Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/766392
70 WINES&VINES January 2017 VIEWPOINT Tel : 800 577 1220 *US Patent 7651616 & 7828977 bryan@vafiltration.com www.vafiltration.com THE SWEETSPOTTER The Sweetspotter is the answer to small production facilites requiring single barrel or small lot processing options for VA or taint removal. A rental unit that is operated by winery staff and ideal for trialing any of the taint removal processes. There are two membrane options available, depending on the taint being removed. Loose Nanofiltration - Used for pH reduction ,TA reduction, 4EP and other taint reduction*. T ight Nanofiltration - Used for VA reduction*. (Will NOT significantly reduce TA) Vist us at Unified - Booth 914 tially with concomitant losses in flavor, color and texture. While tight membranes could be substituted, the resulting permeate flow is impractically slow. Building a better mousetrap for rental work is a tricky challenge whose time has come. Given the demand, we are likely to see more systems in the near future. In the meantime, kudos to VA Filtration for an imaginative first step. Choosing an RO dealer European suppliers like Bucher-Vaslin, Della Toffola and Vason all build high-pressure machines that are as solidly reliable as the companies themselves. They have a lot of experience with reverse osmosis, dating back to the introduction of juice concentration in the 1980s, though not as long experience with California applications as the domestic companies that are smaller and less finan- cially gold-plated. The big companies offer machines as stan- dard models. Obtaining custom design options is more challenging than with a small domestic manufacturer. Mavrik, VA Filtration, WineTech and Wi- neSecrets are all service companies that have a wealth of experience in California applica- tions and sell machines. Domestic companies are generally more willing to customize equipment to your winery's requirements. You might covet interchangeable membrane banks for red and white wine, or a separate pro- gramming for UF operations in spiral and tubular formats. They are more likely to let you "have it your way." Membrane cost is not as big a consider- ation as you might think. RO membranes can last for years with proper care. They are easy to replace and fittings are universally stan- dardized. A well-built RO machine also re- quires little maintenance. That said, care in operation, cleaning and storage is a special- ized skill. Membranes can be destroyed by high solids, elevated temperature, freezing, high pH, mold growth, bleach and well water among many other perils. Store membranes in a cool environment with 25% alcohol or 1,000 ppm SO 2 /citric solution. Cleaning should always be done with purified, unchlo- rinated soft water. The biggest challenge in owning an RO machine is turnover of your trained staff. You will probably need regular retraining by manufacturer's staff trained in your applica- tions. One solution is to purchase from a local service provider, but several European firms have local experts, too. Once you get your new RO, be sure to care- fully document every detail of your winery's procedural specifics. Your new RO machine gets you a ticket to a wide variety of applications. There is much more to discuss concerning specific applications. Such topics as resin column selection and operation, permeate distilla- tion, juice concentration logistics and loss prevention will be addressed in subsequent articles. Clark Smith is winemaker for WineSmith and founder of the wine technology firm Vinovation. He consults widely on advanced winemaking techniques and small winery start-ups. Special acknowledgement to Rick Jones for his wisdom and unmatched expertise and to Barry Gnekow for his unique insights. A well-built RO machine requires little maintenance. That said, care in operation, cleaning and storage is a specialized skill.