A 15BBL brewhouse and fermentation package suits brewpubs and regional craft breweries moving from pilot batches into distribution. The hot side can be two or three vessels; the cold side uses 15BBL unitanks with about 17.6 hL working volume. We set manway height, racking arm clocking, glycol header position and CIP return line during drawing review, because those details decide whether the cellar works on a double-brew day.

Product-contact surfaces are SUS304 as standard. SUS316L is sensible when your water runs high chloride or cleaning is aggressive. Inner shell 3 mm, dimple jacket 2 mm, cladding 2 mm. Welds are TIG, pickled and passivated, with product-contact polish to Ra ≤0.8 μm. Every jacket and inner vessel is pressure-tested before insulation. Food-grade EPDM seals are standard; silicone or Viton can be specified. Tell us CIP caustic temperature before seal selection.

Jacketed unitanks exist because 15BBL of fermenting beer will not hold ale temperature on ambient cooling alone. Two or three independent zones—cone, lower body, upper body—allow crash cooling without icing the cone. Inner tank pressure and jacket pressure are separate ratings. Safety valves, gauges and relief settings are matched per vessel rating. Do not use the jacket relief setting as the tank relief setting.

Cone angle matters for yeast drop and dry hopping. 60° is common at 15BBL; a shallower cone can suit heavy dry hopping but may drop yeast less cleanly. Port positions follow your process sheet. Tri-clamp ferrules are standard; we can match DIN, SMS or RJT. CIP spray ball and return line are sized to pump flow—typically 25–30 gpm at 30–40 psi.

Technical specifications

FAQ

Do I need two or three vessels? Two vessels suit single-brew days and ales. Three vessels reduce turnaround on double brews and help with lagers, but cost more and need floor space.

Can one 15BBL tank handle ale and lager? Yes, if jacket area and glycol supply hold 45–52°F for ale and 34–39°F for lager. State your coldest setpoint before chiller sizing.

What utilities should I confirm? Glycol flow and pressure, CIP pump flow, and drain location often limit layout more than tank dimensions.

Decide batch count per week, beer styles, original gravity, and packaging format. Those answers set tank count, chiller size and whether a bright beer tank earns its footprint. 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.