Built around access, not around looks

An open top fermenter exists for one reason: you can reach the cap. During red fermentation someone punches down two to four times a day, and during white fermentation you may load whole clusters or drain free-run juice by hand. A 400 mm manway on a closed tank does not let you do that comfortably. We build these at 1000 L, 2000 L and 3000 L working volume, with the top rim rolled and ground smooth so nothing snags a hose or a glove.

The body is a straight cylinder in 304 stainless steel, 3 mm on the 1000 L and 4 mm from 2000 L upward, with a sloped bottom draining to a center outlet. For heavy skin-contact work or cellars that leave chlorinated water standing overnight, 316L is available. It costs more and rarely changes the outcome in an ordinary winery, but it holds up where 304 starts to pit.

Why the jacket is a spiral channel and not a dimple sheet

A laser-welded spiral channel jacket gives a continuous flow path with low pressure drop, so glycol moves evenly across the shell instead of short-circuiting. On a 2000 L tank that is roughly 1.5 m² of contact surface, enough to pull must temperature down several degrees per hour with 28–32 °F supply. Each jacket gets its own inlet and outlet, and a relief valve on the circuit. Working pressure is 0.3 MPa; every unit is hydro-tested at 0.6 MPa before it leaves the shop.

Where these tanks get used

Small wineries running 2 to 20 tons a year, custom crush operations that need flexible batch sizes, pilot plants, and fruit wineries doing extended maceration. If you are fermenting in the same room as barrels, note that open tanks release a lot of CO2 and humidity — plan the ventilation before you plan the tank layout.

Specifications

Legs with adjustable feet included. Surface finish 2B outside, internal welds ground and passivated.

Questions that come up before quoting

Can these be pressurized? No. Open top means atmospheric — gas escapes past the rim. If you need 1.5 bar for sparging or carbonation, we build closed tanks with a manway and relief valve instead.

Do I need a cover? Optional hinged or removable lids cut evaporation and keep insects out during cold soak. Many cellars ferment open and cover at night.

How is it cleaned? Most customers rinse manually with a soft brush. We can weld a spray ball into a cover if you want semi-automatic CIP.

Tell us your batch size, must type, number of tanks and available floor space. We can recommend tank volume, cooling area and jacket configuration for your cellar.