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Accelerating Techniques for Whisky Maturation : Effect of heat, iron and light on the maturation process

Chen, Cihao LU (2022) KLGM01 20221
Food Technology and Nutrition (M.Sc.)
Abstract
The maturation of whisky is a long and complex process, the extremely long waiting time causes a large cost for new whisky distilleries, and without sufficient funding, it is hard to start a whisky business. To produce satisfying whisky products within the short term, accelerating the reaction during aging provides a promising approach. Various chemical reactions take place during this stage, this project aims to investigate how heat, light, and iron catalyst affect these reactions. A temperature chamber was used to perform heat treatment. The source of light was a plasma lamp that simulate solar light. Ferrous sulfate was chosen as the source of iron.
Also, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy was utilized to collect the absorbance of each... (More)
The maturation of whisky is a long and complex process, the extremely long waiting time causes a large cost for new whisky distilleries, and without sufficient funding, it is hard to start a whisky business. To produce satisfying whisky products within the short term, accelerating the reaction during aging provides a promising approach. Various chemical reactions take place during this stage, this project aims to investigate how heat, light, and iron catalyst affect these reactions. A temperature chamber was used to perform heat treatment. The source of light was a plasma lamp that simulate solar light. Ferrous sulfate was chosen as the source of iron.
Also, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy was utilized to collect the absorbance of each sample to evaluate the effect of these treatments on the content of total phenolic compounds. On the other hand, to evaluate the impact of these treatments on whisky maturation, the contents of six phenolic compounds (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid) derived from the wood were considered a key indicator since these phenolic compounds make an important contribution to the development of flavor and aroma of whisky. And HPLC-DAD was chosen as the analytical method for identifying and quantifying these phenolic compounds.
The results found a good correlation between the heat treatment and the generation of phenolic compounds, but the current results are insufficient to conclude that the light treatment can improve the maturation of whisky. In addition, the iron catalyst does not show any beneficial behavior, and the high concentration of iron even decreased the content of phenolic compounds. (Less)
Popular Abstract
This project aims to develop new methods to accelerate the process of whisky maturation. According to The Scotch Whisky Regulations, the whisky must be aged in oak casks at least three years before the bottling. And in the current whisky market, commercial whisky products with high quality commonly are aged at least 10-12 years. To reduce the cost induced by long-term maturation, this project has investigated how heat, light, and iron affect the quality of the whisky. The smell and taste of whisky are often described as vanilla, honey, and fruity, these special aromas and flavors are generated by the presence of some compounds derived from the oak, and phenolic compounds play an important role among them. The temperature during the... (More)
This project aims to develop new methods to accelerate the process of whisky maturation. According to The Scotch Whisky Regulations, the whisky must be aged in oak casks at least three years before the bottling. And in the current whisky market, commercial whisky products with high quality commonly are aged at least 10-12 years. To reduce the cost induced by long-term maturation, this project has investigated how heat, light, and iron affect the quality of the whisky. The smell and taste of whisky are often described as vanilla, honey, and fruity, these special aromas and flavors are generated by the presence of some compounds derived from the oak, and phenolic compounds play an important role among them. The temperature during the maturation was set at 65℃, and several intensities of artificial solar light and concentrations of ferrous sulfate were used for treating the mixture of oak chips and new-make spirit. To evaluate the effects of these treatments on the content of total phenolic compounds, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy was used to collect the absorbance data of treated samples. And six phenolic compounds (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid) were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD. The results found that heat treatment indeed can accelerate the formation of phenolic compounds, while the beneficial behavior of the light treatment and addition of iron was not observed in this project. In addition, the content of vanillin and gallic acid increased in the heat-treated samples, although excessive heating and the high concentration of iron (24 mg/L) reduced the concentration of gallic acid. Also, the content of some phenolic compounds in the heat-treated samples is even higher than that in commercial products. On the other hand, light treatment and iron catalyst still have potential, the light with a higher proportion of short-wave visible light may have a better effect on breaking down the lignin, and the powder of iron oxides could be a better replacement since the powder can be removed directly after the maturation. Based on the finding in this project, applying heat treatment in whisky production is a potential option. The content of some aroma and flavor compounds can reach a similar level as commercial whisky. Although heat treatment is forbidden according to the regulation in Scotland, producing high quality spirits within the short term is still possible, even the final products are not allowed to be labeled as whisky. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Chen, Cihao LU
supervisor
organization
course
KLGM01 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Food technology, whisky, oak, phenolic compounds, HPLC-DAD
language
English
id
9101994
date added to LUP
2022-10-26 13:10:29
date last changed
2022-10-26 13:10:29
@misc{9101994,
  abstract     = {{The maturation of whisky is a long and complex process, the extremely long waiting time causes a large cost for new whisky distilleries, and without sufficient funding, it is hard to start a whisky business. To produce satisfying whisky products within the short term, accelerating the reaction during aging provides a promising approach. Various chemical reactions take place during this stage, this project aims to investigate how heat, light, and iron catalyst affect these reactions. A temperature chamber was used to perform heat treatment. The source of light was a plasma lamp that simulate solar light. Ferrous sulfate was chosen as the source of iron.
Also, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy was utilized to collect the absorbance of each sample to evaluate the effect of these treatments on the content of total phenolic compounds. On the other hand, to evaluate the impact of these treatments on whisky maturation, the contents of six phenolic compounds (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid) derived from the wood were considered a key indicator since these phenolic compounds make an important contribution to the development of flavor and aroma of whisky. And HPLC-DAD was chosen as the analytical method for identifying and quantifying these phenolic compounds. 
The results found a good correlation between the heat treatment and the generation of phenolic compounds, but the current results are insufficient to conclude that the light treatment can improve the maturation of whisky. In addition, the iron catalyst does not show any beneficial behavior, and the high concentration of iron even decreased the content of phenolic compounds.}},
  author       = {{Chen, Cihao}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Accelerating Techniques for Whisky Maturation : Effect of heat, iron and light on the maturation process}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}