The Yeast Reacts: The Effects of Different Sugars on Baker’s Yeast and Ethanol Production

Yeast is a factor in many things, such as for bread and brewing beer. Fermentation of yeast is sensitive and relies on different variables, such as the type of sugar being added, the temperature of the water, and the temperature of the yeast. We tested the fermentation of yeast with two different sugars, corn sugar and rice sugar. We did this for a total of 5 trials each and compared the two together. We predicted that the yeast will have a higher rate of fermentation with corn sugar because corn sugar is a type of dextrose while rice sugar is a type of glucose. It is said to be chemically identical, however the two types of sugars are often times used for different things. Likewise, body builders are likely to use dextrose as a nutritional supplement to increase their weight and muscle and are unlikely to use glucose for the same purpose. At the end of the experiment corn sugar had a higher average rate of ethanol production, but did not consistently have a higher ethanol production, as shown in the first two trials for both sugars. Corn sugar had a higher average ethanol production overall but not all the time as rice sugar had a higher ethanol production for two trials.