Fermentation

Factual Questions
1

I got curious about fermentation today. I knew that there is a reaction between sugar and yeast, but I wondered what the chemical equation would look like. I don’t know if I was expecting (yeast) + (sugar) --> (ethanol) + (CO2), [I know yeast isn’t just a chemical] but I saw


C6H12O6 --> 2(CH3CH2O) + 2(CO2)

This doesn’t look like the equations I’m used to. I see two products, and expect two reagents.

Why exactly does the sugar break down like that?

2

I’m not a chemist, but your equation isn’t balanced.

It should be:

C6H12O6 - yeast -> 2CH3CH2OH + 2CO2

Count up the atoms on each side, there are 6 carbons, 12 hydrogens, and 6 oxygens, on both sides.

3

To attempt to answer your question, glycolysis is the 10 step process that takes place inside the yeast and isn’t listed for the sake of brevity.

link

Detailed diagram of glycolysis, complete with reagents.