Evolution of the concentration of phenolic compounds in cachaça during aging in an oak (Quercus sp.) barrel

Cachaça is a traditional and popular Brazilian drink obtained by distilling fermented sugar cane juice. Among the steps involved in its production, natural aging in wood containers for a certain period of time can lead to alterations in the chemical composition, aroma, flavor and color of the beverage. The present work sought to determine the concentration of phenolic compounds after different periods of aging of the cachaça in an oak (Quercus sp.) barrel. Periodic collections during the aging period were performed, and thirteen selected phenolic compounds were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD). A progressive increase in the concentration of the compounds analyzed was observed, with syringaldehyde and gallic acid as the compounds encountered in the highest concentration.

Identificacao do carbamato de etila durante o armazenamento da cachaca em tonel de carvalho (Quercus sp) e recipiente de vidro

The objective of the present study was the identification and quantification of ethyl carbamate (EC), by HPLC-FLD, after different periods of storage in an oak (Quercus sp) barrel and a glass vessel. The concentration of EC in the cachaça samples varied from

Determination of ethyl carbamate in cachaça produced from copper stills by HPLC

Ethyl carbamate (EC) is a common substance in fermented foods and drinks, and its quantification is important because of its carcinogenic nature and its usually presence in alcoholic beverages. The present work involved the development and validation of an analytical method for the evaluation of EC in cachaça by HPLC-FLD after previous derivatization with xanthydrol. The method presented a mean recovery of 94.88%, an intra-day precision of 4.19% (30.0 μg L−1) and 3.32% (75.0 μg L−1), a coefficient of determination (r2) equal to 0.9985, and limits of detection and quantification equal to 6.39 and 21.32 μg L−1, respectively. The results show that the analytical method is accurate, reproducible and linear over the concentration range from 5.0 to 160 μg of EC per litre. The method was applied to the analysis of EC in cachaça, the analyses being rapid and efficient.