INFLUENCE OF MINERAL COMPOSITION OF SOFTWATER WATER FOR QUALITATIVE INDICATORS OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS FROM VEGETABLE RAW MATERIALS

doi: 10.25712/ASTU.2072-8921.2021.01.002

Abstract

One of the most important components of alcoholic beverages based on distillates from vegetable raw material, including fruit, is softened water, which is part of the blending. Currently, only the hardness of softened water in the production of the alcoholic beverages is controlled. There is extremely limited information about the influence of the mineral composition of water on the organoleptic characteristics of beverages, such as whiskey, fruit vodkas and others, produced on the basis of distillates from vegetable raw material. Alcoholic beverages based on distillates have fundamental differences in the composition of volatile components from vodkas, produced on the basis of rectified alcohol. The basis of the flavor and aroma profiles of alcohols is formed with volatile components of distillates. Studies on the influence of the softened water’s mineral composition on the organoleptic characteristics of alcoholic beverages based on distillates from vegetable raw materials have not been previously conducted. Thereby, the aim of the work is to identify the correlation between the mineral composition of water and the quality characteristics of alcoholic beverages. The assessment of the mineral composition of 10 samples of softened water was carried out using ion-exchange chromatography and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Test samples of alcoholic beverages were prepared on the basis of distillates, obtained from barley malt and a mixture of barley malt and rye. The samples of alcoholic beverages differed in the composition of volatile components and mineral composition. It was found that it is necessary to increase the concentration of Na + cations, as well as chlorides, sulfates and hydrocarbonates in softened water when using distillates with a higher concentration of higher alcohols in order to obtain alcoholic beverages of consistently high quality.On the basis of our research, the requirements for the mineral composition of softened water for alcoholic beverages with a certain composition and ratio of volatile components have been scientifically substantiated.