Clarification & finishing · Stage 06
Manage the suspended phase in cloudy apple juice without forcing it through a clear-juice clarification train.
THE PROCESS DUTY
Cloudy apple juice needs a defined appearance and stability target. The finishing step may remove coarse particles, adjust the suspended phase and prepare the juice for deaeration, treatment and filling. It is not the same as clarification: removing all suspended material would produce a different product.
This is a process section, not a single machine. The pages below cover the equipment choices inside it. Use the route pages to see how the section connects to the rest of the line.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
The explanation starts with the material and the process, not a catalogue description.
Cloudy juice is not simply unfiltered juice. Specify the appearance, the measurement method and the storage conditions used to judge stability. A sample that looks acceptable immediately after pressing may separate or brown later.
The finishing step should target unwanted particles such as peel fragments or large pulp, not the entire suspended phase. Screen or separator selection follows the particle range that needs to be removed.
Cloud stability depends on the juice, enzyme activity, homogenisation or other treatment, thermal history and storage. No single machine guarantees stability. Evaluate the whole sequence with the intended product.
A cloudy product should not inherit the clear-juice clarification sequence by default. Shared extraction is fine; the finishing branch and its evaluation must be product-specific.
WHERE IT FITS
WHAT TO WATCH
CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
These are the choices that change the equipment scope. The approved datasheet fixes the final selection.
A screen or separator selected around the particle range to be removed.
Optional treatment evaluated for the specific cloud target.
Tanks and pumps that avoid unnecessary air exposure and foam.
Sample points before and after finishing, with a defined measurement method.
Access for pulp and residue removal, with drainage and CIP where appropriate.
SELECTION FACTORS
Bring these points to the equipment discussion. They are more useful than a single throughput number.
What must be removed, and what must remain, in the finished cloud?
The storage interval and test used to judge separation.
Thermal treatment and filling can change cloud behaviour.
Cloudy NFC and cloudy concentrate need different evaluation.
SPECIFICATIONS
No catalogue model or performance figure is shown until the configuration is approved. The final datasheet fixes these items.
| Specification area | What is defined in the approved datasheet |
|---|---|
| Capacity basis | Pressed juice flow and the finishing sequence |
| Particle target | Coarse-material limit and cloud appearance agreed |
| Treatment | Optional stabilisation step confirmed by trial |
| Transfer | Closed handling and buffer conditions defined |
| Cleaning | Pulp removal and drainage included |
| Documentation | Product target, trial basis and approved datasheet |
Provide your product, capacity basis and available utilities to move from this selection framework to a project-specific datasheet.
TECHNICAL FAQ
If your question depends on the fruit, product or site, include the conditions in the enquiry rather than relying on a general answer.
Send a project enquiryNo. Cloudy juice has a defined suspended phase and may still require removal of coarse material. The target is a controlled cloud, not the absence of any finishing. The product specification should state the appearance and stability method.
Separation can result from particle size, pectin interactions, temperature history, storage time and treatment. The cause should be investigated with the actual juice and process, not assumed to be a single equipment problem.
It is a distinct product-development case. Concentration changes the suspended phase and the behaviour after reconstitution. It requires product trials and a process evaluation beyond a standard clear-concentrate route.
No. Homogenisation may change particle size, but stability also depends on the juice composition, treatment and storage. It should be evaluated as part of the whole process.
YOUR PRODUCT. YOUR PROCESS.
Tell us the product, the quantity basis and the packaging. We will work back through the process to the equipment scope.