During the fermentation process, yeast cells in sake mash
proliferate and begin to produce ethanol. During the late fermentation
stage, yeast cells begin to die in response to the increasing
ethanol concentration and subsequent yeast cell lysis occurs along
with the leakage of their cellular contents. This phenomenon
is indicated by an increase in amino acid nitrogen in sake (7) or
S-adenosylmethionine leakage into sake mash (8). The amount of
amino acid nitrogen and zinc in sake, which is an indicator of cellular
content leakage into sake mash (9), revealed a positive correlation
with hineka after storage (10,11). However, no studies have examined
the relationship between yeast cell lysis in sake mash and the
formation of DMTS, which is the main component of hineka in sake
after storage.
in DMTS formation