GC-MS X-Sorber(Sniffer) Coffee

Introduction

One of the most consumed drinks in the world, coffee, is loved by many due to its flavor and the effects associated with one of its components, caffeine. Coffee is composed of more than 800 individual compounds, most of which add to coffee's intricate flavor. (Citation Needed) These compounds are produced from numerous variances including the area in which the coffee is grown, its processing, storage, and roasting. In the Monmouth Coffee Project(Insert Link), the biggest effect we can have in the coffee's flavor is in the roasting. During the roasting process, the green(unroasted) coffee is placed into a roaster where the temperature is set to a specific temperature and the coffee is roasted for a set amount of time. The temperature and time are what affects the roast of a coffee. During this process, one of the most prevalent reactions occurring is the Maillard Reaction, a reaction between an amino acid and a sugar.

Process

Individual compounds are currently trying to be isolated from the coffee produced from the Monmouth Coffee Project using a Griffin 450 Gas Chromatographer-Mass Spectrometer(GC-MS). With the help of an X-Sorber, which is a separate collection device, the overhead of roasted coffee is sampled and then analyzed using the GC-MS. The data from the GC-MS is given in two forms, a gas chromatogram(shown below on left) and a mass spectrum(shown below on right). The Gas Chromatogram shows peaks of compounds when they are detected and the mass spectrum fragments the compound in a peak to show various fragments along with their respected mass.

Research

Currently, three overhead samples have been collected and analyzed using the GC-MS of roasted coffee. Initially, vanillin, a compound commonly found in coffee, was believed to have been found but this turned out to be false. After the initial compound, a new one, p-Menthone, was identified. By analyzing the mass spectrum and extrapolating what parts of the organic structure of p-Menthone were fracturing off, it was concluded that the peak being researched was indeed p-Menthone. This was verified with analytical chemist, Dr. Audra Goach Sostarecz. The gas chromatogram and mass spectrum used in the identification of this compound are shown below.