PentaSTAB must acidification plants are industrial ion exchange resin systems designed for winemaking. The process treats a defined fraction of must to increase total acidity and lower pH, improving taste balance and microbiological stability. Automated service and regeneration cycles deliver repeatable performance across campaigns.
Technical data of must acidification plants
Technical data of must acidification plants
What it means
Must acidification is an oenological treatment that increases total acidity and lowers pH, improving taste balance and microbiological stability. It is particularly useful when the raw material has a high pH or when more regular fermentations and fresher profiles are required.
How it works
PentaSTAB plants use dedicated resins that retain potassium from the must. Potassium reduction helps increase acidity and decrease pH, supporting more controlled fermentations and providing fast, controlled stabilization aligned to oenological targets.
Automatic cycle
When the resin approaches the configured capacity limit, the plant runs automatic rinsing and chemical regeneration steps followed by final rinses. Cycle recipes, including volumes, times and stop criteria, are defined according to the oenological targets and the specific matrix.
Process concept and operating strategy
Must acidification includes treatments aimed at increasing total acidity and lowering pH. The PentaSTAB approach combines controlled potassium reduction, treated fraction management and automatic cycles to deliver repeatable results across campaigns.
Must is fed by pump into food-grade certified columns containing ion-exchange resin. While passing through the resin, potassium is reduced and calcium and metals can also be removed. This enables fast, controlled acidification aligned to winemaking targets.
Operation can be set on a treated fraction. The treated must can then be blended with untreated must to meet the acidity target and the desired pH profile, while maintaining sensory consistency across batches. This strategy provides flexibility during campaigns.
When the resin approaches the configured capacity limit, the plant runs automatic rinsing and chemical regeneration steps followed by final rinses. Recipes are defined through volumes, times and stop criteria, and are tuned according to the matrix behavior.
- Increase in total acidity and lowering of must pH.
- Removal of metals (copper, iron, lead) on the treated fraction.
- Improved fermentation with enhanced freshness.
- Reduction of microbiological development.
- Automated and repeatable operation supporting campaign standardization.
Sizing requires product and process data. Typical inputs include potassium, calcium, pH, acidity, conductivity and temperature, plus required flow rates and campaign volumes. The target pH/acidity and winery process constraints are used to define the treated fraction strategy.
Useful references
Ion Exchange Technology
Cation exchange
Acidity in wine
Suggested sizing inputs:
K+, Ca2+, pH, acidity, conductivity, temperature, flow rate, daily treated volume, target pH/acidity and constraints.
Technical data for must acidification plants
| Model | Instant flow rate (hL/h) | Treated volume (hL/day) | H₂SO₄ 50% consumption (L/cycle) | HCl 30% consumption (L/cycle) | Water consumption (L/cycle) | Dimensions L×W×H (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System STAB 150 | 15 | 270 | 18 | 42 | 1.350 | 1.000 x 1.000 x 2.150 |
| System STAB 275 | 27 | 486 | 33 | 77 | 2.475 | 1.200 x 1.000 x 2.150 |
| System STAB 375 | 37 | 666 | 45 | 105 | 3.375 | 1.200 x 1.200 x 2.300 |
| System STAB 550 | 55 | 990 | 66 | 154 | 4.950 | 1.400 x 1.200 x 2.300 |
| System STAB 800 | 80 | 1.440 | 96 | 224 | 5.760 | 1.500 x 1.200 x 2.300 |
| System STAB 1.000 | 100 | 1.800 | 120 | 280 | 9.000 | 1.600 x 1.500 x 2.400 |
| System STAB 1.500 | 150 | 2.700 | 180 | 420 | 13.500 | 1.800 x 1.600 x 2.500 |
| System STAB 2.100 | 210 | 3.780 | 252 | 588 | 18.900 | 1.800 x 1.800 x 3.000 |
| System STAB 2.800 | 280 | 5.040 | 336 | 784 | 25.200 | 2.000 x 1.900 x 3.500 |
| System STAB 3.500 | 350 | 6.300 | 420 | 980 | 31.500 | 2.000 x 2.000 x 3.800 |
Why choose Pentafood
Pentafood designs must acidification systems around measurable targets and repeatable automatic cycles. Treated fraction management and blending strategy support pH and acidity targets while maintaining sensory consistency across batches.
FAQ
The main purpose is to increase total acidity and lower pH, which improves taste balance and microbiological stability, especially in raw materials with high pH.
The process uses specific resins to retain potassium from the must. This reduction in potassium directly contributes to increasing acidity and lowering pH without affecting the overall quality of the product.
Typical inputs include potassium, calcium, pH, acidity, conductivity and temperature, plus required flow rates and campaign volumes. These are used to define the treated fraction strategy and cycle settings.