Armazenamento de aguardente de cana/cachaça de alambique em tonéis de aço inoxidável por período de 20 anos

Abstract

Cachaça is a genuinely Brazilian beverage, fermented and distilled, which can be aged in wooden barrels or stored in stainless steel barrels. Its consumption in the national territory is explained by historical and cultural reasons. There are a few producers that let it mature for years in stainless steel containers, inert material, in order to add value and quality to their product. The objectives of this work were to characterize physicochemically and chromatographically sugar cane spirits / cachaças from different years, stored in stainless steel vats, from 1996 to 2016. 15 samples were collected, directly from the producer, located in the city of Coronel Xavier Chaves (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The physical-chemical and chromatographic profile of the samples was verified according to identity and quality standards, according to MAPA Normative Instruction 13/2005, including the verification of organic contaminants (butan-1-ol, butan-2-ol, methanol, ethyl carbamate), inorganic (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Fe); and identification of volatile organic compounds, by SPME-GC-MS. The drinks presented different physical-chemical profiles, with 05 samples out of the standards for some of these parameters: aldehydes, furfural, congeners, alcoholic degree and butan-1-ol. All samples had low ethyl carbamate content, with the maximum mean concentration found being 51.47 μg L-1. The presence of the metals iron, lead, cadmium or chromium was not detected. Zinc and copper were found in small amounts. 16 volatile organic compounds were detected and identified in sugarcane / cachaça spirit, which are important for the aroma and flavor of the drink. The shelf life of cane spirit / cachaça is still 20 years, as it remains with its physical and chemical characteristics when stored in stainless steel containers.