Activated carbon

active charcoal (GB)

Term (also A-coal, medical charcoal) for ground and purified bone and vegetable charcoal (charcoal). It is pure carbon, which has a huge inner surface area due to its highly porous structure. Just six grams of it correspond to the surface area of a football pitch (around 9,000 m²). It is used in viticulture for various fining and stabilisation techniques. Due to its extremely high adsorption capacity (binding of gases or dissolved substances), tones from the environment can very easily be absorbed and lead to fining errors. Activated charcoal is used to correct colour, taste and odour defects in wine with a broad spectrum of effects.

Aktivkohle

It is also used with rotten grapes to bind and eliminate the rotten aromas in the grape must or wine. It is also used to combat a wide range of off-flavours and wine defects such as bocks, frosty taste, high colouring, mousiness, lactic acid tartness, mouldy taste and sulphuric acid firn. Activated charcoal is stirred into the grape must or wine in small doses so as not to unintentionally eliminate positive flavours.

Further information

For the production of alcoholic beverages, see Champagne (sparkling wines), distillation (distillates), speciality wines, spirits (types), winemaking (wines and wine types) and wine law (wine law issues).

Picture left: By Zephyris - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Image on the right: By Mydriatic - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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Activated carbon

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