What a 1,000–3,000 L Tank Actually Does in a Cellar

Tank size usually follows the pick, not the other way around. A 1,000 L vessel handles a small block, a trial fermentation, or a varietal kept separate for blending. The 2,000 L and 3,000 L sizes are the workhorses — cellars order them in runs of four to eight so pumpovers, racking and barrel-down schedules stay manageable. If your press fills a tank in a single day, going larger rarely pays off; you lose flexibility and gain nothing.

Material and Fabrication Choices

SUS304 covers most must and wine contact. We move to SUS316L when fruit comes from coastal sites, when chloride in the water supply runs high, or when a tank will see frequent caustic and acid CIP cycles. Interiors get a 2B mill finish or a 320-grit polish depending on how the tank is cleaned; welds are ground, brushed and passivated so no oxide layer sits in the seam. Dimple or pillow-plate jackets on the cone and lower cylinder provide the cooling area needed to pull a red ferment down from 86 °F, or to hold a white at 54 °F through a warm week. Insulation is 50–80 mm polyurethane under stainless cladding, which matters more than most buyers expect in an unheated cellar.

Pressure, Fittings and Cleaning

Working pressure runs 1.5–3 bar (about 22–44 psi), with a pressure/vacuum relief valve sized to tank volume and peak CO2 evolution. Each unit gets a CIP spray ball, DIN or tri-clamp fittings, a racking arm, sample valve and top manway. Glycol ports sit at the low point of the jacket so the circuit drains completely and doesn\’t leave stagnant coolant.

Typical Specifications

Questions We Get Before an Order

Conical or flat bottom? Cone bottoms drain lees cleanly and suit red ferments with pumpover or punchdown; flat bottoms work for whites, settling and short-term storage where floor height is limited.

How many tanks? Match total capacity to your largest single-day intake, then add 20–30 percent headspace for foam and cap rise.

Is 316L necessary? Usually not. It earns its cost in coastal cellars, high-chloride water, or heavy CIP schedules.

Tell us your batch size, wine type, number of fermentation tanks and available ceiling height. We can recommend the tank volume, cooling area and configuration for your cellar.