Evaluation of the electrical properties of some products used in the tartaric stabilization of wines

The tartaric stabilization of wines requires an understanding of the colloi dal status of the system, especially for red wines. Given that the colloids naturally present in a wine make it difficult to estimate the tartaric sta bility and manage the industrial processes of tartaric stabilization, the p resent study was aimed at evaluating whether the products used for cold tar taric stabilization have electrical charges which could explain their affin ity for colloids having a surface electrical charge. The experimental work demonstrated that potassium hydrogen tartrate, DL-potassium hydrogen tartra te, and metatartaric acid have different electrical characteristics which d epend on several process variables. These data also confirm the considerabl e affinity of potassium hydrogen tartrate for the colloids in wine and coul d contribute to a more accurate estimation of the inhibitory effect of some colloidal fractions on tartaric precipitations.