Clarification Method for Beverage Production

The most important quality characteristics of clear beverages (e.g. beer, wine, juices, etc.) include sensory properties such as smell, taste and color, as well as gloss fineness and colloidal stability. To produce clear, brilliant beers, wines or juices, they must be filtered. Clarifying agents can be used for this purpose to increase the filtration performance and shorten the production time of beverages.  

By using defined amounts of certain pectins and, if necessary, in combination with gallotannins, the two decisive process parameters of filtration, non filtrate turbidty / clearness and filtrate throughput can be significantly improved. The clarification efficiency depends on the degree of esterification and amidation of the pectin as well as on the ratio of free Ca²⁺ ions to the amount of pectin added. When properly used in combination with gallotannins, their settling behaviour is significantly improved and the oxidative and colloidal beverage stability is increased. In order to be able to establish pectin as a clarifying agent in Germany, residue-free removal must be guaranteed. Galacturonic acid or pectin was not detectable in the final product (IC), indicating that pectin is completely removed by filtration.