Description
What a 5000L Variable Capacity Tank Actually Does
A variable capacity tank solves one specific problem: your lot sizes change, but you don\’t want a fixed-head tank sitting 20% empty with air on the wine. The floating lid rides directly on the surface. Rack a few hundred liters out and the lid drops with the level. Fill it back up and it rises. That\’s the entire function — nothing complicated, but it only works if the lid seals properly.
At 5000L this is commercial scale: a mid-sized winery or a custom crush facility running 5–6 ton lots. We build the shell from 3mm stainless with a 4mm bottom when a cooling jacket is involved, since the jacket welding pulls on thinner material.
Where cheap floating lids fail
The lid is the weak point. Ours use a closed-cell EPDM gasket in a rolled edge, inflated through a top valve. If the gasket doesn\’t seat evenly against the shell, you get oxygen ingress and rising volatile acidity. We test-fit every lid on a leveled tank before crating — a lid that binds on an out-of-round shell is scrap.
Materials and fabrication
- Shell: SUS304 standard, SUS316L for high-acid or high-chloride musts
- Internal finish: 2B mill, welds pickled and passivated, Ra ≤ 0.8µm on request
- Cooling: dimple-plate or laser-welded jacket on the side wall, optional bottom zone
- Fittings: DIN or Tri-Clamp, sample valve, racking arm, CIP spray ball, top manway
Product-contact welds are full-penetration TIG. We inspect them rather than grinding them flat and hoping. Bottoms slope 2–3% to a flush outlet so lees don\’t collect in a dead corner.
Specifications
| Capacity | 5000 L (approx. 1320 gal) |
| Material | SUS304 / SUS316L |
| Wall thickness | 3 mm body, 4 mm bottom |
| Cooling | Side-wall jacket, optional bottom jacket |
| Lid | Inflatable-gasket floating lid, EPDM |
| Connections | DIN / Tri-Clamp |
| Pressure | Atmospheric, non-pressure rated |
| Options | Insulation, cladding, legs, forklift base |
FAQ
Can it hold pressure? No. The floating lid is a seal, not a head. For pressure work you need a different tank design.
Do I need a cooling jacket? If you ferment in it and your cellar runs above 18°C, yes. If it\’s strictly post-fermentation storage, a jacketed tank is often money spent for nothing.
How many tanks? Match total capacity to your largest expected harvest plus 15–20% headroom for topping and blending.
Tell us your batch size, wine type, number of tanks and available floor space. We can recommend the volume, jacket area and fitting layout for your cellar.
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