Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

Extraction of Lignin with High β-O-4 Content by Mild Ethanol Extraction and Its Effect on the Depolymerization Yield
Published on: January 7, 2019
The Influence of Wood-Derived Compounds on the Quality of Alcoholic Beverages
Paweł Sroka1, Tomasz Tarko1,2
1Department of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, ul. Balicka 122, 30-149 Krakow, Poland.
Abstract:
Wood is a material frequently used in the production of alcoholic beverages. Oak barrels have been used to store wines, beers, and spirits for generations. Nowadays, beverages are increasingly matured in the presence of staves and chips from various wood species. The aim of this article was to describe the impact of different wood species and their thermal processing conditions on the quality of alcoholic beverages. The article describes the chemical composition of wood and the compounds formed during toasting at various temperatures. It also lists the volatile compounds extracted from wood for alcoholic beverages, along with their sensory thresholds and their impact on olfactory sensations. Attention was drawn to potentially harmful substances formed during wood toasting, including aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The amounts of compounds extracted from wines, beers, and spirits from different wood species and toasted under different conditions were compared. Quercus barrels contribute to higher lactone concentrations in beverages, which have a coconut aroma. Cherry, acacia, and ash wood increase the concentration of volatile phenols in beverages. The use of staves and chips shortens the maturation time and facilitates the design of beverages with specific sensory characteristics.
More Related Videos
09:12Optimization of Processing of Tiebangchui with Highland Barley Wine Based on the Box-Behnken Design Combined with the Entropy Method
Published on: May 19, 2023
14:53Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol
Published on: October 24, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Microbes in Beverage Production
Introduction to Wood
The structural integrity of the wood...
Physical Properties of Alcohols and Phenols
Alcohols possess a higher boiling point than aliphatic hydrocarbons of similar...
Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
Seasoning of Wood
Achieving equilibrium moisture content is the goal of seasoning; this is the point where the wood's moisture content stabilizes to align with the moisture levels of the surrounding environment. Proper...
Protection of Alcohols
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...