• Saves wine
• Saves energy
• Saves time

Electrodialysis (ED) is a viable and proven alternative to conventional cold stabilisation that is greatly reducing winemakers’ energy consumption and wine losses. ED is a rapid in-line process which replaces the method of cold storage and tartrate lees disposal.

Traditional cold stabilisation involves a series of costly processes, including refrigeration, holding wine cold for days or weeks, physical removal of potassium bitartrate crystals, then warming for bottling.

Costly cream of tartar crystals are commonly added, and the wine is decanted or filtered, with significant losses from the resulting tartrate lees.

With the ED process, winemakers are now conveniently using a rapid, in-line system, which passes filtered wine at ambient temperature through a stack of selective ion exchange membranes. The removal of potassium, calcium and tartrate ions is monitored and controlled to achieve a pre-determined target conductivity reduction. Excess sodium and chloride ions are also removed. Reliable stability is achieved in a single pass and wine can go straight to bottling.

There is virtually no volume loss in lees.

“Just-in-time” production is a reality.

Wine quality is not compromised: colour, flavour and texture are preserved.

Most importantly, wineries are under growing pressure to reduce their energy usage. The ED process uses much less energy, typically requiring 20% of the substantial energy consumption of traditional cold stabilisation techniques. (www.practicalwinery.com/sepoct08/page1.htm)

This unique technology was developed in France by Eurodia and INRA (L’Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique).

Memstar currently operates a mobile system for on-site processing at clients’ wineries and offers for sale, plants with stabilisation capacities from 1,500 to greater than 20,000 litres per hour.

Contact Memstar for more information:
Australia 1300 MEMSTAR (1300 636 782)
International +61 3 9564 7089 Fax +61 3 9564 7039
memstar@memstar.com.au