of yeast by dry weight was used, fermentation 

was complete in 5.5 hours whereas 0.5 percent yeast required 24 hours. 

Continuous transfer of yeast from an 18-to-20 hour fermentation to fresh 5 

percent sugar solution has been continued through as many as 59 transfers 

without loss of alcohol yield and without contamination from bacteria or 

other yeast. 

The addition of 0.025 percent of Louisiana second-crop molasses to the 

fermentation increases the rate of fermentation but does not effect the 

yield after correction has been made for molasses when transfers are made 

after 18 to 20 hours. 

The use of wood-sugar solutions clarified by the addition of aluminum sulfate 

or of solutions prepared under operating conditions which produced less tar 

improved the rate of growth of yeast. 

Yeast growth during fermentation was sufficient to overcome a loss of about 

20 percent during each transfer. 

Alcohol yields in six series of continuous transfers ranged from 39.2 to 40 

percent of the total sugar and from 47.0 to 47.9 percent of the fermented 

sugar. When 5 percent solutions were used, yields of 95 percent alcohol were 

2.64 gallons per 100 gallons of hydrolyzate and 64.5 gallons per ton of dry,

bark free wood. 

Large samples of the fermented sugar solutions have been distilled in pilotplant equipment. The alcohol produced was of high quality. Quantities Of 

heads and fusel oil were unusually low. 

Acknowledgment 

On behalf of the Forest Products Laboratory the authors wish to express their 

appreciation to the Office of Production Research and Development of the War 

Production Board and to Vulcan Copper and Supply Company for supplying a 

portion of the funds required for this study. 

Acknowledgment also is made to the following members of the Forest Products 

Laboratory staff: Reid H, Leonard and Hugh Fetty for their assistance in the 

fermentation experiments and to Janet L. Bubl, Mary No Mitchell, and Albert A. 

Kline for their assistance in making the many analytical determinations 

involved in this study, 

Valuable assistance in carrying out the pilot plant distillations was given 

by Dr. Ray Katzen and other members of the staff of the Vulcan Copper and 

Supply Co. Valuable council was also received from Dr. Edward G. Locke of 

the Pacific Northwest Forest Experiment Station, and from Dr. W. H. Peterson 

and Dr. Marvin Johnson of the University of Wisconsin. 

Report No. R1618 -13-
Table 1.--Growingof yeast on wood sugar using slow-feed addition of sugar solution 

Table 2.--Growing of yeast on higher concentration of wood sugar in 48-gallon batches 
Table 3.--Growing of yeast and alcoholic fermentation 

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Table 4.--Permentation by continuous transfer of yeast in 

7-liter batches using 5 percent reducing sugar 

in series CT 

Report No. R1618 
Table 5.--Fermentation of wood sugars using yeast transfer 
Table 6.--Fermentation of clarified wood sugars using yeast transfer (77-gallon batches) 
Table 7.--Fermentationof wood sugars. Series C. (Clarified, 54 milliliters of molasses per fermentation added.), 

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Table 8.--Fermentation of wood sugars. Series D (Clarified) 

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Table 9.--Fermentation of 5.0 percent wood sugar in 7-liter batches (6.300 Milliliters wood sugar, 700 milliliters fermented liquor fed back) 
Table 10.--Fermentationof wood sugars. Series A 

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Table 11.--Fermentation of rood sugars. Series B. (54 milliliters of molasses per fermentation added.) 

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TRANSFER NUMBER 

Figure 2.--Alcohol production in the series N fermentations of Douglas-fir wood 

hydrolyzate by continuous transfer using 6,300 milliliters of 5 percent reducing sugar and 700 milliliters of fermented liquor. 

Z M 65754 F