OUR PROCESS
ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE & SUSTAINABLE
No water. No secondary waste. No chemicals.
Dry-ice blasting is a dry, non-abrasive cleaning process in which particles of solid carbon dioxide are accelerated in a controlled airstream and directed at the barrel-wood surface. Upon impact, the dry ice lifts and releases surface contaminants without introducing moisture or chemical residue—cleaning the wood while preserving the barrel’s original toast profile.
BECAUSE BARRELS AGE.
YOUR STANDARDS SHOULDN’T.
The problem:
Barrels can quietly carry microbial load from one fill to the next—especially when time is tight and the cellar is moving fast. Water-based methods can introduce moisture, create runoff, and still leave you wondering what’s happening deep in the wood.
The solution:
Dry-ice blasting for barrel-wood surfaces A dry, residue-free process intended to reduce microbial presence on contaminated barrel-wood surfaces and help you reset before the next fill.
-
Dry process (no rinse, no soaking)
-
No chemical residue left behind
-
No secondary liquid waste stream to manage
-
Helps support a cleaner starting point for refill
HUMAN-CENTERED QUALITY CONTROL
Every barrel starts with proof, not assumptions.
Our coopers remove the barrel head and we perform a full visual and sensory inspection—because opening the barrel is the only way to verify that the interior is truly clean and free of compromised sections. This step establishes confidence before any renewal begins.
Once a barrel clears inspection, it advances to the Barrel Blasting® process. The barrel is mounted on our automated system and treated with precision-controlled dry ice blasting. Speed, pressure, and rotation are fully adjustable, allowing us to tailor renewal intensity to barrel condition and winemaking objectives—ensuring consistent results without water, chemicals, or secondary waste.
EFFICIENCY AT ITS FINEST
We intervene where automated cleaning cannot.
When heavy tartrate crystal buildup or wine-filled blisters are present, we manually remove them before processing to ensure full surface access and eliminate known contamination reservoirs that can compromise the next fill. This step is critical—left untreated, these deposits shield microbes and defeat conventional cleaning.
If a barrel presents abnormal sensory or structural red flags—off aromas, excessive buildup, or visible degradation—we stop. The winemaker is alerted immediately and given clear, actionable insight to decide whether to proceed or retire the barrel altogether. No barrel moves forward by default.
Every decision is informed, intentional, and aligned with protecting wine quality.
THE ART OF NOT ADDING OR REMOVING
Our process is designed to leave the barrel’s original toast profile intact—adding nothing and removing nothing beyond surface contaminants. The process cleans the barrel-wood surface while opening the wood’s grain, helping reset the barrel without changing its intended character.
WHY THIS APPROACH
Dry-ice blasting delivers a smarter, more controlled way to clean—without introducing water into your process. By eliminating moisture, you reduce microbial risk at the source while achieving true surface sanitation in environments where precision matters.
The dry-ice media sublimates on contact, leaving no secondary waste, no runoff, and no chemical or water effluent to manage. Built for real-world cellar workflows, the process is fast, efficient, and designed for rapid turnaround—so you can treat, prep, and refill with minimal downtime and no added complexity.
PROOF, NOT PROMISES
Independent research demonstrated ~97.8–100% microbial reduction on contaminated barrel-wood surfaces using dry-ice blasting.
In the same research, new wine stored after treatment showed no contaminating yeast detected for dry-ice-treated barrels under the study conditions, while hot-water-treated barrels showed reappearance after one month.