Autolýza je před fermentací.

Because před requires the instrumental case here.

• Basic form: fermentace
• Instrumental singular: fermentací

So před fermentací means before fermentation.

This is a very common Czech pattern:

• před obědem = before lunch
• před zkouškou = before the exam
• před fermentací = before fermentation

So the ending changes because the preposition controls the case.

Autolýza is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

The structure is:

• Autolýza = subject
• je = is
• před fermentací = a prepositional phrase meaning before fermentation

Also, autolýza is a feminine singular noun. In this sentence, that mainly matters because it is singular, so the verb is je.

It can mean both, depending on context.

• spatial: in front of
• temporal: before

In Autolýza je před fermentací, it clearly means before, because fermentation is an event or process, not a physical object you stand in front of.

So here před fermentací is a time/order expression, not a location expression.

In a normal sentence like this, je is needed.

Czech usually does not omit the present tense of být in standard sentences:

• Autolýza je před fermentací. = correct standard sentence

You may sometimes see omission in:

• headlines
• notes
• very compressed style

But for ordinary grammar, keep je.

No, Czech word order is fairly flexible, but different orders sound different in focus or emphasis.

The version you have:

• Autolýza je před fermentací.

is clear and natural, especially if you are simply stating the order of steps.

You could also say:

• Před fermentací je autolýza.

But that shifts emphasis toward before fermentation. It may sound more marked or context-dependent.

In technical or explanatory writing, a native speaker might also choose a more explicit verb, for example:

• Autolýza probíhá před fermentací.
• Autolýza nastává před fermentací.

Those mean roughly Autolysis takes place before fermentation.

Because Czech has no articles.

English distinguishes:

• a fermentation
• the fermentation

Czech does not use separate words for that. The meaning is understood from context.

So Autolýza je před fermentací can mean something like:

• autolysis is before fermentation
• autolysis comes before the fermentation

depending on the context already known to the listener or reader.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• Autolýza ≈ OW-toh-lee-za
• je ≈ yeh
• před = tricky, because ř is a special Czech sound
• fermentací ≈ FER-men-ta-tsee

A few useful pronunciation points:

1. Czech stress is usually on the first syllable

   • AU-tolýza
   • PŘED
   • FER-mentací

2. Accents show vowel length, not stress

   • ý and í are long vowels

3. ř in před is one of the hardest Czech sounds for learners
   It is not exactly an English sound. If you cannot say it yet, an approximate rž-like sound is often enough to be understood.

They mainly show vowel length.

• á, é, í, ó, ú, ý = long vowels

So:

• Autolýza has a long ý
• fermentací has a long final í

These marks are important in Czech spelling and pronunciation. They are not optional decoration.

Also, remember that long vowels do not automatically carry the stress. Czech stress still normally stays on the first syllable.

It is understandable and grammatical, but it can sound a little schematic or diagram-like, especially in technical context.

It works well if you are listing stages in a process:

• Autolýza je před fermentací.

But in fuller natural prose, Czech often prefers a verb that expresses what happens:

• Autolýza probíhá před fermentací.
• Autolýza nastává před fermentací.

So your sentence is fine, but it sounds a bit like a labeled step in a sequence rather than a flowing conversational sentence.