Monitoring of Potassium Hydrogen Tartrate Stabilization by Conductivity Measurement

Marin Berovič¹* and Tatjana Košmerl²

¹ Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
² Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
* Corresponding author: E-mail: marin.berovic@fkkt.uni-lj.si

Abstract
In wine technology traditional procedure of uncontrolled potassium hydrogen tartrate (KHT) crystallization usually represents long term energy consumption process. Fast crystallization method, using the addition of potassium hydrogen tartrate, as crystallization initiator, joined with simultaneously cooling and followed by monitoring the crystallization process by using conductivity measurement, was tested in two sorts of white wine Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia. Addition of various amounts of potassium hydrogen tartrate (1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 g/L) as initiator of crystallization and cooling temperatures 4 and 0 °C were applied. Addition of 6 g/L KTH and cooling temperature 0 °C were found to be the most suitable parameters for fast crystallization.

Keywords: Crystallization, potassium hydrogen tartrate, conductometry.