Optimization of bioethanol production from jackfruit straw waste through the addition of a starter and fermentation duration

Bioethanol is an alternative fuel to replace fossil fuels that are renewable and more environmentally friendly. One way to produce bioethanol is through microbial fermentation of starch-containing materials. Jackfruit straw waste contains high levels of carbohydrates and sugar to be used as raw material for making bioethanol. This research aims to optimize bioethanol production from jackfruit straw waste (Artocarpus heterophyllus) based on variations in the addition of a starter and the duration of the fermentation process. The research method used was an experimental method with quantitative data collection. Jackfruit straw waste was processed to yield an extract solution and fermented by using a starter. The produced bioethanol was separated by using distillation. Starter mass and fermentation time were varied to reach optimum yield. The type of yeast used is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the nutrition provided is urea. It was found that the optimum yeast mass was 40 grams with a distillate volume of 13.6 mL and an optimum fermentation time was 96 hours with a distillate yield of 15.2 ml. At the optimum condition, the volume of bioethanol distillate obtained was 30 ml. The distillation temperature used in this study was 70-78℃. The refractive index, density, and boiling point of bioethanol obtained under optimum conditions in this research were 1.35351, 0.36525 g/ml, and 71-72℃, respectively.