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WINEMAKING The Selector System earned Della Toffolla's manufacturing partner Gimar a special mention. Similar to automated systems long in use in port production, the Selector accumulates 10% of the tank's volume in a chamber at the top of the tank. The liquid is then released by the lowering of a disk that also spreads the liquid to the sides of the tank, where it creates a vortex that lifts and gently separates the cap, irrigating it from above and below. A lees- suspension system dubbed EliControl can be installed, allowing pumped wine to rotate a blade positioned near the tank bottom. Ghidi's patented ONDA tank injects a bubble of compressed or argon from the bottom, mixing the cap on an automatic cycle without pumping. The fully enclosed design includes seven windows along the side of the tank, giving the winemaker complete visibility into the process. Studies at the University of Pisa indicate that the delicate mixing results in lower lees and higher phenolic extraction. Gortani's Soft System combines its Enomatic automatic pump- air, CO2, N2 over system with a plunging process that uses one or two long- stroke augers to enable cap management variable throughout the various stages of fermentation and accommodating musts ranging from 20% to 90% of tank capacity. I was impressed by the quality of Albrigi's nearly invisible QualityStainless_Apr05 A wide variety of automated tank designs provide reproducible, program- mable, 24-hour operation accessible online and free of human error. The device pictured above is the Soft System from Gortani of Amaro, Italy. 3/9/05 11:12 AM Page 1 vertical welding, which employs only mirror-polish sheets and carries a 25-year warranty. This inventive stainless steel tank maker seems never to run out of innovative design ideas for automated cap management, offering no less than 10 different approaches. The Volvotank contains a disk that rotates on a horizontal axis, gently and thoroughly mixing the cap and precisely controlling its temperature using a glycol cavity within the disk. Ideal for conventional Bordelais fermentations, it is Quality - Value - Experience Quality Stainless Tanks Fabricated Stainless Cooperage • Professionally crafted • Perfomance guaranteed • Custom designs & features • Quick & competitive pricing • Repairs & modifications • Special application tanks • Stainless winery equipment • Tanks in stock for immediate shipping from 500 to 10,000 gallon capacity Quality Stainless Tanks 510 Caletti Avenue • Windsor, CA 95492 Phone: 707.837.2721 • Fax: 707.837.2733 Toll-Free: 877.598.0672 www.qualitystainless.com winetanks@aol.com 60 Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 Custom