Page 6 - Grapevine JanFeb 2021_REV

In The Winery

Steaming the Bottling Line

By: Thomas J. Payette, Winemaking Consultant
S team is one of the most widely used methods ile will want to eliminate all viable bacteria and

of sanitizing a bottling line and cartridge filter yeast from the bottling line and final filter prior to
prior to bottling. If done properly a “ster-
unfined and unfiltered wines sterilize their bottling
ile bottling” can be secured at each bottling run. bottling day. Even winemakers who are bottling
Steam, for safety reasons, is a nuisance, yet most lines before bottling for extra security. Steam,
wineries still find it the bottling sanitation mea- when used properly, is lethal to all living organisms.
sure of choice. Steam is hazardous to use and the
author accepts no liability for error on behalf of the How?
operator. Please be careful if this is your first time!
Be careful every time! Live steam is the key to doing this procedure
properly. If an orifice or filler spout is expected
Bottling is an important time to be on your game. to be sterile, a flow of live steam must be coming
You will only get one chance to do this properly so from that area. Below are guidelines for steam-
it must be taken very seriously. ing a bottling line and final filter prior to bottling.
Some of these principals may need adjusting for
Why? your specific line set up.

A winemaker interested in bottling a wine ster- Before starting the below procedure, it is recom-

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