Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) is an innovative technology that helps to optimize existing processes and save energy and water in various sectors of the food industry.

PEF is based on pure physical principles. FEP treatment can also be used at various points in the complex winemaking process. The winemaking process generally includes the following steps: separation of stems and crushing, maceration, pressing, fermentation, storage and bottling.

During maceration, important ingredients essential to the quality are extracted, such as polyphenols, which are responsible for the red color. This process usually takes 10 to 12 days. However, after crushing, the must can undergo a PEF treatment before maceration. This opens the grape cells and facilitates the exchange of substances. In this way, the necessary polyphenols can be extracted more easily and quickly, reducing the maceration time to 5-6 days. The reduction in maceration time is accompanied by an increase in capacity and energy savings.

After pressing, yeast cultures are added to the must for fermentation, which generally lasts about 180 days. Another important process during fermentation is the autolysis of the yeast cells, which releases important aromatic compounds with a significant impact on the mouthfeel. In this case, the mannoproteins released from the cell wall represent one of the most important components. Studies have shown that must treatment with PEF leads to an accelerated release of mannoproteins. The maximum concentration of mannoproteins is reached after only 30 days. Thus, the fermentation time can be reduced to 30 days while maintaining the highest quality standards.

Traditionally, sulfur dioxide is usually added during fermentation in order, among other things, to suppress the growth of undesirable microorganisms. Treatment of wine with PEF makes it possible to kill harmful microorganisms without the addition of additives or heat treatment.

The PEF process has been officially admitted by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) as a cell disruption process. Specifically, PEF treatment can be used as a treatment process for red and white wines to simplify and accelerate the extraction of valuable components.

During this session, all the benefits as well as the basics of PEF application in the winery and the industrial scale PEF systems available for this application will be demonstrated. In addition, industrial scale case studies will be described.