Evaluation of using high-pressure homogenization technology in enhancing the aroma synthesis of sorghum spirits

Abstract In this study, an acetic acid-ethanol model spirit with 40% alcohol, 1000 ppm was treated using high-pressure homogenization (HPH) (1, 3 and 5 cycles; 30, 50, 70 MPa) to investigate the synthesis effectiveness of ethyl acetate. The result showed that ethyl acetate increased 342% after a 5 cycle treatment. In the HPH treatment (30–90 MPa under 10–25 °C with 1–7 cycles) of commercial sorghum spirit, the test shows that ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate were 2316 and 1586 ppm, respectively, while no obvious changes were observed in methanol, fusel oil and total acidity, and only a slight decline in ethanol. In addition, the results also show that HPH treatment can reduce the methanol content and produce other aroma compounds such as methyl acetate. Sensory evaluation also revealed improvement effects on flavor, smoothness, aftertaste and acceptability of the artificial aging technology on the production of spirits.