Non-Conventional Cuts in Batch Distillation to Brazilian Spirits (cachaca) Production: A Computational Simulation Approach

In this work, an algorithm was developed to determine different possibilities of distillation cuts to support productivity and improve the final quality of cachaca, a Brazilian spirit beverage. The distillation process was simulated using the Aspen Plus (R) software, considering a wide range of fermented musts compositions available in the literature obtained by fermentation with different yeast strains. Twenty-four simulations were carried out considering eight compounds as follows: water and ethanol (major compounds); acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 1-propanol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol (minor compounds). The calculations considered a long-time process, i.e., until almost all the ethanol in the fermented must was distilled. The algorithm enabled the identification of countless distilling cuts, resulting in products with different alcoholic grades and process yields. One fermented must became viable to produce cachaca after the suggested non-traditional method of cuts proposed in this work. Furthermore, the non-traditional distilling cut provided a productivity gain of more than 50%. Finally, the ratio of acetaldehyde and ethanol concentration was the key parameter to determine whether the fermented musts could provide products meeting cachaca's legislation.

Automated summary

An algorithm was developed to determine different possibilities of distillation cuts in order to enhance productivity and improve the final quality of cachaca. The algorithm allowed the identification of numerous distilling cuts, resulting in products with different alcoholic grades and process yields. This study also proposed a non-traditional distilling cut which increased productivity by over 50% and ensured compliance with cachaca's legislation by considering the ratio of acetaldehyde and ethanol concentration.