Nutrient analyses and investigation into the potential of watermelon flesh-juice for wine production

Abstract

 Flesh-juice of mature ripe fruit of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) containing 6.1% (w/v) reducing, 3.10 Brix 0.153% total nitrogen.  0.393% ash and with a pH value of 5.6 was fermented with three strains of yeast.  Two of the yeasts (NCYC 125 and Y271) were bottom fermenting yeasts.  All the three yeast strains were found suitable for wine production in the watermelon flesh-juice supplemented with sucrose.  While table wines containing 6.0 – 8.8% alcohol and pH values of 4.8 – 4.9 were produced, sensory evaluation of wines showed no difference in the organoloptic acceptability of the wines of 5% level of significance.