Most 3,500 L fermenters we build end up in white wine programs: cold settling after pressing, primary fermentation held at 14–18 °C, then a short rest before racking. That duty cycle sets the design. The tank has to pull heat out fast in the first 48 hours, hold temperature while the chiller cycles on and off, and come clean between lots without a long turnaround.

Construction details

Shell and cone in AISI 304 — 316L when the must runs high in chloride or the winery uses aggressive process water. 3 mm shell, 4 mm cone, dished top. Internal welds ground flush and pickled; product contact surfaces finished to Ra ≤ 0.8 µm, 2B brushed exterior. Dimple or laser-welded cooling jacket on the cylindrical body, with an optional second zone on the cone for crash cooling. 80–100 mm polyurethane insulation under stainless cladding, so the tank can be hosed down and still hold temperature overnight.

Cooling, pressure, and connections

Jacket working pressure is 3 bar, hydro-tested at 6 bar. The vessel is closed: 1.5 bar design pressure, 2 bar relief valve, and a vacuum breaker — pump-over or CIP return lines will pull vacuum if the breaker is missing. Top manway 400–450 mm, CIP spray ball mounted on the manway, sample valve, racking arm, and a DIN or tri-clamp cone outlet. Level, temperature, and jacket ports are positioned where the winemaker actually needs them, not where the drawing was easiest.

Where these tanks fit

Mid-size wineries running two or three lots per week, contract bottlers handling outside fruit, and beverage plants fermenting fruit bases under similar temperature control. Smaller producers usually step down to 1,000–2,000 L with the same jacket layout; larger ones move to 5,000 L and above with two cooling zones.

Common questions

Do I need a cone bottom? For white wine, a shallow cone with a racking arm is usually enough. A steeper cone helps with lees removal and if you also run reds.

How is CIP handled? Rotating spray ball, 2–3 bar supply, and a return line sized so the pump doesn\’t starve. Passivate after installation before first use.

Can the jacket handle glycol at low temperature? Yes, but keep flow rates within the design and insulate the piping, or you\’ll lose capacity at the chiller.

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