Fermentation, Gärung (fermentation), to ferment – in everyday life, these terms are often used as synonyms. However, if you look more closely at sauerkraut, beer, or kombucha, you quickly run into the question: What is the real difference between fermentation and Gärung? The short answer: Gärung is a specific form of fermentation – not the other way around. To understand this, it is worth taking a detailed look at both terms.
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is the overarching term. It describes any metabolic process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, or fungi break down organic substances – usually sugar or starch – and in doing so form new compounds, such as acids, gases, or alcohol. If you ask what fermentation is, you can therefore note: It is a collective term for a wide variety of microbial transformation processes, which include lactic acid fermentation, alcoholic fermentation, and other forms.
Definition of fermentation
The classic definition of fermentation originates from biochemistry: there, the term initially referred exclusively to the breakdown of sugar in the absence of oxygen, as happens during alcoholic fermentation. In modern, everyday usage – for example in health food stores or nutrition guides – fermentation is defined much more broadly and also includes processes in which oxygen plays a role.
An example of this is acetic acid formation: here, acetic acid bacteria convert alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen – for example, in the production of vinegar. Since this process requires oxygen, it does not strictly count as Gärung, but it does count as fermentation.
Gärung – a specific sub-area
In contrast, Gärung specifically denotes those fermentation processes in which sugar is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide or lactic acid in the absence of oxygen. The two best-known types of Gärung are:
- Alcoholic fermentation: Yeasts convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide – the basis for beer, wine, and sourdough bread.
- Lactic acid fermentation: Lactic acid bacteria convert sugar into lactic acid – the basis for sauerkraut, yogurt, or kimchi.
Thus, Gärung is always a form of fermentation, but not every fermentation is a Gärung in the stricter sense. Processes such as acetic acid formation require oxygen and therefore, strictly speaking, do not count as Gärung, but they do count as fermentation.
Fermenting in everyday life: Why the terms are often mixed up
In everyday language, people often just say "fermenting," regardless of whether it is a true Gärung or another form of fermentation. This is usually not a problem as long as it is clear which specific process is meant. However, anyone who wants to understand more precisely what is going on behind their glass of kombucha or their homemade sourdough benefits from knowing the difference between fermentation and Gärung: it helps to better categorize processes and control them more precisely, for example regarding temperature, time, or the cultures used.
Fermentation at Dr. Niedermaier
At Dr. Niedermaier, Regulatessenz® forms the basis of all Regulat® and Regulatpro® products. It is created through a multi-stage cascade fermentation, in which selected plant raw materials are processed with lactic acid bacteria over several consecutive fermentation stages. This is a lactic acid fermentation and not an alcoholic fermentation: the lactobacilli used form dextrorotatory L(+)-lactic acid, while no alcohol is produced. The multi-stage fermentation is modeled on natural digestive processes and ensures a particularly fine breakdown of the plant ingredients.
Conclusion
The difference between fermentation and Gärung can be summarized simply: fermentation is the broad umbrella term for microbial transformation processes, and Gärung is a specific sub-area thereof in which sugar is fermented without oxygen into alcohol or lactic acid. Once you have internalized this definition of fermentation, you will look at your next glass of sauerkraut or kombucha with a completely new understanding of what is actually happening inside.
