Beverages Applications Notebook - Alcoholic Beverages

Importance of the Topic

Objectives and Overview

• Characterize organic acids in wine via ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity.
• Determine major anions and acids in beer and fermentation broths.
• Quantify biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages by ion chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) and integrated PAD (IPAD).
• Measure glycols and alcohols in fermentation media using ion-exclusion chromatography and PAD.
• Achieve high-resolution separation of mixed organic and inorganic anions in wine.
• Select optimal chromatography columns for various beverage analyses.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• UltiMate 3000 UHPLC+ and RSLC systems for rapid HPLC and UHPLC separations.
• ICS-3000 and ICS-5000 Reagent-Free™ IC systems with electrolytic eluent generation for suppressed conductivity detection.
• DX-500 BioLC system combining gradient pumps, electrochemical detection, and autosampling for fermentation monitoring.
• IC-MS and LC-MS solutions controlled through Chromeleon™ software for single-software data acquisition and analysis.

• ASRS® and CSRS® suppressors for low-noise conductivity detection.
• Conventional and disposable Au working electrodes for PAD and IPAD.
• UV/Vis detectors for confirmation of chromophoric analytes.

• IonPac AS11/AS11-HC, AS18-Fast, AS22 Fast for anions; CS18 and CS17 for cations.
• CarboPac PA1, PA10, MA1 for carbohydrates and alditols.
• IonPac ICE-AS1 for organic acids and common anions in high ionic strength matrices.
• MAbPac SEC/SCX, ProPac WAX/SCX/IMAC for proteins and peptides.

Main Results and Discussion

• Baseline separation of 15 organic acids and anions in red and white wines within 30 minutes, with detection limits at sub-µg/L levels.
• Robust quantification of organic acids (e.g., tartaric, malic, lactic) and inorganic anions (e.g., chloride, nitrate, sulfate) with R²>0.997.
• Simultaneous profiling of common anions and organic acids in beer and fermentation broths, with recoveries >88% and low RSDs (<2.1%).
• Integrated PAD and IPAD detection of biogenic amines (e.g., tyramine, putrescine) in beverages, enabling selective identification when combined with UV detection.
• Accurate determination of glycols and alcohols (e.g., ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol) in fermentation media with limits of detection down to 1–5 µM and RSDs <2% over 5-day runs.
• High-capacity separations on the OmniPac PAX-100 column, resolving 16 mixed organic and inorganic anions in a single 35-minute gradient.
• Comprehensive column selection guidelines to tailor separations for specific beverage analytes.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Monitor fermentation in real time to optimize yields and detect spoilage.
• Ensure regulatory compliance for contaminants such as perchlorate, bromate, and biogenic amines.
• Streamline analyses with reagent-free eluent generation and minimized sample preparation (direct injection, minimal dilution, OnGuard cleanup).
• Enhance throughput via rapid separations, high resolution, and automated data processing with Chromeleon eWorkflows.
• Flexibly adapt methods across diverse beverage matrices, from infant formula to beer, wine, and fermented supplements.

Future Trends and Application Possibilities

• Tighter integration of IC-MS and LC-MS for unequivocal analyte identification and quantification.
• Expanded use of on-line process analyzers for continuous PAT (process analytical technology) monitoring.
• Further miniaturization via capillary and nano-LC for trace analysis in limited sample volumes.
• Development of novel stationary phases and detection modes (e.g., multi-detector, multi-mode columns) for challenging analytes.
• Enhanced software-driven eWorkflows and AI-assisted data interpretation for faster decision-making.

Conclusion

References

• Application Note 21. Organic Acids in Wine, Dionex, 1997.
• Masson, P. J. Chromatogr. A 2000, 881, 387–394.
• Application Note 123. Inorganic Anions and Organic Acids in Fermentation Broths, Dionex, 2004.
• Santos, M. H. S. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 1996, 29, 213–231.
• Application Note 122. Carbohydrates, Alcohols, and Glycols in Fermentation Broths, Dionex, 2004.
• Application Note 106. Ion Chromatography in the Pharmaceutical Industry, 1994.
• Pohl, C.; Jandik, P.; Liu, X. Dionex Application Note, IC–PAD Detection of Glycols and Alcohols, 2010.