In fact, membrane filtration can be used on various stages of beer and wine production: water preparation and product filtration for different aims. These last are used to finely tune quality and stability of end product and they may include:
- Reduction of alcohol content
- Removal of water excess
- Wine concentration
- Removal of all types of bacteria, viruses, macromolecular pollutants, colloids etc.
- Removal of proteins from beer which may precipitate as beer cools leading to a formation of a protein haze
In the same time, membrane-based filtration is run at room temperatures and without the use of additives, and therefore it does not have adverse effects on the important organoleptic properties of a product: flavor, color, clarity, mouthfeel etc. Finally, the concentrate obtained as a side product of filtration instead of simple disposal can be also used as animal feed providing an additional cost-saving.
