Vol. 9, Issue 4, Part L (2025)

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of fermentation and production technology of vinegar prepared from black rice and to assess the quality of the product. The process involved malting and crushing in a malt grinder, then the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain NCIM3212 was used in fermentation to make black rice beer. Two strains of Acetobacter aceti, MTCC-3246 and MTCC-3347, were also used to ferment the acetic acid. Four treatment groups supplemented with local herbs and a control group devoid of herbs were evaluated. The rice was subjected to a thorough proximate analysis, which measured its levels of moisture, crude fat, protein, ash, and starch. Black rice beer's alcohol concentration, as determined by biochemical analysis, was 5.76%. Following acetic acid fermentation, the rice vinegar's acetic acid level varied between 3.77% and 4.73% (w/v). Among all the treatments, the vinegar prepared from black rice beer with herbs contained the highest acetic acid and phenol content (16.86 mg GAE ml-1) as well as lowest pH (4.4) level, when both strains of acetic acid bacteria were used. There was no evidence of microbial contamination in the vinegar samples. Moreover, based on the sensory profiling, this treatment was the most favourable, with the greatest overall acceptability scores.