Distribution of the principal minor volatiles during cider destillation in "alquitara"

Abstract

A study of minor volatiles from 12 fractions collected during distillation of cider in ‘alquitara’ was carried out. Compounds favouring spirit quality are found in the first half of the distillate. Some compounds imparting aromatic defects could be eliminated by removing a percentage of heads during distillation. In contrast, when distilling ciders without defects, removing heads would not be justified, as their incorporation in the final distillate should lead to obtaining spirits with higher aromatic riches. Tails, however, which are mainly constituted by unpleasant aromas, must be rigorously removed to avoid incorporating compounds that could reduce the quality of the final product.