Fermentation cellar

Fermentation cellar wine tanks: General Information

The most common wine is made of fully matured grapes. The amount of grapes used depends on the type of grapes. Wild grapes are used in lesser amounts than the domestic ones due to their high flavour and acidity. The equipment and conditions in the fermentation cellar ensure that all the necessary conditions are met for the perfect fermentation to take place. This especially includes the temperatures that give the yeast and sugar perfect conditions to activate the process.

A fermentation cellar is an airtight wine tank in which the fermentation takes place. It is made of metal, mainly steel and looks like a cylindrical shaped metal tank. It is produced in different dimensions depending on the capacity it is made for. It consists of the main tank that holds the must, an upper tank, an apparatus that occasionally supplies the must from the bottom tank to the upper tank and an outflow valve.

History

The fermentation tank dates back to ancient Egyptian and Roman history. The Wine making equipment, however, was not as developed as the modern day wine fermentation cellar. For example, the measuring of the acidity levels of the wine to test when ready is easier nowadays due to the invention of the pH metre in the early 1920. The material used to make the tank is more efficient and loses heat less than the previously used one.

Manufacturers

There are several manufactures of the fermentation cellar tank: Aisi has for example the 316 model that can hold up to 7291 gallons of wine. Bacchus cuves ciment can hold up to 1981 gallons of wine. Chemo has a capacity of 528 gallons making it ideal for home wine makers. Fantini can hold up to 1321 gallons while Gigua holds 5283 gallons.