Chemical composition of cachaça maturated with toasted oak fragments from different French forest

Author(s)

Aline Marques Bortoletto

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2013-01-25

Examining board members

André Ricardo Alcarde; André Eduardo de Souza Belluco; Fernando Valadares Novaes

• Advisor: André Ricardo Alcarde

Abstract

Cachaça is a typical Brazilian spirit, consumed mostly natural. Its quality may be improved by aging. In Brazil the aging process is traditionally done by keeping the spirit in barrels made of national hardwood. The use of barrels demand high initial cost and long-term of immobilization of product and capital. Storage alternatives have been sought, but without solution for aging so far. The possibility of using oak fragments for cachaça maturation may provide a wider field of specificities to the spirit. The objective of this research was to study volatile and maturation congeners in cachaça macerated with fragments of oak wood from different French forests (Allier, Vosges and Nièvre) and with different intensities of toasting (low, medium and high). The volatile congeners (acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, methanol, 2- butanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol and acetic acid) were detected and quantified by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GCFID) and the maturation congeners (gallic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, vanillic acid, syringic acid, vanillin, syringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde and synapaldehyde) were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Sensory tests were performed to verify consumer´s acceptance concerning the parameters of color, aroma, flavor and global acceptation. The concentration of volatile congeners was not influenced by the treatments. The presence of maturation congeners indicated the ability of the different wood fragments in supplying compounds to the spirit. Nevertheless the peculiarity of each one is highlighted when the compounds predominance is investigated. Due to the high concentration of maturation congeners supplied by Allier and Vosges woods at high toast, we could assume more chemistry complexity for the cachaças macerated in these conditions. It could also be possible modeling cachaça based on maceration with oak fragments from different origins combined with different intensities of toasting. Sensory tests showed high acceptance on the attributes evaluated, but there was no considerable effect between the different woods and toastings. The use of wood fragments to cachaça maceration is not allowed by the Brazilian laws as an aging process, and might be considered a fraudulent act. This study represents a theoretical and practical basis for a possible application of the methodology. It stresses the importance of a further comparative study concerning aging in barrel and by interaction of wood fragments in order to identify similarities and differences between the methodologies and verify the feasibility of its implementation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/04184-3 - Study of cachaça ageing compounds through interaction with slivers of toasted oak from different French forests.
• Grantee: Aline Marques Bortoletto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master