Industrial Wine Chiller
Industrial wine chillers are essential to the wine industry because they maintain proper beverage temperatures. A wine chiller machine slows chemical processes by keeping wine at the ideal temperature throughout production and in storage. High temperatures accelerate chemical processes, so cooling equipment is crucial in wineries. Commercial wine chillers help wine retain its qualities for longer and protect bottle corks from damaging humidity.
Why the Wine Industry Needs Chillers
The wine industry depends on industrial chillers and commercial wine coolers to produce wine properly and maintain its quality in storage. Chillers slow chemical processes, allowing wine to retain its ideal properties for longer. Different wine types require different temperatures to retain the right flavor and appearance. With the right chiller, you can produce and store wine while preserving the taste, color and aroma your customers expect.
Proper wine storage and aging depend on temperature and humidity control. These factors affect wine in the following ways:
- Temperature: Temperature affects wine’s chemical reaction and a wine bottle’s internal air volume. Temperature increases can accelerate wine’s chemical reactions, and temperature determines how rapidly wine evolves, reaches its ideal state and declines in quality.
- Humidity: Humidity affects wine bottle corks. An overly dry environment can shrink wine corks and lead to wine oxidation, but excessive moisture can cause fungal or mold growth, contaminating the cork.
How Do Wine Chillers Work?
A wine chiller produces a cooling effect with the following components:
- Compressor
- Evaporator
- Condenser
- Expansion valve
Low-pressure refrigerant enters a chiller’s evaporator, and this is where the refrigerant absorbs heat. After absorbing the heat, the refrigerant boils and transforms into a low-pressure vapor. The compressor then turns the low-pressure vapor into a high-pressure vapor and sends it to the condenser.
The condenser allows the high-pressure vapor to reject heat and transform into a high-pressure liquid. The high-pressure liquid then moves to the expansion valve that controls the refrigerant’s flow rate as it travels back to the evaporator.
Wine Chiller Applications
While chillers are necessary for proper wine storage, they also control temperature during wine and beer production processes. Maintaining the right temperatures throughout production ensures high-quality results for the best wines and microbrews. The wine and beer industry can use chillers to cool the following equipment and processes:
- Jacket fermentation tanks
- Brite tanks
- Two-stage cooling
- Cold-neck cooling
- Wort cooling
- Crash cooling
- Storage rooms
What to Consider When Choosing a Wine Chiller
Glycol chillers are common in the wine and beer industry. Breweries and wineries often use glycol chillers to maintain ideal production and storage temperatures. Each winery and brewery has unique needs, so choosing a glycol chiller that meets your application’s requirements is essential. Customized solutions enable you to choose a chiller with the ideal design for your needs so it operates effectively and efficiently. Before purchasing a wine chiller, consider the following factors:
Location
Consider where you will install your chiller. Ambient air can reach higher temperatures if you use a chiller indoors, and outdoor equipment is exposed to fluctuating temperatures and the elements due to changing weather conditions. You may need one or several of the following attachments or features to maintain proper temperatures:
- Insulated components
- Heat tracing
- Special component controls
- Sump heaters
- Special sizing
Size
A wine chiller’s size determines its efficiency. Avoid purchasing an oversized chiller because it may consume excess energy, increasing your energy costs and reducing your profits. You should also avoid purchasing an undersized chiller because it may malfunction or fail to operate if it cannot keep up with your facility’s equipment and needs.
Purchasing the right size chiller ensures it can meet your needs without wasting energy. You can determine your facility’s ideal chiller size by calculating the following factors:
- Equipment temperature
- Equipment heat load
- Flow rate
- Coolant type
Ordering a customized chiller ensures its precise size meets your needs and equipment specifications. You can calculate your chiller load to determine the best size and type of chiller, and a cooling equipment specialist can help you choose the best chiller and customization options for your unique sizing specifications.
Temperature
Wineries and breweries require precise temperature control to ensure liquid maintains the proper temperature throughout production and in storage. Different types of wine require different production and storage temperatures to maintain quality, so it’s essential to consider your specific wine’s ideal temperature.
Quality, custom-designed chillers offer temperature control features to maintain the correct temperatures when equipment temperatures fluctuate due to ambient air. Temperature control features also prevent damage and ensure chillers operate efficiently, allowing them to last longer and deliver the desired results.
Before purchasing a chiller, tell your manufacturer the exact temperature you need to maintain your equipment and storage areas and any factors that may affect ambient air temperatures.
Voltage
The right chiller for your facility also depends on the voltage you can support, how much electrical work your company’s budget allows and which voltage options provide the most efficient operation. Some chiller voltages require special electrical work, so talking to a chiller manufacturer about your voltage requirements and electrical budget can help you choose the most cost-effective option.
Water Source
Your water source is another important factor. A glycol-water mix is typically the best cooling fluid, but a city water source can introduce contaminants to your chiller’s components and cause corrosion. Choose a chiller with additional filtration if your facility uses municipal water.
Portability
A portable glycol chiller is the best option to cool several processes or equipment components at different times. However, a central system typically costs less and is the most economical option if you only need cooling for one process, piece of equipment or storage area.
Purchase a Wine Chiller From Smart Family
A commercial wine chiller is one of the most important pieces of winery equipment. Investing in a quality wine chiller ensures you have a reliable cooling method to maintain the proper temperature, helping your wine retain its desired qualities. Choosing the right chiller allows it to operate efficiently to protect your wine’s properties while conserving energy and reducing your operating costs.
Smart Family of Cooling Products offers high-quality industrial chillers for various applications. Our experienced professionals are leaders in engineering, and we can design and customize a chiller to meet your winery’s unique needs based on size, location, voltage, temperature, water source and applications. We also offer knowledgeable consultations to help you determine the best chiller type and customized options to fit your winery’s needs.
Smart Family is dedicated to helping businesses succeed with reliable cooling solutions. Contact us to learn more and customize the ideal chiller for your wine processing and storage needs.