Filtration

In filtration, a drink is passed through a filter medium such as diatomaceous earth, cellulose, membranes or sheets that holds back haze particles, yeast cells and in part bacteria. The result is a clear and microbiologically more stable drink.

There is coarse clarifying filtration and also sterile filtration, which makes the drink low in germs. Filtering too harshly can reduce aroma and body, so it is weighed deliberately. Some products are bottled unfiltered and are naturally cloudy or show sediment, which is not automatically a defect but often a style feature.