In wine making, the ability to control the temperature of the product during various stages is vital to the character of the finished wine. Each stage has a different set of cooling requirements, and several factors influence the ability to exercise adequate control over the temperature. Focusing on the fermentation stage, the factors include the following.
- Tank jacket construction
- Dimple jacket
- Plug welded
- Spot welded
- Half pipe coil
- Number of jackets
- Location of jackets
- Total surface area
- Dimple jacket
- Desired fermentation rates for various varietals
- Tank volume
- Cooling media
- Agitation or mixing
- Type of tank insulation
- Ambient temperature
- Weather exposure
- Tank heating capability
- Closed or open loop
- Piping considerations
- Type of control valves
- Glycol concentration
- Pump controls
- Valve controls
- System controls
- SCADA and historian
Several of these factors have an interrelationship with cost, durability, reliability and maintenance. Cost implication further breaks down to upfront cost, energy cost and maintenance cost. Optimizing the quality goals with financial budgets and operations planning contributes to a successful wine making enterprise. Diligent planning that goes hand in hand with proper engineering analysis followed by careful design and construction is a must. We will look at each of these factors in more detail in subsequent posts.
