A conical fermenter has to do two jobs at once: hold the beer through fermentation, and make cropping yeast and racking clean beer predictable. We build these tanks from 5 BBL pilot units through 20 BBL production vessels on one platform — a 60-degree cone, dimpled glycol jackets on the cone and lower cylinder, and a 304 stainless shell with 316L available for the cone or the full body when your cleaning chemistry or process water runs aggressive.

Wall thickness is where most quotes quietly differ. Standard sizes get a 3 mm inner shell and 2 mm outer cladding. Our 20 BBL tanks move to 4 mm inner, because a thin shell will oil-can once you pull vacuum during CIP or crash the tank hard. Product-side welds are TIG, argon purged, ground and pickled; interior finish runs 0.4–0.6 µm Ra. Exterior is #4 brushed or mirror polished, depending on whether the tank is visible in your taproom.

Cooling area is sized against your crash time, not just the tank volume. A 10 BBL tank with a single cone jacket will not take 30 BBL of wort from 68°F to 34°F overnight. Working pressure is 15 psi with a 30 psi hydrostatic test; every tank ships with an adjustable PRV, CIP spray ball, racking arm, sample valve, and dry hop port on the cone. Tri-clamp connections are standard, and we can match your existing glycol header, blow-off, and CIP loop dimensions before fabrication starts.

Pilot systems usually run one tank per batch with manual valves. Commercial breweries tend to specify jackets matched to a glycol chiller, butterfly valves on every port, and often a unitank configuration so carbonation happens in the same vessel. Both are valid — the sizing logic is what changes.

Can I carbonate in these tanks? Yes, up to the rated working pressure. If you plan to spund regularly, tell us and we will spec the shell and PRV accordingly.

Do I need 316L? Most ales and lagers are fine in 304. Choose 316L if you ferment sours, use chloride-heavy water, or clean with aggressive acid blends.

How many tanks should I order? Match tank count to your brew house turns per week, not to your current sales. Most breweries outgrow fermenters before they outgrow the kettle.

Before requesting a quote, have your batch size, target beer styles, expected turns per week, glycol supply temperature, available ceiling height, and door width ready. Those five numbers decide cone clearance, jacket area, and whether the tank arrives assembled or in sections. 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.