Effect of ethanol strength on the release of higher alcohols and aldehydes in model solutions

Headspace concentrations of homologous series of higher alcohols and aldehydes dissolved in aqueous solutions at different ethanol concentrations were analysed by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection. For each volatile, activity coefficients at all ethanol strengths were estimated and statistically compared to evaluate the effect of ethanol strength. There was a significant reduction of the activity coefficients between 10% and 20% v/v ethanol for all the volatiles studied. The reduction of the activity coefficients between 10% and 15% v/v was significant only fbr decanol, dodecanol, octanal and dodecanal. This confirms that there is a change in the effect of ethanol concentration on volatile flavour compounds in aqueous solutions at 15-20% v/v ethanol.