DISTILLERY ANALYSES Part One
Written by PAUL HUGHES, PH.D.
Basic Analyses
Product water*
Cereals
Giving Context to Analytical Requirements
Sugar conversion
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ood and drink manufacturers are beholden to understanding the quality of their products, both during production and before releasing for sale. The sophistication of laboratory testing can vary from some of the simplest of analyses, such as measuring temperature, to NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) to determine carbon isotope distribution, and beyond. This threepart overview of distillery-relevant analyses is intended to put analytical requirements in the context of product and process management, with this first part focusing on the simpler analytical measurements. The motivation for analysis is to derive data that can be converted into actionable information either by direct or indirect measurement. For instance, when mashing malted barley during whiskey production, sufficient enzyme activity is essential for the economical conversion of malt starch to fermentable sugars. A combination of data and information helps to ensure this, including:
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A certificate of analysis (CoA) declaration of diastatic power
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Grist particle size distribution commensurate with any existing mash separation equipment used
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Appropriate pH for effective enzyme activities.
Acceptable levels of calcium in the mashing liquor Grist and water temperatures that ensure effective mashing in
This simplified example demonstrates the requirement for chemical, biochemical, and physical data that are disparate but nonetheless reduce the risk of sub-optimal starch conversion into fermentable sugars. The inclusion of the CoA declaration is an indication of the maturation of supply chain management and logistics since the 1990s, a recognition that suppliers and customers work together to help achieve consistent win-win business interactions. The requirements for analysis are diverse, ranging from legal requirements, such as sufficiently accurate determination of proof in the final spirit, to nice-to-know. The latter are to some extent elective depending on the strategy of the business. As an example, color is often more critical for lighter colored products because small deviations are more readily apparent in such products. (This is also true of flavors: A flavor defect in a delicately-flavored product is more readily detected compared with the same defect in a more robustly flavored product.) W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M
Fermenting microbes
Propagation Fermentation Tank bottoms, spent yeast
Casks, chips
Fermentable carbohydrates
Heads, tails, pot ale, etc.
Distillation
Maturation
Proofing, filtration
Filter aids
Packaging
Packaging materials
* Water is required for many duties, such as proofing. These inputs are omitted for clarity.
Distribution
Fig. 1. Simplified flowchart identifying typical distilling plant inputs, and product output. The bold dotted line represents the spirits manufacturing unit, whilst the red boxes delineate inputs to the unit that can legitimately expect specifications to be supplied, for instance in the form of a Certificate of Analysis. So the question remains as to what to measure and where? Such decisions should be driven primarily by what the distiller needs to know to produce a consistent, quality product.1 Distillers have a broad spectrum of business models available to them, from fermenting sugars and producing final alcohol to contracting production in a more hands-off approach. One is not better than the other; they are merely different approaches to the spirits business that may require different types of data. Using the example of a grain-to-glass operation, there are various points at which analyses will be helpful (see Fig. 1 for operations that
1 “Quality” however defined, is a strategic decision, influenced by many factors such as product positioning, competition, and retail price.
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