Wine Fermentation with Solar PV in Isolated Cellar
Do YOU have a WINE CELLAR ISOLATED from the mains?
What energy do you use to control the FERMENTATION?
Do you know that solar PHOTOVOLTAIC can help YOU?
Alcoholic fermentation: temperatures.
The alcoholic fermentation is the process by which the sugars contained in the wort are converted to ethyl alcohol. The yeasts, microscopic fungi that are found naturally in the skins, make the process naturally.
Yeast + sugars ==> CO2 + Ethanol + HEAT + Other substances
The alcoholic fermentation is an exothermic process, ie, releases energy as heat. To be controlled!
Wine fermentation lasts 8 to 12 days according to the zones. For a white wine, according to grape variety, fermentation can occur between 5°C (Fº41) to 20°C (Fº68). A red wine is fermented at a temperature from 25°C (Fº77) to 30°C (Fº86).
The fermentation process stops at 22°C (Fº72) in white wine and 33ºC (Fº92) in red wine. To control the fermentation process temperature does not exceed said coils are placed around the steel tanks inxodable by circulating cold water.
How do you control the fermentation now?
If you are in an isolated wine cellar without electricity, how do you cool the water of the fermentation tanks?
- Recirculating cold water from a well or a stream? Do you have permissions, it is effective?
- With a generator plus a compressor to cool the water? It sure it is a very large generator (consuming and expensive) to have concentrated power two weeks a year.
- Or do you expect the limit is not exceeded naturally? What if it is very hot after the harvest?
Solar PV + Compressor + Accumulation of cold
In a secluded winery you can make a solar photovoltaic system calculated for the needs of the worst days of the year, eg for lighting in winter. This ensures to have electricity for pumps, LED lights, computers, etc.
In summer, with more solar insolation, you have much more power than needed, because there are fewer night hours to illuminate. What can you do with this surplus of electrical energy?
With a small cooler compressor power (much smaller than we need for two weeks) you can cool the water control fermentation, very slowly (four months), to 5°C (Fº41) during the summer.
Where to accumulate cold water, you slowly cool over the months? In a large water tank very well isolated thermally (even buried).
In the few days you need to control the fermentation, you can recycle the water from this tank. It is true that water is gradually warming, but good regulation and much accumulated volume will serve to cool for two weeks, long enough.
In addition, the water tank, outside the summer season-vintage-fermentation, can be reused for other purposes such as strategic reserves of drinking water.
Investment required:
- Solar PV modules to cool and small batteries for electricity throughout the year.
- A small cooler compressor, enough to cool slowly.
- A large water tank, well insulated, multi-purpose.
Advantages of the system:
- Avoids to buy or rent a large generator for two weeks of intensive use.
- If the electricity of all year comes from the generator, fuel consumption is exaggerated.
- CO2 emissions are avoided and your winery is positioned for the environment.
What do you think? Do you know real cases similar? Thanks for your feedback
hello
I am a young Cameroonian, I stay in Cameroon, I would learn your
culture, I seek an internship or a job in your country, on a farm or ranch
I love agriculture and animal husbandryI also trained in cooking, service
and accommodation I am a person of good character, also with a good
physique, I like the teamwork I remain at your disposal thank you Eone
Eone willy oscar
take those panels and put them in the bemasent.first you take a parabolic solar concentrator and put an robotic arm on it to follow the suns path.then make the focal point a mirrored shape cone that will send the light down through mirrored glass tubing straight into a mirrored shape glass box inside the mirrored shape box will be several solar panels that spin to keep them cool the mirrored box must have the mirrors inward to reflect the light sending from the parabolic focal point.ken van horn
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