What This Equipment Is Built For

Most brewery projects in the 300–600L range are not trying to compete with regional production plants. They need consistent fermentation, repeatable carbonation, and a system that can be cleaned without dismantling half the room. We build these systems for brewpubs, pilot plants, and contract brewing operations that run multiple styles on a tight schedule.

Vessel Construction and Material Choices

We default to 304 stainless for the product contact surfaces on standard batches. If your water chemistry runs high in chlorides, or you plan to produce sour or salted beers regularly, we will quote 316L instead. The cone and shell are typically 3mm, with a 4mm thick dished bottom on larger units to resist deformation during pressure cycling. Interior welds are ground flush and passivated. Exterior welds are left as-is unless you specify polished finish for washdown environments.

Cooling jackets are dimple-plate on the cone and lower cylinder. This gives you enough surface area to crash from 68°F to 39°F in a reasonable timeframe without overworking your chiller. Glycol inlet and outlet are 1.5-inch tri-clamp. Pressure ratings are stamped on the nameplate: 15 psi working pressure on fermenters, 30 psi on brite tanks, with an ASME-rated relief valve set accordingly.

Practical Details That Affect Daily Operation

Every tank gets a 1.5-inch CIP spray ball mounted in the dome, a 2-inch dry hop port, and a 1.5-inch racking arm with a rotating handle. We weld a thermowell on the cone for a 4-inch RTD probe. The manway is a 16-inch oval or round door depending on tank diameter, with a food-grade EPDM gasket. If you are pumping from a mash tun or kettle, make sure your discharge height matches the racking arm elevation — we have seen too many installations where the pump runs dry because the tank was set 8 inches too high.

Specifications

FAQ

Why do I need temperature control on a fermenter? Yeast produces off-flavors outside its ideal range. A glycol-jacketed cone lets you hold 64–68°F for ale or 48–54°F for lager without opening the tank.

When should I specify a conical bottom? If you plan to harvest yeast, drop trub, or carbonate in-tank, a cone saves labor and reduces oxygen pickup.

How does CIP work with these vessels? Connect your caustic and sanitizer lines to the spray ball via the 1.5-inch TC port. The racking arm rotates out of the way during cleaning. No disassembly needed.

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.