Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Fermentation of starch into amyl alcohol

Douchermann - 9-11-2005 at 15:30

Hey, I was wondering if it was possible to ferment amyl alcohol (C5H12O) from regular cornstarch.
5C6H10O5 --yeast--> 4C5H12O + 10CO2 + H2O

After it is done fermenting could the amyl alchohol be seperated just by boiling the water off? If this method isn't a good one, does anyone know a good method?

ADP - 9-11-2005 at 16:59

Douchermann, good to see you it has been a long time.

Douchermann - 9-11-2005 at 17:31

Ah yes it has ADP, how's your vacuum 'still doing? still holding up?

ADP - 9-11-2005 at 18:20

Oh you better believe it. It's a wonderful thing. Too bad about a0tu tho huh?

Douchermann - 9-11-2005 at 18:56

hopefully s25 will fix it. As of now I can't change anything on my FTP site, and I had a whole bunch of revisions on all those files. Oh well.

kclo4 - 9-11-2005 at 19:00

I think it will just make ethyl alcohol.

Douchermann - 10-11-2005 at 06:37

Well any time you ferment something it makes stuff called fusel oils. These are primairly amyl alcohol. Normally there is a small portion in regular fermentation but I think since this is a starch and not a sugar there will be an excess. What do you guys think.

chemoleo - 10-11-2005 at 06:51

Well, there is already a thread on fusel oils.
I don't think it is possible to obtain amylalcohol in significant quantities by this method, as there is no corresponding natural amino acid whose digestion would lead to amylalcohol.

Douchermann - 10-11-2005 at 13:35

Well since it seems very inefficient to make it via fermentation, how do they make it comercially?

BromicAcid - 10-11-2005 at 13:59

Many of the different isomers of amyl alcohol are produced from .....
Quote:
Fractional distillation of the mixed alcohols resulting from the chlorination and alkaline hydrolysis of pentane.


Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary

Douchermann - 11-11-2005 at 16:42

Probably be easier to buy it, but thanks to all you who helped

Odin - 28-11-2005 at 07:24

Quote:
Originally posted by Douchermann
Hey, I was wondering if it was possible to ferment amyl alcohol (C5H12O) from regular cornstarch.
5C6H10O5 --yeast--> 4C5H12O + 10CO2 + H2O

After it is done fermenting could the amyl alchohol be seperated just by boiling the water off? If this method isn't a good one, does anyone know a good method?


I dont think yeast is biogically capable of breaking down starch into alcohols
Maybe you could try synthesis from the actual aliphilic or aromatic hydrocarbon

sparkgap - 28-11-2005 at 07:31

"I dont think yeast is biogically capable of breaking down starch into alcohols..."

Tell that to the vodka makers who use starchy potatoes as raw material.

Tell that to the sake makers who use rice (which has starch, mind you). :P

But if you meant you can't make amyl alcohol from cornstarch via yeast fermentation, I'd concur.

sparky (~_~)

P.S. It's difficult to start from aliphatics in synthesis. Google on the etymology of "paraffin". ;)

Rice into Sake and Sochu

lordmagnus - 4-2-2006 at 18:37

Quote:
Originally posted by sparkgap
"I dont think yeast is biogically capable of breaking down starch into alcohols..."

Tell that to the vodka makers who use starchy potatoes as raw material.

Tell that to the sake makers who use rice (which has starch, mind you). :P

But if you meant you can't make amyl alcohol from cornstarch via yeast fermentation, I'd concur.

sparky (~_~)

P.S. It's difficult to start from aliphatics in synthesis. Google on the etymology of "paraffin". ;)


With rice, they ferment the rice with a black mold called KOJI (one of the aspergillis family) it digest the starch with amylase, after several days-weeks the rice has a very sweet smell to it, it is then brewed, and has yeast cultures added to convert the maltose and other starch breakdowns into the various alcohals.

Fusel alcohols are formed when fermentation occurs:

At higher temperatures
At lower Ph values
When yeast have a limited nitrogen content