Response Surface Optimization of Muskmelon Fruit Fermentation for Vinegar

Submerged fermentation was employed to produce vinegar from muskmelon fruits. The fermentation process was optimized using response surface and orthogonal experiments. The results showed that the optimal process was conducted with aninitial alcohol content of 7%, a mixer rotational speed at 155 r·min^-1 and an addition of 9.5% acetobacter inoculum at 36℃ for 5 days. Under these conditions, the acidity of the resulting muskmelon vinegar was 5.33%. The light yellowish vinegar appeared clear with a pleasant sweet and acidic aroma.