Did you know that steam allows for better cleaning? First, it penetrate crevices and detailed corners of a tank or barrel better than water. Second, the steam kills bacteria, fungus and germs without using harsh chemicals. Steam sanitizes creating an environment free of contaminates that could effect the wine. And third, you’re saving a lot of water in the environment - especially for those drought stricken regions, and the water is not being thrown back with soap in the drain system or rivers. 

Hotsy Pacific introduces the Barrel Steam Wand accessory for the Optima Steamer line of products used to sanitize wooden barrels.

Since the all-stainless-steel Optima Steamer DMS (DSS) and EST-S models have launched in 2012, we have received many requests for a wand built specifically for steam. Existing products on the market were originally made for high pressure washers and couldn’t accommodate the specific needs for steam which is low flow and pressure. 

The Barrel Steam Wand is carefully designed to maximize the performance of the Optima Steamer to save steaming time while achieving the right temperature to remove unwanted micro-organisms. It features a stable & self-standing rack and a digital temperature display to let users know when sanitation is complete. With the new wand, internal barrel temperature reaches 230°F just in minutes. With the right steam machine and the right tool, barrel sanitation will become an easy task.

A new oak barrel costs about $800~1,500. Moreover, if a barrel is suspected to have a trace of Brett, they cannot risk using it for aging wine as this could lead to a catastrophe of spoiling the entire batch. Steam treating barrels can potentially save wineries tens of thousand dollars if not millions. In addition to steam’s natural sanitizing power, steam uses a fraction of water to achieve similar or better efficacy. Organic wastewater management is another costly expense for food and beverage production facilities. Local authorities closely monitor the BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) level of wastewater originating from such facilities as part of the Clean Water Act enforcement. Since the steam cleaning process produces very little or no wastewater, this also leads to saving time, hassle and money. 

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