BENTONITE FOR WINE INDUSTRY

On the territory of modern Georgia, artifacts have been found that testify to the development of the culture of winemaking in these territories 10-12 thousand years ago. Bentonite clay has long been used for pasting wine (the term pasting is derived from “clay” – clay). The lightening and stabilizing ability of bentonite clay is due to its high dispersion and adsorption capacity – due to which fermentation products are removed from the wine material, the wine becomes transparent and stable against colloidal haze. The negatively charged surfaces of particles of montmorillonite not only adsorb the products of fermentation of wine, but also bind cations of iron and copper, which are capable of provoking such wine diseases as iron and copper box.
 
Quality indicators of bentonite for winemaking
№ 
Indicator
 Limits of opportunity
1
 Humidity,%
10 – 12
2
 Organoleptic test Odorless and tasteless
3
 Fraction Powder or grits
4
 Methylene blue adsorption, mg.equiv./100gr.
300 – 400
5
 Swelling index, ml. / 2 gr.
16 – 22
6
 pH of water suspension
8,5 – 10,0
7
 The content of the sand fraction in suspension,%
Not more than 4,0
8
 Substances soluble in 10% acetic acid, g / 100g.
Not more than  5,0
9
 Calcium content in acetic extract, mg./100 g.
Not more than 60,0
10
 Iron content in acetic extract, mg./100 g. bentonite
Not more than 80,0
11
 Thixotropy and sediment water suspension,%
Not more than 1,0
12
 Hopevydelyuschaya ability of the suspension under the influence of acid Rapidly settling flakes
13
 Protein adsorption,%
Not less than 25,0
 
 
 
Bentonite products for the wine industry are manufactured according to the requirements of:
  1. Georgian Enterprise Standard СТП ГР 22983003-001-2017;
  2. Industry Standard ОСТ 18-49-71 «Bentonites for the wine industry»;
  3. Customer Specifications