Continuous wine making by gamma-alumina-supported biocatalyst: quality of the wine and distillates.

Abstract

The main objective of the present work was the removal of aluminum from wines produced by gamma-alumina-supported yeast cells. Reagents such as Na2CO3, NH4OH, albumin, and Ca(OH)2 were used. Calcium in the presence of albumin was effective, whereas other reagents were not so effective. Because of the improved aroma and taste of distillates produced by gamma-alumina-supported biocatalyst, volatile byproducts of distillates were analyzed. They were also assessed by sensory tests. Methanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propanol-1, isobutyl alcohol, and amyl alcohols were determined in distillates. It was noted that the amounts of higher alcohols and amyl alcohols decreased as the temperature of fermentation dropped, leading to a product of improved quality and reduced toxicity.