About Winemaking, Fermentation, Émile Peynaud, and Bastille Day

July 14, 2011

In honor of Bastille Day, Cole-Parmer salutes French scientist Émile Peynaud, an enologist and researcher with a formidable legacy. A former professor at the University of Bordeaux, Peynaud is largely credited for revolutionizing winemaking.

Through hundreds of papers and consultations with wineries in France, Italy, Spain and the US, Peynaud shared his expertise in vinification practices. He advocated for a balance of acidity, tannins, fruit, and alcohol to produce flavorful wines. Though initially criticized, Peynaud advised winemakers to encourage and control malolactic fermentation. He also offered insights on the scientific processes of winemaking, including the timing of harvests, choosing the best grapes, controlling fermentation temperatures, and more. One colleague asserted that Peynaud’s work brought discipline to the winemaking process.

As comfortable in cellars as he was in the classroom, Peynaud’s legacy lives on through his influence in the industry, his books―and the appreciation of wine connoisseurs around the world. Mr. Peynaud passed away on July 18, 2004.

More about Fermentation

The fermentation process refers to the production of a large culture of a microorganism. Either the microorganism itself or the byproducts of the microorganism may be used for further manipulation and product development.

Cole-Parmer Antifoam and Carbon Dioxide Meters/Controllers

Successful fermentation processes require tight control of parameters such as aeration/dissolved oxygen (DO), carbon dioxide (CO2), pH, temperature, and foam. Accurate control is imperative to maximize cell growth and productivity.

For a selection guide to cell culture fermentation systems, read this.


Hey Winemakers: Take our tech challenge on Choosing a Refractometer

March 15, 2010

Challenge: Amil is starting up his own company, Amil’s Amazing Winery. He needs a refractometer to measure the wine from 0 to 30% Brix. The refractometer will need to be used at various stages of his wine-making process, including when the grapes are heated to release the most flavor. Amil’s eyesight and patience are not what they used to be, so he needs a meter that is easy to read and simple to use.

What would be the best refractometer for Amil?

  1. Brix refractometer with automatic temperature compensation, such as model 81150-06.
  2. Palette-style Brix refractometer with digital display and automatic temperature compensation, such as model 02940-62.
  3. Salt refractometer such as model 02940-43.
  4. Wine refractometer with automatic temperature compensation and a 0 to 25% T.A. range, such as model 02940-68.

See the answer.


Attention Wine Makers: Read why Plastic Tanks kick Stainless Steel Tanks in the teeth.

March 11, 2010
Dom Carisetti and Patrice DeMay have over 50 years experience in the professional winemaking industry. They operate the Chateau Renaissance Wine Cellars in upstate New York. The wine industry is currently using mostly stainless steel tanks which can be very expensive. TANKS
They set out to find a suitable solution to reduce price and looked into polyethylene tanks. Dom says “For $10,000 we equipped our winery with nearly 30,000 gallons of cooperage which also included the delivery price to the winery, for the same price we could only purchase a few stainless steel tanks totaling 5,000 gallons of cooperage. We chose Snyder tanks because they are well built and rugged compared to other plastic tanks we evaluated.”Another problem they had at the Chateau Renaissance Wine Cellars was space. They wanted to find a way to utilize their space in a better manner to eliminate building multiple buildings to do the same thing. In the fall they ferment most of their juice and have the tanks inside. In the spring, when they bottle most of their wines, they send the tanks outside once they are empty. This gives them a large room in the cellar to do winery events for their customers. Since the tanks are lighter than stainless steel tanks they are much more portable. One person can move the 500 to 1100 gallon tanks and two people can move the 2500 gallon tanks.

Cleaning the tanks is also a simple task. Initially, Dom thought the absence of a bottom manway would be a problem. However, Dom says “for the price of a bottom manway on a stainless steel tank, that you may only use a few times a year, the price isn’t worth it.” LABEL
 
Here’s how they handle the cleaning. They do a lot of whole fresh fruit (other than grapes) that they crush into the tanks. The fruit ferments on the pulp. “After fermentation we rack the wine into clean tanks and merely tip the tanks over and scoop out the pulp (pomace). This takes 15 minutes with another 10 minutes to wash out the tank with hot water and a splash of bleach (chlorine)”. They also use a 6 foot stainless 2” pipe attached to their wine hose and pump to draw out the bottom wash liquid.

name of image Some people are concerned about flavor pick up from the plastic. Dom says “There is absolutely no flavor pick up. If there were our customers would tell us. Last year we produced 3500 cases of wine for our first year of business, including wine for 6 other wineries. No one had any complaints. Of about 10,000 visitors to our winery last year only a handful commented on the tanks in a negative manner. Once we told them of the benefits of the tanks they became converts to plastic.”
 In summary, polyethylene tanks can give wineries savings in tank costs over stainless steel and the portability can reduce the number of buildings required. Snyder’s high density linear polyethylene tanks are also molded from 100% FDA approved materials and are safe for storage of food products.

Complete Selection of Cone Bottom Tanks
Complete Selection of PIE 520 Thermocouple Simulators
Complete Selection of Polyethylene Tanks

Published with permission from Snyder Industries Inc.


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