Scheid Vineyards is a large custom-crush winery in Greenfield, California. The winemaker approached ICC Group to help them improve the speed and safety of their fermentation processes.
Pomace, the solid remains of grapes that settles to the bottom of fermentation tanks, is an inevitable byproduct of winemaking. Traditionally, after the wine is drained, a worker climbs into the confined tank and physically sweeps out the pomace with a broom–a dangerous and claustrophobic task.
ICC Group collaborated with the Scheid Vineyards team to engineer an automated self-emptying design that uses gravity to naturally remove pomace from the tank, eliminating the need for a worker to climb inside. In addition to safety benefits, the new process is significantly more efficient. The new tank design allows it to empty in 15 minutes or less, compared to hours of manually digging out the pomace.
In the end, ICC Group manufactured 132 self-emptying tanks for Scheid Vineyards at their Canby, OR location, but we anticipate a growing demand as winemakers increasingly seek out more efficient and safety-compliant equipment designs. Learn more at www.icc-nw.net.