Ozone sanitiser for barrels, casks and silos: all the benefits

In this article:

• • • • Ozone: a powerful natural biocide
      • The benefits of sanitising with ozone
      • Movingfluid’s ozone generator: not just a tool, but a strategy for excellent production
      • An approach tailored to each winery
      • The San Martino in Rio case 

Ozone sanitiser: the safe, convenient and green solution for wineries

There’s good wine in small barrels, goes the proverb. But the truth is that it depends: regardless of size, barrels, casks and tanks must be properly cleaned to ensure the quality of the contents. Moulds, tartars and yeasts – such as the dreaded Brettanomyces – develop inside them and, if not removed, can lead to microbial contamination and alteration of the wine’s organoleptic profile.

To prevent this from happening, many wineries are turning to new sanitisation methods, such as ozone gas, a technique that is more effective, reliable and environmentally sustainable than traditional chemical treatment and more convenient than classic steam.

The effectiveness of the ozone sanitisation method is also supported by extensive scientific research and the experience of some of the biggest names in the industry. Let’s find out all about Movingfluid’s ozone sanitisation system: what advantages it offers, how it works and who already uses it.   

Ozone: a powerful natural biocide

Ozone (O3) is a gas that is naturally present in the atmosphere, invisible to the naked eye and characterised by a pungent odour, similar to the smell after a thunderstorm. The ozone molecule is composed of three oxygen (O2) atoms: highly unstable, it tends to return to its original form (oxygen) in a time lapse of about 30-40 minutes, depending on factors such as temperature and humidity. This high reactivity allows it to react rapidly with organic molecular structures, particularly double bonds, breaking them down through a process called ‘ozonolysis’.

In contact with ozone, all micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, moulds, yeasts) deteriorate: it is therefore an extremely powerful antioxidant (up to 10 times more powerful than chlorine) and a universal biocide, already widely used in industry and agri-food sectors to sanitise rooms and equipment. In the wine sector it lends itself perfectly to the sanitization of tanks, cisterns, barrels and casks with enormous advantages in terms of results and savings.

The benefits of sanitising with ozone

Cellar sanitisation is neither a new nor simple process. After the first wash with cold or hot water (essential to remove organic remains and tartaric salts), it is necessary to proceed with thorough sanitisation, which can be performed with various techniques: steam, UV rays, or chemical treatments with potassium hydroxide and citric acid (Thonhauser treatment), or with peracetic acid.

Or, with ozone: this method provides multiple benefits, also proven by several field studies. Let’s look at them together. 

Effective against Brettanomyces and many other microorganisms

Ozone has the ability to inactivate a wide variety of microorganisms, so much so that it is often referred to as a universal biocide. Among these is the notorious Brettanomyces, the yeast responsible for serious olfactory defects in wine (the so-called Bret note) that tends to nestle in the thickness of the staves, where it is unreachable by common disinfection processes.

An experiment conducted by researchers at the Edmund Mach Foundation (San Michele all’Adige, TN) on barrels has shown that ozonisation outperforms UV in effectiveness, as it reaches even the deepest layers. Unlike other substances, which must penetrate the cell to be eliminated, ozone has an immediate action and destroys membranes and cell walls by direct contact.  

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Zero residues on products and surfaces

Being an unstable molecule, after treatment the ozone spontaneously decays into molecular oxygen, leaving no traces, odours or unpleasant tastes on surfaces or in products: the processing residue is therefore clean air that does not affect the tank material in any way. In fact, ozone does not cause structural damage to the wood and does not compromise the profile of phenol compounds that the wood releases into the wine during ageing: a fundamental characteristic when it is necessary to preserve the sensory notes and guarantee the quality of the product.  

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Maximum energy and water savings

Precisely because it leaves no residue, there is no need to rinse the containers after sanitisation: once the treatment is finished, they are ready to contain wine, without further steps. Furthermore, compared to other equally effective methods such as steam, the ozone sanitiser consumes much less energy. Therefore, energy and drinking water consumption are minimised.

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100% green production cycle

No chemicals and no rinsing means that the production cycle is totally sustainable. Sanitising with ozone eliminates the need to dispose of waste substances and waste water: after breaking down the bacterial load in barrels, tanks and casks, this natural gas goes back to pure oxygen, but does not release any pollutants into the atmosphere.  

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Extends the life of wooden barrels and casks

The use of ozone also prolongs the life of wooden barrels and wine vessels: several studies conducted by technologist Raffaele Guzzon and his team indicate that this gas not only sanitises, but also restores porous materials. Over the years, the microbial load inside tends to increase as common cleaning methods struggle to penetrate the wood. Ozone, on the other hand, any drastically reduces yeast populations that would otherwise colonise deep inside the wood, rendering the barrel unusable over time.

Furthermore, thanks to its oxidizing action, it has the power to “whiten” or regenerate surfaces damaged by organic residues or microbial proliferations: barrels and casks thus remains in optimal hygiene conditions for longer.  

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Optimised and safe operation

From an operational point of view, sanitising with ozone offers a twofold advantage.

On the one hand, it allows workers to optimise their work time: the generator does not require any human intervention and only needs to be connected to the tanks and activated to start the sanitising process.

On the other hand, personnel is not required to handle or prepare concentrated disinfectant solutions: the risk of accidents or damage to health caused by aggressive chemicals is close to nil and the workforce is therefore very limited and safe.  

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Low or no costs

In light of all this, it follows that sanitation costs are also significantly reduced.

Here are the main economic benefits of this solution:  

1. no cost for the purchase of disinfectants; 
2. no cost for the disposal of environmentally harmful residues; 
3. costs/manpower reduced (no more preparation or rinsing afterwards); 
4. much lower energy consumption, even than steam, as no water is moved, only air.

But how does an ozone generator work? 

Movingfluid’s ozone generator: not just a tool, but a strategy for excellent production

As anticipated, ozone is an extremely unstable molecule that tends to revert naturally to its molecular oxygen (O2) form in a few dozen minutes. Because of this instability, it cannot be stored or transported in cylinders but must necessarily be produced on site by means of special generators.

Thanks to our long scientific collaboration with the institute in San Michele all’Adige, the studies carried out in the field and the technical experience of our salesman Davide Zironi and engineer Ezio Ragazzi, Movingfluid designs and manufactures ozone generators customised to the needs of each winery.  

How the Movingfluid sanitiser works

To simplify, we can say that the ozoniser works like a small ‘reactor’ that breaks down oxygen through electricity.

More in detail:  

1. the machine, wheeled and variable in size according to operational needs, draws in air from the surroundings;  
2. a molecular sieve separates oxygen molecules from other gases in the air;   
3. an electrical discharge excites the electrons of the O2 molecules which separate into highly reactive single oxygen atoms;  
4. these free atoms combine instantaneously with other intact oxygen molecules, forming ozone (O+O2=O3);  
5. a blower system pushes ozone and air into the tank (or tanks) that the sanitiser is connected to;  
6. a UV sensor detects the ozone concentration and manages the cycle, fully automatically.

When the supply is finished, the machine stops and the operator can detach it and proceed with filling or sanitising the next container. Just to give you an estimate: with this system you can process up to 40 barrels per day, working on 6 barrels at a time in about an hour and a quarter.

Movingfluid’s professional generator can treat wooden and steel tanks, but also concrete or lined underground tanks, easily reaching every corner of the cellar. The only thing you need is a power connection.  

An approach tailored to each winery

“Depending on the volumes, materials or the presence of organic matter and initial load, the conditions of use for achieving good sanitisation performance can change, and must be thoroughly evaluated with the appropriate means and professionalism.” Davide Zironi told a well-known trade magazine a few years ago.

The approach has not changed since then: the in-house production of sanitisers allows us to analyse the context in which they will have to operate and manufacture the most suitable machine for the winery that will be using it. Not a standard product for everyone, but customised in shape and size, in scope and efficiency.

This is why our engineers always start with an analysis of the operating environment (how is the cellar organised? Where are the containers located and what type are they?) and the condition of the containers.

In this way they are able to modulate treatment according to actual fouling level, define the optimal ozone concentration by adjusting consumption and suggest possible improvements to ensure the success of the treatment.

Indeed, it has been shown that ozone acts to its full potential when subjected to certain temperatures and in the absence of other organic ‘barriers’, such as that generated by any water residues. For this reason, drying the tanks before application can improve their performance.

But it doesn’t end there: we also combine customised delivery with administrative support if required. Being an advanced and environmentally sustainable sanitisation system, the ozoniser can in fact be covered by various tax relief schemes and our team can provide all the necessary documentation to apply for funding. 

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The San Martino in Rio case

Movingfluid has long supported wineries in switching from obsolete or underperforming methods to ozone sanitisation, with very positive results. Cantine Riunite, Biondi-Santi and Valdo, producers of fine products in our region, were among the first to invest in this new technology.

Speaking of the local area, there is no shortage of enlightened local businesses such as Cantina San Martino in Rio (RE), which just recently decided to implement our professional ozone sanitisation technology. A choice dictated by the numerous advantages it offers, which materialised within only eight weeks from visiting the cellar: that’s all the time it takes for us to create a customised sanitiser for each business. A few months after its introduction, it has already become fully operational, perfectly integrated into the winery’s production cycle, to the great satisfaction of winemaker Fabrizio Boccedi.

Together with the machine, many wineries also opt for the annual technical assistance service. The required maintenance is very low with little wear and tear, but (to prevent any possible malfunctions) we take care of checking the safety sensors and blowers, so as to ensure flawless treatment at all times.  

Ozone is a reliable, safe and effective resource that can greatly facilitate cellar sanitisation, without affecting organisation or wine quality. So why not take advantage of it now?

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