Tweak Your Tank
By: Jeff Shoemaker
Originally Appeared in Winemaker Magazine Aug/Sept. 2014
In the past few years I have made larger
and larger batches of wine, as a result the number of carboys I use has
really racked up. Each year I try to make improvements to my home winery and
being a total wine equipment nerd, variable capacity stainless steel tanks were
an obvious upgrade for me. What better way to make the next step than to have a
big, shiny tank or two in my Wine cellar? I set out to research the tanks and
soon realized while there are benefits, there are certainly just as many drawbacks.
However, with some effective modifications, and the purchase of a few pieces of
equipment, you can increase the usefulness of the tanks. I have invested time
learning how the tanks work, and what modifications others have used to improve
on the successful and trouble free use of the tanks. This article caters to the
home winemaker with hopes to improve their experience with stainless steel
variable capacity tanks. I will elaborate on these issues and help you get the
most out of your beautiful wine tank.
Tank Modifications:
There is much debate on whether or
not to perform long term aging in these tanks due to the possibility of lid
failure or oxygen exposure through various parts of the tank. However, I am
confident that with the following alterations, you can do more with your tank
than just fermentation, malolactic fermentation or a short stay before the
barrel. Please read on and get your tank into shape and ready for the long
haul!
Lid Bladder/ Gasket:
When your new tank arrives, the lid
gasket/bladder it comes with will most likely be one made of a thin, clear
vinyl material. Though these gaskets are fine for fermentation when the CO2 is
protecting the wine from O2, they cannot be trusted for any post fermentation
storage because they form a poor seal around the lid when inflated. Another
vulnerable part of the gasket is the seam where the two ends meet to form the
seal. (Please see picture) The major
problem with the seam in the stock gasket can be seen in a simple water test.
All you need to do is put a gallon of water in your tank and put the lid in the
tank near the top and inflate the gasket up to about 0 .6 bars. Then put the
tank on its side and angle it allowing the water to hit the lid while gently
rolling the tank back and forth, and watch for any leaks. Most likely water
will come leaking out where the seam is, which means an airtight and uniform
seal has not been achieved. These leaks
will show you where O2 can get to your wine. I would also recommend this test
when you get the upgraded gasket to ensure a good seal.
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| This seam allows oxygen into the tank |
There
are two different lid gaskets you’ll see when shopping; white and black. I
personally use the black ones because they fit my particular tank. As for the
white ones, I have heard nothing but good things. I suggest you pick the one
that fits your tank the best.
When you decide to get a new gasket, measure
the diameter of you tank lid and allow these two fine wine shops to assist you
in getting a gasket that is a perfect fit.
Temperature fluctuations and Using an Inert Gas Bleeder
You can find them
here:
Morewinemaking.com
- Item #: WE369C (White gasket)
Vintner Vault –
TK-002006 (Black Gasket)
The Stock airlock
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Westchester Amateur Winemakers |
The waterless airlock that comes
with most tanks uses a marble over the vent hole to allow gas to escape and is
supposed to re-seat in the hole to prevent oxygen from getting back in. This is
another entry point for oxygen and should not be relied upon to protect your
wine. A couple things you can do to improve this are:
-You can take the existing marble airlock and cut it in half
just below the vent. This gives you a place to put a bung and an airlock, or a
breathable bung.
-Consult a welder to have a
stainless steel tri-clamp ferrule installed in the lid. This allows you to use
an airlock, breathable bung, or tank vent (Navigate to –stpats.com – vent 211.)
Tri-clamp ferrules also give you the ability to use hoses or caps when the
ferrule is not in use, and more than one can be installed!
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Westchester Amateur Winemakers |
Isolating the Pump
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Westchester Amateur WineMakers |
The pump used to inflate the gasket
is another source of problems due to the fact air can leak out of the threaded
valve on the side of the pump, around the gauge and out of the thin tubing
which can be cut from the pipe clamp. One solution is to first; get thicker
tubing that a tightened pipe clamp can’t cut through. As for the leaky pump; an
inline pressure gauge and a shut off valve between the pump and the lid gasket
can be installed. By doing this you remove
the pump completely, your lid gasket stays inflated and the gauge allows you to
monitor the inflation level of the gasket so you know when to pump it up again.
When the gasket needs inflated hook the pump up to the shut off valve, turn it
to the on position and pump it to the desired level. Then turn the valve to off
position prior to unhooking the pump.
If you have several tanks you can install a quick disconnect,
(morewinemaking.com Item #: H550.) Rather than buying a
pressure gauge for each tank, you can quickly connect the pump to the lid gasket
via the quick disconnect and use the pump gauge to check the pressure on each
tank. This works by hooking one side of the quick disconnect to the gasket’s metal
valve with a piece of suitable tubing and pipe clamps to ensure a tight fit. Then
connect the other side of the quick disconnect to the tubing of the pump in the
same fashion. After the quick disconnects are installed, connect them and
inflate the gasket to a suitable level (I like about 0.6 bars) and unhook the
pump and store it until the next time you need to perform a check. This keeps
Jr. winemakers, like my 2 year old son from banging the pump of the side of
tank!
Temperature fluctuations and Using an Inert Gas Bleeder
Being that we make
our wine in passive cellars, garages or our kitchens, maintaining and managing
a consistent temperature can be difficult. Temperatures can fluctuate throughout the time
the wine is in storage. These temperature vacillations are apparent in the
varying wine levels in the neck of a carboy. When using a stainless steel tank, temperature
swings can cause the tank to actually expand and contract. Or the lid could be
sucked in by a vacuum from a contracting tank causing the lid to fail exposing
your wine to excessive oxygen. To help with this you could use an inert gas
bleeder system (morewine Item #: WE399.) Included in this purchase are the tank
lid connection and the diaphragm bleeder regulator. You will need to supply the
inert gas tank, tubing and gas tank regulator.
How this mechanism works is if the temperature increases and
the wine expands; the excess pressure will be released out of the diaphragm
bleeder. While at the same time the bleeder is allowing inert gas to be pulled
into the tank on demand, without putting pressure on the tank. Please go to Morewinemaking.com
Item #WE399 for more information. Being able to perform long term storage in
these tanks is like a dream come true. For the home winemaker on a budget, this
particular upgrade may seem like an unnecessary luxury. But this is an
important upgrade if you plan to use your variable capacity tank for long term
storage of wine. By only using your tank for fermentation, malolactic
fermentation and some other short term uses, you are limiting the tanks overall
usefulness and not really getting the value for your money. My goal for Poni Home Winery is to replace
most of my carboys with tanks which will make it easier to utilize my time more
efficiently and reduce the strain on juggling family, work and reading Batman
comics. It also allows me to use my limited space more effectively.
The Drain Valve
If your plan is to quickly move your wine via the drain
valve on the bottom of the tank, you may wish to replace the standard valve
that comes on the tanks. Your options are
a full port ball valve or a tri-clover ferrule and clamp with a butterfly valve.
These upgrades are necessary when wanting to move larger volumes of wine
faster, or through a larger pump. For transfers in and out of the tank I
personally use ½” tubing which is lowered into the tank and I transfer out with
a pump that moves three gallons per minute (more on this later.) But if you
want to use larger tubing and a larger pump, these upgraded valves are may be a
good idea for you. As I mentioned earlier you will need to recruit the help of
an experienced welder to help you in installing the T.C. ferrules etc. Tip: If you decide to use the drain
valve that comes with the tank, use Teflon tape around the threads to keep it
from leaking.
Additional Upgrades
You May Consider Are:
-Lid handles: There
is not much to hold onto when lowering the lid onto the wine preventing you
from splashing grapey goodness all over the place. A good idea would be to have
your now new friend the welder install two handles onto the lid.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Westchester Amateur Wine makers |
- Dust cover: A
dust cover is a smart solution to the problem of dust and dirt settling on to the
lid and on the exposed sides of the tank. The dust cover will also help with
fruit flies, because they just love to hang around tanks filled to the brim
with delicious wine! This could be anything from a bouffant cap from a
hospital, a bed sheet or a plastic cover with an elastic edge. Really any of
these options will do, and safeguard your wine while it is in the tank.
-Tank Stand: Any place you can buy your wine tank from will
have stands available to put your tank on. Really all the stand is doing is
getting the tank up off the floor, and for less than half the price you can build
your own stand using 2 x 4” boards and ¾” plywood. You can build it just high
enough so it is off the floor, or if you prefer to gravity rack, you can
customize your stand to suit those needs These tanks when full of wine can be
very heavy so please be sure of the stability of your newly made stand before
using it full time. Some folks actually make wheeled carts for their tanks for
ease of moving the tank about the winery. Just do whatever fits your needs
best.
Equipment Needed to
Use the Tank:
In order to use these tanks, you need to get some additional
equipment to do various operations such as transfer the wine in and out of the
tank, and clean it. Some of these things are necessary, and some are just nice
to have.
Pump: I use a
self-priming diaphragm pump that can move three gallons per minute. It has a self-regulating motor which is
designed to temporarily shut down, and then turn back on when restriction
pressure exceeds pump capacity. This pump does not have a switch, so in order
control the pump, I wired a common light switch into a heavy duty extension cord,
which I can carry around as I am managing pump operations. This allows me to
control the pump without having to run to the outlet to unplug it at the right
time. This is plugged into a GFCI outlet for safety.
Tubing: I use ½”
tubing with the Buon Vino pre-filter
on the inflow side of the pump which will protect the pump from debris, along
with a racking cane on the end to prevent curling of the tubing in the donor
vessel. On the outflow side of the pump is a ball valve to control the flow of
the wine. This flow control is helpful if racking in or out of carboys.
Stirring the Pot:
As
your tanks get bigger and deeper, you may find the long handled spoon you have
is not adequate. A good substitute is a cordless drill mounted mixing paddle, you
can find these at several winemaking stores, but Winery-equipment.com is the only place I know of that will make them
at different lengths for you upon request.
Keeping your tank and its parts clean is a priority. To make
the job easier use a hose with a multi-sprayer to assist removing any debris
that has built up in the tank. Working near a floor drain is also helpful
because you can just tip the tank over to drain rinse water out, rather than
trying to manage a tank over a sink. Going outside is also an option for tank
cleaning, but not in Pennsylvania
As you gain experience with using these tanks; they will become just as easy as using a carboy. But a few things need to be remembered when using these wonderful tanks.
-They are not just set and forget: The tanks needs monitored every few days or once a week at the very least to check on the inflation level of the lid gasket and the integrity of the lid in general . Once you feel comfortable with using the tanks, your compulsive lid check s may become less and less, but they require regular inspections every once in while, this is very important.
- Regular SO2 monitoring is an absolute must: Even after most of these modifications have been made, like any other vessel some O2 may slowly find its way into the tank. This means when considering buying a tank, you'll also need to consider a free sulfite testing kit. Whether it's the Vinmetrica sc-100 or the aeration oxidation kit, it is very important you have this available to you to prevent oxidation to your wine.
-Samples for testing and tasting: When using the drain valve to pull samples for tasting or testing, the lid must be reseated e.g. the gasket must be deflated and then inflated again. These tanks don't act as wine kegs where you keep a volume of wine in the tank and just drink from it as you wish. If you plan to make a sulfite addition after a testing session, or any other addition for that matter, just reseat the lid after your testing session has ended and you've made you additions.
-Cleaners: Cleaners such as sulfite or bleach should not be used; they can cause pitting in the stainless steel, which will weaken the tanks. A good cleaning protocol to follow is: A hot water rinse, followed by your favorite cleaner such as Powdered Brewery Wash or One Step Cleaner (follow manufacturer's instructions.) Follow with a no-rinse sanitizer or citric acid rinse solution of 50g-4 liters and then a final warm water rinse. You may sanitize the lid components, bungs and airlock at this time also using the same method as above.
In conclusion: Once the bugs are worked out, stainless steel tanks are very nice to have in the cellar. They take up less room, easy to clean, you are making additions to one vessel rather than several carboys, and they are very flexible if doing different volumes of wine each year. I hope this article will help you with your tank, or help you feel better about taking the plunge and getting one for yourself.
A very special thanks to the folks at Westchester Amateur Winemakers for their assistance in this article.
As you gain experience with using these tanks; they will become just as easy as using a carboy. But a few things need to be remembered when using these wonderful tanks.
-They are not just set and forget: The tanks needs monitored every few days or once a week at the very least to check on the inflation level of the lid gasket and the integrity of the lid in general . Once you feel comfortable with using the tanks, your compulsive lid check s may become less and less, but they require regular inspections every once in while, this is very important.
- Regular SO2 monitoring is an absolute must: Even after most of these modifications have been made, like any other vessel some O2 may slowly find its way into the tank. This means when considering buying a tank, you'll also need to consider a free sulfite testing kit. Whether it's the Vinmetrica sc-100 or the aeration oxidation kit, it is very important you have this available to you to prevent oxidation to your wine.
-Samples for testing and tasting: When using the drain valve to pull samples for tasting or testing, the lid must be reseated e.g. the gasket must be deflated and then inflated again. These tanks don't act as wine kegs where you keep a volume of wine in the tank and just drink from it as you wish. If you plan to make a sulfite addition after a testing session, or any other addition for that matter, just reseat the lid after your testing session has ended and you've made you additions.
-Cleaners: Cleaners such as sulfite or bleach should not be used; they can cause pitting in the stainless steel, which will weaken the tanks. A good cleaning protocol to follow is: A hot water rinse, followed by your favorite cleaner such as Powdered Brewery Wash or One Step Cleaner (follow manufacturer's instructions.) Follow with a no-rinse sanitizer or citric acid rinse solution of 50g-4 liters and then a final warm water rinse. You may sanitize the lid components, bungs and airlock at this time also using the same method as above.
In conclusion: Once the bugs are worked out, stainless steel tanks are very nice to have in the cellar. They take up less room, easy to clean, you are making additions to one vessel rather than several carboys, and they are very flexible if doing different volumes of wine each year. I hope this article will help you with your tank, or help you feel better about taking the plunge and getting one for yourself.
A very special thanks to the folks at Westchester Amateur Winemakers for their assistance in this article.
To purchase this back issue please visit https://winemakermag.com/product/314-august-
september-2014-issue
september-2014-issue
Great write-up, I am a big believer in commenting on blogs to inform the blog writers know that they’ve added something worthwhile to the world wide web!..
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Thank you! It's much appreciated
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