Why does liquor turn yellow in a few years? Is the yellowish liquor an added pigment?

Liquor has a very long history in China. Liquor can be divided into different flavor types and liquor with different names according to different brewing techniques. For example, Erguotou, Zhuyeqing, Laobaigan, etc. Liquor can generally be put on for a period of time, and some liquors will turn yellow when taken out. So what is the reason? Is it because of adding pigment that it turns yellow?

Wine will turn yellow in a few years. The reason why liquor turns yellow during storage is that liquor contains a small amount of ketone compounds. During storage, ketone compounds in liquor will turn yellow slowly, which is normal. But not all liquor will change color. Only high-quality liquor fermented by pure grain or liquor with long fermentation period and storage period will appear yellowish.

But it does not rule out the "false yellow" of liquor. The so-called false yellow refers to improper sealing, or not real wine, oxidation and precipitation with impurities and other colors turn yellow, indicating that liquor is broken and should be thrown away, so it is not necessarily a good phenomenon to say that liquor turns yellow.

Is the yellow color of liquor an added pigment? There are several reasons why liquor turns yellow. First, sorghum, the raw material for brewing, contains "lutein", and high-temperature fermentation will affect the color of liquor, which is generally maotai-flavor type. There is also the chemical reaction produced by alcohol itself: glycolysis and polysaccharide reaction, and finally it appears yellowish. The longer the storage time, the more obvious the yellow color is. Simply put, it is the raw material technology, and some elements will be produced during storage, which will make the color of liquor yellow.

We should know that liquor brewed by traditional technology is composed of 98% ethanol and 2% aged substances, and it is rich in trace components such as alcohol, acid, aldehyde, ester and ketone compounds. The yellowing of liquor is also the result of decomposition and fusion of 2% trace components, and its normal color is clear and thorough. If the color is dark, be sure to pay attention to the possibility of pigment.

Whether it is good or bad for liquor to turn yellow during storage depends on which flavor it belongs to. Generally, the storage time of Fen-flavor liquor or rice-flavor liquor should not be too long, and it can be stored in sealed cans or stainless steel containers in the dark. If the storage time is too long (more than 1 year), it will appear cloudy yellow, indicating that it has deteriorated and cannot be drunk.

Like Maotai-flavor liquor, this kind of liquor is suitable for sealed storage all the year round. The longer the time, the stronger the flavor and the stronger the color of the liquor. During storage, diketone compounds in liquor gradually turned yellow after years, which is a unique feature of Maotai-flavor liquor.

Related news Guizhou Liquor Exchange was interviewed: for selling 1499 yuan to Hubei medical team, Tian Fei Maotai.

At 3 pm on March 25, Guizhou Provincial Market Supervision Administration announced that on March 23, regarding the recent improper marketing behavior of Guizhou Liquor Exchange Co., Ltd., the bureau interviewed the main person in charge of the institute and asked it to operate in accordance with relevant national laws and regulations. To strengthen self-discipline, abide by industry norms, and shall not engage in commercial speculation related to fighting the epidemic and social welfare activities, and instruct the Institute to make rapid rectification.