Cleanliness and sanitation are paramount to making exceptional wine. The leading holistic method for cleaning and sanitizing a cellar or winery is through steam. Steamericas, the US subsidiary of SJE Corporation, has led the pressure and steam washer business for 26 years, providing quality washers that save time and money while delivering outstanding sanitation.
Steamericas just released their new steam washer, the Optima Steamer SE II, and with it came a plethora of upgrades to help your winery utilize steam to quickly and efficiently sanitize barrels, bottling lines, equipment, and tanks using minimal water and taking less time than the competitors.
Dual Barrel Steaming
Dwayne Jacobs, of Hotsy Carlson Equipment, is the authorized dealer of the new Optima Steamer SE II in the lucrative and growing Texas market. He says customers are amazed at the difference the machine makes in cleaning barrels. “When I demo the SE II with the customer, I have them clean their barrels with their own equipment, then do it again with the Optima SE II. Not only is it faster, but when they see more color and tartrates coming out of the barrel in the waste water, they can’t believe how much cleaner the steam makes it while also using less water.”
“The unit also does barrel swell, which is a huge plus when figuring out barrel inventory and what you’re looking at purchasing for the next year. The looks on their faces when they see the difference the steam makes is amazing and speaks to the level of quality the equipment delivers,” says Jacobs.
Winemakers love the difference the Optima Steamer SE II makes on barrels. Duncan McNabb, Co-owner & Winemaker of Lewis Winery in Johnson City, Texas, said, “It’s amazing how clean the barrels get while using so much less water than a traditional washer. I also like how I can get barrel swell at the same time as cleaning them. It saves a lot of time and energy.”
Bottling Line CIP
The Optima Steamer SE II is completely electric, with different temperature tiers reaching up to 340F. It has both dry and wet steam modes controlled by a moisture valve that is designed to get a deeper clean when dry steam just isn’t enough. An advantage of using dry steam as opposed to wet steam or a pressure washer is cleaning in those hard-to-reach places that can’t get wet, such as food warehouses, storage fridges or tasting rooms. The dry steam will clean and sanitize without leaving behind moisture that can lead to mold or spoilage. In addition, steam can get into the nooks and crannies where pressure washers can’t penetrate, while having no drainage requirements.
Jacobs also dives into the new technical specs the Optima Steamer SE II brings to the table compared to the older model. “They’ve added an LCD display that gives real-time alerts including temperature, error messages and maintenance requirements. It has an internal CPU with AI to determine when to schedule maintenance or give an error code with the part or process that needs to be looked at.”
Safety is also a big advantage of the Optima Steamer SE II. “There is an automatic alert and shut-off feature when the system is out of water or fuel, out of range temperature or pressure, and overtime pump running. That, paired with the large on-board water tank with a water gauge window, allows the user to feel absolutely confident and safe while running the unit,” says Jacobs.
Overall, customer feedback has been tremendously positive, especially in terms of time and water savings. The unit is so versatile that wineries can utilize it to clean barrels, bottling lines, tanks, floors, and almost any surface that needs sanitation. There are also special attachments to do specific functions, such as the flat disc attachment for steam cleaning floors, as well as the different hose and steam gun size gauges for high volume jobs.
Jacobs ended with, “Wineries should definitely look into using steam for their sanitation needs. You save time, money, and it’s better for the environment because you’re using less water! What’s not to love?”
For more information about the Optima Steamer™ and to place orders, go to http://www.steamericas.com
