The Effect of Hydrolysis Time with Trichoderma Reesei on Soluble Sugar Concentration in Sweet Sorghum Stalk Pulp and Alcohol Concentration of Its Fermentation Results

Abstract

It has been done a study on the use of Trichoderma reesei in the hydrolysis of sweet sorghum stalk pulp continued to fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce bioethanol. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hydrolysis time by T. reesei on the sugar content of sweet sorghum stalk pulp and the ethanol concentration obtained after its fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sweet sorghum stalks were cut into small pieces, blended until crushed, incubated with T. reesei at various times. and then fermented using S. cerevisiae for 24 hours after the incubation period was complete. The results showed that the soluble sugar concentration in the sweet sorghum stalk pulp increased after the incubation, which occurred from the 8th to the 24th hour. Furthermore, it continued to decrease until the longest incubation time. The alcohol concentration produced after the fermentation period changed according to the pattern of changes in sugar concentration in the substrate. These results suggest that to increase bioethanol production from sweet sorghum stalk, it will be better to incubate the pulp of stalk first with T. reesei for approximately 24 hours before fermented with S. cerevisiae.