Description
Most 5,000 and 10,000 liter vertical tanks we build leave the shop for one of three jobs: holding edible oil ahead of the filling line, buffering process water, or maturing wine and spirits. The vessel looks simple. The details decide whether it is still sanitary after two years of daily use.
What actually changes between the two sizes
A 5,000 L tank usually lands around 1,600–1,800 mm diameter with a 2.5 mm shell. At 10,000 L we move to 2,000–2,200 mm and a 3 mm shell, and 4 mm on the bottom head if the tank stands on legs and is filled in a single shift. Thin shells on a wide diameter will oil-can when the tank is emptied with a blocked vent, so top head thickness and vent sizing go together.
Material and surface finish
SUS304 covers water and most edible oil. For wine, high-acid juice or brine contact, 316L is the better call — the molybdenum is what resists chloride pitting at the welds. Internal welds are TIG, argon purged, ground flush, then pickled and passivated. Oil and wine tanks get an internal Ra of 0.8 µm or better; water tanks are normally left at 2B. Gaskets run EPDM for water, silicone or PTFE for oil and wine.
Fittings worth specifying up front
Top: 400–450 mm manway, CIP spray ball, 0.2 µm breather, tri-clamp inlet. Side: magnetic or dial level gauge, sample valve, and a racking arm on wine tanks. Bottom: dished or conical outlet in DIN or tri-clamp. Insulation is 50–80 mm PU under 304 cladding when temperature matters; wine tanks add a dimple jacket and glycol circuit.
Typical specifications
| Parameter | 5,000 L | 10,000 L |
|---|---|---|
| Shell / head thickness | 2.5 mm / 3 mm | 3 mm / 3–4 mm |
| Material | SUS304 or 316L | SUS304 or 316L |
| Internal finish | 2B or Ra 0.8 µm | 2B or Ra 0.8 µm |
| Insulation | 50 mm PU | 80 mm PU |
| Manway | 400 mm | 450 mm |
| Working pressure | Atmospheric / 0.2 bar | Atmospheric / 0.2 bar |
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Conical or flat bottom? Only if you need solids to slide out — fruit pulp in wine, sediment in oil. For clear liquids a dished bottom with a side outlet drains fine.
Can it hold pressure? These are atmospheric vessels. If you need 1 bar or more, the shell thickness and head design change completely, and a certified relief valve is mandatory.
How is it cleaned? A spray ball plus a 1.5–2 bar pump loop handles CIP. Reach matters more than pressure — a 10,000 L tank needs a ball rated for the full height, not the same one used on a 5,000 L unit.
Ceiling height is tight? Send the room dimensions. We adjust leg height and manway position rather than shipping a tank that cannot be stood upright.
Tell us the product, batch size, number of tanks, ceiling height and whether you need cooling. We can size the volume, shell thickness, outlet type and CIP arrangement for your line, and quote 304 against 316L so the material choice is yours to make.
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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
