Methods for Cider 'Tannin' Analysis

Two methods are given here - the Lwenthal Permanganate Titration and the FolinCiocalteu Colorimetric Reaction.

1. The Lwenthal Permanganate Titration

This was the standard method used at the Long Ashton Research Station from 1903
until the Cider Section's closure in the 1980's. The method relies on the oxidation of
phenolics by potassium permanganate solution in the presence of indigo carmine as a
'redox indicator' to show the end point.
The following solutions are required. Both are sensitive to light and oxidation and
should be prepared freshly on the day of use:
Potassium permanganate solution (N/40 or 0.005M). This may be made up from
freshly diluted stock solution obtained from a laboratory supply house (generally as
N/10 or 0.02M). Alternatively, it may be made up as required by accurately dissolving
0.79 g of analytical grade potassium permanganate in 1 litre of water to give the
0.005M solution.
Indigo carmine indicator. This is made up as a 0.1% working solution by
dissolving ca 1 g of indigo carmine in 1 litre of water to which 50 ml of concentrated
sulphuric acid has been added (take great care and wear eye protection when making
up sulphuric acid solutions!! They can get very hot and bump violently. Always add
the acid to the water and never the other way around!).
Procedure
Samples are analysed by adding 1 ml sample and 5 ml indigo carmine to the 500 ml
flask and adding ca 200 ml water (tap water is fine for this). Titrate this against the
permanganate solution until the royal blue fades to a light green. Then titrate dropwise
until the lime green changes to yellow. Record this value as X ml.
A blank titration using 5 ml of indigo carmine alone in 200 ml water should also be
carried out. The blank value should be ca 1 ml and should be recorded as Y ml.

With a little practice the endpoint is consistent to within 0.1 ml. It is advisable to work
against a white tile or paper background in well lit conditions to see the endpoint more
clearly. It is also helpful if the burette which contains the permanganate has a white
background for easier reading of the scale, since this solution is intensely coloured.
Calculation of results
Total Tannin (%) = (X-Y)/10 expressed as 'tannic acid' equivalents.
To convert to ppm (parts per million or mg/l) multiply the tannin percentage figure by
10,000.
References
J. Lwenthal "Uber die Bestimmung des Gerbstoffs" Z. Anal. Chem (1877) 16 3348
Burroughs LF and and Whiting GC "Ann. Rept. Long Ashton Research Station for
1960" pp 140-143

2. The Folin-Ciocalteu Colorimetric Reaction

This method, although originally dating from 1912, was extensively upgraded and
improved by Professor Vernon Singleton of UC Davis during the 1960's and 70's, and
is now pretty much standard in most of the wine industry. It is equally applicable to
ciders, though rather more complicated to carry out than the permanganate titration.
Principle
The Folin-Ciocalteu reagent is a solution of complex polymeric ions formed from
phosphomolybdic and phosphotungstic heteropoly acids. It oxidises phenolates,
reducing the heteropoly acids to a blue Mo-W complex. The phenolates are only
present in alkaline solution but the reagent and products are alkali unstable. Hence a
moderate alkalinity and a high reagent concentration are used in the procedure below.

Reagents
FC Reagent - Dilute the concentrated commercially prepared reagent (Merck, Sigma
etc) 1: 10 with distilled water. Prepare fresh daily. The concentrate keeps well in
closed dark conditions but the diluted solution keeps only for a few days before high
blanks are obtained.
Sodium Carbonate Reagent Make up a 7.5% solution of sodium carbonate
(anhydrous) in water. This is stable for several weeks.
Gallic Acid standard - Make up a solution of 100 mg pure gallic acid (accurately
measured) in one litre of water to give a stock standard of 100 ppm gallic acid.
Crystalline gallic acid monohydrate can be purchased as an ACS grade reagent which
dissolves readily and is preferred to the anhydrous form. Its concentration should be
corrected for moisture content (ca 9.4%). Although gallic acid does not occur in
apples, it is easier to use and more stable than the alternative epicatechin standard, and
the colour response per gram is very similar to that of apple polyphenols. This
solution is stable for a few days at 4 C.
Equipment
Spectrophotometer - capable of reading at 740 nm. Disposable plastic cuvettes are
recommended.
Normal laboratory glassware including volumetric flasks and test tubes (to contain
10 ml with space for vortex mixing). All glassware must be scrupulously clean. The
use of disposable plastic tubes has been found advantageous for the final dilution step.
Reagent blanks should accompany all samples.
Dispensing pipettes to deliver 1, 4 and 5 ml volumes. For assay of large numbers
of samples, the FC and sodium carbonate reagents may be more conveniently
dispensed from calibrated auto-dispensing bottles.
Procedure
Samples, standards and reagent blanks should be made up as one set for measurement
all in one session, since time, temperature and reagent age can all affect the absolute
values of the data obtained.

For standards -Use the 100 ppm gallic acid stock solution to prepare serial dilutions
containing 100, 50, 25 and 10 ppm gallic acid (or as found appropriate). Use 1 ml of
each solution in the assay procedure (below) to construct a calibration graph or to
calculate a best-fit response factor (typically the 50 ppm standard will give ca 0.5
AU in the assay).
For samples - Filter the sample through paper or glass fibre and dilute with water
1:10. Polymer filters (e.g. nylon) may remove polyphenols by adsorption and are not
recommended. In the case of bittersweet ciders or red wines, an initial dilution 1:5
may be necessary. Note that solutions cannot be diluted after the colorimetric
reagents have been added.
Take a 1 ml aliquot of the diluted sample in a test tube and add in order, mixing well
at each stage (e.g. using a vortex mixer):

5 ml of diluted FC reagent

Wait 3 8 mins

4 ml of the 7.5% sodium carbonate solution

Cover the tubes for 2 hours at room temperature and away from strong light. Then
measure E740 in a 1 cm cell against a reagent blank carried through the same
procedure. A reagent blank should also be measured against a water blank the
background should be acceptably low.
Multiply the assay figure obtained from the calibration graph by 10 (or by the
appropriate dilution factor) to give the polyphenol concentration as ppm (parts per
million or mg/l) gallic acid equivalents (GAE) in the original sample. To convert to
percentage values, divide the ppm values by 10,000.
Note: High levels of fructose, sulphite and ascorbic acid may interfere with the
assay. It is recommended that these factors be tested in model solutions if they are
likely to be present in the samples in significant amounts.
References

Singleton and Rossi - Amer. J. Enol. Vitic. (1965) 16 144

Kramling and Singleton - Amer. J. Enol. Vitic. (1969) 20 86
Somers and Ziemelis - J. Sci. Fd. Agr. (1980) 31 600
The procedure has been collated and reviewed by Singleton VL, Orthofer R and
Lamuela-Raventos RM in Analysis of total phenolics ..by means of Folin-Ciocalteu
reagent Methods in Enzymology, Oxidants and Antioxidants, Part A, Lester Packer
(ed) (1999) 299 152-178 (ISBN 0121822001) Academic Press, San Diego.