On exposing palm wine to air for some days, it becomes sour owing to the conversion of
Source: JAMB · 2024
On exposing palm wine to air for some days, it becomes sour owing to the conversion of
Explanation
Palm wine contains ethanol made by yeast fermenting the sugar in the sap. When it is left open to air, bacteria oxidise the ethanol to ethanoic acid (acetic acid), the acid in vinegar.
C₂H₅OH + O₂ → CH₃COOH + H₂O
Ethanoic acid gives the sour taste. Glucose to ethanol is the earlier fermentation step, which makes the wine, not the sourness.
Was this explanation helpful?
Something wrong or missing? Tell us — we read every report and fix issues fast.