A Revolutionary Approach to Industrial Liquid Mixing
Pulsair in the Wine Industry
What Winemakers say about Pulsair
Cap Management
Blending
Barrel Stirring
Water Reclamation/Treatment
Pulsair in the Wine Industry
Since our first winery installation in 1988, Pulsair has been helping winemakers produce better wines with much less effort. Leading wineries in Washington, California, Canada and Europe use Pulsair pneumatic mixers to produce award winning wines with less effort and greater savings on both labor and energy. Numerous winemakers now consider Pulsair's revolutionary technology a valuable tool in perfecting their craft.
In most scenarios, in-tank plumbing is not required for a Pulsair mixer. Tank diameter is the determining factor with in-tank plumbing required for some larger tanks. For the most common size tanks (2,000 - 30,000 gallons) our equipment can be attached to a racking or drain port.
What Winemakers Say About Pulsair Pneumatic Mixers
- Reduces labor - No more all night shifts for labor intensive punch down.
- Offers greater control - Pulsair's programmable controller can be set for their personal preferences to control multiple recipes in individual tanks.
- Saves on energy and compressed air - The energy efficient kinetic motion of bubble mixing provides considerable savings in both compressed air and electricity consumption.
- Easier to maintain - Since all the moving parts to a Pulsair system are located outside the tank, maintenance is simpler and less costly.
- Produces more complex wines- Compared to the pump over method, Pneumatage provides more complexity to the finished product, while reducing product shear.
- Results in softer tannins and better color - Pulsair mixers produce softer tannins and better color extraction than the traditional pump over method.
Pulsair has engineered solutions to four critical parts of the winemaking process:
1. Cap Management
Wineries of all sizes from boutique to large production facilities use Pulsair's unique cap management method, called Pneumatage, as a better way of accomplishing the labor-intensive cap management process. Winemakers love the fact that they can save on labor and energy costs while producing excellent wines.
The Pneumatage concept is simple but powerful. By sequentially introducing a huge 3-foot bubble of clean compressed air or nitrogen, Pulsair effectively breaks the cap and circulates the fruit and skins throughout juice. The Pulsair bubble uses gravity and the weight of the liquid, to circulate the contents in 5 to 10 minutes, without oxidizing, shearing the product or macerating the fruit.
The winemaker controls how the cap is managed and Pulsair systems adapt to meet the changing needs during fermentation. For example, a slower operation may be desired during a cold soak or at the beginning of fermentation. However, when the cap becomes extremely hard at the middle of the fermentation process, a more rigorous agitation may be required.
The diameter and shape of the tank, the winemaker's preference and process needs all factor into the design of a Pulsair system.
Benefits of Pulsair's Pneumatage Cap Management Process- Pulsair's programmable system lets the winemaker set the cap management criteria and know that cap turning is consistent.
- The Pulsair system provides mixing reports that tell you the exact time, duration and intensity of mixing in each tank.
- Since the cap is usually turned within 5 to 10 minutes, the time savings are considerable.
- Pulsair's method of cap management is gentle on the fruit. The huge bubble, while powerful, does not inflict any shear.
2. Blending
Blending different lots of wine with Pulsair equipment is simple. With just a few manually controlled bubbles you can achieve the desired blend quickly and efficiently. Some winemakers also use Pulsair to mix the tank when adding SO2, Bentonite or other additives and clarifiers.
Benefits of Blending with Pulsair- Reduced Blending Times - In all cases reported, Pulsair equipment has reduced the amount of time needed to blend.
- Labor Savings - Since there are no pumps and hoses to carry around and sterilize, the Pulsair equipment reduces both labor and frustrations.
- No Shear - The use of Pulsair during blending does not inflict any shear to the finished product as often happens with mechanical mixers and pumps.
- Energy Savings - The greater efficiency of bubble mixing means less time operating the compressor thereby reducing the use of energy.
3. Barrel Stirring
Pulsair makes a hand-held, portable mixer that is ideally suited for stirring the lees in barrels. Because of the vertical mixing motion created by Pulsair and because the bubble is generated at a point where the lees accumulate, Pulsair effectively eliminates problems typically associated with barrel stirring.
Pulsair developed a bung that holds the wand and prevent spilling even in full tanks. The Pulsair barrel mixer is held in place while the bubble does all of the work. A bent stainless steel probe is used to reach the bottom of a stacked barrel. The pressure and pulse rate are adjustable to accommodate most applications.
Another benefit is fewer wrist injuries than with the manual mixing method that uses a stainless steel wand with a small propeller on the end.
Benefits of Pulsair's Barrel Mixer- Lightweight, simple and comfortable to use - The Pulsair Barrel Mixer is easy to use and does not risk wrist injuries
- More thorough lees suspension - Mixing begins where the lees settle
- Faster mixing - Just a few pulses with the Pulsair Barrel Mixer accomplishes a thorough mix
- More complete circulation - The kinetic energy of pneumatic mixing is great for making acid additions
4. Water Reclamation/Treatment
Another major consideration of winemaking, often overlooked, is water treatment and reclamation. Pulsair has been used for water treatment applications in numerous industries and municipal treatment plants throughout the world. Any application that requires water circulation and/or solids suspension for treatment is ideal for Pulsair. Since all wineries face the challenge of treating water Pulsair mixers are an ideal and economical solution to the problem.