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4 6 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m above-ground concrete pools, cus- tom-sized to each client's waste- water volume and concentrations. But instead of being filled with water, the pool contains drain- age basins, river cobble and wood shavings inoculated with bacteria and earthworms that work in tan- dem to clean wastewater applied via intermittent surface irrigation. The system footprint depends on how many gallons and pounds of contaminants the system needs NEW TECHNOLOGIES Mai Ann Healy, United States r e g i o n a l m a n a g e r a t B i o F i l t r o , notes how critical wastewater management can be to opera- tions. "If you have major issues with your wastewater, a facility must shut down and address the issue or risk noncompliance with discharge standards. We want to prevent that." BioFiltro sells bio- filtration systems that look like to remove each day so that it can deliver rapid results in four hours. "As water percolates through the system, wood shavings trap contaminants on their surface. In turn, the worms eat these sol- ids and excrete rich waste in the form of castings," explains Healy. "These castings, and the airways c r e a t e d b y b u r r o w i n g w o r m s , nourish billions of bacteria colonies that feed away at the dissolved and soluble contaminants. This Disinfecting a winery is a huge contributor to wastewater. And while some wineries use chemicals, steam or hot water f o r d i s i n f e c t i n g e q u i p m e n t , many are turning to ozone tech- nology as an effective alterna- tive that significantly cuts down water use. Ozone is the most powerful oxidizer and disinfectant that can safely be used and is com- mercially available for the con- trol of bacteria, molds and other microbes. It provides disinfec- tion through a lysing process that breaks down the microbe m e m b r a n e s a n d c e l l w a l l s , destroying them completely and quickly. It's far more efficient in disinfection than hot water, c a u s t i c c h e m i c a l s o r a c i d s . Further, it's generated onsite, reducing the need for handling and storage of such chemicals. FDA- and USDA-approved for food surface contact, ozone leaves behind no residues or aftertastes. Because it's created from oxygen, once this power- ful molecule is consumed by the contaminant, it reverts back to oxygen very quickly. POINT-OF-USE C l e a n i n g a n d d i s i n f e c t i o n procedures take time — many winemakers admit it takes far more time to clean and disin- fect the winery than it does to actually make the wine. Tradi- tional procedures start with a pre-rinse to knock down all the large debris; then the chemical cleaning step, typically using alkalis and acid-based products to remove dirt, sugars and other debris; a post rinse to remove the cleaning chemicals; then the disinfection rinse to reduce and destroy microbes, oftentimes using hot water, peracetic acid, caustic soda or even hydrogen peroxide; and a final rinse to remove the disinfectant. However, when using ozone as the disinfectant, the post rinse and final rinse can often be eliminated, as there are no nega- tive effects of the ozone mixing with the cleaning chemicals and, because ozone is safe for food contact, the ozone disinfectant rinse can also be the final rinse. Typical disinfection products can take 30 minutes or more to provide sufficient contact time, whereas the proper levels of ozone can take mere seconds. Further, if hot water is being used in the disinfection protocol, it can be eliminated, as the ozone rinse will use cold water only. Ozone is an excellent addi- tion to disinfection protocol to assure microbe-free surfaces within processing equipment such as hoppers, conveyors, destemmers and crushers. In addition, it can be used to dis- infect barrels and fermentation tanks (inside and out), transfer lines, hoses, fittings, valves and clamps. F l o o r s , w a l l s , a n d d r a i n s also need disinfection. Left untouched, these places can attract fruit flies and other pests, creating a breeding ground for microbes that can eventually become the source of microbial problems throughout the win- ery. Ozone-containing water can be used in these places simply and effectively on a daily basis to help prevent microbial out- breaks. The use of ozone for disinfec- tion has now spread throughout much of the wine industry and is an industry standard world- wide. As its benefits and cost advantages become more wide- ly understood, the technology's role in wineries will grow. Marc DeBr um is the sales manager and applications engi- neer for ClearWater Tech, LLC, a manufacturer of ozone systems for water purification in San Luis Obispo, Calif. You can reach him at mdebrum@cwtozone.com. OZONE AS A WINERY DISINFECTION TOOL BY MARC DEBRUM