Concurrently with ethanol, many other compounds can be formed during the fermentation of grains and fruits. Among those, methanol is particularly important (because of its toxicity) and is typically formed at concentrations much lower than ethanol, presenting a particular challenge that demands the implementation of separation techniques. Aiming to provide an alternative to traditional chromatographic approaches, a hybrid electrophoresis device with electrochemical preprocessing and contactless conductivity detection (hybrid EC-CE-C4D) has been presented. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed strategy, Dr. Garcia’s team made their first batch of moonshine and demonstrated that they can not only trace the methanol content but also make some of the strongest liquor in the region (200 proof!)
Read more at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04440
