Description
Closed-top tanks handle two jobs in a winery: carrying red must through the active ferment, and holding finished wine until bottling. We build them with a fixed dished top and a full fitting set — fill port, sample valve, racking outlet, CIP spray ball, pressure-vacuum relief valve — so nothing has to be welded on site.
Material choice usually follows the wine, not the budget. 304 covers juice and dry reds. Move to 316L when the vessel sees high-acid or high-sulfur contact for long stretches, or when it doubles for spirits. Internal welds are ground flush and passivated. Inside finish is 2B or 320-grit, depending on whether you scrub by hand or run a closed CIP loop; EPDM gaskets for standard wine contact, silicone if you steam.
Temperature control comes from a dimpled or laser-welded jacket on the shell, often with a second jacket on the lower cone where the cap runs hottest. That is what keeps a ferment from stalling in week one and holds extraction where you want it. We size jacket area around 0.8–1.2 m² per 1000 L for 5–10 °C glycol, but the real figure depends on must temperature, room conditions, and how fast you want the pull-down.
| Parameter | Range |
|---|---|
| Working volume | 500 – 100,000 L |
| Shell material | 304 / 316L stainless |
| Inner finish | 2B, 320-grit, or mirror polish |
| Jacket | Dimpled or laser-welded, shell and/or cone |
| Design pressure | 0.2 – 0.5 bar with vacuum relief |
| Insulation | 50 – 100 mm PU, optional |
| Manway | 400 – 500 mm, top or side |
| Connections | Tri-clamp, DIN, or SMS |
| Support | 3 or 4 legs with leveling pads |
Two sizing mistakes come up often: ordering volume for the batch without leaving 25–30% headspace for foam, and specifying a jacket sized for water rather than glycol. Both show up later as overflow through the airlock or a cooling rate that never quite gets there.
Do I need a cone for reds? A cone speeds lees removal and yeast drop. Flat bottom with a racking arm works for short maceration, but you will rack more often.
How much pressure can it take? Standard closed-top tanks are not pressure vessels. 0.2–0.5 bar with a relief valve covers airlock and transfer. If you need 1 bar or more for carbonation, that is a different build and we will say so up front.
How does CIP work? Spray ball in the top, drain at the lowest point, pump return through the racking port. Rotary balls cover 360°; static ones need higher flow and more time.
Send us your batch size, wine type, tank count, and available floor space. We will come back with volume, jacket area, fitting layout, and a configuration drawing before you commit to anything.
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