Chemical composition of sugar cane spirit produced from different distillation methods

Abstract This study aimed to determine the influence of distillation methods (single, double and redistillation) on the chemical composition of sugar cane spirits. Analysis of volatile compounds (aldehydes, esters, methanol, higher alcohols, acetic acid and furfural) and contaminants (n-butyl and sec-butyl alcohols, copper and ethyl carbamate) were carried out. All the distilled spirits presented chemical composition of volatiles and contaminants within Brazilian legal specifications. The single distilled sugar cane spirit presented higher concentrations of acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propyl alcohol, higher alcohols, furfural, and coefficient of congeners. The single distilled sugar cane spirit also presented higher concentrations of contaminants (methanol, sec-butyl alcohol, copper and ethyl carbamate). The methodologies of double distillation and redistillation provided a reduction in the concentration of volatile congeners (acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propyl alcohol, and furfural) and contaminants (methanol, sec-butyl alcohol, copper and ethyl carbamate) of the sugar cane spirits.