Study of Fermentation Process for Millet Baijiu and Analysis of Its Flavor Components

Abstract

This study developed a solid‐state fermentation process for millet Baijiu using millet and rice as raw materials. Single‐factor experiments combined with response surface methodology were employed to establish a mathematical model for process optimization, identifying the optimal parameters: millet proportion 28%, husk addition 11%, and starter addition 1%. The regression model demonstrated high significance ( R 2  = 0.9888, p  < 0.0001), enabling reliable prediction of alcohol yield. The process was successfully validated through pilot‐scale production, achieving an alcohol yield of 44.5%, demonstrating the feasibility of industrial scale‐up. Furthermore, a sorbent pen‐based gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SP‐GC–MS) analytical method was established for process monitoring of flavor compounds, which employs vacuum‐assisted sorbent extraction followed by thermal desorption, identifying 91 volatile compounds including 17 acids, 11 alcohols, and 63 esters. This study provides an engineering approach to millet Baijiu production, offering a scalable process model and analytical framework for process control and quality assurance in the Baijiu industry.