Application of Ion Chromatography to Beer, Wort, and Brewing Water

Abstract

Several factors that affect the retention and resolution of different ions in anion chromatography were studied. These included the type of anion column and the pH, type, and concentration of the eluting buffer. Regression analysis was used to derive response-surface equations that improved understanding of the technique and aided its optimization. The utility of conductivity, spectrophotometric, and refractive-index detectors was also examined. A medium-capacity anion chromatography column gave better results than did a low-capacity column, although it made use of the conductivity detector more difficult. The medium-capacity column gave better resolution and enabled the elution of phosphate, chloride, and sulfate in a single 15-min run.