An ultrasound‐assisted extraction system to accelerate production of Mhiskey, a rice spirit‐based product, inside oak barrel: Total phenolics, color, and energy consumption

Abstract

AbstractRice spirit‐based (RSB) products, such as rice wine, are commonly used in several Asian cuisines. While RSB can be enriched with phenolic compounds (e.g., through extraction from oak barrel) to develop a healthier product with a new flavor, such a process is expected to be time‐consuming. At the same time, the culinary and adult beverage industry demands approaches for developing innovative products based on affordable alternatives to barley. Therefore, an ultrasound‐based system was set up in a 10‐L oak barrel to develop a new RSB product that referred to as “Mhiskey” in this study. The system was run at 0, 275, and 550 W, and changes in total phenolics, color values (L*, a*, b*, color intensity, and overall color changes), pH, and degrees Brix were studied during the extraction process. According to the results, this system reduced the extraction time, enhanced the total phenolic compounds, and produced a Mhiskey with similar physical properties to those of the conventional method. Increasing sonication power reduced the extraction time significantly but did not affect the specific energy consumption. In terms of total phenolics, the final products had up to 162 mg GAE per L sample. This new system is scalable and can be implemented in the industry after further economic and technical evaluations. Furthermore, the product developed in the present study might be evaluated for commercialization (e.g., for culinary purposes) after sensory and market research.Practical applicationsThis study proposed a new extraction system based on ultrasound technology that can be used to process rice spirit‐based (RSB). The system is scalable and can be adopted in the industry to reduce the processing time which can provide benefits for wineries. Also, the energy consumption can be reduced by optimizing the processing parameters. The technical information reported in this work can also be used as a base for process optimization at an industrial scale. At the same time, the final product of this process, that is, Mhiskey, has the potential to be sold in the market at a competitive price.