10BBL Conical Beer Fermenter with Heating and Cooling Jacket

We build this 10BBL conical fermenter for breweries that need consistent temperature control through active fermentation and crash cooling. The 10-barrel working volume — roughly 310 US gallons — suits a 7–10BBL brewhouse running single or double batches. If you are stepping up from pilot systems or adding capacity without a full expansion, tank count and floor space usually drive the decision more than volume alone. A 10BBL (approximately 12 hectoliters) working volume, paired with a 25% headspace for krausen, gives you roughly 12.5BBL total capacity. That headspace matters when you ferment high-gravity worts or ales with aggressive top-cropping.

Construction and Materials

Wetted surfaces are 304 stainless steel, 3mm on the shell and 4mm on the cone. For beers with high acidity or long aging, 316L is available. Interior welds are ground flush and passivated; we do not rely on pickling paste alone. The cooling jacket is dimple-style, welded directly to the shell, with 1.5-inch tri-clamp inlet and outlet. A separate jacket on the cone handles the final gravity drop. Insulation is 80mm polyurethane, clad in 304 stainless. An adjustable pressure relief valve is set at 2 bar, with a 3-bar maximum working pressure on the tank body. CIP is through a rotating spray ball mounted in the top manway, connected to a 1.5-inch tri-clamp port. You will need a dedicated CIP pump and a caustic cycle that reaches all interior surfaces — the cone-to-shell transition is the usual dead spot if the spray ball is undersized.

Applications and Selection Notes

These tanks work for ales, lagers, and mixed-fermentation projects. Small brewpubs often order two or three units and use one as a bright tank. Commercial breweries tend to buy four or more and dedicate them to single strains. If you are fermenting lagers, the cone jacket is not optional — diacetyl rest and crash cooling require fast, even temperature pull-down. For ales, the shell jacket handles most of the load. One common mistake is sizing the chiller to the tank volume alone. A 10BBL tank needs roughly 1.5–2 HP of cooling capacity per tank for a 24-hour crash from 68°F to 34°F, depending on ambient conditions and glycol temperature.

Specifications

FAQ

What beer styles suit a 10BBL conical? Ales, lagers, stouts, and sours. The cone geometry helps yeast flocculation and trub separation.

Why do I need a cooling jacket on the cone? Shell jackets alone leave the cone warm, slowing diacetyl rest and crash cooling. The cone jacket is critical for lagers.

Can I use this tank as a bright tank? Yes, if you add a carb stone and reduce the pressure relief setting. Many small breweries do this to save capital.

How do I connect CIP and glycol? Use 1.5-inch tri-clamp fittings. Keep glycol supply and return lines insulated and sized to the jacket flow rate.

Tell us your batch size, beer type, number of fermentation tanks and available space. We can recommend the tank volume, cooling area and configuration for your brewery.