What a Conical Fermenter Has to Do

Most brewers contact us after one bad batch, not before. Diacetyl that will not clear, a tank that loses pressure overnight, a cone that clogs during harvest. A conical fermenter is a pressure vessel first: a working volume, a cone that collects yeast and trub, and a jacket that pulls out the heat fermentation produces.

We build these from 100 L pilot units to 5,000 L production tanks. The differences between sizes matter more than the number on the quotation.

Material, Welding and Finish

Product contact surfaces are 304 stainless as standard. We move to 316L when the brewing water or CIP chemicals carry chlorides, since 304 will pit under those conditions after a few years. Shell thickness runs 3 mm on small tanks and 4 mm above 2,000 L, which keeps the cone stable when the vessel is full and pressurized.

Interior welds are TIG, full penetration, then ground, pickled and passivated. Inner surfaces finish at Ra 0.4–0.8 µm. A mirror polish throughout is not necessary and actually makes cleaning harder to verify. Dimple jackets are welded to the cone and lower body, covered with 80 mm polyurethane insulation and stainless cladding.

Where These Tanks Fit

Brewpubs fermenting 5–10 bbl, craft breweries running several tanks in parallel, cider and kombucha producers, and beverage plants doing trial runs all use the same basic vessel with different port layouts. A 60° cone suits most ales. A 70° cone helps when you harvest yeast often or ferment high-gravity wort.

Technical Specifications

Questions We Get Before Ordering

Why does temperature control matter this much? A 10 bbl batch can raise itself several degrees during active fermentation. Without jacket cooling tied to a glycol chiller, esters drift and the profile stops repeating.

When is a conical bottom worth it? Almost always, if you plan to harvest yeast or dry hop. Flat-bottom tanks only make sense for very small pilot work.

How does CIP connect? Through the spray ball on the top manway, with the return line at the cone bottom. We set the ball size against pump flow so the spray reaches the shell, not just the lid.

Pressure and the safety valve? The relief valve is set at or below the tank rating. Carbonating in the vessel at 2 bar is fine; spunding above the rated pressure is not.

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.