Use of Penicillin G Procaine as a selective antimicrobial agent in the production of alcohol by fermentation
AssigneeLallemand Specialites, Inc
InventorsKevin E. Dailey, Sanjoy Ganguly, Kevin L. Kauers, Limei Tang, Daniel W. Thon
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Abstract
A process for the use of low concentration levels of Penicillin G Procaine to eliminate or control the growth of unwanted or undesirable bacteria (contaminating bacteria) in the fermentation production of alcohol without inhibition of the growth or replication of the yeast.
Claims20
A method for increasing the amount of alcohol produced during large scale alcohol production comprising:
- introducing an antibiotic as an active agent into a vessel used during alcohol production to render an ideal environment for a fermentation mixture when combined with the antibiotic for fermenting the fermentation mixture into the desired alcohol;
- the fermentation mixture including yeast;
- the active agent functions to substantially reduce any deleterious effects of at least one contaminating bacteria but not limited to:
- Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus pentosus/plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus plantarum/pentosus and other Lactobacillus spp., present in said fermentation mixture while not having any deleterious effects on the yeast;
- and
- wherein the active agent is Penicillin G Procaine.
A fermentation mixture used in the production of ethanol comprising yeast, carbohydrates and Penicillin G Procaine, wherein the Penicillin G Procaine slowly inhibits growth of microorganisms competing for the sugars thereby increasing the amount of alcohol produced from the fermentation mixture and offering unique bacteria control into late stages of fermentation.
A method for controlling the growth of lactic acid bacteria in a fermentation process for the production of alcohol comprising:
- adding a minimum inhibitory concentration of Penicillin G Procaine to a vessel and the Penicillin G Procaine becoming part of a fermentation mixture used in making alcohol, wherein the vessel is susceptible to contamination by lactic acid bacteria, and wherein the addition of the minimum inhibitory concentration of Penicillin G Procaine to the vessel controls the growth of lactic acid bacteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.