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Treating Barrels with Ozonated Water 
Treating barrels with ozonated water is the newest technological break-through for wine-makers, eliminating the long, tedious hours of manual labor. This method
is more effective and can be done using a Wine-Oz Ozone Generator combined with our O-Z-Duct, which we have developed specifically for wine makers. Ozone
destroys microorganisms on contact (click here for cell
lysing) and also oxidizes inorganic compounds of iron, arsenic, manganese, bound heavy metals as well as
sulfides, nitrates and cyanides. Ozone eliminates the need for bromine and chlorine. Ozone is highly reactive in water, and oxidizes material 10 to 1,000 times faster that
other oxidants.
Ozone has a half-life of approximately 36 minutes in air and 18 minutes in water, depending on the temperature. The half-life is increased as the temperature is lowered. At a pH of 7, the half-life of ozone dissolved in water is only 8 minutes at 95° F and is as long as 30 minutes at 59° F.
Ozone decomposes to oxygen leaving behind no odor or residue. While ozone may be toxic at higher concentrations, it is safe to work with at lower levels.
The allowable concentrations for the workplace are 0.1 ppm 8 hrs a day or 40 hours per week, 0.2 ppm for a period of 3 hours or less and 0.3 ppm for less
than 15 minutes. These are government set standards. Interestingly, there are parts of our country where naturally occurring ozone levels exceed these standards.
If ozone concentration in the winery is a concern, there are ozone monitors that can be purchased and installed.
The Wine-Oz O-Z-Duct works on the principle of a venturi. As the ozone gas passes by the stream of water it is thoroughly dissolved, resulting in ozonated water which
may then be used to wash down floors, walls, counter tops, tanks, run through a bottling system and to treat barrels.
Directions for Using the O-Z-DUCT with Your Wine-Oz Portable Ozone Generator
For Tech Support Call: Marhoc 800-901-8863
Treating Barrels with Ozone as a Gas Another and equally effective way to treat barrels is with ozone as a gas. Since ozone destroys bacteria instantly upon contact (see cell lysing), simply pumping ozone gas into a barrel is another effective method for barrel treatment. For a 60 gallon (220 liters) barrel, the time it would take to displace the volume of air inside the barrel depends on which model Wine-Oz Ozone Generator is used. Our Wine-Oz 1200, which moves air at 32 liters per minute and produces 200 ppm ozone gas, will displace the air inside the barrel in 7 minutes. The Wine-Oz Straightliner which produces 400 ppm, moves air more slowly at 15 liters per minute will require about 15 minutes to replace the air inside the barrel. According to studies conducted in the '90's (click here for Effect of Ozone on Airborne Microorganisms), 99% reduction of microorganisms was achieved at 500-600 micrograms per cubic meter of air space. This is equivalent to our Wine-Oz 1200 with an ozone concentration of 200 ppm. To treat barrels with ozone as a gas, using either the Wine-Oz 1200 or Straightliner, simply drill a 3/8ths inch hole in a bung, ( a second smaller hole is necessary to relieve pressure), insert the ozone delivery tube, and turn on the ozone generator. The timer may be set for the length of time you wish to ozonate the barrel.
Air Purification with the Wine-Oz Ozone Generator The Wine-Oz portable ozone generator (any model) can also be used for purifying the air in your winery. Mold growing in ventilating systems can be a problem leading to air-borne contamination. To decontaminate and purify the air in your wine-making facility, simply insert the 3/8ths inch ozone delivery tube on your versatile Wine-Oz portable ozone generator into the return air grille. Set the thermostat at its lowest setting and turn on the fan. Ozone will then disinfect and decontaminate the ductwork and air volume in all rooms serviced by that HVAC. We suggest that this be done on at least a weekly basis. For safety sake, we advise purifying the air at night or when the facility is not in use. Simply set the timer, before you leave and wait about a half hour after the ozonation is complete before reentering.
Sanitizing the Bottling Line 
The method used most often for sanitizing bottling equipment is to run hot water through the system or to clean with steam. This can lead
to deterioration of delicate membranes or gaskets which must be replaced. There is also a chance that the person sanitizing the equipment
may suffer severe burns or scalding.
By ozonating cold water to run through the bottling equipment using the Wine-Oz ozone generating system and O-Z-Duct, any organisms that may have contaminated the system will be destroyed on contact. The life of the membranes and gaskets will be prolonged, with no danger of injury to workers.
Organic Farming Avoiding the use of pesticides is equally desirable and difficult. Powdery mildew, black rot, crown rot, moths, beetles and cutworms are just a few of the pests that constantly threaten crops. Spraying fruit and vines with ozonated water may reduce the threat and simultaneously the need for pesticides. The Wine-Oz Straightliner which produces ozone at a concentration of 400 ppm, is designed to be taken on site. With a car battery and adapter readily available at Radio Shack, the Straightliner can be taken into the vineyard on the back of a truck. Ozonated water may also be introduced into the irrigation system. With this method, the half-life of ozone in water must be taken into consideration.
EFFECT OF OZONE ON AIRBORNE MICROORGANISMS THE FOLLOWING WAS TRANSLATED FROM AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY Heindel T.H., Steib R., and Botzenhart K. of the University Tubingen. The study was conducted during 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 Testing against these species: Staphyloccus epidermidis, Micrcoccus luteus, Arthrobacter citreus, Bacillus subtilis (veg.), Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Candida albicans, the microbicidal effect of ozone in air was tested at concentrations between 50 and 600 micrograms/m3. The microorganisms were exposed on membrane filters at 60-755 relative humidity and 21.5-22.5 degrees C. The filters were exposed from between I min. and 1 hour, and then incubated on appropriate agar media. The effect of ozone was determined by comparing the number of colonies on exposed filters to the number on exposed filters. The die-off curves (colony count against time) became steeper with increasing time of exposure rather than being rectilinear. The velocity of reduction increased more than proportional with concentration of ozone. The bacterial decay doesn't seem to follow first order reaction kinetics. The values presented for K (constant of the velocity of die-off) and D (decimal reduction time) are valid only for narrow ranges of the initial part of the exposure. Concentrations of 50 to 100 micrograms (0)3/m3 for one hour resulted only in little reduction. At 500 to 600 micrograms/m3 for one hour, 99% reduction in all bacterial species was observed. Gram-positive species seemed to be more sensitive (to the ozone) than the gram-negative species. C. Albicans (a fungus) proved to be more resistant than the bacteria. Models 1200 and 2400 of Marhoc Ozone Generators produce ozone at a concentration of 0.7 grams/m3. This is comparable to 500 to 600 micrograms/m3. The STRAIGHTLINER doubles ozone concentration. The Big Mamou delivers 2000ppm.
Only the Marhoc Ozone Generator with its superior technology and the ability to HARNESS THE OZONE™ , resulting in the ozone
leaving the enclosure through a narrow (3/8 inch) poly tube makes it possible to bubble ozone through liquids. We have developed the
O-Z-Duct specifically for wine makers.
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