Anna Picinelli Lobo

Aromatic profile of ciders by chemical quantitative, gas chromatography-olfactometry, and sensory analysis.

Nine samples of Asturias cider have been analyzed for volatile, olfactometric, and sensorial profiles. The aromatic composition was mainly constituted by fusel alcohols and ethyl esters. Among the minor volatile compounds, fatty acids, volatile phenols, and alcohols were the main components. The olfactometric analysis revealed the existence of 55 aromatic areas, exhibiting a wide range of intensities. Components like amyl alcohols, 2-phenylethanol, ethyl esters such as 2-methylbutyrate, hexanoate and octanoate, hexanoic and octanoic acids 2-phenylethyl acetate, 4-ethyl guaiacol, and 4-ethyl phenol could be considered as being part of the structure of cider aroma. The extract dilution analysis of one extract identified 2 volatile phenols (4-ethyl guaiacol and 4-ethyl phenol) among the most powerful odorants in cider. These components gave significant correlations with the sensory attributes sweet, spicy, and lees.

Determination of amino acids in ripening apples by high performance liquid chromatography

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to monitor amino acid changes in ripening apples in order to increase knowledge of the biochemistry of this type of fruit with a view to determining the optimum ripening time and evaluating the potential influence of the amino acid content of the different apple varieties studied on the juices and fermented beverages nmade from them.ZusammenfassungDie Hochleistungsflüssigchromatographie wurde angewendet, um Reifungsprozesse zu untersuchen mit dem Ziel, das Wissen über die Biochemie des Reifungsprozesses zu verbessern, einerseits um das Reifungsoptimum zu erkennen und andererseits um die mögliche Bedeutung des Gehalts an Aminosäuren der verschiedenen Apfelsorten für die daraus hergestellten Säfte und Gärungsgetränke festzustellen.SummaryHigh performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to monitor amino acid changes in ripening apples in order to increase knowledge of the biochemistry of this type of fruit with a view to determining the optimum ripening time and evaluating the potential influence of the amino acid content of the different apple varieties studied on the juices and fermented beverages nmade from them.

Characterization of Spanish ciders by means of chemical and olfactometric profiles and chemometrics

A comparative study of the aroma (volatile composition and olfactometric profiles) of Asturian and Basque still ciders in two maturation stages was conducted. Among the major volatile compounds, amyl alcohols, ethyl lactate and ethyl acetate were quantitatively relevant in all of the ciders studied. The minor fraction mainly consisted of fatty acids, volatile phenols and alcohols. Three PLS-discriminant models with low prediction errors were constructed. When the volatile composition was used, ciders could be differentiated by their maturation stage, 4-ethylcatechol being strongly associated to matured ciders. The olfactometric profiles allowed the classification of ciders according to both their origin and maturation stage. Odorants such as p-cresol and a sweet-character unknown component were correlated to origin of ciders, whereas 1-octen-3-one and one unknown spicy-vegetal odorant were highly correlated to the maturation stage.

Chemical and sensory changes in fresh cider spirits during maturation in inert containers

BACKGROUND Fresh cider spirits are alcoholic beverages mainly constituted by volatile compounds from apples that are formed during fermentation or generated during distillation. In this study the chemical and sensory changes that take place during the maturation of fresh cider spirits in inert containers made of stainless steel and glass were investigated. RESULTS The type of container did not influence the maturation process for any of the studied compounds. Esterification, acetalisation and hydrolysis reactions occurred during the maturation of cider distillates over 24 months, giving rise to several changes in the original composition of this alcoholic beverage, but neither oxidation nor evaporation reactions were detected. A decrease in ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, diethyl succinate and acetal was observed and an increase in fatty acid ethyl esters and 1,1,3-triethoxypropane. Likewise, the sensory evaluation of the spirits was significantly influenced by the maturation time, with matured samples obtaining higher scores than fresh ones. CONCLUSION The presence of reactive compounds in recently distilled products makes a period of around 12 months of maturation advisable to reach equilibrium and to improve the sensory assessment of cider distillates consumed in the fresh state.