Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/138003
plied Vinfoils for wine tanks in the United States since 2006, ranging in volume from 10,000 gallons to 400,000 gallons. Vinfoil selection is based on tank size and design, the type of use, and solids levels in the wine product. Mixers can be customized for specific applications. What sets the Vinfoil apart is the size and design of the patented hydrofoil impeller blade, designed to push wine product by maximizing flow and minimizing turbulence and shear. The blade is slim at the tip, where speed is highest, and wide at the base where speed is lowest. This gives a more uniform discharge velocity along the blade length for greater efficiency, and enables the impeller to operate at lower torque or RPM, using a smaller-horsepower motor. OzOne A 0.5 horsepower mixer with a 20-inch-diameter impeller blade can be used in tanks up to 37,000 gallons. This results in cost savings through less energy use. Vinfoil Mixers operate at 136377 rpm, depending on model and impeller diameter. The most common blade sizes for wine tanks are a 20-inch-diameter blade for motors up to 2 horsepower and tanks up to 90,000 gallons, and a 30-inchdiameter blade for larger tanks with motors of 2 horsepower and larger. Vinfoil motors with 3-horsepower capacities can be used in tanks up to 300,000 gallons. In contrast, pumps used for tank mixing can range from about 7.5 horsepower to 25 horsepower and require significantly more energy to operate. As with most mixers, the Vinfoil is not designed for cap breakup or turnover during red wine fermentation, but it provides efficient mixing and blending for other processing operations. Vinfoils can be more expensive upfront than other mixers, and they are not portable for use in multiple tanks. However, PolarClad sales manager Chip Kime said, "A Vinfoil is most efficient compared with other mixers in larger tanks of 30,000 gallons and up, and it really pays off for a winery that does cold stabilization in tank." Prices of Vinfoils installed in tanks have ranged from $2,300 to $22,000, with the average price $5,000 to $6,000. IN THE FIELD Simi Winery in Healdsburg, Calif., installed 0.75-horsepower Vinfoil Mixers in 2010 on six 46,000-gallon stainless steel tanks fabricated by Westec and covered TeCHnOLOGY fOr Wine PrOduCTiOn Ozone replaces harsh chemical cleaners, heat and steam and citric acid rinses while saving energy, time and money. •Barrelwashing •Surfaceandequipment sanitization •Tankcleaning •Clean-in-place(CIP) ofprocessand transferpiping Claristar® - A Natural Solution for Tartrate Stability (KHT). Available exclusively from Scott Laboratories. Portablecartsystemsand complete integrated centralized ozonesystemsforwineries. Pacific Ozone – your ozone technology partner. TM (707) 747-9600 www.pacificozone.com www.scottlab.com • info@scottlab.com Simple • Proven • Ozone Technology w w w. v w m media.com J u l y - A u g 2 0 13 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 47