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66 WINES&VINES April 2017 WINEMAKING area allowed heat to escape from the sides and surface much more quickly than either of the other two tank types. The fermentation tem- perature just could not keep up with that type of heat loss in the uninsulated bin. The insu- lated bin, on the other hand, retained too much heat, and the cap got too warm, resulting in a stuck fermentation. While this is not usual, it is important to be aware that it can happen more easily in this type of tank. The Apollo tank benefitted from the egg design and conserved enough heat for fermen- tation flavor extraction and color, but it didn't over-heat the wine. Concrete egg fermentations follow a very similar protocol with that of the Apollo tank. Based on conversations with winemakers who use the concrete eggs to ferment, the mass of the concrete seems to moderate the fermenta- tion temperatures for red wines, so even though there is not as much heat radiated away from the tank, the concrete absorbs the heat from the wine's fermentation. If concrete eggs are used for fermenta- tion, it is easier if the tanks have a manway to allow removal of the remaining skins. The Apollo tank is light enough that after re- moval of the free run, the remaining must can be poured directly into a press. There is a lifting harness available to allow a forklift to raise the tank, so that skins can be poured or scooped into the press. At the end of harvest, all of the egg types can become wine-storage vessels, while Mac- roBins go into the storage barn. If the egg shape is the critical criteria to get the concentration of flavors, and you believe using it increases complexity or other wine attributes, it is time to decide what is the best container for the wine you want to make. As a winemaker, I would like to have all of these tools available. I would be pleased to have the visual presentation of the concrete eggs: They provide a similar expansive appear- ance for the winery that large stands of stain- less steel tanks or large stacks of barrels provide. However, if in order to produce the volume of wine that you need to meet your business plan, your bank account cannot afford the cost of the concrete or ceramic eggs—or if your winery does not have the space to dedi- cate to 3,000- to 5,000-pound concrete eggs as fixed structures—then an Apollo egg might be a good alternative for some or all of your wine production. Provided your wine cellar has good temperature control, an Apollo egg should provide many of the benefits of the concrete egg tanks at a fraction of the cost. Many small wineries using MacroBins for fermentation need to think seriously about their use of those bins only for their intended purpose: bringing grapes to the winery. Put the bins aside and use an egg-shaped tank for small-lot fermentations. The winery will be rewarded with better wines made this way. Either way, concrete, ceramic or plastic, there are good reasons that the egg-shaped tank is here to stay. Dr. Richard Carey is a wine consultant in Lancaster, Pa. He wrote a software program to help small wineries keep track of their wine production records and results of laboratory analyses. Egg-shaped fermentation vessels are believed to create circular movement of heat. Powered by BREWEROMS ORDER TODAY! winesandvines.com/boms A unique online system to locate, contact and sell to U.S. beer producers. The Wines & Vines Brewer Online Marketing System (BOMS) is a web-based system that allows you to search more than 4,300 North American breweries by specific criteria, and export data into custom reports.