This 500-liter conical fermenter is built for breweries that need consistent fermentation capacity without overspending on footprint. At 500L, it fits neatly between pilot systems and full-scale production—a practical choice for brewpubs, small craft breweries, and R&D facilities running test batches before scaling up.

We fabricate the tank body from SUS304 stainless steel as standard, with SUS316L available for the product contact surfaces if your process involves higher chloride environments or more aggressive cleaning agents. The shell is rolled from 3mm plate, the cone from 4mm. All welds are full-penetration TIG, argon-purged on the back side to prevent oxidation. Interior surfaces are mechanically polished to a 0.6µm Ra finish; the exterior to 0.8µm with a brushed grain. That polish isn\’t cosmetic—it\’s what keeps beer stone from forming in the crevices and makes CIP cycles actually effective.

The cone angle sits at 60–70 degrees, which is the range that lets yeast and trub compact and slide down cleanly during cropping. The cooling jacket is dimple-plate welded to the cone and straight side, sized for a 5–7°C delta at peak fermentation. We use AISI 304 for the jacket as well, with a working pressure of 0.3 MPa on the glycol side. The tank itself is rated for 0.25 MPa internal pressure, with a safety valve set to relieve at that point. That means you can run closed fermentation with spunding for natural carbonation—just keep an eye on the pressure gauge.

Standard fittings include a racking arm at the 60L mark, a bottom dump valve that opens full bore for trub removal, a pressure/vacuum relief port, and a sample valve at the 150L level. The CIP spray ball is removable and sized for a flow rate of 15–20 m³/h. If you\’re planning to do closed transfers to a brite tank, we can add a carb stone and a pressure transfer line. For dry hopping, a 4-inch tri-clamp ferrule on top gives you room to drop in hops without clogging the neck.

When you\’re comparing tanks, the real differentiators aren\’t the shiny exterior—they\’re the weld quality inside, the jacket coverage, and whether the cone angle actually matches your yeast strain\’s flocculation behavior. A 60° cone works for most ales; lagers with more compact yeast beds may prefer the steeper 70° option. Get those details right and the tank will serve you for fifteen years. Get them wrong and you\’ll be fighting stuck trub and inconsistent carbonation from day one.

Technical Specifications

• Total volume: 500 L (usable: 420–450 L)
• Material: SUS304 (body), SUS316L optional (contact parts)
• Shell thickness: 3 mm (body), 4 mm (cone)
• Inner surface finish: ≤0.6 µm Ra, mechanical polish
• Cone angle: 60° or 70° (specify at order)
• Cooling jacket: Dimple plate, 0.3 MPa glycol working pressure
• Design pressure: 0.25 MPa (tank), safety valve included
• Connections: Tri-clamp (DN50 / 2\”) standard, custom available
• CIP: Removable spray ball, flow 15–20 m³/h
• Feet: Adjustable with leveling pads
• Options: Carb stone, pressure transfer kit, sample valve, sight glass with light

FAQ

Is this tank suitable for lagers? Yes, if you add the optional carb stone and use closed pressure fermentation. The 0.25 MPa rating is sufficient for natural carbonation up to 2.5 volumes of CO2.

What glycol temperature do I need? We recommend supplying glycol at -2°C to 0°C. The jacket area is calculated for a 5–7°C drop during the peak exotherm phase. If your glycol system runs warmer, tell us—we\’ll adjust the jacket surface area.

Can I use caustic for CIP? Yes. SUS304 handles 1–2% NaOH at 80°C without issue. For periodic descaling with nitric acid, we recommend the SUS316L contact surface option to extend service life.

How do I connect the tank to my existing lines? All ports are tri-clamp. You\’ll need a compatible clamp and gasket—we supply those with the tank. Inlet/outlet sizes are DN50 standard; if your brewery uses DN25 or DN40, we can change the ferrule size at fabrication.

Before you send a request, have these numbers ready: batch size (post-boil), beer type (ale/lager/sour), number of fermenters in parallel, ceiling height, and your glycol supply temperature. That\’s what we need to confirm the cone angle, jacket size, and overall dimensions for your space. 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.