A term (also known as clouding agent) for suspended matter in plant-based beverages, including alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine and fruit juices. The term is derived from turbidity because suspended solids impair the optical clarity of a beverage and cause visible clouding. These can range from coarse suspended particles to finely dispersed colloids. Must and wine are usually freed from the cloudy substances. In other beverages such as naturally cloudy apple juice or beer, certain substances are desirable.
In wine, these are tiny particles from the skin or pulp of the grape. They enter the wine during grape processing through pressing and pumping. In modern cellar technology, attempts are made to minimise the movement of grapes and grape must and to use natural gravity instead of pumping processes through spaces between them.
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Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg