WINETECH Technical Yearbook 2021

PRACTICAL IN THE CELLAR | JULY 2021

The cleaning and sanitation of barrels

“You don’t know you have a contaminated barrel until you have a contaminated wine.” – Vic Vasques.

CHARL THERON: Private consultant KEYWORDS: Sanitation, cleaning, barrels.

AS A RESULT OF THE HIGH PURCHASING PRICE of wooden barrels, it is important to maintain barrels properly. The cleaning and sanitation of barrels are some of the processes to ensure this. It is important to differentiate between the cleaning and sanitation of barrels. Cleaning is the removal of solids like lees, cream of tartar and other substances which can act as a breeding place for micro-organisms. Sanitation is a decrease of at least 99,9% of the viable micro-organisms. Undesirable micro-organisms like Brettanomyces or wild yeasts will always be present in cellars and it is important to limit their multiplication, before wine spoilage occurs. Before the processes of cleaning and sanitation are implemented, it is important to research the efficiency, cost, safety and environmental impact thereof. The use of nozzles is the most basic and cheapest way to clean barrels. If used with

hot water, it is effective to remove heavy lees, but cream of tartar crystals will not be split. It is consequently adequate for cleaning between different processes, but not between different annual cycles. It should therefore rather be used for the rinsing, but for the cleaning of barrels. It also has high water consumption of up to 70 litres per minute. With an increasing number of barrels, the rate of cleaning will be too slow and the pressure of 280 kPa is not adequate to remove cream of tartar crystals. Instead, high-pressure cleaning equipment should be used. It should have a high-pressure nozzle and water source of 15 to 16°C. The nozzle is driven by the water pressure and the occurrence of impurities in the water supply can be detrimental to the efficiency of the nozzle. The pre-filtration of water can prevent this. Stainless steel is the most suitable material for nozzles, because it is not subject to

Nozzle and barrel washer.

WINETECH TECHNICAL YEARBOOK 2021 | 159