acteristic of cells in general, in which the six-carbon organic acid, pyruvic acid (or its ionized form pyruvate), coupled with the transfer of chemical energy to the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (atp). The pyruvate may then be oxidized, in the presence of oxygen, through the tricarboxylic acid cycle, or in the absence of oxygen, be reduced to lactic acid, alcohol, or other products. The sequence from glucose to pyruvate is often called the Embden-Meyerhof pathway after two German biochemists, who, in the late 1920s and 1930s, postulated and analyzed experimentally the critical steps in that series of reactions. The term fermentation now denotes the enzyme-catalyzed, energy-yielding pathway in cells by which fuel molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically. In most cells the enzymes occur in the soluble portion of the cytoplasm. The reactions leading to the formation of pyruvate thus are common to sugar transformation in muscle, yeasts, some bacteria, and plants. One product of the pathway is always the energy-rich compound adenosine triphosphate (atp). The other product, pyruvate, can undergo various transformations, depending on the cell type and the availability of oxygen. Industrial fermentation processes begin with suitable microorganisms and specified conditions; e.g., careful adjustment of nutrient concentration. The products are of many types: alcohol, glycerol, and carbon dioxide from yeast fermentation of various sugars; butyl alcohol, acetone, lactic acid, monosodium glutamate, and acetic acid from various bacteria; citric acid, gluconic acid, and small amounts of antibiotics, vitamin B12, and riboflavin (vitamin B2) from mold fermentation (Britannica).When making apple cider, the brewer must know many other things than the history of fermentation and the different components of it. He must know the steps to making it successfully and the special factors that come into play when making cider.Two ...
