Break down the macromolecules that block filtration, before they block your day.
Filtration is where “almost ready” wines go to either glide through… or punish your schedule. Many filtration headaches come from pectins, hemicelluloses and glucans, colloidal macromolecules that clog membranes, reduce flow, increase pressure, and force more cleaning cycles.
LALLZYME FILTER™ is an enzyme blend designed to improve wine filterability, reduce viscosity and help maintain filtration performance, especially in challenging wines like thermovinified reds.
Why filtration does slow down?
Filtration efficiency depends on equipment and settings, but also heavily on the wine’s composition. Even after clarification/settling, colloids and macromolecules can still reduce membrane permeability and accelerate clogging under pressure. Common culprits include:
- Glucans, including those associated with fungal pressure (e.g., Botrytis)
- Long-chain grape pectins
- Hemicelluloses
How does LALLZYME FILTER™ work?
LALLZYME FILTER™ combines activities (notably pectinase, cellulase and hemicellulase, plus secondary actions) to hydrolyse clogging macromolecules from grapes and from more complex polysaccharides released by fungal contaminants.
Result: lower clogging risk, improved filtration speed, fewer interruptions, reduced cleaning frequency, and less wine loss—while preserving wine quality.
What are its key benefits?
- Improve filterability by targeting the compounds that block membranes.
- Increase flow rate & shorten filtration time, even on difficult wines
- Reduce viscosity and transmembrane pressure (TMP) for a smoother, less stressful filtration.
- Fewer discharges and less wine loss during crossflow filtration.
- Support membrane performance and lifespan by reducing clogging load and CIP frequency.
What are the usage recommendations?
Activity range: active from ~11°C; usable at normal cellar temperatures. Lower temperature = extend contact time.
Dosage:
- 5 mL/hL in optimal conditions
- 6–8 mL/hL for wines with filterability issues linked to polysaccharides from Botrytis cinerea pressure
Contact time before filtration: minimum 7 days, extend up to 2 weeks for lower temperatures and/or the most challenging wines.
If β-glucans are the main issue: use LALLZYME MMX™ (β-glucanase-based preparation) as recommended in the article.
Proof from cellar trials (IFV)
The French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV) validated LALLZYME FILTER™ on thermovinified red wines (known to be difficult to filter due to higher polysaccharide release and viscosity).
Trial 1 — 2023 Merlot (50 hL), 11°C, 8 days contact, crossflow ceramic membrane
Before filtration, filterability indicators already improved. After filtration, Vmax increased markedly in the treated wine Operational performance showed a dramatic gain:
- Viscosity index: 1.08 bar → 0.70 bar
- Filtration duration: 229 min → 46 min
- Flow rate: 623 L/h → 1583 L/h (x2.5)
- TMP: 0.43 bar → 0.21 bar
Trial 2 — 2024 Gamay, 15°C, 2 weeks contact, high turbidity start
Filtration kinetics were faster and more consistent with LALLZYME FILTER™: Treated wine completed in ~6 hours vs ~14 hours for control, Vmax improvements were clear both before and after filtration.
Further monitoring showed:
- Filtration duration: 872 min → 362 min
- Flow rate: 210 L/h → 507 L/h (x2.4)
- TMP: 0.18 bar → 0.01 bar
- Fewer discharges, meaning less clogging and reduced losses
Practical takeaway
Better filtration management protects production capacity: longer filtration cycles, fewer CIP, improved membrane lifespan, fewer interruptions, and lower wine losses, so your filtration becomes more efficient, more gentle, and more resource-friendly. LALLZYME FILTER™ helps prevent clogging issues before they arise, improving filtration performance while preserving wine quality.
FAQ
Published Feb 25, 2026 | Updated Mar 3, 2026