Countercurrent supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation of alcoholic beverages

A procedure for the recovery of aromatic extracts from distilled alcoholic beverages by means of a countercurrent supercritical fluid extraction (CC-S FE) on a pilot plant scale is studied. The beverage is directly in contact with the carbon dioxide current in a packed column, and the extracts are re covered in two different fractionation cells, where the depressurization oc curs. The proposed method allows the selective extraction of aromatic compo nents of the brandy flavor, rendering a high-value concentrated extract and a colored residue without brandy aroma. The content in ethanol of the arom atic extract can be modified by tuning the extraction/fractionation conditi ons, rendering from 15 to 95% recovery. The effect of the main variables, i ncluding extraction pressure and quality of extracting CO2, has been tested .