Identifying low-level odorants in wine by automated high-capacity sorptive extraction with GC–MS
Application Note 254
The yeast Brettanomyces (Dekkera) bruxellensis (‘Brett’) is part of the natural microflora of wine, but its growth can result in the production of 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG, also known as 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol). These compounds impart unpleasant ‘medicinal’, ‘phenolic’ or ‘horse sweat’ olfactory notes to wine (known as ‘Brett character’), and also exert a masking effect on the desirable ‘fruity’ aromas.
This application note shows that immersive sorptive extraction using high-capacity HiSorb™ probes, automated on the Centri® sample extraction and enrichment platform for gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), can be used to screen wine for ppb levels of two yeast-derived spoilage compounds, as well as a range of other compounds.
