What a 1000 L Tank Actually Does in a Working Winery

A 1000 L fermenter sits in the middle of the range: too big for bench trials, small enough to reposition with a pallet jack, and a practical match for a 4–8 ton crush that gets split into separate lots. Most units we build at this size go to small commercial wineries, fruit wine and cider producers, and beverage plants running parallel fermentation lines alongside their main tanks.

Materials and Fabrication

Standard construction is SUS304 with a 2B shell finish. We switch to 316L when the must runs high in chloride, when the vessel also holds finished wine for extended periods, or when local food-contact rules demand it. Interior welds are ground flush and passivated, and product-contact surfaces are polished to Ra ≤ 0.8 µm so tartrate and lees release cleanly during cleaning.

Cooling jackets are dimple or channel type, laser-welded to the cone and lower cylinder, then hydro-tested at 1.5 times working pressure before the 80–100 mm polyurethane insulation and stainless cladding go on. Tanks headed for unheated cellars get thicker insulation and a fully welded outer skin.

Temperature Control and Pressure

Reds need the jacket to pull 25–30 °C down before the ferment turns volatile; whites need 12–16 °C held for 10–20 days. Jacket surface area matters more than jacket volume — an undersized jacket on a 1000 L tank simply will not hold a fast fermentation. Design pressure is normally 0.3 MPa, with a sanitary pressure relief valve and an airlock or blow-off port on the top. Never valve off a tank that is still generating CO2.

Typical Configuration

Questions We Get Before Every Order

Do I need a conical bottom? If you plan to drop lees and rack without opening the tank, yes. Flat-bottom vessels are cheaper but slower to clean and harder to drain.

Can I use one tank for red and white? Yes, provided the jacket is sized for the coldest setpoint you will run, not the average.

How is CIP handled? A rotating spray ball on the top manway, connected to a portable CIP skid; the cone drain doubles as the return line.

Before you request a quote, have these ready: batch size, wine type and target fermentation temperature, available ceiling height, glycol supply temperature, and whether the tank will be indoors or outdoors. Tell us your batch size, wine type, number of tanks and available space. We can recommend the tank volume, cooling area and configuration for your winery.