Effect of enzyme preparations used for oak wood biocatalysis on the set of highly volatile components of aged brandy distillates

Abstract

The individual peculiarities of aged alcohol beverages are formed at the cost of technological factors, which is why it is so important to develop approaches aimed at improvement of the product quality and reduction of production costs. This can be achieved by more efficient and rational use of the natural potential of oak wood with the help of activation techniques based on biocatalysis. As far as the process of biochemical activation of oak wood used for brandy production has been understudied, investigations of the effect of enzyme preparations used for enzymatic catalysis of oak wood upon the quality of brandy distillates is of high interest at this time. We have studied the effects of the place of origin of oak wood, enzyme preparations, and treatment time upon the composition and accumulation dynamics of highly volatile components in brandy distillates. Every oak stave sample was separately treated by complex enzyme preparations with subsequent thermal exposure. Then the treated oak staves were poured up with young brandy distillate and stored for six months in tightly closed containers. As a result, data proving the effect of the place of origin of oak wood, enzyme preparations, and treatment time upon the qualitative and quantitative composition of highly volatile components of aged distillates were obtained.