EFFECT OF METABISULFITE ON ALCOHOL PRODUCTION IN PALM-WINE

This work reports on the effect of the metabisulphite ion on the conce ntration of ethanol in fermenting palm-wine. The work shows that the c oncentration of ethanol in untreated palm-wine reaches a maximum betwe en three and four days and starts declining after this point. In the p resence of the metabisulphite ion, the decline in ethanol content whic h takes place after three to four days no longer occurs. There was als o an over 20% increase in the percentage of ethanol in palm-wine when the fermentation process was allowed to proceed in the presence of the metabisulphite ion. The work therefore recommends the use of sodium m etabisulphite to increase the yield of alcohol (ethanol) during fermen tation processes.