Portable Draught System – How do they work?

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cheers with beer mugsPortable Draught Beer System (also known as Jockey box)

What are they and how do they work?

A jockey box system can sometimes be called a coil box or cold plate box. The name Jockey stems from the portability of the unit as it is easy to move from one location to another (jockey around).

A Jockey Box system contains all the equipment necessary to dispense beer; cooler box, beer line – stainless steel coils or cold plates, shank, faucet, CO² regulator, CO² tank and beer line connectors, and some come equipped with a drain tray and cup holder. CO ² gas is used to pressurized the keg for dispensing.

The key to the Jockey Box dispensing cold beer is the coil or cold plate unit that acts like a flash chiller meaning that the stainless steel beer line coil or aluminum cold plate (stainless steel line is encapsulated) is refrigerated using an ice water bath in the case of the coil system or ice only with the cold plate.

The Jockey Box system works on the principles that the keg is sitting at room temperature, 70º F and when the beer passes through the coil or cold plate located in the cooler box the beer temperature will drop to the ideal dispensing temperature of 38º F. It is the perfect system for large parties or special events such as a family reunion or company picnic. As it does not require electric it can be set up anywhere. CO ² gas is used to pressurized the keg for dispensing.

Keeping the keg cool is important to the function of the Jockey Box system and that is why it is recommended that keg jackets be used to ensure cold beer. Kegs when used with a Jockey Box system should never be stored in direct sunlight and in the heat of the summer it is wise to place the keg in an ice water bath in a tub. This way, the beer in the keg stays cold and the performance of the Jockey Box remains optimum.

Coil systems – The coil should be fully submerged in the ice water bath and as the ice melts the water should be drained and more ice added. Be sure to keep the drain closed on the cooler box and only open when draining water to add ice.

Cold plate systems – only ice should be used with cold plates, no water, and as the ice melts it should continually drain, remember to leave the cooler box drain open and run a drain line to a bucket to collect the water

Jockey Boxes are not for everyone, because they are not designed for long-term use. they are, however, perfect for 1 to 2 day parties and special occasions. They are completely portable and fun to use.

Just like all draft beer systems, Jockey Box systems require regular cleaning. All beer contact points – faucet body and faucet parts, coils or cold plates, beer line connectors and drain tray should be cleaned after each use.

Serve your own draught beer at your next party!

Contact The Glass Half Full for all the details.

 

 

The importance of cleaning and sanitizing

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Wine-Bottles-Close-Up

 

 

 

 

Cleaning and Sanitizing……

“They can make the difference between sound wine and spoiled wine.”

This article pertains mostly to those who make wine at home and also to Wine-making stores.

For those of you who come and bottle your wine at a Wine making store, it is very important that your bottles get rinsed as soon as you have enjoyed a bottle of wine.  All you need to do is rinse your bottle with warm water and make sure you don’t leave any water behind. For screw top bottles, leave the cap off. This will prevent any water left in the bottle from eventually turn to mold.

Prior to bottling your wine, use a water rinse and a  food grade sanitizer rinse. Sanitizer protects your wine and bottle from bacteria and oxidizing. However, as this article suggests, if your bottles are not clean prior to bottling it will spoil your wine despite our rinsing and sanitizing and we will in any case refuse any bottles that don’t look clean for the sake of your wine.

Daniel Pambianchi, author and winemaker, was talking about cleaning and sanitizing when he put that maxim in Techniques in Home Winemaking. Home winemakers take serious risks if they do not pay attention to these critical areas. The following is an exert from Daniel’s article on cleaning and sanitizing:

Cleaning means to remove soil, grease, and other residues from the surface of utensils or equipment. That serves two beneficial purposes: It removes contaminants that might directly affect the quality of your wine, and it clears the surface for effective contact with a sanitizer. Sanitizers kill or inactivate any remaining microorganisms on the surface.

Cleaning Products

These are manufactured to help soften, dissolve, and lift off dirt, grease, and other contaminants. With a single exception (discussed later), all are intended to be rinsed off. To help with that, they are formulated for easy rinsing to avoid leaving material behind. Whatever you use, read the instructions on the package and observe safety guidelines. Common household cleaners like dishwashing detergent should be avoided in the winery. Those products are scented and the perfume may linger or leave a film or other residues when used on plastic containers, tanks, or hoses. Use a brush or scrubbing sponge to remove films. If you cannot reach a surface to scrub it, try soaking for several hours.

Sanitizers

Boiling:

Although effective, this technique is limited to objects that are small enough to fit in a pot and are sufficiently heat-resistant to be boiled. Boil at least 15 minutes. No need to rinse, just drain and allow to cool.

Sulfites:

I use sulfites in my wine to protect against oxidation and microbial spoilage. I use a 10% solution of potassium metabisulfite and add according to a guide like the one at www.winemakermag.com/sulfitecalculator. For sanitizing utensils and equipment with sulfite, Pambianchi recommends a 1% effective solution of sulfite, kept in contact with surfaces for 10 minutes. He notes that citric acid can be added to improve effectiveness. Because sulfite needs to be rinsed off before proceeding, it includes a small risk of re-contaminating the sanitized surface with non-sterile tap water.

Iodophor:

BTF and IO Star are brands of iodine-complex sanitizers. Using 1⁄2 oz. (14.5 mL) to 1 oz. (29 mL) in 5 gallons (19 L) of water provides active iodine at 12.5 to 25 ppm (mg/L). With a one- to two-minute contact time with clean surfaces, most organisms are effectively killed or disabled. For some applications, air drying is recommended. In many cases, you can just drain the sanitizer out and proceed. In my experience, a small amount of residue introduces no odor or flavor to my wine. Some users prefer to rinse when they have confidence that the rinse water is fresh and clean. The characteristic amber iodine color may stain soft plastic like vinyl hoses, but does not damage them otherwise. It is not recommended on elastomers. As the color of a batch fades over a period of a few days, you will need to add more iodophor or prepare a new batch.

Chlorine Bleach:

My advice is never use it. While chlorine is effective at killing microbes, it has two serious deficits for use in a winery. First, the odor is so strong that it must be completely rinsed off to avoid off-odors in your wine. Second, and most important, chlorine is often a critical player in development of TCA contamination in wine. TCA, trichloroanisole, is the bad actor in “cork taint” odor of spoiled wine. Given the opportunity to interact with porous surfaces such as wood or cardboard, particularly if mold is present, it can contaminate an entire winery.

Citric Acid:

Although not an aggressive sanitizer, citric acid introduces a low pH and helps retard spoilage organisms. It is especially useful on porous surfaces like inside an oak barrel, where you should never use any kind of sanitizer (except steam or sulfite). Use percarbonate to clean a problem barrel and follow with a citric acid rinse. Use about 1 Tbsp. (14 g) per gallon (4 L) of water and rinse off after use.

The Winemaking Sequence
Harvest and crush:

Grapes are not washed at harvest. All your winemaking equipment should be washed, but when to start sanitizing is a winemaker’s decision. I wash my picking bins and my crusher/destemmer, but do not sanitize them. I do sanitize the food-grade plastic fermenters I crush the grapes into.

Fermenting:

Besides the fermenters, I wash my stainless-steel punch-down tool after each use. I sanitize it just before using it again, using my spray bottle of ethanol. Other winemakers I know keep a bucket of iodophor or Star San in the winery and either dip the punch-down tool before use or leave it in the sanitizer between uses. Although brief contact is not a problem, Star San may corrode stainless steel if left in contact with it.

Pressing:

After washing with percarbonate and rinsing off, I drench my press with a citric acid solution. After letting it stand for a few minutes, I rinse that off with clean water.

Bulk Aging:

TDC or percarbonate do a great job cleaning glass or plastic carboys and stainless steel tanks. Sanitize with iodophor or Star San. For oak barrels, simply rinse with hot water. If you suspect a problem with a barrel, use a soaking technique of up to 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of sodium percarbonate in a 60-gallon (227 L) barrel. Dissolve the percarbonate in a few gallons (~10 L) of water first and funnel into the barrel. Fill with clean water and soak several hours or overnight. Pour out, rinse, and then swirl a few gallons (~10 L) of citric acid solution to neutralize alkaline residue from the percarbonate. Rinse again, drain, and fill with wine.

Racking:

Clean and sanitize the hoses and receiving vessels with your products of choice. For pumps and hoses, prepare buckets full of cleaner, plain water, and sanitizer. Recirculate one after another for two minutes at a time.

Bottling:

Spray the jaws of your corker with ethanol just before using. Wash and sanitize used bottles as you do carboys. I trust new bottles are sanitary as received and simply fill them. Always sanitize the racking cane or pump and hoses. Corks sealed in their original bags should be packed in sulfur dioxide gas and need not be sanitized. If the pack has been opened, dip corks a sulfite solution just before use.

Heed Daniel Pambianchi’s maxim from beginning to end and enjoy your clean, sound wine!

Good cellaring makes for good wine!

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Good cellaring makes for good wine!

There are many reasons to age wine. Cellaring your wine allows all the elements in a wine (fruit, acid, oak, and tannins) to integrate and develop a delicate balance, and optimize the wine’s aging potential.

Here are some tips to cellar your wines well:

Light

Constant exposure to light produces chemical reactions in wine that cause it to deteriorate. White wines and champagnes are the most vulnerable. Try to keep the cellar dark when not in use.

Humidity

A relative humidity of 50-70% is the acceptable range. Insufficient humidity may cause corks to dry out and lose their elasticity which lets air get into the bottle. Too much humidity (over 70%) can cause mold to grow on corks.

Temperature

A temperature of 12-15°C (54-59° F) is ideal for allowing the wine to age steadily without risking premature aging or oxidation. Most importantly a constant temperature is best, even if it is slightly outside of the ideal range.

Corks

Synthetic corks are great for long-term storage (1-5 years). They eliminate problems such as leakage and random oxidation. Agglomerated (recycled) corks are suitable for aging wines for up to one year.

Sulphites

Sulphites help to preserve the wine from spoilage and oxidation. Sulphite dissipates with age and is important for the long-term health of the wine.

Movement

It’s natural for wines (especially high-end heavy reds) to shed some tannin during aging. Vibrations can cause bottle sediment to stay suspended, creating either a haze or “floaties”.

 

Oak Barrel Chemistry: Techniques

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Author:  Daniel Pambianchi Issue: Feb/Mar 2011

The benefits of fermenting or aging wine in toasted oak barrels are indisputable and unmatched by any other type of wood. Not only do oak compounds impart aromas and flavors as well as body and structure, they also help improve wine color and stability.

In this column, I will discuss the chemistry of oak wood to understand its impact on winemaking and wine style. In Tim Vandergrift’s two-part series “Barreling Along” in the October-November 2010 and December 2010-January 2011 issues of WineMaker, he discusses barrel preparation and use in kit winemaking; the principles extend to winemaking from juice or grapes. Here, we will build on Tim’s information and drill a little deeper into the chemistry of oak. (You can also review “Techniques” in the April-May, June-July and August-September 2009 issues of WineMaker for more background on advanced wine chemistry concepts.)

White oak of the Quercus genus is almost exclusively the only type of wood used in barrel making because of its affinity for wine. But there is a plethora of Quercus species from many regions of the world to choose from, each having different characteristics and therefore imparting different aromas, flavors, and mouthfeel, which are influenced by such factors as regional forest climate, age of trees, and tightness of wood grain. Q. robur is the most widespread species in Europe while its subspecies Q. sessilis and Q. pendunculata are most often used for premium French barrels, and Q. alba is predominantly used for American and Canadian barrels, which tend to impart more “oakiness.” We’ll see why.

Organoleptic profile is also greatly influenced by production methods, namely, how the wood is milled (split vs. sawed), how it is dried (air vs. kiln) and for how long, and the extent of toasting (light vs. medium vs. heavy). This means that oak compounds transferred to wine can have dramatically different characteristics and chemical behaviors that will impact wine chemistry and quality and how it evolves and changes over the period wine is aged in barrels.

The composition of oak wood

Raw, untreated oak wood comprises non-volatile compounds, that is, those that we cannot smell but which may impact flavors and mouthfeel, and volatile compounds, that is, those that we could smell if above detection threshold and in sufficient concentration.

The most significant non-volatile compounds include: the polysaccharides cellulose and hemicellulose which together with lignin make up the complex, strong woody matrix of tree trunks; astringent and bitter-tasting hydrolyzable tannins present in high concentrations; coumarins; gallic acid; and harsh condensed tannins but which exist in relatively small concentrations.

Cellulose is a very large polymer of glucose where the high number of hydroxyl (OH) groups can form many hydrogen bonds (with adjacent oxygen-containing molecules) to give wood its structural strength. Hemicellulose is a shorter polymer of glucose and many different sugar monomers form hydrogen bonds with cellulose. And lignin fills the spaces in the cell wall between cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin components.

Cellulose undergoes relatively little change during seasoning and toasting and therefore has little impact on wine chemistry. But hemicellulose and lignin contents are much reduced with increasing levels of toasting. High concentrations of hemicelluloses could otherwise be a source of acetic spoilage with increasing risk as barrels get older. That’s because hemicellulose contains acetyl compounds having acetic-like structures that can hydrolyze into acetic acid and cause volatile acidity (VA).

Hydrolyzable tannins are so-called (though mainly for historical reasons) because they can be hydrolyzed, or split, into their gallic and/or ellagic acid and glucose components. Those tannins from gallic acid are known as gallotannins and those from ellagic acid as ellagitannins. The class of ellagitannins is the more significant of these two and, specifically, castalagin and vescalagin are the most important ellagitannins derived from oak wood.

Coumarins are derivatives of the sweet-scented, bitter-tasting coumarin compound found in some plants and wood. Coumarins in oak wood include bitter-tasting scopoline and esculin, compounds which are found bound to sugar components but which then hydrolyze to the more neutral tasting scopoletin and esculetin compounds.

European oak is known to have higher concentrations of ellagitannins and coumarins compared to American oak. Harshness and bitterness are exacerbated by gallic acid (a phenolic acid) content, which contributes an acidic taste, and you’ll recall that acidity enhances bitterness. But you’ll also notice that hydrolyzable tannins and coumarins can impart that familiar oak sweetness because these compounds can hydrolyze and release sugar molecules. But beware! Sugar can also become a source of food for spoilage microorganisms if wine is not adequately protected against these intruders. Such spoilage in barrels can be difficult, and even impossible, to eradicate.

Condensed tannins, also known as proanthocyanidins, are very large catechin and epicatechin polymers (found abundantly in cacao and tea) which are not susceptible to being cleaved by hydrolysis and are therefore often called non-hydrolyzable tannins, although most condensed tannins are soluble in water or alcohol. Condensed tannins are less astringent than hydrolyzable tannins and polymerize (condense) over long periods of time to give wine its “ageability.”

The most significant volatile compounds include: long straight-chained and phenolic (cyclic) aldehydes; volatile phenols; and oak lactones.

Aldehydes constitute a class of compounds that include many familiar volatile and oxidation-prone substances such as acetaldehyde (ethanal), which is found in oxidized wine and easily identifiable by its distinctive nut-like smell.

In raw oak wood, long straight-chained aldehydes include high concentrations of trans-oct-2-enal, trans-non-2-enal, and decanal, 8, 9 and 10-carbon aldehydes, respectively, which together are responsible for the odor known as plank smell.

Phenolic aldehydes are characterized by a closed-ring chemical structure; the most significant is vanillaldehyde, commonly referred to as vanillin, which is responsible for imparting vanilla-like aromas. Other less significant phenolic aldehydes include syringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde; however, these will only play an important role in toasted oak.

Volatile phenols include compounds that are most often associated with toasted oak, but in raw wood, there is only eugenol, which is responsible for aromas of cloves, and to a lesser extent, phenol.

And then there are oak lactones, namely, methyloctalactone and its variants, which are found in higher concentrations in American oak. These are responsible for sweet, spicy, woody, fresh, leather, and coconut aromas.

Let’s now examine how these compounds are affected when wood is seasoned and toasted.

The chemistry of seasoning and toasting

Oak destined for barrel-making must be seasoned-artificially or naturally-to reduce excessive humidity, undesirable aldehydes, and harsh ellagitannins.

In artificial seasoning, oak planks are heated in an oven (kiln) at approximately 50 °C (122 °F) for up to one month. This is a quick and economical way of seasoning oak but it is considered far less inferior to natural seasoning because artificial seasoning does not suppress or remove as much of the undesirable components. Kiln-dried wood also has a higher content of astringent tannins and bitter coumarins, contains less eugenol, vanillin, and methyloctalactone. It may also lead to more shrinkage cracks in barrels, which may then cause problems, such as seepage, especially around the bung area.

The best barrels — and most expensive — are coopered from two- or three-year air-dried wood, which increases concentrations of aromatic compounds, namely eugenol, syringic and vanillic aldehydes produced by the breakdown of lignin, as well as methyloctalactone, and a decrease in plank-smelling aldehydes. Castalagin, vescalagin and coumarins also undergo hydrolysis, reducing the astringent and bitter-tasting content.

But the most dramatic structural and chemical changes in the wood occur with toasting where the inside barrel surface is set over a fire.

There are generally three levels of toasting. University of British Columbia professor Nigel Eggers describes barrel toasts in his “Biochemistry of Wine” cirriculum as the following: “Light toast (LT) indicates a toasting time of approximately five minutes, with a surface temperature between 120–180 °C (248–356 °F). The inside of the barrel has a spongy appearance, due to modification of the lignins and hemicelluloses, while the cellulose structure remains intact. Medium toast (MT) corresponds to a toasting time of approximately ten minutes, producing a surface temperature of approximately 200 °C (392 °F). The parietal surface components disappear by fusion. Heavy toast (HT) corresponds to a toasting time of more than 15 minutes, resulting in a surface temperature of approximately 230 °C (446 °F). The cell structure is considerably disorganized, while the surface is blistered and covered with tiny cracks.”

Toasting substantially reduces the plank-smelling aldehydes and the heat causes lignins to degrade into their volatile aldehyde and ketone derivatives. (Ketones represent a class of compounds similar to aldehydes and which contribute positive volatile aromas, such as diacetyl found in malolactic-fermented wines, though it also includes spoilage aromas such as acetone in wines in advanced stages of acetic acid spoilage.)

There is a commensurate increase in phenolic aldehydes and ketones and substantial production in guaiacol and syringol and their respective derivatives, all responsible for the smoky, spicy aromas. Interestingly, while guaiacol and syringol levels increase with more toasting (although 4-methylguaiacol and 4-allylsyringol decrease with heavy toasting), phenolic aldehyde and eugenol levels decrease from medium to heavy toasting. Heavy toasting also introduces little cresol, which impart a tar-like smell, 4-ethylguaiacol and 4-propylguaiacol, responsible for bacon, spice, clove or smoky aromas, as well as ketones derived from hexoses in the presence of nitrogen-containing substances (Eggers, 2006). These ketones include cyclotene, maltol and isomaltol, which can add aromas of freshly baked bread and caramel.

Toasting also increases the amount of oak lactones responsible for flowery, spice, coconut aromas though the incremental effects of heavy vs. medium toasting are not significant.

Toasting also introduces a new subclass of compounds known as furfurals or furanic aldehydes, which are again derivatives of aldehydes but containing a cyclic structure similar to phenolic aldehydes but where a carbon is replaced by an oxygen atom in the ring. Volatile furfurals include 5-hydroxyfurfural, which imparts caramel, bread and almond aromas, and 5-methylfurfural, which imparts notes of toasted almond.

Barrel aging vs. fermentation

Barrel aging and barrel fermentation are not the same; their chemistry and impact on wine are very different.

In barrel aging, wine undergoes slow and progressive micro-oxygenation whereby an infinitesimally small amount of air enters the barrel through the tight but porous wood structure as well as through the stave and head joints. During this slow maturation period, oxygen binds to polyphenols and causes what is interpreted as softer tannins. And we also know that oak aging — specifically, toasted oak — stabilizes pigments, thereby stabilizing color as tannins bind to anthocyanins.

In barrel fermentation, there is a high population of very active yeast cells assimilating aromatic oak compounds and tannins. When wine is later racked from its lees, and particularly when fined and/or filtered, yeast cells are separated out, taking those compounds out too. Yeast cells can also alter some of these compounds and translocate them back to the wine; for example, ferulic acid, a phenolic phytochemical found in wood cell wall components, can be converted into 4-vinylguaiacol and impart clove-like properties (Zoecklein et al., 1999). Vanillic and furanic aldehydes are also reduced into their odorless alcohols. The result is that barrel-fermented wines will exhibit more subtle oak features than oak-aged wine without prior barrel fermentation.

Additionally, polysaccharides and mannoproteins (proteins bound to mannose, a 6-carbon sugar) in the cell walls of yeast are partially released into the wine during fermentation as enzymes start breaking down those cell walls. Polysaccharides will bind to polyphenols in whites and specifically anthocyanins in reds to reduce but stabilize color. Mannoproteins bind to wood tannins to make wine more supple and less astringent with a creamier mouthfeel, and also improve protein stability and therefore reduce the risk of downstream problems, particularly post-bottling cloudiness. This process continues during sur lie (on the lees) barrel aging in what is known as autolysis and which further improves the organoleptic profile by imparting bread-like, yeasty aromas. Interestingly, sur lie oak-aged wine previously barrel-fermented showed lower concentrations of vanillin (Margalit, 2004) and furanic aldehydes (Zoecklein et al., 1999). Remember to periodically stir the lees back into suspension to reduce the risk of sulfur-containing odors (e.g. hydrogen sulfide, H2S) forming. Also, as the overall tannin and polyphenol concentrations decrease, wine becomes more prone to the effects of oxygen as less polyphenols are available to bind with damaging oxygen radicals.

What type of barrel to choose

So what type of barrel should you buy and use?

That would be like asking what type of car I would recommend for you; it all depends on your budget and your objectives. But as a general guideline, budget notwithstanding, 3-year medium toast barrels are the safest bet. Then, you need to balance the needs of the wine to the style you want to create and match that to a barrel type. For example, if you want to introduce more oak lactones into your wine without long aging, American barrels would be a good choice.

Experiment, learn, and adapt your barrel winemaking. You may also want to have different types of barrels and then blending wines from different barrels; or try aging wine in one type of barrel and then transfer it to another type.

References:

Eggers, Nigel. “The Contribution of Oak.” Biochemistry of Wine. (June 2006). https://people.ok.ubc.ca/neggers/Chem422A/.

Margalit, Yair, Ph.D. James Crum, Ph.D., ed. Concepts in Wine Chemistry. New Edition. South San Francisco, CA: The Wine Appreciation Guild, 2004.

Zoecklein, Bruce W., Kenneth C. Fugelsang, Barry H. Gump, and Fred S. Nury. Wine Analysis and Production. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, Inc., 1999.