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Ozone in Winemaking
Ozone has several characteristics that make it excellent for sanitising in winemaking.
Ozone:
1. Kills a much broader spectrum of bacteria, moulds, yeast, spores and cysts from 10 to 5,000 times faster than chlorine, depending on conditions.
2. Has been affirmed by an expert panel as "Generally Recognised As Safe" (GRAS) under FDA use for rules for use as a disinfectant for food processing operations.
3. Reverts to molecular oxygen, leaving no by-products or residual contaminants.
4. Unlike chlorine, does not generate dangerous halogenated hydrocarbon by-products, such as trihalomethane.
5. Destroys objectionable taste-and-odour causing compounds.
6. Is pH neutral, (does not change the acid/alkaline balance).
Applications of ozone in winemaking include sanitation of the bottle line; microbial control in barrels, tanks and presses of mould and fungus on cellar surfaces; and drinking and process water treatment (ie. sanitisation/disinfection).
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