Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/528936
WINERY & VINEYARD EQUIPMENT 46 WINES&VINES July 2015 PRODUCT FOCUS Stainless Steel Tanks Wines & Vines surveyed tank manufacturers to find the latest shapes, sizes and new features for stainless steel tanks. Prices vary according to tank sizes, options and current pricing for labor and materials. By Andrew Adams ALBRIGI Collopack Solutions of Napa, Calif., distributes Italian tank manufacturer Albrigi, which of- fers a variety of different tanks including one with a semi-auto- matic punch-down system. According to the supplier, the patented self-rotating system ensures homogenous cap sub- mersion, a self-cleaning punch- down device and proximity sensors that ensure the punch- down device is properly aligned before starting a cycle. The sys- tem can be programmed to a va- riety of punchdown sequences. collopack.com LA GARDE Quebec, Canada-based tank sup- plier La Garde, which produces rectangle-shaped fermentors, developed a new 3,600-gallon hybrid fermentation and stor- age/blending tank that features a removable lid plus an insula- tion layer. The company claims the rectangular shape of the tanks can increase the cap con- tact surface by up to 50% and can produce 40% more wine volume in the same space as a cylindrical tank. lagardeinox.com CRIVELLER Criveller, which is based in Healdsburg, Calif., and Niagara Falls, Ontario, offers two types of tanks that feature an auto- matic pomace-removal system. One model has a flat bottom, and the other a conical bottom to help break the cap up a bit more. Once the tank is drained, a hydraulically operated door at the bottom of the tank is slowly opened, and the two rotating arms of the removal system push the pomace out through the door at a rate of about 20 tons per 10 to 15 minutes. The system can also be used as a lees-stir- ring device during fermentation. criveller.com EURO-MACHINES Euro-Machines in Fairfield, Calif., now offers stainless steel mobile fermentation tanks in sizes up to 3 tons. The supplier reports these mobile tanks have flat bottoms with forklift chan- nels that allow them to be moved around and can be "tilted" into a press hopper. The tanks can be outfitted with options such as drain doors, sample valves, full jacketing for temperature control and—in the off-season—the tanks can be stacked on top of each other for storage. euromachinesusa.com La Garde Criveller