<![CDATA[The increasing public awareness of healthy lifestyles has led to a growing demand for functional foods, including water kefir as a non-dairy probiotic beverage. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) has considerable potential as a raw material for water kefir production due to its rich nutritional content and widespread availability. Furthermore, different types of sweeteners and fermentation durations are presumed to influence the quality of the resulting water kefir. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the combination of sweetener types (corn sugar and stevia) and fermentation durations (12 and 18 hours) on the quality of pineapple water kefir based on lactic acid content, total lactic acid bacteria (LAB), pH, organoleptic characteristics, and consumer acceptability. This research employed a descriptive experimental method and was conducted at the Biology Education Laboratory, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Riau, and the Laboratory of Agricultural Product Processing and Analysis, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Riau. The collected data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the lactic acid content ranged from 0.32% to 0.41%, total LAB counts ranged from 3.69 × 10⁸ to 8.92 × 10⁸ CFU/mL, and pH values ranged from 3.88 to 4.07. All treatments met the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) requirements for fermented beverages. Based on organoleptic and hedonic evaluations, the best treatment was obtained using stevia with an 18-hour fermentation period (M2J2), achieving a consumer preference score of 2.66 (liked). This treatment was characterized by a light yellow color, a distinctive pineapple fermentation aroma, a slightly sweet taste, and a liquid texture. Therefore, the combination of sweetener type and fermentation duration significantly influenced the quality of pineapple water kefir.]]>
