ENGINEERING FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT Jelgava, 24.-25.05.2012.

BIOGAS PRODUCTION OF WINEMAKING WASTE

IN ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION PROCESS
Janis Jasko1,2, Eriks Skripsts1,2, Vilis Dubrovskis1
1
Latvia University of Agriculture; 2Institute of Biomechanics and Physical Research, Latvia
[email protected]

Abstract. Biogas production from winemaking waste – yeast biomass and wine residue containing substrate
(wine lees) was investigated. Laboratory scale 700 ml batch anaerobic digesters were used. The highest biogas
yield reached in this study from local wine lees was 855.5 l·kgVS-1; 774.5 l·kgTS-1 or 204.5 l·kgCOD-1. Conclusions
– (i) local wine lees are suitable substrate for biogas production in anaerobic fermentation process; (ii) local wine
lees are easily degradable substrate with low buffering capacity.

Key words: anaerobic fermentation, wine, yeast, biogas.

Introduction
The European Union (EU) is the leading producer of wine. Producing some 175 million hl every
year, it accounts for 45 % of wine-growing areas, 65 % of production, 57 % of global consumption
and 70 % of exports in global terms [1]. Wine growing and making is also traditionally an important
sector of agriculture in Mediterranean region. Wine production represents around 10 % of the value of
agricultural production in France, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Luxembourg and Slovenia, and a little less
in Spain [2].
The process from grape harvesting to bottled wine is complex and can include multiple processing
and fermentation stages. Wineries produce a number of biological wastes [3]. The residues generated
in wine-making include grape stalk, grape pomace and wine lees [4]. Grape pomace and wine lees
were used in spirit distillery till a stricter regulation (EC Regulation 1493/1999) was introduced in the
EU. These residues have also been used for animal feed as well as direct field fertilization. Winery
residues are not a significant environmental problem, although they currently remain an unused
organic material [5].
Wineries demand a great quantity of energy during the three months that winemaking time lasts,
which involves a high installed power capacity. This energy is used mainly for refrigerating the must
in fermentation, which reaches approximately to 35.39 kcal per liter of must [6]. Winery can cover up
to 45 % of its energy requirements for the winemaking time utilizing the grape pomace that it
generates itself [6]. Although winemaking waste has sufficient biogas potential its usage for energy
production is not widespread.

Materials and methods

Construction of bioreactor
Batch glass bioreactors with the total capacity 0,7 liter were used in the current study. The
schematic diagram of the system is presented in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of batch anaerobic bioreactor used in the study

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Reactors were incubated in the thermostat at temperature 37 ± 0.5 ºC Two plastic gas-tight bags
with the capacity of one liter were used: No 1 for gas initial collection and No 2 for collection after
measurement of the volume. The volume of the produced gas was measured with a plastic syringe
with precision ± 2 ml.

Description of winemaking waste

Winemaking waste - lees were obtained from a homemade wine maker in Madona county. Wine
lees are deposits of dead yeast and other solid particles that precipitate to the bottom of a vat of wine
after fermentation and ageing. Wine lees were collected in 1,5 l plastic containers and stored in
refrigerator at 4 oC for further use. Particular wine lees were mainly formed of mixture of yeast
biomass, volatile organic acids, ethanol and water. Some characteristics of wine lees used in this study
are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
Characteristics of wine lees used in this study
Parameter Value Unit
Total solids 41.4 ±0.1 g·kg-1
Volatile solids 37.3 ±0.2 g·kg-1
COD 156 000 ±11 000 g·kg-1
pH 3.2 ± 0.1 -

Seed material
The seed material was obtained from 50 liter anaerobic continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR)
from own laboratory with plant biomass mixture as substrate. The reactor was operated at 50 days
HRT, 37 ºC with stable pH 7.5 ± 0.2 without pH control. The content of methane in biogas was
55 ± 1 %. Fresh inoculum from 50-liter reactor was used for startup procedure.

Experiment methodology
Three reactors with different initial concentrations of wine lees – 10 %, 15 % and 20 % were set
up. One reactor with seed material alone was used as control. In each reactor 500 g of seed material
were used. In reactors with the test substrate 55, 88.2 or 125 g of wine lees were added
correspondingly. The prepared mixtures were carefully mixed and headspace volume flushed with
CO2 to ensure anaerobic conditions. The volume of the produced gas was measured two times per day.
The composition of gas was determined periodically.

Analytical methods
The gas composition was determined by a gas analyzer (Gasboard-3200L, Wuhan Cubic
Optoelectronics). Total solids (TS) were determined by drying the sample in the laboratory oven
(60/300 LFN, Snol) at 105 ºC till constant mass reached. The sample weight was determined by the
laboratory balance (GF-3000, A&D). Volatile solids (VS) were determined by keeping the dried
samples in a laboratory furnace (8.2/1100, Snol) at constant temperature of 550 ± 5 ºC during the
period of 0.5 hours.

Results and discussion

Gas production started soon after the experiment set-up. Cumulative biogas production is
presented in Figure 1. Maximal yield was reached on the third day and did not significantly change
during the rest period. This observation indicates that organic matter of wine lees is easy degradable.
The methane content of all reactors was 55 – 60 %. The largest amount of biogas per unit of volatile
solids added was in the reactor with 10 % of wine lees. The lowest biogas yield in the reactor with
20 % concentration can be explained by low pH of wine lees that negatively influence the stability of
the process.
Biogas yields are presented in Table 2. During the study it was determined that the highest biogas
production from wine lees per unit of added solids during 6 days was from 10 % concentration –
855.5 l·kgVS-1 (774.5 l·kgTS-1; 204.5 l·kgCOD-1). The biogas yield results in this study are in compliance

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with the reports of other scientists. Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft reports biomethane
yield 661.6 l·kgTS-1 from yeast of brewery waste [7]. Fountoulakis et. al. [5] studying winery waste
from Mediterranean region reported 147 lCH4·kgCOD-1.
·

Fig. 2. Cumulative biogas production during experiment

Table 2
Biogas yields from winemaking waste with different initial concentration
Concentration Yield Start pH Final pH
10 % 855.5 l·kgVS-1 774.5 l·kgTS-1 204.5 l·kgCOD-1 7.15 7.18
15 % 477.2 l·kgVS-1 432.0 l·kgTS-1 114.1 l·kgCOD-1 7.02 6.56
20 % 253.7 l·kgVS-1 229.7 l·kgTS-1 60.7 l·kgCOD-1 6.92 5.28
For concentrations 15 % and 20 % final pH was lower than optimal for methane production. It can
be concluded that in concentrations above ≥15 % wine lees are rapidly fermented in organic acids
resulting in pH lowering and subsequent methane production decrease.
Reduction of TS and VS are also important indicators to illustrate degradability of substrate.
Concentrations of solids in all reactors containing the test substrate as well as reference are
summarized in Table 3. In all tested concentrations of wine lees TS and VS reduction was greater than
one for the reference. This observation indicates that wine lees do not inhibit anaerobic fermentation
process and are suitable for biogas production.
Table 3
Solid concentration in reactors before and after fermentation
Total solids Volatile solids
Concentration Before, After, Before, After, Reduction,
Reduction, %
g·kg-1 g·kg-1 g·kg-1 g·kg-1 %
10 % 14.9 ±0.9 9.7 ±0.3 35.3 11.5 ±0.5 5.8 ±0.2 49.5
15 % 16.4 ±0.8 9.8 ±0.5 40.2 12.9 ±0.5 5.7 ±0.3 55.8
20 % 17.9 ±0.8 9.6 ±0.1 46.1 14.4 ±0.5 5.5 ±0.2 61.8
Reference 12.0 ±1.0 8.8 ±0.3 27.0 8.6 ±0.5 5.9 ±0.1 31.5
*
Standard deviations are calculated from 3 independent tests

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Taking into account that values in Table 3 are a sum of the seed material and winemaking waste
solids, recalculation was carried out to determine solid changes for winemaking waste alone. For this
purpose the values in Table 3 were subtracted by the corresponding solid value from the reference
reactor. The results from this operation are presented in Table 4.
Table 4
Calculated values of winemaking waste solids before and after fermentation
Total solids Volatile solids
Concentration Before, After, Before, After, Reduction,
Reduction, %
g·kg-1 g·kg-1 g·kg-1 g·kg-1 %
10 % 2.9 0.9 69.5 2.8 -0.1 103.9
15 % 4.4 1.0 76.2 4.3 -0.2 104.2
20 % 5.9 0.9 85.4 5.7 -0.4 107.2
Although TS reduction for 15 % and 20 % concentrations is greater than for 10 %, the total biogas
yield is lower due to low final pH. Negative values of VS after fermentation and reduction over 100 %
indicate that fermentation of wine lees can improve degradation of other substrates (in this time solids
from seed material).
These are the first results on biogas production possibilities from winemaking waste from Madona
county. Further research is needed to determine the optimal concentration in different co-fermentation
mixtures, preferably with substrates with high buffering capacity.

Conclusions
1. Local wine lees are suitable substrates for biogas production in the anaerobic fermentation
process.
2. Local wine lees are easily degradable substrates with low buffering capacity.

Acknowledgements
This study was supported by ERDF project “Technologies for biogas production from agricultural
and dairy wastes” Contract No. 2010/0298/2DP/2.1.1.1.0/10/APIA/VIAA/157.

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