COMPARISON OF THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OBTAINED IN THE FERMENTATION OF DWARF CAVENDISH BANANA AND ITS PEEL FOR THE PURPOSES OF BRANDY PRODUCTION

Brandy is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in Brazil, being produced with sweet vegetables, cereals, sugar cane and fruits that have fermentable sugars. This drink is confused with cachaça, from which it is distinguished by the alcoholic degree and typically Brazilian productivity. Banana stands out in Brazil and in the world as the second fruit in productivity, behind only orange, being an accessible raw material for the production of brandy. This processing is advantageous due to the rapid ripening of this fruit, which can often make it impossible to fresh to the consumer. This study aimed to carry out the fermentation through the inoculation of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae separately for pulp and skins of Dwarf Cavendish bananas to verify the alcohol content produced. The banana pulp brandy reached an alcohol content of 39,5° GL, within the stipulated by the current legislation, the peel, however, did not allow adequate alcohol levels (7,5° GL). It is concluded that the pulp of Dwarf Cavendish banana is viable for the production of brandy. Keywords: distillation; Musa spp.; Saccharomyces cerevisiae.