Frequently Asked Questions
See below for some common questions,
or contact us anytime to talk about Wine Grenade at your winery.
Or, here's the installation manual
or contact us anytime to talk about Wine Grenade at your winery.
Or, here's the installation manual
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What are the benefits of MOX?
I have never used micro-ox before, where do I start? Check out our Micro-ox 101 document that explains when, how, and on what varietals to use micro-oxygenation with a special focus on the harmonization phase (aka phase 2). We are also available anytime on email or phone to answer any question you might have. What are the main benefits of micro-oxygenation? Harmonization / Softening of the tannins before bottling, oak compounds and flavor integration, reductive character prevention, color stabilization, and better resistance to oxidation. Micro-oxygenation essentially re-creates what happens in an oak barrel but with more control. Is micro-ox a tool that will enable me to release my wines faster to the market? Some micro-ox will still tell you that. At Wine Grenade, we prefer to give time to time. Our target is to provide nano-oxygenation for your wine during aging, reproducing in your tank what a barrel would do naturally. How can I get the most out of micro-oxygenation?
How long should I micro-ox my wines? If you age your wine 8 months in your barrels, we recommend aging 8 months with the Wine Grenade as well, at the same rate as a barrel. If you have less time, the Wine Grenade allows you to accelerate the oxygen rate to sensible levels. We recommend talking to us about your goals and we can help you define your parameters. What are the critical parameters to follow while doing micro-ox? We have created a document called Micro-ox 101 that recaps all the first needed conditions to use micro-ox for the harmonization period (aka phase 2). The critical parameters to follow are: dosis / rate of oxygen, type of varietal, temperature, turbidity, time of contact. We are also available anytime per email / phone to answer any question. How often should I taste my wines as I micro-ox them? During the harmonization phase of micro-ox (aka phase 2), you can taste the wine once per week, or every other week. It really depends on the rate of oxygen at which you are going and the varietal. If you go at the equivalent of a barrel oxygen delivery, you should taste it as often as you taste your barrels. Where can I find more information on the micro-ox technique? Apart from several documents available online, there is a lot of information that you can download here on this website - check out the “How it Works” section. We also have more research documents we can send you by email. Contact us and we will be happy to help. You mention that the Wine Grenade has been specifically designed for the phase of aging after the malolactic fermentation (also called phase 2 micro-ox, or the harmonization phase). What does that mean? There are various moments where oxygen can be a benefit in winemaking. During fermentation, or in the structuring phase (aka phase 1) right after AF and before MLF, or during phase 2 right after MLF, and just before bottling. Phase 2 is generally several months long and uses lower rates of oxygen - this is where Wine Grenade shines. For more information, call us or email us. Which varietals are the best candidates for micro-oxygenation?
How do I know if the micro-oxygenation will benefit my wines, my varietals, or my wine style? Micro-oxygenation is effective on wines that you would otherwise mature in oak barrels - so predominantly reds, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir.
What is nano-oxygenation?
Micro-oxygenation devices currently on the market all use a diffuser that dispenses tiny bubbles of oxygen. Our Wine Grenade device uses a semi-permeable silicon membrane that diffuses oxygen without bubbles through molecular osmosis, this is why we refer our oxygen diffusion as nano-oxygenation. This process guarantees the integration of oxygen with the wine unlike bubbles, which can rise to the surface without dissolving. Are there any risks to using the Wine Grenade?
If you are using the Wine Grenade on phase 2, reproducing the same amount of oxygen as a barrel, you have no more risk than maturing a wine in a barrel. You must make sure you follow the basic parameters of micro-ox (Temperature, rates of oxygen, turbidity), free SO2, as well as tastings on a regular basis. In what countries is the Wine Grenade available?
Wine Grenade is available almost all around the world. Our parent company is in New Zealand. We distribute through Enartis USA in North America, Classic Oak Products in Australia, Laurent Vives Oenologie in France and Lake Foods in South Africa. Please contact us for information regarding other markets. Contact us to begin your nano-oxygenation journey. How much does the Wine Grenade cost?
How much is the unit, the membrane, the canister? The prices of the units are similar around the world, but might vary a little depending on importation freight, custom clearance, and other taxes. The whole set up (main device, canisters and membrane) is less investment than a barrel. What is the cost of using mox, per liter of wine? Not counting the original investment for the purchase of the Wine Grenade, the cost per liter in terms of oxygen will vary depending on the dosage applied, but it will remain very affordable. For instance, aging your tank with Wine Grenade at a rate of 2mg/l/m for 6 months, will cost your winery 4.8 cents of a US$ per liter of wine. How do I order the Wine Grenade, and how long will it take to ship?
You can place the order directly from us or through a local distributor. Depending on your country and the amount of stock the distributor will carry, we aim to deliver units in around 2 weeks. How do I install the unit? Can I move it easily?
How difficult is it to install the Wine Grenade? Will it take a long time, can I do it myself? The Wine Grenade takes on average less than 15 minutes to install and can be done by a single winemaker. It is very easy and the manual is available in your language beforehand to make sure you have all the information needed to do so. Will you help me with the installation? We will be in communication at all times for the installation. The installation is very straightforward and can be done remotely. Can I change easily the wine grenade from one tank to another? All you need to do is to power off the device, remove the components that are inside your first tank, and clean the device. If the tank is the same size and you want to go at the same rate, just install the unit in the second tank and power on. If you need to change size tank, size membrane and dose of oxygen, get in touch with your Wine Grenade representative 24 hours before doing so. How is the device powered?
Is the electricity adapted to my country's standard? The Wine Grenade device has been developed in such a way that it will accept any source of power. You may need an adaptor, that will be supplied in most cases with the device itself. What is the battery capacity? The Wine Grenade has batteries that can run the unit for 2 months on one charge. When the battery needs to be recharged, you will receive an email. The unit needs to be plugged in overnight to be fully charged. How does the membrane and Active Float System work?
Tell me more about the uniqueness regarding the membrane. Made of silicone, the membrane used with Wine Grenade is semi permeable to oxygen and allows tiny amounts of oxygen to go through it, but not wine. Food grade, it has an ultra smooth inner surface that exhibits a smoother surface than stainless steel by a factor of 40. How often do I need to change the membrane? We recommend changing the membrane once a year, to make sure it’s porous properties are intact and not impacted by the potential tannins build up from the wine. The membrane should be properly cleaned if moved from tank to tank to reduce the potential of cross contamination. Tell me more about the Active Float system and what it achieves. The Active Float System allows the silicone membrane to move around the tank. By alternatively sinking and floating, the Active Float System ensures an even distribution of the nano-oxygenation in the wine. We have filed for a patent on this innovation. How do I manage my oxygen?
How do I change the dose of oxygen? Simply send us an email, a text or a whatsapp when you need to change your dose of oxygen. We adjust the rate typically within 6 to 8 hours, and will confirm it to you as soon as we do. Our app (in development) will allow the winemaker total control of this in the near future. How long will the canister of oxygen last? The canisters have a capacity of 225 grams of medical grade oxygen. How often it is replaced depends on the rate of oxygen and the size of the tank. The technical document that you can download on our website enables you to calculate an estimate of your monthly consumption of oxygen. What if I run out of canister of oxygen? 24 hours or 48 hours before the canister gets empty (depending on your preference settings), you and/or your colleagues will receive an email asking you to change the canister. We usually supply you with the number of canisters you will need for the whole aging season, but should you run out of stock, get in touch with us and we will supply additional canisters. How do I know when the oxygen has run out if my wifi is down? If you're experiencing wifi problems at the winery, it'll be difficult for us to send you the oxygen canister email alerts. But you can always tell if you've run out of oxygen by looking at the 'Oxygen' LED on the top of your Wine Grenade unit. If the LED shows a red light, it means your canister has run out. How do I change the canister? Simply unscrew the empty canister and replace it with a full one. Can I remove the canister if it is not empty? What can happen? There is no self sealing valve on the canister of oxygen, so once plugged into the Wine Grenade device, it should not be removed. There is no danger in removing a canister, but the canister will empty itself completely if removed. Can I hook the Wine Grenade to the oxygen tank I already use in the winery? The Wine Grenade, in its current configuration, only allows our oxygen canisters to be plugged in. The pressure sensors and regulators are only adapted to the pressure and the shape of our canisters, and would be damaged should another tank be hooked to the unit. What is the oxygen grade? The canisters have a capacity of 225 grams of medical grade oxygen. Does the Wine Grenade have a warranty and what about replacement parts?
The Wine Grenade has a 12 month warranty on the device. Replacement parts can be ordered from your distributor and will be delivered on short notice. Does the unit require wifi?
You mention that the unit needs a wifi internet connection. Is that mandatory? Yes. A Wifi signal with a good reception and a strong data transfer is mandatory for the Wine Grenade to be set up and function properly. Every interaction of the winemaker, the Wine Grenade technical support and the unit is done through internet, allowing the unit to be portable, remote, and easy to use. What if my internet doesn’t reach the tank or the signal is poor? In most cases, a cellar can use the wifi signal of the winery or the tasting room. If the signal does not reach the top of the tank where the Wine Grenade unit will be located (because of distance or because of a disruption of the signal), the winery can install a relay for that signal. Should it not be possible, a hotspot creating its own signal can be installed. How much data is sent over the internet? Very minimal data is sent to and from the Wine Grenade device, but the frequency is high. For a flawless use, an undisrupted signal of internet is needed. Will there be an app that enables me to control the dosis? Etc? In the current version, the Wine Grenade technical team corresponds directly with you to confirm dose and the other parameters of use. Shortly, an app on your smartphone will be available to enable you to do this yourself. In the near future (a few months), an app will be available to enable you to change and modify parameters (size of tank, rate of oxygen, length of membrane, etc…) What data is being recorded and will this be available to me?
Several sensors are fitted in the Wine Grenade and information is sent on a regular basis. Information on the Wine Grenade itself (status of the battery, pressure sensor at the canister, pressure on the membrane side, temperature of the box), on the use of the Wine Grenade device (flow of oxygen released, size of the tank, length of the membrane), on the tank side (temperature of the wine, headspace pressure). How do I care for, store and clean the Wine Grenade?
Where can I purchase the replacement parts, new canisters and membrane? Simply get in touch with us or your local distributor using phone, email, text or whatsapp, and we will make sure you are delivered the parts and pieces you need in a brief time. How should I store the canisters of oxygen? Store the oxygen canisters in a dry storage area with ambient and little variation of temperatures. What is the cleaning protocol your recommend for the membrane and the float? Your basic winery tool cleaning protocol will work: For example, use first an alkali cleaner (such as PBW), then a citric acid rinse, then an ozonated water rinse, then put to dry. Be careful not to expose the inner lining to the process. I am done with micro-ox on my tank. What should I do with the canister of oxygen still screwed into the device?
If you plan to use the Wine Grenade right away (a few days or a couple of weeks) in another tank, just keep the canister plugged in. If you plan to store the Wine Grenade for a longer period of time, you should remove the canister and let it empty itself safely into the air. This will prevent the internal parts of the Wine Grenade from staying under pressure and will help improve the longevity of your unit. |
