Gas chromatographs are used to ensure the correct alcohol content in wine. The device analyzes organic compounds in the wine, identifying them using electronic equipment to determine the alcohol content. GCs are sensitive and relatively inexpensive, allowing even small wineries to use them. Manufacturers are constantly improving their products to optimize efficiency.
To produce quality wines it is necessary to make sure that the right quantity of alcohol is contained within the product. Today, many modern wineries use a gas chromatograph to ensure the correct volume of alcohol in each production run. Considered the most accurate means of ascertaining the alcohol content of wines, the gas chromatograph has replaced the use of an ebulliometer in some of the world’s best wineries.
In essence, the gas chromatograph works by analyzing the mixture of organic compounds present in the wine. The gas chromatograph has a series of filters made of porous materials. Samples taken from the wine batch are collected in a syringe and then injected into an ejection port on the device. The inlet port temperature must be above the boiling point for the sample to have accurate readings. This allows the wine components to convert into gas, which is then pushed into the filters using helium or a similar carrier gas.
As the wine gases pass through the filters, the compounds are identified using electronic equipment and the alcohol content is determined. While some models of the GC have a printer that creates a graph of the progress of the wine sample, the newer models use a terminal display, allowing you to view the results without having to decipher a graph.
Using gas chromatographs for measuring alcohol has some advantages. One, the chromatograph is considered more sensitive than even the best ebulliometers of years past. Such sensitivity leads to more detailed reports on the nature of the wine, providing the winemaker with additional information that could make a big difference in the quality of the final product. Second, chromatographs are relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain, compared to the equipment of years past. This means that even a small local winery can afford to purchase a gas chromatograph and use it to test ongoing wine samples.
There are a number of manufacturers around the world supplying state-of-the-art GC equipment to the wine industry. The research and development departments of these producers routinely find ways to optimize the efficiency of their products, which makes the process of accurately measuring the alcohol content of wine possible every year. Current models of the GC are smaller than devices sold even five years ago, making them easier to install and use in a number of different settings in a winery.
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