The Future of Potassium Bitartrate Stabilization: Minimizing Energy, Wine Loss, and Treatment Time

Abstract

Summary Aim: Potassium bitartrate (KHT) stability is an important measure for most wines to meet consumer expectations. Batch cold stabilization, the most common KHT stabilization practice used today, is highly energy-intensive and time consuming. The possibility of using fluidized bed crystallizers (FBCs) to perform cold stabilization in a continuous process is discussed. This review also examines alternative subtractive and additive KHT stabilization methods a winery may use to reduce energy and water usage, wine loss and treatment time. Key Themes: Why is potassium bitartrate instability a problem? What is cold stabilization and how is it inefficient? What are fluidized bed crystallizers and how can they improve upon cold stabilization? What are the alternative subtractive methods for removing excess KHT? What are some additives that can be used for stabilization? Impact and Significance: One of the most energy-intensive practices of a winery is potassium bitartrate (KHT) stabilization of wines using batch cold stabilization. The number of alternative options for KHT stabilization, both additive and subtractive, is increasing. Time of treatment, water and energy use, and changes to wine chemistry should be considerations for each approach. In the future, fluidized bed crystallizers (FBCs) could perform cold stabilization in a continuous process, while reducing time, energy, and wine loss, as well as minimizing additions to wine. This review attempts to detail some of the most common cold stabilization techniques and provides a deeper look at an emerging technology, the fluidized bed crystallizer.