Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/45785
WINERY Post-Harvest Equipment Maintenance Take care of your equipment now, and it will take care of you next season hat danger lurks in the bowels of your crush pad equipment after harvest? What unseen horrors, organic and inorganic, wait patiently through the wintery months for their moment to inflict maximum damage and downtime on unsus- pecting vintners? Jon Johnson, sales manager for Carlsen and Associ- ates in Healdsburg, Calif., is on a mission to help pro- ducers understand the benefits of a proper post-harvest maintenance routine. Johnson advised that the dangers are big, and getting bigger. In early September, just prior to the 2011 harvest, Johnson led a roundtable discussion with equipment and service professionals to discuss with V&WM some of the common mistakes they see, and how to avoid or correct them. Participants included: David Peritore, owner of Winery Service Connection in Santa Rosa, Calif.; Bruce Edwards, vice president of operations for Scott Laboratories in Petaluma, Calif.; Leonard Larsen, service technician for Scott Laboratories; Joel Crosbie, owner of Coast Winery Systems in Atascadero, Calif.; and Harvey Gonzalez of Euro-Machines in Fairfield, Calif. "Contrary to popular opinion, the majority of equip- ment is not clean in place," Johnson said. "Must pumps, especially. No one is cleaning must pumps properly." AT A GLANCE Many vintners fail to carry out proper post-harvest equip- ment maintenance. This can cause problems for vintners the following season, from microbial issues to equipment failure. Suppliers are happy to provide information to their clients about best practices. A little extra work after harvest can prevent future hassles. 36 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT NOV - DEC 2011 Beware of holes in bladder presses, or you may end up with a rodent issue. Yet even for production crews that understand the need for basic maintenance, such as proper cleaning and lubricating of bearings and chains, things can still go horribly wrong. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM Lack of training and motivation seem to be the big- gest culprits behind inadequate post-harvest mainte- nance. According to the roundtable participants, most winemakers, cellar managers and crews aren't formally trained in equipment maintenance. "Their focus is mak- ing great wine, not learning all the ins and outs of every piece of their equipment," Johnson noted. Combine this with an understandable lack of ener- gy after harvest, and you have a recipe for a microbial bonanza or equipment failure. "If you have even a tiny hole in a bladder press, juice will leak inside," Johnson said. "The fermenting juice will attract rodents, and the rodents will then chew through the rubber to get inside. Cleaning and inspec- tion are crucial." By Josh Hermsmeyer