COMPANY
VAF Memstar offers a range of processes to improve the character and flavour of your wine.
REVERSE OSMOSIS
According to the wine composition table below, water passes most readily and other, larger wine components progressively less so. As molecules get larger, there is a point where the passage of a particular sized compound becomes insignificant. This is the ‘molecular weight cut-off’ (MWCO) of the membrane.
Reverse osmosis separation of wine is based on the tendency of smaller molecules to pass through a semi-permeable membrane more readily than larger molecules.
Wine is separated by reverse osmosis into concentrate and permeate streams. The alcohol rich permeate is degassed, heated and passed through a proprietary perstractive membrane array on the other side of which is a counter-flow of filtered, deoxygenated strip water.
Permeate – the flow containing the low molecular weight components which pass through the semi-permeable membrane
Concentrate – the bulk wine flow which is retained by the membrane and contains almost all of the vinous components
Alcohol passes through the membrane from the permeate into the strip water at a rate which depends on the alcohol concentration gradient across the membrane and the temperature. The dealcoholised permeate is then cooled and recombined with the wine from which it was separated, resulting in a lower alcohol blend.
According to the wine composition table below, water passes most readily and other, larger wine components progressively less so. As molecules get larger, there is a point where the passage of a particular sized compound becomes insignificant. This is the ‘molecular weight cut-off’ (MWCO) of the membrane.
For ‘tight’ RO membranes, this nominal MWCO is about 90. Water, carbon dioxide, ethanol and acetic acid pass through the membrane into the permeate reasonably easily; lactic acid only marginally and other components hardly at all.
With another, ‘looser’ membrane type all components pass more readily including more of the larger compounds up to about molecular weight 180.
Which membrane is used will depend on the specific Memstar application.
Some wine components and their molecular weights
| Wine Component | Molecular Weight |
|---|---|
| Water | 18 |
| Carbon Dioxide | 44 |
| Acetaldehyde | 44 |
| Ethanol | 46 |
| Acetic acid | 60 |
| Ethyl acetate | 88 |
| Lactic acid | 90 “tight” RO ↑ |
| Malic acid | 134 |
| Tartaric acid | 150 |
| Volatile phenols | 120 to 150 “loose” RO ↑ |
| Glucose/Fructose | 180 |
| Flavonoids | >300 |
MOBILE SERVICE
VAF Memstar offers a flexible and cost effective mobile service, bringing our unique technologies to your winery. There is no fuss involved as the wine does not leave the winery and is processed entirely on-site by our skilled personnel and our equipment. Our market-leading technology is a proven design based on years of winemaking experience.
VAF Memstar offers a flexible and cost effective mobile service, bringing our unique technologies to your winery. There is no fuss involved as the wine does not leave the winery and is processed entirely on-site by our skilled personnel and our equipment. Our market-leading technology is a proven design based on years of winemaking experience. We have worked with hundreds of clients from the very largest producers to the smallest and have successfully treated many millions of litres of their wines.
Services Offered
- Reduce excess alcohol
- Reduce volatile acidity
- Remove Brettanomyces
- Remove Smoke Taint
- Concentrate wine flavours
- pH adjustment
Pricing and quotations are available on the spot
For urgent service and scheduling, contact us early to discuss your requirements
Where we operate
With bases in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, we can flexibly travel throughout other states to service all our clients. We operate internationally, with commercial affiliates based in North America, France, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand. Other territories are currently being established.
Capacities and sizes available
- Our systems cover a broad range of capacities to service any size job
- Processing 5000 to 500000 litres per day
- The largest systems achieve alcohol removal rates of up to 200 LAL/hour
- Up to 2000 litres of permeate produced per hour for wine concentration
- Our systems are capable of running 24 hours a day, with regular monitoring by the operators
- Systems have built in fail safe protection to minimise wine losses and protect operators and winemaking staff
Personnel
Our highly skilled operators are both oenological and cellar-operations qualified, combined with several years experience of operation.
The operators are professional and happy to interact with the winemaker, conduct a sweet spot trial for alcohol correction, and assist with conducting sensory evalution.
Customers Utility Requirements and Wine condition
Wines to be treated should be cellar bright (< 30 NTU) and >15◦C
Winery utilities required for our service will include
- 2 X 5 pin 3 phase 32amp power outlets
- LPG 45kg bottles for instantaneous gas heaters
- Supply of bottled food grade nitrogen
- Supply of clean fresh water, 5micron filtered preferrable
- Fork lift 2.5T capacity for unloading equipment
On the spot pricing and quotations are available.
Contact VAF Memstar direct to discuss your requirements or make an enquiry.
It should be noted that the VAF Memstar technology is patented in Australia and subject to international patent applications.
Unlicensed use of the technology will be prosecuted as infringements of VAF Memstar’s intellectual property.
VAF Memstar Head Office
712 Research Road,
Nuriootpa, SA 5355
PO Box 794, Nuriootpa SA 5355
712 Research Road,
Nuriootpa, SA 5355
PO Box 794, Nuriootpa SA 5355
T: +61 (0)8 8562 1139
F: +61 (0)8 8323 9935 info@vafmemstar.com.au
F: +61 (0)8 8323 9935 info@vafmemstar.com.au
