Analysis of Aroma Compound Characteristics During Spreading and Cooling of Nongxiang Baijiu

Peitao Wu

doi:10.54691/xajgaq62

Authors

Peitao Wu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/xajgaq62

Keywords:

Nongxiang Baijiu; Spreading and Cooling Process; Gas Characteristics.

Abstract

Spreading and cooling is a crucial process in strong-flavor (Nongxiang) Baijiu production, during which volatile aroma substances are emitted and closely related to Baijiu flavor formation and brewing resource utilization. In this study, dynamic sampling was used to collect gaseous substances at six time nodes (0-2 min to 10-12 min) during the spreading and cooling process in a semi-automatic workshop of a southwest Chinese strong-flavor Baijiu distillery. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) and retention index (RI) was applied for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of gas components, and the dynamic changes of key aroma substances were analyzed by referencing the Wuliangye flavor wheel. The results showed that a total of 83 aroma substances were identified, belonging to seven categories including aromatic compounds, alcohols, aldehydes and acids, with aromatic compounds and aldehydes being the dominant components; the gas was characterized by grain, baking and sour aromas. Ten key aroma substances of strong-flavor Baijiu were screened, and their contents exhibited obvious dynamic changes with spreading and cooling time, generally increasing first and then decreasing, peaking at about 6 min and rebounding slightly at 10-12 min (possibly due to hot water vapor sedimentation). Cluster analysis indicated that the initial and middle stages differed mainly in aroma substance content, while the late stage was distinguished by the comprehensive effect of various aroma substances. This study established a preliminary method for collecting and analyzing spreading and cooling gas, and revealed the composition and dynamic change rules of its aroma compounds, providing a theoretical basis for the resource recovery of brewing by-products and the construction of a green low-carbon production mode for strong-flavor Baijiu.

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