Analysis of European wines before and after activated carbon treatment: total, active and volatile acidity; free and total sulfites; total polyphenols; color intensity and shade

The use of activated carbon to remove colorants and odors from wine is a common practice in the wine industry. However, its use for the removal of heavy metals is at a research stage. The use of any additive must not negatively affect the original quality of the wine and it must not alter its organoleptic characteristics, as well as its appearance. In this research, we focused on the physicochemical characteristics of wine after the use of two activated carbons from potato peel (AC-Pot) and from banana peel (AC-Ban) that we prepared and characterized in our laboratories. In order to reach safe conclusions, we chose to focus on the measurement of specific measurements and indicators in ten wine samples before and after the application of the two active carbons. After selecting ten wine samples from all over Europe, before the addition of active carbons, we measured the following parameters: total acidity, active acidity, volatile acidity, free sulfites, total sulfites, total polyphenols, color intensity and color shade. We repeated the measurements a few days after adding the activated carbons to the wine samples, and the same procedure was performed three more times over a period of 2 years on the same wine samples. The results obtained were quite satisfactory and the conclusions drawn were very useful for further study.