Red Wine Fermentation Tanks, 10 HL to 10 KL

Most of these tanks leave our shop in sets of four or six, not singly. The 10 HL to 10 KL range covers an estate winery running single-vineyard lots and a contract facility pushing several hundred tons a season, so the first question we ask is not volume but batch structure: how many lots, how much must per lot, and how fast the cellar needs to come down in temperature during cold soak.

Shell, jacket and surface finish

Shells are 3 mm AISI 304 as standard, with 316L for high-acid must or cellars using chlorinated cleaning water. Half-pipe coils are formed from the same sheet into a D-section and continuously welded to the shell in a spiral or vertical run, then pickled and passivated. Interior surfaces are finished to Ra 0.8 µm or better for red fermentation; white and juice lines often specify 0.4 µm. Every jacket is hydro-tested at 1.5 times working pressure before insulation and cladding are fitted, so leaks are found on our floor, not in your cellar.

Half-pipe carries more coolant volume and higher pressure than dimple plate, which matters above 200 HL where pull-down speed drives the whole schedule. Cooling area typically runs 0.8 to 1.2 m² per 100 L of working volume, set by must temperature target and cellar ambient. Glycol at -5 °C through 1.5-inch inlets is standard.

Typical configuration

Questions we get before an order

Half-pipe or dimple jacket? Dimple is cheaper and packs more area per square meter. Half-pipe wins on flow rate, pressure rating and cleanability, which is why large red fermenters and anything running rapid temperature steps usually specify it.

Do I need a cone for red wine? Usually not. Red fermenters are flat-bottomed with a wide must hatch and a side door for pomace removal. Cones help with white juice settling and tank-to-tank transfers. Tell us how you plan to discharge skins.

How is CIP handled? A rotating spray ball on the top manway plus a dedicated CIP return on the lowest point; jacket and fittings are positioned so nothing sits below the drain.

Send us your batch size, number of lots, cellar ambient temperature and available footprint. From that we can size the cooling area, jacket rating and fittings list, and quote the tanks together with glycol piping and chiller if you need it.