<![CDATA[Nira aren umumnya diolah menjadi gula, namun pada beberapa daerah selain gula diolah menjadi minuman beralkohol. Konsumsi minuman beralkohol dari nira aren yang berlebihan mendorong terjadi kerawanan sosial dan berdampak negatif bagi kesehatan. Penelitian bertujuan untuk melakukan karakterisasi produk etanol yang berasal dari nira aren dan etanol komersial. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Bengkel Rekayasa Alat dan Laboratorium Balai Penelitian Palma Manado dan Balai Riset dan Standarisasi Industri Manado, selama bulan Maret-Desember 2009. Bahan penelitian adalah etanol kasar, etanol teknis dari nira aren dan etanol komersial. Alat yang digunakan terdiri dari alat pengolahan etanol, alat laboratorium dan alat pembantu lapang. Penelitian menggunakan metode observasi terhadap karakteristik etanol dengan empat ulangan. Pengamatan terdiri dari: kadar etanol, pH, gula, Cu, Pb, Cl dan Metanol. Analisis data dengan Analisis Varian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa etanol kasar mengandung gula dan pH yang rendah, sebaliknya kadar Cu dan Cl tinggi, demikian sebaliknya. Etanol dari nira aren berkadar 94,8%, dengan kadar gula, keasaman (pH), kandungan Pb, Cu dan metanol tidak berbeda nyata dengan etanol komersial, sehingga etanol dari nira aren dapat digunakan seperti etanol komersial. Kata kunci: Nira aren, karakteristik etanol, penggunaan etanol.ABSTRACTCharacterising of the Ethanol Products from Palm NeeraThe Palm neera is generally processed into sugar, however in some areas were processed into alcoholic beverages. Consumption of alcoholic beverages from palm neera that is excessive courages happened social unsafe and negative impact for health. The research is aimed to characterized ethanol products from palm neera and commercial ethanol. It was performed in Machinery Testing Laboratory Indonesian Palm Crops Research Institute and Manado Research Industrial Standarization Institute, from March to Desember 2009. The raw materials being used in the study was crude ethanol and tecnical ethanol from palm neera, and the commercial ethanol. The machines being used consist of ethanol processing machine, laboratory equipments, and other supporting tools. Observation methods were used in this study on thecharacteristics of ethanol with in four replications. The measurement consists of ethanol concentration, pH, sugar content, Pb, Cl, and methanol. Data were analyzed using analysis of variants. The research showed that crude ethanol contain sugar and low pH, whereas contain high of concentration Cu, Cl, and ‘vice versa’. Ethanol from palm neera with concentration of 94,8% with sugar content, pH level, and concentration of plumbum, copper, and methanol, which are not different from commercial ethanol makes it is suitable to be used as commercial ethanol.]]>
