Description
What This Tank Is Built For
A 20BBL unitank is typically the first vessel size that justifies full pressure fermentation, closed transfers, and proper jacket coverage rather than a simple cooling loop. It fits the volume where a brewery is moving beyond pilot batches but has not yet committed to a full 30BBL brewhouse.
We build this fermenter with a 60-degree conical bottom for yeast cropping and a side manway at a working height that does not require a platform for routine dry hopping. The body and cone are fabricated from 304 stainless steel as standard; 316L is available where chloride exposure or aggressive CIP chemistry is a concern.
Fabrication Details That Affect Service Life
Shell thickness starts at 3mm for the body and 4mm for the cone on pressure-rated units. Welds are full-penetration on all product-contact seams, ground flush, and pickled. Internal surface finishes range from 0.6 to 0.8 micron Ra depending on your cleaning regime. We do not polish over weld defects; if a seam fails dye-penetrant inspection it gets reworked before the tank moves to the next station.
Cooling jackets cover the cone and the lower cylindrical section. That coverage matters when you crash from 68F to 34F in a single shift. A jacket that only covers the cone will stall once the bulk volume stratifies.
Practical Specifications
| Working volume | 20BBL (approximately 620 gallons) |
|---|---|
| Total volume | 24BBL with headspace |
| Design pressure | 15 PSI working, 30 PSI test |
| Orientation | Vertical, cylindrical body with 60-degree cone |
| Cooling | Dimpled jackets on cone and body, 2 zones |
| Connections | Tri-clamp, DIN, or RJT on request |
| Insulation | 50mm polyurethane, stainless cladding |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I size the cooling system? Match the jacket surface area to your crash-cooling target, not just the tank volume. A 20BBL tank dropping 34F in 24 hours needs a chiller with roughly 1.5 to 2 tons of capacity at 28F glycol, assuming the jackets are properly valved.
What is the difference between a unitank and a brite tank? A unitank handles fermentation, conditioning, and carbonation in one vessel. A brite tank is for finishing and serving. If you are packaging from the same tank, specify a unitank with a carbonation stone port.
Can this tank be used for CIP? Yes. We install a rotating spray ball in the dome and a CIP return port on the cone. Verify pump pressure at the spray ball before every cycle; low flow is the most common reason for dirty tanks.
How many tanks should a 20BBL brewery buy? A common starting point is four fermenters to one brewhouse. That lets you turn a batch every five to seven days without holding beer in a tank that needs to be dry hopped.
What do you need before quoting? 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.
Structure of a Beer Fermentation Tank
Related products
1000L SUS304 Pressure Fermenter Tank with CIP for Craft Beer Brewery
A 1000L SUS304 pressure fermenter for craft breweries that want closed transfers, in-tank carbonation and dependable CIP. 3mm shell, Ra ≤0.4 µm interior, dimple-plate glycol jackets and 2 bar working pressure, with 60° cone as standard. Cone angle, 316L construction and connection layout are configured around your batch size and packaging line.
1000L Craft Beer Fermenter with Top Manway & Dimple Cooling Jacket
A 1000L craft beer fermenter with a 60° cone, top manway and dimple cooling jacket. Built in SUS304 or 316L with a pickled, passivated interior, glycol jacket, CIP spray ball and tri-clamp fittings. Suited to brewpubs and small production breweries running repeatable fermentation schedules. Specifications, pressure ratings and selection guidance for your brewery.
1000L 2000L Double Walled Jacketed Conical Beer Fermenter Stainless Tank
Double walled conical beer fermenters in 1000L and 2000L, built from SUS304 or 316L with dimpled cooling jackets, 80-100mm insulation and 1.5 bar working pressure. Supplied with manway, CIP spray ball, racking arm, dry hopping port and pressure relief valve, configured for craft breweries and beverage plants.
1000L Conical SUS304 Fermenter with Spunding Valve for Craft Brewery Beer
A 1000 L conical fermenter in SUS304 with a 60° cone, dimple cooling jackets, 0.2 MPa working pressure, and a spunding valve for natural carbonation. Built for brewpubs casting 10 hl brews, with DIN or Tri-Clamp ports, CIP spray ball, racking arm, and yeast harvest outlet. Custom glycol and thread configurations available.
10000L Stainless Steel Beer Fermentation Tank, Conical Jacketed Brewery Tank
A 10,000 L jacketed conical fermenter built in SUS304 or 316L, with dimple cooling jackets on the cone and lower cylinder, 0.2 MPa working pressure, Ra ≤ 0.6 µm interior finish and rotating spray ball CIP. Sized for craft breweries moving from 10 bbl to 30 bbl, contract packers and beverage producers.
10000L Stainless Steel Jacketed Beer Fermentation Tank for Industrial Breweries
This 10000L jacketed stainless steel fermenter is built for industrial breweries that need repeatable fermentation, crash cooling, and yeast recovery. We fabricate in SUS304 or 316L with two or three cooling zones, 60-degree cone, CIP spray ball, pressure relief, and sanitary fittings. Share your batch size and cellar plan for a configured quote.
Although there were a few minor issues, thanks to Polly’s help, it looks brilliant and has brought my little distillery quite a few new customers.
Very good！！I see now in my texting to you that in my excitement over having the installation here in the USA I totally forgot to give you and the company of ACE a very big compliment on the quality of the whole Installation!! It all looks fabulous and the way you packed it in the container was extraordinary!! I am very impressed with your company and want to say a big thank you to everybody who worked on my order!!
We have been using this still for a few batches now making whiskey, gin and a few other spirits and we are very happy with the results so far. The gear works well and gives good control during distillation. The spirit comes out clean and consistent from batch to batch and we have gotten the flavor profile we were looking for. It has also been easy to operate and maintain. It has been a great addition to our distillery and I’d definitely recommend it to other craft distillers looking for reliable equipment.”
Polly is the man! I highly recommend him and this products they produce! I’m very satisfied. she communicates very well and the quality of workmanship is excellent! Shipping was exceptional. Thannks Polly and team
It took 60 days from ordering to delivery, and it looks like a work of art. Thank you to Polly for her help.
It was quite a big job to put the distiller together, so I asked a friend to help me, and I managed to get it done in just eight hours. I’m really pleased with it – it looks brilliant.Ryan Murphy
We are so happy with our new copper distillation system from ACE Distillery Equipment. The equipment is of a fine quality, well crafted and beautifully finished.
The whole process from manufacturing, shipping, installation to commissioning was seamless. The ACE team were professional, responsive and very knowledgeable. They helped us complete the installation successfully and gave great technical support.
It still looks amazing in our distillery and does exactly what it says on the tin. We highly recommend ACE to anyone looking for reliable and high quality distillation equipment.
Thank you ACE team for the great work!”
I want to express my 100% satisfaction with Ace . The service was outstanding: quick, professional, and friendly. Polly provided excellent support throughout. The delivered 100 gallon copper pot still distillery equipment product perfectly meets my expectations and stands out fo r its excellent quality. I feel well taken care of and will recommend you without hesitation.
Thank you for the great service.
Best regards,
Oliver Brown
