Wine Fermenting & Maceration

Wine cap fermentation & maceration management with the Pneumatage process

Wineries of all sizes from boutique to large production facilities use Pulsair Systems's unique wine cap fermentation management process, called Pneumatage, as a better way to accomplish the labor-intensive cap management period during fermentation. Winemakers love the fact that they can save on labor and energy costs while producing excellent wines. The Pneumatage process is an efficient method for allowing color, tannins and aroma to be transferred from the skins and seeds to the juice by keeping through constant with the skins and seeds during wine fermentation.

The Pneumatage process is simple but powerful. By sequentially introducing a huge horizontal bubble of clean compressed air or gas, Pulsair effectively breaks the cap and circulates the fruit and skins throughout the grape juice (must). The Pulsair bubble uses gravity and the weight of the liquid to circulate the contents in 5 to 10 minutes, without oxidizing, shearing the product or macerating the fruit. Winemakers love the fact that they can save on labor and energy costs while producing excellent wines.

The winemaker can control how the often the wine cap is managed and also can change the parameters of the Pulsair system to adapt to meet the changing needs during fermentation. For example, a slower operation may be desired during a cold soak or at the beginning of fermentation. However, when the cap becomes extremely hard at the middle of the fermentation process, a more rigorous agitation may be required.

Benefits of using the Pneumatage process for wine cap fermentation and maceration:

Anne Amie Vineyards

"Wine by Joe uses Pulsair for the vast majority of cap management. From 1.5 ton bins to 35 ton tanks Pulsair efficiently mixes cold soaks and active fermentations with less physical labor. This gentle method of incorporating the cap helps to minimize sulfides and astringent tannins and easily distributes heat and juice. In the future we're looking into applying our Pulsair units with nitrogen outside of the harvest season to mix tanks of wine, further reducing labor by cutting down on pump set up time."

  • Andrew McVay
  • Assistant Winemaker
  • Dobbes Family Estate

Anne Amie Vineyards

"The Pneumatage mixing process allows us to minimize and avoid the formation of mercaptans and other complex sulfides by adequately aerating the grape juice and caps during fermentation. This helps us control the fermentation process and produce a better tasting wine."

  • Tammie Crawford
  • Assistant Winemaker
  • Anne Amie Vineyards

Contact us today to learn more how the Pulsair's Pneumatage wine cap management process can help automate your wine making process.

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