Cooper's Hawk Winery recommends the 5TM because it provides Safe, Reliable, and Effective Tank Cleaning

One of the most critical steps in the wine making process is cleaning the fermentation or storage tanks. If your tanks aren’t sanitized properly, cross-contamination between batches of wine can occur, resulting in spoiled wine. This translates to lost revenue and productivity.

The most traditional way to clean a tank is by manually scrubbing and rinsing the tank from inside. Many wineries still use this manual process but this type of cleaning is neither consistent nor does it result in your tank being sanitized properly. Having workers crawl inside the tank also increases the likelihood of injury from slips or falls.

At Coopers Hawk Winery in Countryside, IL tank cleaning and worker safety have improved significantly by using an automated 5TM tank cleaning nozzle from Lechler. Mike Karkhoff, who is their General Manager of Winery & Warehouse Operations says that workers were often injured when tanks were manually cleaned a few years ago and the cleaning process could take anywhere from 1 to 1 ½ hours. Now that the 5TM is being used, tanks are cleaned in 20 minutes or less!

The 5TM is Lechler’s most powerful tank cleaning nozzle and has been the choice for many wineries. At Cooper’s Hawk, the unit is used 2 to 3 times per day for cleaning 4,500 and 6,000 gallon tanks.

Mike Karkhoff says this unit is very simple to repair, unlike others models which required them to be sent back to the factory for repair. Since the 5TM contains fewer moving parts, repairs are inexpensive and can be done immediately; you’re never without a unit, says Mike. Only one unit is required for cleaning multiple tanks at Cooper’s Hawk because they use the portable cart, which connects directly to the 5TM. The cart can be easily inserted through the sidewall manway and then transported to other tanks for cleaning.

The 5TM's high cleaning performance was a key element for producing over 140,000 cases of wine at Cooper's Hawk

The 5TM may be the perfect choice for cleaning your tank.  Carefully selecting the right nozzle saves both money and resources, making your cleaning equipment decision important. If you’re still unsure which nozzle best fits your specific industry, the size of your tanks, or the intensity of your grime, you are not on your own. At Lechler, we are happy to assist you in formulating a tank cleaning strategy that ensures a flawless process. With years of practical industry knowledge, we will lead you toward the very best equipment for your application. Contact us today to begin a conversation!