Page 16 - GrapevineMarApr 2022
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In The Winery
procedure has been successful in eliminating tar- “Additionally,” said Anderson. “If a barrel wasn’t
trates and reducing and removing viable cells stored properly and the gaps between staves are
of Brettanomyces while preserving the toasted beyond repair with swelling, or the labor and time
oak qualities that winemakers desire in their red spent to sanitize an affected barrel outweighs the
wines.” cost of a new one, then it may be time to call it
quits and make it into a cool souvenir.”
The advantages of using a clean technology like
HPU for barrel sanitation include consistent and Choose Environmentally Friendly Options
repeatable results with no chemical residue that
reduces sulfur dioxide and taint-causing or haz- “Mainly, you want to consider the amount of
ardous chemicals while lowering labor, energy and water used, the resulting wastewater that will
barrel costs. require treatment, and the potential side effects
to humans and the environment of any chemicals
Not All Barrels Are Salvageable used,” said Anderson. “While ozone is a powerful
sanitizer, it can adversely affect humans in contact
Dr. Bates told The Grapevine Magazine that infec- with it before it’s dissolved in water, causing nau-
tions of barrels with spoilage micro-organisms like sea, headaches and respiratory issues. Mainstream
Brettanomyces could have a marked influence on methods of barrel sanitation tend to use a lot of
whether a winemaker can reuse a barrel. By using water and chemicals that need treatment to lower
HPU, he hopes to extend barrel life by effectively the Biological Oxygen Demand before disposal.
removing tartrates, solid residues, micro-organisms,
biofilms and taint compounds from surfaces and Water with a high BOD level means less available
pores, and also removing anthocyanin pigments oxygen for aquatic organisms, potentially stressing
that Brettanomyces can break down. and killing them. A typical Burgundy barrel holds
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