Fermentation Sugars Identified by the RCX-30
Tracking sugar levels throughout the winemaking process is critical for predicting alcohol yield, guiding blending decisions, and keeping batches consistent. The catch is that conventional analytical methods tend to be slow, creating real bottlenecks in production workflows. This application note looks at how the Hamilton RCX-30 strong anion-exchange column handles the separation of glucose, fructose, and sucrose in wine and fermentation broths.
By running under strongly alkaline conditions, the RCX-30 deprotonates the hydroxyl groups on these weak-acid sugars and separates all three with baseline resolution in under 15 minutes. The column's high-capacity quaternary ammonium PS-DVB resin gives it a clear throughput advantage over conventional low-crosslinked polystyrene sulfonic acid resins, making it a practical fit for labs that need reliable sugar analysis without the wait.
Author: Adam L. Moore, PhD, Hamilton Company
