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Potassium bicarbonate

The salt of carbonic acid (also potassium hydrogen carbonate) is a white, odourless crystal powder with an acidic taste. The substance serves as a separating agent and acidity regulator in foodstuffs; it is also contained there as food additive E501. In winemaking, it is used to deacidify musts and young wines before bottling. It is added to the grape must or wine while stirring intensively; 6 g/hl is needed to reduce it by 1 g/l of tartaric acid. The tartaric acid is slowly precipitated as tartrate (potassium hydrogen trate). Incidentally, malic acid is not reduced in the process. Potassium bicarbonate also has an effect against powdery mildew and is therefore used as a sulphur substitute or plant protection agent in organic vegetable cultivation. See also under agents in winemaking.

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