**6. References**


**Distillation of Brazilian** 

Sergio Nicolau Freire Bruno *Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário, RJ-MG, Ministério da Agricultura* 

*Brazil* 

**Sugar Cane Spirits (Cachaças)** 

*Cachaça* is the sugar cane spirit typical of and exclusively produced in Brazil which has alcohol content between 38 and 48% in volume, at 20oC. It is obtained from the sugar cane fermented wort and has peculiar sensory characteristics. It may also include the addition of

In the production of *cachaças*, as of other distilled beverages, a distillation process is used to isolate, select and concentrate specific volatile components of the "liquid mixture" by heating it (Boza & Horii, 1988; Léauté, 1990). After the fermentation, the distillation is the most important step for the quality of distilled beverages (Janzantti, 2004; Boza & Horii,

Distillation also promotes some heat induced chemical reactions such as the synthesis of acrolein through a Maillard reaction (Boza & Horii, 1988 ; Nykänen & Nykänen, 1991) and of heterocyclic aromatic compounds, such as furans (furfural, etc.), pyrazines and pyridines (Janzantti, 2004 ; Léauté, 1990). Besides that, distillation causes the extraction of certain long chain esters retained in the yeast cells at the end of the fermentation step, transferring them

The *cachaças* "wine" composition is quite complex and contains liquid, solid and gaseous substances. Ethanol is the main liquid component, with 5 to 8% v/v, and water is the substance present in the greatest amount - about 89 to 92% v/v. Other liquid components present in smaller amounts are glycerol, lactic acid and butyric acid; volatile components such as esters, acetic acid, propanoic acid, aldehydes and higher alcohols, among others

At every production of a distilled beverage, each volatile component will be more easily distilled according to three criteria: solubility in alcohol or water, boiling point and alcoholic content variation in the vapor phase during distillation (Janzantti, 2004 ; Léauté, 1990).

According to the components' volatility, it is possible to isolate the volatile (water, ethanol and others) components from the non-volatile ones (suspended solids, minerals, yeast cells, non-fermentable sugars, proteins, etc.) obtaining two fractions, phlegm and vinasses, the residue from the distillation of the "wine". The phlegm, main distillation product, is an

up to 6g/L of various sugars, expressed as sucrose (Brasil, 2005).

to the distillates (Nykänen & Nykänen, 1991).

(Novaes, 1999; Bruno, 2006 ; Nascimento et al*.*, 1998a,b).

**1. Introduction** 

1988).

Meier, U., 2001. *Entwicklungsstadien mono- und dikotyler Pflanzen: BBCH Monografie.* 2. Auflage ed. Berlin: Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft. **7** 
