Fusel alcohol

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Fusel alcohol

Fusel alcohols, also sometimes called fusel oils, or potato oil in Europe, are higher order (more than two carbons) alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
s formed by fermentation

Fermentation (biochemistry)

Fermentation is the process of deriving energy from the Redox of organic compounds, such as carbohydrates, using an Endogeny electron acceptor, which is usually an organic compound....
and present in cider

Cider

Mead

Mead is a typically alcoholic beverage beverage, made from honey and water via Fermentation with yeast. Its alcoholic content may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine....
, beer

Beer

Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and Fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal?the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely used....
, wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
, and spirits

Distilled beverage

A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is a drinkable liquid containing ethanol that is produced by means of distillation Fermentation grain, fruit, or vegetables....
to varying degrees.

The term fusel is German

German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
for “bad liquor.”

Excessive concentrations of these fractions may cause off flavours, sometimes described as "spicy," "hot," or "solvent-like." Some beverages, such as whisky

Whisky

Whisky or whiskey refers to a broad category of Distilled beverages that are distilled from Fermentation grain Mashing and aged in wooden casks ....
, Siwucha and traditional ale

Ale

Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a top-fermenting yeast brewers' yeast. This yeast Fermentation the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste....
s and cider

Cider

Cider is an alcoholic beverage usually made from the fermentation juice of apples, although pears are also used.While any variety of apple may be used, certain cultivars are preferred in some regions, and these may be known as cider apples....
s, are expected to have relatively high concentrations of fusel alcohols as part of the flavour profile.

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Encyclopedia

Fusel alcohols, also sometimes called fusel oils, or potato oil in Europe, are higher order (more than two carbons) alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
s formed by fermentation

Fermentation (biochemistry)

Cider

Mead

Mead is a typically alcoholic beverage beverage, made from honey and water via Fermentation with yeast. Its alcoholic content may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine....
, beer

Beer

Wine

Distilled beverage

German language

Composition and taste

The compounds involved are chiefly:

1-propanol
2-propanol
Isopropyl alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is a common name for isopropanol, a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor. It has the molecular formula C3H7OH and is the simplest example of a Alcohol#Primary.2C secondary.2C and tertiary alcohols, where the alcohol carbon is attached to two other carbons....
butanol
Butanol

Butanol or butyl alcohol , is a primary alcohol with a 4 carbon structure and the molecular formula of Carbon4Hydrogen9Oxygen....
(various isomers)
amyl alcohol
Amyl alcohol

Amyl alcohol is an organic compound with the formula C5H12O. All eight isomers of amyl alcohol are known:|+Isomers of amyl alcohol...
furfural
Furfural

The chemical compound furfural is an industrial chemical derived from a variety of agriculture byproducts, including maize, oat and wheat bran, and sawdust....

Excessive concentrations of these fractions may cause off flavours, sometimes described as "spicy," "hot," or "solvent-like." Some beverages, such as whisky

Whisky

Whisky or whiskey refers to a broad category of Distilled beverages that are distilled from Fermentation grain Mashing and aged in wooden casks ....
, Siwucha and traditional ale

Ale

Cider

Vodka

Vodka is a distilled beverage. It is a clear liquid which consists of mostly water and ethanol purified by distillation ? often multiple distillation ? from a Fermentation substance, such as cereal , potatoes or sugar beet molasses, and an insignificant amount of other substances such as flavorings or unintended impurities....
and lager

Lager

Lager is the more popular of two main types of beer; the other being ale. Traditionally, lager is stored for at least three weeks before being served....
s, the presence of fusel alcohols is considered a fault. Very high concentrations — usually caused by incompetent distillation — can cause acute illness, including headache

Headache

In medicine a headache or wiktionary:cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes neck. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies....
s, nausea

Nausea

Nausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit....
, vomiting

Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure....
, clinical depression

Clinical depression

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive depression , low self-esteem, and anhedonia in normally enjoyable activities....
, or coma

Coma

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions....
. Such a liquor may be referred to as rotgut.

Formation and removal

Fusel alcohols are formed when fermentation

Fermentation (biochemistry)

Fermentation is the process of deriving energy from the Redox of organic compounds, such as carbohydrates, using an Endogeny electron acceptor, which is usually an organic compound....
occurs:

at higher temperatures,
at lower pH,
when yeast activity is limited by low nitrogen content.

During distillation

Distillation

Distillation is a method of separation process mixtures based on differences in their Volatility in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
, fusel alcohols are concentrated in the "tails" at the end of the distillation run. They have an oily consistency, which is noticeable to the distiller, hence the other name fusel oil. If desired, these heavier alcohols can be almost completely separated in a reflux still. Freeze distillation, on the other hand, does not remove fusel alcohols.