Maceration

(chemical engineering) The process of extracting fragrant oils from flower petals by immersing them in hot molten fat.
(science and technology) The process of softening or wearing away a material by wetting it or steeping it in a liquid.

[mas-uh-RAY-shun] The period of time grape juice spends in contact with the skins and seeds. Extended maceration, which is used only with red wines, takes place after primary fermentation and prolongs this contact period. The objectives of extended maceration are to increase the wine's depth of color, intensify its aroma, and, according to some winemakers, soften any harsh, bitter tannins so a wine is better suited for aging. In the cold maceration process (sometimes called cold soak), the grape juice mixture (must) is cooled rapidly and held at a temperature of about 50°F for 5 to 10 days before fermentation is triggered. Some French winemakers add sulfur dioxide to further control fermentation. Cold-maceration advocates believe this period of pre-fermentation (in the absence of alcohol) favorably extracts phenolic compounds thereby producing wines with increased color intensity and more complex flavors and aromas. See also cuvaison; carbonic maceration.

The softening of a solid by soaking. In histology, the softening of a tissue by soaking, especially in acids, until the connective tissue fibers are dissolved so that the tissue components can be teased apart. In obstetrics, the degenerative changes with discoloration and softening of tissues, and eventual disintegration, of a fetus retained in the uterus after its death. In herbal medicine, certain herbs may require cold water to make produce infusions or decoctions if the active ingredient is susceptible to inactivation by heat.

Maceration may refer to:

Look up maceration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Maceration (food), in food preparation
• Maceration (wine), a step in wine-making
  • Carbonic maceration, a wine-making technique
• Maceration (sewage), in sewage treatment
• Maceration (bone), a method of preparing bones
• Acid maceration, the use of an acid to extract micro-fossils from rock
• Maceration, in chemistry, the preparation of an extract by solvent extraction
• Maceration, in biology, the mechanical breakdown of ingested food into chyme
• Maceration, in dermatology, the softening and whitening of skin that is kept constantly wet

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