Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/480754
April 2015 P R A C T I C A L W I N E R Y & V I N E YA R D 59 organic material that must be targeted for removal prior to sanitation. Brettanomyces/Dekkera ("Brett") yeast species are the most feared barrel spoil- age organism. Brett is opportunistic, tak- ing advantage of the high pH and low SO 2 levels in many red wines as well as some of the byproducts of oak toasting found in barrels. Oak provides the perfect environment for Brett because of the porous sur- face and the inability to use powerful detergents or chemical sanitizers. Wines that have been infected by Brett can be described as smelling like smoke, Band- Aid, horse blanket, barnyard, clove and more. Removing the organisms from the wine (through filtration or other means) will do nothing to eliminate the asso- ciated aromas, so preventing a viable population from forming is essential. Barrel sanitation study Maria Alejandra Aguilar Solis, a gradu- ate student in Dr. Randy Worobo's labo- ratory, traveled to three wineries located in Napa, Calif., to conduct an in vivo study of spoilage organisms in barrels. The experiment included 100 "natu- rally contaminated" barrels from a few R E S E A R C H F O C U S When sampling from wine barrels in the winery, Randy Worobo recommends taking a container of hot water (more than 180° F) along to clean the thief after each barrel sampling to prevent cross-barrel contamination. Table I. Results of barrel sanita on treatments Treatment Concentra on/ Efficacy Notes Dura on Sulfur dioxide disc 3 weeks Good No difference between 3 and 6 weeks Sulfur dioxide disc 6 weeks Good No difference between 3 and 6 weeks Peroxyace c acid 120 mg/L Poor Peroxyace c acid 200 mg/L Good Steam 5 minutes Good Small numbers of non-spoilage yeast detected Steam 10 minutes Good Small numbers of non-spoilage yeast detected Ozone 1 mg/L 5 minutes Good Poor results from a few barrels, possibly related to insufficient cleaning step. Ozone 1 mg/L 10 minutes Good Poor results from a few barrels, possibly related to insufficient cleaning step. Chlorine dioxide 5 mg/L Poor Chlorine dioxide 10 mg/L Poor Napa Fermentation Supplies is proud to be a West Coast Kärcher distributor since 1989. Our prices are the lowest and we have the complete product line available. We are also a Kärcher repair facility. Kärcher state-of-the-art high-pressure washers are distinguished by infinitely variable operating pressure, water volume and temperature control, as well as precise chemical metering. Heated models incorporate a 90%+ fuel efficient burner system, low fuel shut-off and complete machine shut-off at the trigger gun for maximum safety and performance. NAPA FERMENTATION SUPPLIES Napa Fermentation Supplies (707) 255-6372 • napafermentation.com Sanitizing with Barrels & Bottles STEAM (310) 327-8900 www.steamericas.com/wine Call for more information! • Reach 1/4" deep into wood surface, where Ozone & water-based chemicals cannot! • Proven to completely control Brett & Zygo • Sanitize a barrel with less than ½ gal of H 2 O • Rejuvenate & preserve barrel toasting • Standalone or use with CIP/SIP systems • No chemicals, wastewater or over-spray