Chromatographic methods in the study of the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages

This work was carried out to study the possibilities of complex application of methods of gas chromatography, chromatography-mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis to determine the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages on the example of vodka Bereza. Gas chromatography method revealed: acetic aldehyde mass concentration of 4.18 dm3b.s., acetone 16.7 mg/dm3b.s., methyl alcohol 0.00119 vol. b.s. and 2 propanol 0.61 mg/dm3b.s. The mass concentration of acetic aldehyde was found to be higher than that of acetic aldehyde, which is 4.18 dm3b.s. against 3.0 dm3b.s. as regulated by the state standard. Possible reasons for the increased content of acetic aldehyde and acetone formation in vodka were established. The method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used as a reference method, which confirmed the reliability of identification by more than 98 %, based on the analysis of the coincidence of library and experimental mass spectra. By capillary electrophoresis method it was found that the vodka sample contains chlorides, nitrates, formates, ammonium, potassium, magnesium, the mass concentration of which is less than 0.5 mg/dm3 each. In addition, citrates with a mass concentration of 2.32mg/dm3, calcium 4.11mg/dm3, sodium 14.33mg/dm3 and manganese 0.32mg/dm3 were detected. The study of ionic composition of birch sap used as an ingredient in the preparation of vodka showed that the mass concentration of chlorides is 7.52mg/dm3, sulfates 18.79mg/dm3, oxalates 0.24mg/dm3, formates 18.84mg/dm3, fluorides 2,02mg/dm3, fumarates 5.90mg/dm3, malates 16.60mg/dm3, citrates 315.72mg/dm3, glycolates 17.82mg/dm3, acetates 33.80mg/dm3, lactates 10.05mg/dm3, phosphates 26,38mg/dm3, ammonium 1,70mg/dm3, potassium 16,87mg/dm3, calcium 83,23mg/dm3, sodium 1,02mg/dm3, magnesium 18,93±14 % mg/dm3, manganese 5,21mg/dm3. The presence of citric acid with a mass concentration of 315.72mg/dm3 is not typical for birch sap and suggests that it was used as an acidity regulator during production. Thus, the reason for the increased content of acetic aldehyde and acetone formation in the studied sample could be the use of birch sap containing citric acid. The conducted study confirmed the expediency of using the methods of gas chromatography, chromatography-mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis in combination to study the composition of alcoholic beverages.