Physical and chemical characterization of apple distillate

Jabuka (Malus domestica sp.) je voće koje se često koristi za proizvodnju rakije u Hrvatskoj. Određeni omjer kiselina i šećera u nekim vrstama jabuke doprinosi kvaliteti destilata pa se većinom koriste vrste Jonatan i Zlatni delišes. Konačni proizvod je jabukovača - voćna rakija dobivena destilacijom prefermentiranog mošta jabuke. Tijekom procesa proizvodnje ispitivanih uzoraka korištena je frakcijska destilacija, kojom se najbolje izdvajaju aromatske komponente koje pridonose kvaliteti destilata. Cilj ovog rada je praćenje procesa proizvodnje rakije od jabuke i određivanje njenih karakteristika. Određena je koncentracija hlapivih komponenti (ukupni esteri i kiseline), metanola i etanola u različitim frakcijama destilata. Rezultati su pokazali da je koncentracija hlapivih komponenti najveća u prvoj frakciji, jednako kao i koncentracija metanola i etanola. Njihov udio se smanjuje tijekom destilacije, zbog čega je njihova koncentracija u drugoj frakciji manja.The apple (Malus domestica sp.) is a fruit which is often used for brandy production in Croatia. A certain ratio of acids and sugars in some types of apples contribute to the quality of distillates, so commonly Jonatan and Golden Delis apples are used. The final product is a fruit brandy obtained by distillation of the fermented apple mash. During the production process of the tested samples, fractional distillation was used, which best distinguishes the aromatic components that contribute to the quality of the distillate. The aim of this paper is tracking the production process of apple brandy and determine its characteristics. The concentration of volatile components (total esters and acids), methanol and ethanol are determined in different distillate fractions. The results showed that the concentration of esters and acids were highest in the first fraction, just as the concentration of methanol and ethanol. Their proportion decreases during distillation, which is why their concentration in the second fraction is smaller