During the wine filtration stage, the filter surfaces aren’t always able to block all the solid particles suspended or in colloidal dispersion in the wine. This is why many wine producers use targeted filtration additives for wine making.
Filter aids for winemaking are auxiliary products with the main advantages of increasing the filtering power and reducing clogging – a big plus since clogged membranes lose their permeability, leading to the deposits gradually becoming porous and uncompact.
Perdomini-IOC offerts the main filtration aids for wine making – perlites and diatomaceous earth – along with solutions containing cellulose, silica gel and PVPP, specifically formulated for the preparation of wine filter precoats.
The Perdomini-IOC wine filtration aids for winemaking present various levels of permeability, but all have a high level of purity, demonstrate excellent wine filtration performances and are easy to use, making it easier to reach any wine making goal.
Whether it’s for primary filtration or polishing, whether the must is white or red, whether the wine is still or sparkling, Perdomini-IOC’s team of expert oenologists can help you find the best wine making filtration aid for your winery’s specific needs.
PERLITES
Perlite-based winemaking filtration aids
FOSSIL SHELL FLOURS
Wine filtration aids containing diatomaceous earth (fossil shell flour/kieselguhr)
PRECOAT FILTRATION
Wine filtration aids containing perlites, fossil shell flours, cellulose, silica gel and PVPP
Wine filtration aids: different types, advantages and uses
The use of wine filtration additives is often linked to the preparation of filter precoats.
These become an integral part of the filter, encouraging the deposit of the solid material suspended in the must, both in precoat wine filtration and DE filtration for wine.
Filter precoats are created by adding a certain amount of winemaking filter aids to water or pre-filtered must. After the liquid has been put through the filter several times, the additives
deposit on the filter surface, forming a uniform layer that facilitates the filtration of the wine.
The main types of winemaking filtration aids are divided as follows:
– Diatomaceous Earth: also known as fossil shell flour and kieselguhr, these are some of the most widely used filtration aids for wine. Fossil shell flours are highly porous and have precise grain sizes, they are also highly effective at forming filter precoats without clogging.
– Perlite: perlite is a particularly light and porous volcanic rock. It has a very low density, therefore is often used at low dosages.
– Cellulose: plant-based derivative obtained from wood with excellent absorption power.
Generally used to form the first layer of the filter precoat or to prepare filter precoats mixed with one or more mineral-origin filtration additives.
– Silica gel: silica gel is a polymer that acts as a stabilizing agent, as it has the ability to bind to certain protein molecules. Often used in tandem with fossil shell flours and has the added advantage of being completely harmless to human health.
– PVPP (polyvinylpyrrolidone): this polymer is insoluble in both water and alcohol, and helps eliminate certain polyphenols that are one of the main culprits of clouding in wine.