How this vessel gets used

A 500L vertical fermenter sits between pilot work and full production. Brewpubs often run it as a serving tank so unfiltered beer goes straight from the vessel to the tap; small production breweries use it for seasonals or high-gravity batches that would otherwise tie up a larger tank for weeks. It is a closed, pressure-rated vessel with a conical or dished bottom, a cooling jacket on the cylinder, and a top manway for dry hopping and inspection.

Materials and fabrication

Product contact surfaces are 316L, with 304 for the outer shell and jacket. The grade choice is not marketing. Sour programs, fruit additions, and low-pH beer held over long periods attack 304 welds faster than most brewers expect. Interior welds are ground, pickled, and passivated, then polished to a sanitary finish, normally Ra ≤ 0.8 µm. Dimple or channel jackets are welded to the cylinder before insulation and cladding, and each jacket is pressure tested before the shell is closed.

Working pressure is typically 1.5–2 bar for fermentation and up to 3 bar when the tank is used for carbonation or serving. Relief valves and gauges are matched to the vessel rather than pulled from a default list. An undersized safety valve on a tank held under carbonation pressure is a genuine hazard, not a paperwork issue.

Cooling, CIP, and connections

Cylinder jacket coverage handles most ales. Lagers that need fast, controlled crashes usually justify an extra cone jacket, which shortens the cooling step and lowers glycol demand. Standard fittings include a racking arm, sample valve, CO2 blow-off, CIP spray ball in the top, and 1.5-inch or 2-inch tri-clamp ports. Dry hop ports, a carb stone, or a second thermowell can be added when the process calls for them.

Typical specifications

Questions we get before an order

Cone or dished bottom?

A cone drains yeast and trub cleanly and is the usual choice when you harvest or dump. Dished bottoms suit serving tanks where you are not cropping yeast.

How many tanks for a 500L brewhouse?

Count your fermentation days plus conditioning days, then divide by brew frequency. Most 500L setups land on three to six vessels.

Can it double as a serving tank?

Yes, provided the shell is rated for carbonation pressure and the jacket has enough area to hold temperature at the tap.

What changes on a custom build?

Volume, jacket coverage, port layout, leg height, and finish. Send a floor plan if ceiling height is tight.

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.