Case Study

Predominant Winery Saved From Nozzle Clogging, Unwanted Maintenance, and Downtime

Food & Beverage Industry

Overview

Even with a preliminary rinse before the cleaning process, leftover grape debris in the fermentation tanks such as seeds, stems, and skins remain.

Seeds, Stems, And Skins Can Cause Tank Washing Nozzles To Seize Or Clog

A premier winery in Napa Valley contacted BETE to help improve their tank cleaning process.

They had tried both rotating tank wash machines and traditional static spray balls, but they weren’t satisfied with either option. Even with a preliminary rinse before the cleaning process, leftover grape debris in the fermentation tanks such as seeds, stems, and skins had a habit of finding its way into the nozzles during recirculation cleaning cycles – causing the nozzles not to perform.

Winery Fermentation Tanks covered in leftover grape debris and wine residue

The BETE HydroClaw®

For this application, BETE proposed a lance with a two-phase nozzle to inject the liquid DMDS. DMDS has a high sulfur content and low decomposition temperature. Because the injectant’s overall composition was primarily gas with an approximate weight of 95%, there was still a concern that the liquid injection would not reach the nozzle and remain inside the pipe.

Winery fermentation tank cleaned by the BETE HydroClaw clog-resistant tank cleaning nozzle
Wine glass green background

ADVANTAGES OF THE BETE HYDROCLAW®

  • 3x the free passage of static spray ball
  • 360° coverage with no moving parts
  • High flow rate provides vigorous rinsing action to quickly flush tank solids and contamination
  • Sanitary finish for food and beverage applications
  • Saves you time and money

RESULTS

Spray ball frustrations:

  • Clogging
  • Extended maintenance time
  • Poor cleaning results
  • Excessive water consumption

Particulates in the fermentation tank can get caught in the gears of rotational tank washing nozzles, which causes the units to seize. On the other hand, Static spray balls have no moving parts but feature many small orifices prone to plugging, resulting in incomplete coverage. With both options, the amount of maintenance time required to keep the nozzles in proper working condition was unacceptable.

After trialing the unit, the customer was so pleased
with the cleaning performance and clog resistance of
the HydroClaw that they used it exclusively to clean
their tanks during the busy harvest crush season. This is the time when the fermentation tanks experience their highest levels of solids. Over the course of several months, not a single clogging issue was experienced. Additionally, the high flow rate of the HydroClaw allowed the customer to adequately pre-rinse their tanks using quick and powerful blasts of water, thus reducing their overall water consumption compared to a lower flowing nozzle operating for a longer period of time.

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