Headspace GC-SCD monitoring of low volatile sulfur compounds during fermentation and in wine

Abstract

A rapid and reliable method for the determination and quantification of volatile sulfur compounds in wine is reported. The analysis was carried out with an automatic headspace injection sampler combined with a cooled injection system and coupled with a gas chromatograph and a sulfur chemiluminescence (GC-SCD) detector. The calibration curves were calculated in a wine with a very low amount of sulfur compounds. As internal standard ethyl methyl sulfide was used. In dependence on the S-compound the detection limit was in the range of 0.1 to 3 μg/L. A linear response was obtained up to a concentration of about 100 μg/L with an average correlation coefficient of 0.998. Major advantages are the small sample volume (3 mL), the high repeatability or reproducibility and a short total analysis time.