True Barrel-Replacing, Oxygen Permeable Wine Maturation Vessels

Flextank's high-density polyethylene vessels slowly oxygenate wine by natural air-O2 permeation, in the same way and at similar rates to barriques/hogsheads. More than 1,500 units are now in service in all states, as well as in many overseas countries and a great deal of positive user experience has been accumulated over the years. Many medals and trophies have been secured by Flextank users. Most head to head trials against barrels have shown superior organoleptic results for wine matured in Flextank vessels

Very Substantial Economic Advantages!

Flextank maturation vessels pay for themselves very quickly:

• oaking costs of less than 10 cents/litre using top quality staves vs. more than $1/litre for barrels
• purchase cost less than 1/3 that of new barrels per litre
• no topping, saving 3% to 5% of your valuable wine volume per year plus no topping labour
• an indefinitely long usable life, Flextanks do not "age out" like barrels
• much higher cellar storage density, two to three times depending on layouts
• superior hygiene, full cleaning access, sterilizable, no pores to harbour infective bugs
• superior wine, better volatiles retention than evaporative barrels (i.e. no wine/wood aroma)
• much more consistent performance, vessel to vessel, year by year

A Wide Range of Shapes, Volumes & Versatility

FLEXTANK'S FLAGSHIP PRODUCT
1,000 litre, stackable, transportable HDPE Oxygenating 'Cube'
REPLACES 4 BARRELS, GIVES SUPERIOR WINE!

Self Draining Floor & Sump, Front Manhole for Tipping-out

Accessories and Options for Maturation Vessels

Printed Brochure Download

Barrel Permeability & Wine Maturation:

How Well do these Work?

The most delicate components of wine (i.e. the fruity ethyl esters and aroma compounds) are largely lost to the atmosphere when wine is matured in oak barrels. The "wine/wood" aroma in the cellar arises from that "stripping".

Flextank maturation vessels prevent these larger flavour and aroma molecules from leaving the wine. They are "trapped" within. Users over multiple vintages thus report SUPERIOR matured wine quality over top quality French barrels.

Tradionalists are strongly encouraged to trial a Flextank vessel alongside their best barrels, same wine. Talk to Flextank about best Oak planks. Surprising differences usually become apparent (in favour of Flextank) after about 12 months

Given that wine quality is being proven over time to be SUPERIOR to the same wine matured in barrels, your purchase decision should be self-evident.

Free surfaces in barrels or tanks allow air-oxygen to dissolve in wine at rates thousands of times greater than the rate it diffuses through solids. Even with CO2 in the head-space, there is usually still enough oxygen present, (CO2 dilutes air rather then displacing it), to cause aldehydic wine near the surface and to enable aerobic organisms to multiply on the surface, causing scum and some moulds.

Flextank maturation vessels are therefore supplied with a floating insert (dish or "Skin") which is lowered into the wine after the vessel is filled into the top chamber. This blocks almost all of the free surface, suppressing scum and bacteria.

For safe use part-filled, a full body sized "V-C Skin" will sufficiently reduce the exposed wine surface for the bulk of the wine to protect itself (with free SO2 in the wine). Most users flush the head space with CO2 when using V-C Skins. Flextank Skins have been in use for 4 vintages and work very well.

NOTE: In maturation vessels of 1,000 l. or smaller, operating part filled with a V-C "Skin" installed will require more frequent SO2 adjustment than with either full barrels or full maturation vessels. The wine will also mature more quickly. That is because the full surface of the vessel continues to pass oxygen at a fixed rate, but into a smaller volume of wine. SO2 consumption typically about doubles in that situation.

Both 1kl. and 2kl. maturation tanks are FAR more compact to use than barrels. The image below shows these vessels in use. The left image shows 1kl. free-standing 'Rockets' in a purpose built room. On the right, each 2kl. 'Cell' replaces a far more bulky (3 times the volume), 8 barrique stack. When filled, the initially inwards-curved Cell frame uprights straighten out under the fill load.

Replacing barrels with Flextank cubes or cells can potentially increase the storage capacity of a high-headroom barrel hall by more than a factor of 3.

The gross lees level in these vessels is clearly visible, as is the fill level, making racking a simple task. A racking plate can be used on the end of a pre-measured length of hose, or the Flextank submersible racking pump can be simply lowered into the vessel, pre-set for height off the floor.

HDPE is very easy to clean, tartar doesn't stick and this material doesn't stain. There is no porosity or "grain" to clog. These vessels retain their gas permeability indefinitely. The material is also sterilizable with boiling water or steam and/or sterilizing chemicals, allowing persistent bacterial or yeast infections such as brettanomyces to be removed completely for safe re-use.

Substantial water savings are normal. Unlike oak barrels, these vessels do not require "wetting out". They clean out quickly and easily with a few litres of mild caustic as a rinse to decolourize them and a brief fresh water spray to flush solids out.

Unlike oak barrels, C-P vessels DO NOT allow internal liquid to pass through to the surface and evaporate away, so they do not require topping.

Manufacturing is carried out on a substantial and readily expandable scale at rotational moulding plants in a number of locations worldwide. Flextank suppliers all have ISO 9001 certification, as well as potable water certification for the mouldings. Flextanks 'Wine-Safe' raw materials comply with all relevant alcohol-containing food-contact safety standards in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe

Patent applications have been filed in all of the major winegrowing countries, including USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand & Sth America.

Patents have issued in Australia (June 2007) & further patents are pending (March 2008)