Float vs Crossflow: Clarifying the Clarification Process at IDL
When you work alongside winemakers as passionate (and particular) as the crew here at IDL, you quickly realise there’s a lot more to clarity than just a clean-looking pour. It’s about precision, stability, and ultimately, flavour. And when it comes to juice and wine clarification, two key methods stand out: float (flotation) and crossflow filtration.
I’ll be honest—I didn’t fully grasp the difference between float and crossflow when I first started in the beverage world. But after a few early mornings in the winery and plenty of time with the production team, it’s clear (pun intended) that both play a critical role in how we make wines and juices look and taste their best.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how your drink gets so brilliantly clear and stable, here’s a look behind the curtain at IDL’s clarification process.
Let’s Talk Float (Flotation)
Float, short for flotation, is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to clarify freshly pressed juice. Picture it like a juice bubble bath—except instead of relaxing, it’s all about separating solids from liquids. This process works by injecting fine gas bubbles (usually nitrogen or air) into the juice. These bubbles bind to solids—like pulp, grape skins, and proteins—and lift them to the top of the tank.
Once the solids rise, we skim off the thick cap, leaving behind beautifully clarified juice that’s ready for fermentation.
At IDL, our winemakers rely on flotation clarification for white and rosé wines, especially during harvest. When tank space is at a premium and timing is everything, flotation helps us keep things moving—speed and efficiency without sacrificing juice quality. Combined with the right enzymes and fining agents, float technology ensures we’re starting fermentation with juice that’s clean, consistent, and fermentation-ready.
Then There’s Crossflow
If flotation is fast and effective, crossflow filtration is its polished, high-tech cousin. Instead of relying on flotation to separate solids, crossflow uses advanced membrane filters to clean wine or juice. The liquid flows laterally across the membrane (hence the name “crossflow”), allowing only the clarified liquid to pass through, while retaining solids on the other side.
Crossflow filtration at IDL really shines post-fermentation. It’s our go-to for:
Polishing wines before bottling
Reclaiming from lees
Ensuring microbial stability
Reducing filter media waste
It’s highly automated, consistent, and precise—an ideal method when we’re dealing with delicate wine styles or large backlogs. From a marketing standpoint, it’s one of those “invisible wins”—our customers might not see the crossflow filtration system, but they absolutely notice the difference in the glass: crystal clear, shelf-stable, and visually stunning wines.
So, Which One’s Better?
Here’s the truth: there’s no competition between float and crossflow—both are essential tools in our production process, used at different stages for different purposes.
Flotation is perfect for pre-ferment clarification. It’s quick, energy-efficient, and allows us to make the most of our space during harvest.
Crossflow, by contrast, is about refinement. It helps us perfect and polish our wines, giving us confidence in the product we send to bottling.
At IDL, we combine traditional winemaking techniques with innovative clarification technology to bring out the best in every batch.
Clarity You Can Taste
In marketing, I spend a lot of time telling the stories behind what we do at IDL. And while there’s a lot of science and strategy in juice and wine clarification, sometimes the clearest story is in the glass.
Whether it’s bubbles lifting solids in flotation or membranes purifying with crossflow filtration, there’s intention behind every drop. This clarity isn’t just visual—it’s a reflection of the skill, care, and collaboration our team brings to every tank and every bottle.
And that, to me, is the real flavour of IDL.
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