What this tank actually does

Buyers searching for a batch fermenter often assume a single-purpose vessel. In practice, the 250 L unitank we build off the same shell carries primary fermentation and conditioning in one tank, with carbonation handled under top pressure. That removes a transfer, a second tank, and one cleaning cycle from your week.

The geometry is a vertical cylinder with a 60° conical bottom, dimple-plate jacket on the cone and lower cylinder, and 80 mm of polyurethane insulation under stainless cladding. Working volume is 400 L. The 250 L version uses a shorter shell with the same cone angle, so yeast settling and drainage behave the same way as the larger unit — handy when you expand capacity and want the brewhouse rhythm unchanged.

Material and fabrication choices

SUS304 is our default for beer contact. We move to 316L when a brewery also runs kettle sours, kombucha, or chloride-heavy CIP chemistry, or when the tank stands in coastal air. Internal welds are TIG, ground and passivated; wetted surfaces polish to 0.4–0.6 µm Ra. Jacket-side surfaces get a coarser finish, since a mirror there adds cost without benefit. Product ports are tri-clamp or DIN, and the 1.5-inch racking arm swivels through 120° so you can draw clear beer above the trub.

Temperature and pressure

Two or four jacket zones, depending on shell diameter, tie into your glycol loop at 2–3 °C. Jacket design pressure is 0.3 MPa. On the tank side, the mechanical relief valve is set at 0.2 MPa; a missing or separately sourced valve is the most common inspection failure we see. An adjustable PRV and vacuum breaker ship as standard.

Where these tanks get installed

3–10 barrel brewpubs, pilot systems at larger plants, hard seltzer and cider producers, and contract breweries running short seasonal runs. Small operations usually take the 250 L configuration on a single glycol feed; larger sites step up to 400 L with dual-zone control for tighter crash cooling.

Specifications

Questions we get before quoting

Can one tank ferment and carbonate? Yes, if the shell is rated for pressure and you have a relief valve. Carbonating in a non-rated vessel is where people get into trouble.

Why pay for a conical bottom? Yeast cropping and dry hopping both get easier. Flat-bottom tanks work for cask ale, not for repeatable fermentation.

Can ports be added later? Add them at build time. Field welding to a polished interior ruins the surface finish.

How is CIP handled? A rotating spray ball on the top manway, drain through the cone, and your caustic loop at 60–80 °C. Nozzle coverage matters more than pump pressure.

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.