Tartaric stabilisation of wines has always been an energy conscious issue amongst all wineries. Della Toffola has designed a tartaric stabilisation system that involves the use of ion exchange resins. Therefore, in addition to traditional systems of tartaric stabilisation offered by Della Toffola, which relies on the use of membranes and cold conditions, they have recently introduced this innovative and affordable based system on the principles of ionic exchange through the use of cationic resins. This system allows winemakers to treat sparkling wines rich in colloids with the absolute certainty of the outcome. The new Della Toffola DTX and DTK plants predict precisely the cationic resins that perform the tartaric stabilisation of must/wine reducing therefore the pH value. The process is carried out using cationic resin ion-exchange on acid cycle.
The resins are copolymers of styrene and divinylbenzene, containing sulphuric acid. Such resins comply with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament as well as to community and national provisions adopted in implementation thereof. Treatment with cation(+) exchange resins is an operation which consists in pumping the wine through a column of cured resin that acts as a Polyelectrolyte insoluble. The aim is to obtain tartaric stability of wine/grape must in respect of potassium and calcium tartrate (and other calcium salts). The treatment will be automaitically carried out on cation exchange resin then regenerated with the “resin acid cycle.”
This treatment involves an increase of total acidity and a decrease in the concentration of K and pH. The regeneration in the “resin acid cycle” consists of three phases: Backwash (counterflow) with sulphuric acid Regeneration (co-current) Rinsing (slow and fast, co-current) these operations are all handled automatically by the software on the machine (DTX) and manually (DTK). The systems are available in automatic version (DTX) – double column with automatic regeneration and semi-automatic version (DTK) to a column with manual regeneration. The process is very fast because there is no need to treat the whole mass of wine but only a portion (typically around 10 to 30%).
The main effects of this treatment are:
• Lowering the pH resulting in less risk of malolactic fermentation.
• improvement of the tartaric stability (reduced conductivity fall)
• increase of colour vibrancy in red wines
• general improvement of organoleptic characteristics due to an injection of freshness on the nose that is perceptible in the mouth
• lowering the concentration of calcium and potassium ions, resulting in the achievement of the tartaric stability
• lowering the concentration of Iron and metals in General (reduced risk of iron content) – Manganese reduction.
• increase of total acidity
• aromatic stabilisation
• This technology is very interesting even when applied on musts clarified (turbidity < 30 NTU), thus bringing the pH around the desired value you can lead the fermentation with less risk of bacterial alterations and with a reduced use of sulfites.
The systems on a portable wheeled frame completely built in stainless steel AISI 304, and comes complete with management and control valves, manual and automatic operating phases; connecting pipes are all AISI 304 stainless steel and PVC resin containment vessel in stainless steel AISI 304 (DTX) and VTR (DTK)
Advantages of DTX (fully automatic) and DTK (manual):
• Extreme resin selectivity with respect to K + and Ca ++
• Use on musts, red wines and white wines
• PH value Control inbound and outbound
• Models from 20 to 100 hl/h
• Fully automatic Handling (DTX) with touch-screen operator panel
• Use of mains water
• Upgradeable Software with possibility of data transfer with USB device