Volatile compounds of Chinese Luzhou flavoured liquor distilled from grains fermented in 100 to 300 year‐old cellars

• Published in: Journal of the Institute of Brewing Vol. 126; no. 1; pp. 116 - 130
• Main Authors: Wang, Ming‐yao, Zhang, Qi, Yang, Jian‐gang, Zhao, Jing‐song, Su, Chang, Zhao, Qing‐song, Ao, Zong‐hua, Shen, Cai‐hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Institute of Brewing & Distilling 2020
• Subjects: Alcohols; Aldehydes; Brewing; Carboxylic acids; Chinese baijiu; direct injection method; Distillation; Esters; Fermented food; Gas chromatography; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; Grain; Headspace; headspace solid‐phase microextraction; Injection; Ketones; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Solid phase methods; Solid phases; Spirits; volatile components; Volatile compounds
• ISSN: 0046-9750; 2050-0416
• DOI: 10.1002/jib.588

Baijiu – Chinese white spirits – contain a plethora of volatile compounds of which only some have been identified. This study reports two pre‐treatments, direct injection and headspace solid phase microextraction (HS‐SPME), coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry to analyse the volatile compounds of liquor distilled from grains fermented in 100‐, 200‐ and 300 year‐old cellars. Three samples from each cellar were analysed and 71 compounds were detected using direct injection with 75 compounds detected using HS‐SPME. The compounds included esters, alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes and ketones and other compounds. Although both methods detected a similar number of compounds, the types of compounds detected differed. The collection times of the samples were divided into four stages according to their composition. This study provides an analytical foundation for further determining components in baijiu. © 2019 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling