Fermentation Station

Overview

This experiment tested yeast fermentation efficiency across four types of sugar: granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and honey. To conduct the test, 10g of each sugar was dissolved in 200 mL of 105°F water with 2g of yeast. Fermentation efficiency was measured by calculating the volume of CO₂ captured in each balloon over 60 minutes. It was hypothesized that granulated sugar would be most efficiently fermented by yeast. After four tests, the results partially supported the hypothesis. While honey produced the most CO₂ in the initial 20 minutes, granulated sugar produced the largest volume of CO₂ balloon by 60 minutes. This occurred because honey contains free monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) that the yeast can consume immediately. In contrast, granulated sugar is a disaccharide, that the enzyme invertase must first split into monosaccharides (glucose and fructose), causing an initial delay. Once split, the high purity of granulated sugar allowed it to produce the most CO₂ overall. Therefore, at 60 minutes, granulated sugar was most efficiently fermented by yeast, in support of the hypothesis.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology (Junior Division) · Entry J-04-19

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