Produção e caracterização do hidromel produzido a partir do mel de abelha JataÍ (Tetragonisca angustula)

Abstract

Mead is an alcoholic drink obtained through the fermentation of honey sugars. Typically, it is developed with honey from African bees, which in turn currently dominate the market with high production of honey and by-products. The use of Jataí bee honey for mead is still incipient, however, it can generate a high quality product and added value to the market, pleasing a group of consumers who seek products with differentiated quality. This work aimed to characterize and develop a mead using honey from the Jataí bee (Tetragonisca angustula). This study aimed to test two different must dilutions, 20° Brix and 25° Brix. For fermentation, Pasteur Champagne (Premier Blanc) yeast, a strain of Saccharomyces bayanus, was used. To evaluate the raw material and mead, physical-chemical parameters were measured, in addition to honey adulteration tests with negative results, indicating a quality raw material. During the fermentation process, fermentation conditions were standardized: temperature of 25°C, pH 4, anaerobic process in airlock system fermenters. The physical-chemical results of the raw material demonstrated similar behavior to other studies with Tetragonisca angustula, on the other hand, moisture was obtained outside the current legislation in Brazil, which in turn is intended only for Africanized bees, demonstrating the non-comprehensibility of honey of Jataí bee. The mead obtained from the different dilutions generated a very promising product, with parameters within current legislation for mead, the percentage of alcohol obtained was 8.5% and 10.7% for musts of 20 and 25°Brix, respectively. It is therefore concluded that standardized mead musts using different raw materials can generate a mead very similar to those currently on the market, but with a great difference to enhance unique brands. As Jataí bee honey has a higher percentage of moisture and lower sugars, it becomes an enormously expensive product for the production of fermented alcoholic beverages, generating a byproduct with a higher final market value than its competitors.