Alcoholic Spirits Analysis

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Application Summary

Analysis Point Analyte Typ. Range Suitable Analyzer
Quality Control Color - OMA Process Analyzer
Ethanol (proof) -

Measuring Color of Whiskey

For the purposes of quality control, whiskey manufacturers desire a method to monitor alcohol content (proof) and color across the bottled yield. The absorbance spectrum of a whiskey sample is an excellent, non-invasive tool for determining these specifications in real time.

Ethanol and water both have unique structural features in their absorbance spectra which will have stronger or weaker prominence depending on their concentrations in the measured whiskey sample. Similarly, the absorbance spectrum of a whiskey sample can easily be correlated to a host of color scales (both standard and arbitrary), such that product color can be verified using absorbance spectroscopy.

The OMA Whiskey Analyzer is a single unit providing extremely fast response on both ethanol concentration and product color. Measuring a full, high-resolution absorbance spectrum in the continuously drawn whiskey sample, the instrument is able to "lock in" the background absorbance (i.e. the total absorbance structure of all the non-ethanol compounds in whiskey) and isolate the absorbance of ethanol, which correlates directly to its real-time concentration.

The system can be multiplexed to monitor multiple whiskey streams simultatenously, thus increasing value dramatically. The only analyzer downtime occurs during the automated 120-second zeroing procedure. The OMA Whiskey Analyzer never requires re-calibration.

Measuring Ethanol (Proof) in Whiskey

For the purposes of quality control, whiskey manufacturers desire a method to monitor alcohol content (proof) and color across the bottled yield. The absorbance spectrum of a whiskey sample is an excellent, non-invasive tool for determining these specifications in real time.

Ethanol and water both have unique structural features in their absorbance spectra which will have stronger or weaker prominence depending on their concentrations in the measured whiskey sample. Similarly, the absorbance spectrum of a whiskey sample can easily be correlated to a host of color scales (both standard and arbitrary), such that product color can be verified using absorbance spectroscopy.

The OMA Whiskey Analyzer is a single unit providing extremely fast response on both ethanol concentration and product color. Measuring a full, high-resolution absorbance spectrum in the continuously drawn whiskey sample, the instrument is able to "lock in" the background absorbance (i.e. the total absorbance structure of all the non-ethanol compounds in whiskey) and isolate the absorbance of ethanol, which correlates directly to its real-time concentration.

The system can be multiplexed to monitor multiple whiskey streams simultatenously, thus increasing value dramatically. The only analyzer downtime occurs during the automated 120-second zeroing procedure. The OMA Whiskey Analyzer never requires re-calibration.