A 5,000 L tank is the size where most small wineries stop improvising. It is big enough that one stalled fermentation costs real money, and small enough that a single operator still runs it by hand. The cooling jacket is what makes that workable.

Construction and Material Choices

We build in AISI 304 or 316L. 304 covers most wine and cider duty. 316L earns its premium when the tank also sees high-chloride cleaning chemistry, coastal air, or long macerations of acidic must. Shell thickness starts at 3 mm on a 5,000 L unit, with a heavier bottom dish — that is where the weight of must and fruit cap sits.

Product-contact seams are TIG welded, full penetration, then ground and passivated. Interior finish is 2B rolled, or mirror-polished to Ra ≤ 0.8 µm if you plan to reuse yeast. Dimpled jackets are laser-welded to the shell; that seam decides whether the tank weeps coolant into your wine two years from now. Fittings are DIN or tri-clamp, depending on what your cellar already stocks. Silicone gaskets for hot CIP cycles, EPDM where temperatures stay moderate.

Jacket Pressure and Cone Geometry

Inner vessel and jacket are rated separately — commonly 1.5–2 bar inside and 3 bar on the jacket circuit, with a relief valve sized for the worst case when a solenoid snaps shut. Put the gauge where an operator can read it without a ladder.

Red fermentation with punch-down favors a flat or shallow-cone tank and an open top. White juice settling and yeast recovery favor a 60° cone, which drops lees cleanly. A full cone at 5,000 L needs extra headroom, so measure your ceiling before ordering.

Cleaning and Connections

Rotating spray ball on top, CIP return at the lowest point, separate ports for racking, sampling and the cooling loop. Keep glycol isolated from product lines. Quick-connect anything your crew will break down weekly.

Typical Specifications

FAQ

Can this tank ferment beer too? Yes, with a cone bottom and a higher pressure rating — tell us if you need 2 bar or more.

What cooling capacity do I need? It depends on must temperature, ambient conditions and how fast you want to crash cool. Send us the figures and we will size the jacket area.

Do you supply test certificates? Pressure test reports, material certificates and a weld map ship with the tank.

Is customization possible? Most orders change dimensions, port layout or jacket coverage. Manway size, leg height and insulation thickness are all open.

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.