Topic: Cleaning-and-Sanitation
Microbial Stability
MEMBERS ONLYChemical and microbial stability measures must be taken after fermentation but prior to bottle aging to protect the wine from contamination and subsequent off-aroma generation caused by microbial metabolism. Learn the most common methods for achieving
microbial stability, both during aging in the cellar and at packaging.
Remove A White Film on Carboy
MEMBERS ONLYWow, looks like you’ve got a serious case of “Ring Around the Carboy.” Thanks for sending in the picture, I always love it when readers do that because, especially in cases like these, it gives me a good visual to go from. I can see that pesky stain on the inside of the neck of
The New Need For Sanitation
FREEWhat’s the difference between cleaning and sanitizing? Cleaning refers to the manual removal of dirt, soil, and grime on an item or a surface. Sanitizing is the next step, which, when done
KMBS Lifespan & Lambrusco Grapes
MEMBERS ONLYQ I have a question about sanitizing. I just mixed a fresh batch of potassium metabisulfite (1.5 oz. powder to 1 gallon water) to sanitize my equipment, and this latest batch has very little smell. Until now, every batch I’ve made has smelled quite powerful. I know that you’re supposed to replace the liquid when
Use Of Bleach In A Winery
FREEMy rule is no chlorine bleach in my wineries, never, nohow. Anything containing chlorine might contribute to the dreaded “corked wine aroma,” 2-4-6 trichloroanisole (TCA), in your finished wines. It can be
Chlorine In My Wine
MEMBERS ONLYOh dear. I fear that your wine has been contaminated not just with chlorine, but with the dreaded TCA, or tri-chloroanisole aroma defect. Also known as the “corked” aroma, TCA is the scourge of winemakers the world over. Commercial as well as home winemakers have to be wary of this common wine aroma defect. The
Guide to Cleaning and Sanitizing Winemaking Equipment
FREEWe can probably all agree that readying equipment for winemaking is not exactly a carboy of fun; nevertheless, it is an absolutely crucial aspect of winemaking. Reports of wine gone bad and,
Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Way to Better Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYI had a very interesting conversation with a couple of veteran winemakers at a guided wine tasting I conducted this fall. Together, they had made dozens of batches of wine, were using advanced techniques and had won medals; most recently two gold, one silver and three bronze medals between them in the WineMaker International Amateur
Build a Carboy Cleaner
MEMBERS ONLYI learned quickly during my early days of cleaning up after myself in the winery that a carboy brush is designed to spackle the walls, surrounding cabinets and the user with undesirable crustiness from within the carboy interior. Sure, a brush does a good job of cleaning the major gunk out, and it’s cheap, but
Cleaning and Sanitation for Beginners
FREEAn introduction to cleaning and sanitation for beginners.
Wine Press Mold Growth
MEMBERS ONLYAh, yes, the joys of wood. We use wood in the winery for barrels and barrel-alternatives of course but, especially for the small-scale winemaker, wooden presses are still often part of our crush equipment. It’s interesting, but not strange, that this mold pops up periodically. I would scrutinize your ambient humidity and temperature; it’s very
One Step Cleaning
MEMBERS ONLYOne Step is a proprietary cleaning (and somewhat sanitizing) solution that is a secret formula; even the Wine Wizard will never know exactly what it’s made out of. From what I can find out, though, it sounds very similar to products I’ve used in my wineries which often go by trade names like Peroxycarb. Essentially,
Cleaning & Sanitizing Techniques
FREE“They can make the difference between sound wine and spoiled wine.” Daniel Pambianchi Daniel Pambianchi was talking about cleaning and sanitizing when he put that maxim in Techniques in Home Winemaking. Home
Battling VA
MEMBERS ONLYIt sounds like you took the right approach. A VA (volatile acidity) of 0.70 is not “out of this world” high, though it is a little elevated. Especially if this was a wine over a year old, a VA like this wouldn’t necessarily alarm me unless it made a big jump (say from 0.50 to
Is it ok to use ammonia in the winery?
MEMBERS ONLYRegarding ammonia (chemical formula NH3), I’m glad you brought the subject up. There’s a reason why we don’t use ammonia for sanitation in the winery and one acronym says it all: DAP. More on that in just a little bit, however. Myself, I keep a little ammonia squirt bottle under the kitchen sink to remove
I’ve heard that a lot of wineries are using ozone for their sanitation programs…
MEMBERS ONLYWine Wizard replies: Though ozone is an excellent tool for winery sanitation, the short answer is that unless you’ve got over fifty barrels of wine and sell it for a living, you probably are better off leaving the expensive machines to those that can justify the expense. The machines that generate ozonated water run in
Add 12 grams of citric or tartaric acid to your sanitizing solution.
MEMBERS ONLYThere are a couple of reasons I suggest we use tartaric or citric in the pages of The Winemaker’s Answer Book for cleaning and sanitizing purposes. First of all, acid is added to sulfite solution to increase the effectiveness of the sulfite by lowering the solution’s pH. The first, and most practical, reason for adding
Harvest Planning
MEMBERS ONLYFor winemakers, grape harvest is a period of intense activity. Important decisions and preparations need to happen well in advance of crush day in order for things to go smoothly. These decisions include ordering or picking the grapes, obtaining a crusher, selecting the right yeast, etc. Beyond these decisions, your crush area, winery and equipment
Wine Wizard Revealed & Top 10 Winemaking Questions
MEMBERS ONLYA Word From the Publisher And the Wine Wizard is……. “When will my fermentation stop?” “Why did my fermentation stop?” One thing I can count on as publisher of WineMaker magazine is that each day winemakers will email us asking for help and looking for answers. When WineMaker launched in 1998, we realized the importance
What is the best way to clean an old wine press I just acquired?
FREEThe Wine Wiz would first examine the press (especially the pressure-bearing bits, like the wooden side slats, the floor and any metal joiners) for wear and tear to make sure that, being
Sanitation Sanity: How often should wine equipment be sanitized?
MEMBERS ONLYIt is absolutely critical to have good winery sanitation as dirty equipment does nothing but invite bad-guy bacteria and unwanted yeast beasties to munch on our wine. However — there is a point of diminishing returns where you can sanitize too much. I have seen some home winemakers get way too crazy with the microbe-killing,
What is the best way to store plastic fermentation tubs and keep them clean?
MEMBERS ONLYYou’re on the right track — it’s not a good idea to mix chlorine bleach with winemaking because free chlorine molecules can, if the conditions are right, contribute to appreciable levels of the swampy or stinky “corked” aroma, the most ubiquitous being 2,4,6-trichloroanisole. I never use any chlorine-containing cleaning compounds in my winemaking and don’t
Is it possible for the potassium metabisulfite powder I use for sanitizing to lose its strength over time?
FREEYou’re right to suspect that both the potassium metabisulfite powder and solution can lose their power over time. The solution, which you make by mixing the powder with water, is particularly unstable.
Keep it Clean
FREEWinemaking is a glorious hobby, one that impresses your friends since you make wine and they do not. Winemaking gives us an identity: We are winemakers! When we get together with our
Spring Cleaning for Winemakers: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYSpring is often seen as a time for cleaning, and there’s plenty for the home winemaker to do after a long winter. This includes scrubbing away the grime, dust and cobwebs that have accumulated in your cellar over the last few cold months. But, as our winemaking pros point out in this issue, “spring cleaning”