What these tanks are built for

Batches between 500 and 2000 liters sit in an awkward middle ground. Large enough that temperature drift shows up in the finished beer, small enough that a full automation package often costs more than the vessel. We build cylindroconical fermenters for that range with a PLC that handles glycol valve sequencing, pump cycles and temperature logging, so one brewer can run four to eight tanks without standing next to them.

Typical installs: brewpubs, pilot plants attached to larger breweries, contract cider and kombucha producers, and micro breweries moving off plastic or open-top fermenters.

Materials and fabrication

Shell and cone in 3 mm SUS304 as standard, 2 mm for the dish and top. Chloride-heavy cleaning regimes, sour programs or cider work move the wetted parts to 316L. TIG welded inside and out, welds pickled and passivated, then mechanically polished to 0.4–0.6 µm Ra on the product side. Sanitary tri-clamp fittings throughout, EPDM gaskets standard, silicone or Viton on request.

Cooling, cone and pressure

Dimple or channel jackets cover the cone and lower cylinder. The cone matters more than most buyers expect, because that is where yeast and trub concentrate. Glycol at −4 to 2 °C holds 2 bar working pressure, hydro-tested at 3 bar, with an adjustable safety valve. A 60° cone and 1.5:1 to 2:1 height-to-diameter ratio are our defaults unless your yeast strain or dry-hopping plan says otherwise.

Connections and cleaning

Top-mounted CIP spray ball, dry-hop port, pressure/vacuum relief, racking arm, sample valve and blow-off. The PLC cabinet reads a Pt100 per tank and controls the glycol solenoid, the transfer pump and the racking motor. A full CIP return loop back to the tank is standard.

Do I need 316L on a 1000 L tank?

Only when the chemistry demands it. Standard ales and lagers with caustic and acid cleaning run fine in 304. Sour programs, high-chloride water or prolonged acid CIP push us toward 316L, and the price difference is worth settling before the order, not after.

How much glycol capacity do these tanks need?

Rough figure: 1.5 to 2 kW of chiller capacity per 1000 L of tank volume for a normal 12–18 °C ale crash, more if you lager in the same vessel. We size jackets so the chiller, not the tank, is the limiting factor.

Can one PLC run several fermenters?

Yes. One panel with 4 to 12 channels is common, each tank keeping its own probe and solenoid. It keeps the cabinet cost down and puts every temperature curve in one log.

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.