Wild Ecuadorian Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains and Their Potential in the Malt-Based Beverages Industry

Ecuador is a biodiverse country where a wide range of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast is present. Ecuador also holds a rich tradition of brewing corn-based beer. Genetics and domestication of S. cerevisiae throughout thousands of years have resulted in a wide range of aromas and flavors produced during fermentation. A total of 94 yeast isolates were studied; RFLP analysis of the isolates was used for grouping the strains according to their genotype. A group of 15 yeasts characterized by six different RFLP profiles was chosen. Fermentations were carried out at room temperature (∼ 22 °C) to determine the fermented beers’ chemical and organoleptic characteristics. Significant differences between the yeast isolates were found by means of HPLC analysis and sensorial evaluation of the fermentation products. Moreover, fourteen out of fifteen isolates were found to be potentially useful in the production of different beer styles.