Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This research was carried out to determine the effect of muscadine grape cultivar on the methanol content and yield of brandy. Three cultivars (Noble, Carlos, and Fry) grown in North Carolina were used in our experiments. Samples of each cultivar were mashed and fermented with a commercial wine yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Montrachet) at room temperature. The fermented samples were distilled and the distillates were analyzed for methanol, ethanol and higher alcohols by HPLC with a Bio-Rad Aminex HPX 87H and a refractive index detector. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The cultivar of muscadine grapes had an impact on the methanol content and yield of brandy. Of the three cultivars examined, Fry grapes gave a significantly higher yield of brandy (150 mL 40% ethanol/kg) than Noble grapes (109 mL 40% ethanol) and Carlos grapes (114 mL 40% ethanol/kg). Differences in The methanol concentrations of brandy made from the three cultivars were statistically significant. Noble brandy contained the greatest amount of methanol (170 mg/100 mL of 40% ethanol), while Fry brandy had the lowest methanol content (98 mg/100 mL of 40% ethanol). Carlos brandy had a methanol concentration of nearly 130 mg/100 mL of 40% ethanol). The results of this work indicate that the methanol concentrations of brandy samples made from the three cultivars of muscadine grapes are well below the legal limit of 280 mg/100 mL of 40% ethanol.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This research was carried out to determine the yield and methanol content of brandy made from six French hybrid wine grape varieties (DeChaunac, Valvin Muscat, Melody, Traminette, Noiret and Corot Noir) grown in the Finger Lakes wine region of New York state. Samples of each grape variety were mashed and fermented with a commercial wine yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Montrachet) at room temperature. Brandy samples were prepared by distillation of the wines using a laboratory glass distillation apparatus, and the distillates were analyzed by HPLC with a Bio-Rad Aminex HPX 87H and a refractive index detector. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The yields and methanol concentrations of brandy varied considerably with the French hybrid wine grape varieties fermented. DeChaunac grapes yielded significantly more brandy (195 mL 40% ethanol/kg) than Valvin Muscat (182 mL 40% ethanol), Melody (176 mL 40% ethanol/kg), Traminette (185 mL 40% ethanol/kg), Noiret (164 mL 40% ethanol/kg), and Corot Noir (155 mL 40% ethanol/kg). Samples of brandy made from Corot Noir grapes contained the highest concentration of methanol (125 g/100 mL 40% ethanol), whereas the brandy produced from Melody grapes had the lowest methanol content (50 mg/100 mL 40% ethanol). The methanol concentrations of the brandy samples made from DeChaunac, Valvin Muscat, Traminette, and Noiret grapes were 116, 76, 72, and 77 mg/100 mL 40% ethanol, respectively. The results of our work clearly indicate that the methanol concentrations of the brandy made from the six French hybrid wine grape varieties grown in New York state are well below the FDA guidance of 280 mg/100 mL 40% ethanol.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) are widely grown in southeastern United States for commercial production of juice, wine and other value-added products. The current investigation was undertaken to determine the composition of major volatile compounds in wine and brandy made with three muscadine grape cultivars (Carlos, Fry and Noble) grown in Raleigh, North Carolina. The grapes were mashed and fermented with a Red Star wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Montrachet. Brandy samples were prepared by distillation of the wines under controlled conditions. All wine and brandy samples were analyzed by HPLC with a Bio-Rad Aminex HPX 87H column and a refractive index detector. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Volatile acid (acetic acid), methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isobutanol, and amyl alcohol were identified as the major volatile compounds by HPLC. The ethanol concentrations in the wine and brandy samples were 7.0-9.0% by volume and 42.0-58.0% by volume, respectively, depending on the muscadine grape cultivars used in the fermentation. The concentrations of methanol in the wines and brandies from the muscadine grapes were less than 0.06% and 0.24% by volume, respectively. Volatile acid (acetic acid)and higher alcohols (n-propanol, isobutanol, and amyl alcohol) were present in significantly lower concentrations. The results of the current study indicate that the methanol concentrations in the wine and brandy samples produced with the three muscadine grape cultivars are well below the United States FDA guidance of 0.35% by volume or 280 mg/100 mL of brandy containing 40% ethanol.
Publications
- Hang, Y. D. and Woodams, E. E. 2010. HPLC profiles of wine and brandy from muscadine grapes (Vitis rodundifolia). Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 61(3):434A.
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Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This research was undertaken to determine the effects of bunch grape variety and pectinase enzyme treatment on the content of methanol in wines and distilled grape spirits. Six grape varieties (Concord, Catawba, Niagara, New York Muscat, Vidal and Vignoles) grown in the Finger Lakes wine region were used in this study. Grapes of each variety were de-stemmed and crushed in our fruit and vegetable processing pilot plant with and without the addition of a commercial pectinase enzyme preparation. The musts from each variety were inoculated with Red Star active dry yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Montrachet) and fermented for 12 days at room temperatures. Distilled grape spirits were prepared by distillation of wine samples using a laboratory glass distillation apparatus. The pH was measured with a Fisher pH mete, and the titratable acidity expressed as % tartaric acid was determined by titrating the samples using 0.02 N NaOH to pH 8.2. The Brix was analyzed with a Carl Zeiss refractometer. Methanol and other volatile compounds (acetic acid, ethanol and higher alcohols) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography under the following conditions: Column, Bio-Rad Aminex HPX-87H;eluant, 0.005 M sulfuric acid;flow rate, 0.6 mL/min; temperature, 50 degree C; detection, refractive index detector. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Y. D. Hang worked on the project as a principal investigator. He is currently a professor of food science at Cornell University. Mr. Edward E. Woodams was the research support specialist. He assisted Dr. Hang in all the fermentation experiments and the chemical analysis of all the wine and spirit samples. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences that were served by the project include the grape processors, wineries, and brandy producers. We participated in a distillation workshop in Geneva NY on June 18, 2009 and presented the research results of this project. We presented the experimental results of this project at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture in Napa, California from June 23-25, 2009. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The six Finger Lakes grape varieties were found to have a pH range of 2.9 to 3.4 and a relatively high acidity expressed as % tartaric acid (0.64-1.38%). The Brix values varied considerably. The Concord grapes contained the lowest sugar concentration, whereas the Vignoles grapes had the highest level of sugar. Methanol concentrations in the wines varied from approximately 0.015% to 0.037% v/v, depending on the grape variety fermented. The distilled grape spirits made with the six varietal wines had methanol concentrations in the range of less than 30 mg to more than 150 mg/100 mL of 40% ethanol. Use of a commercial pectinase enzyme preparation in wine-making caused a significant increase in the methanol concentrations of wines and distilled grape spirits. The results of the present investigation indicate that the methanol concentrations of the wines and distilled spirits produced from the six Finger Lakes grape varieties were well below the FDA legal limits of 0.1% v/v and 280 mg/100 mL of 40% ethanol, respectively.
Publications
- Hang, Y. D. and Woodams, E. E. 2009. HPLC analysis of wines and spirits from Finger Lakes grapes. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 60(3):401A
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