Description
What a Floating Lid Tank Solves
Wineries rarely fill a tank to the rim. A 3,000 L vessel holding 2,200 L leaves an oxygen-rich headspace that flattens aromatics within weeks. A floating lid rests directly on the wine surface and rides the level as it drops, keeping the ullage layer small. For producers running many small lots through one vessel, that flexibility usually costs less than buying a correctly sized tank for every batch.
How We Build Them
Bodies are 304 stainless as standard; we move to 316L when the juice or the cellar environment carries chlorides. Sheet runs 2 mm up to 2,000 L and 3 mm above that. Longitudinal welds are ground flush, then pickled and passivated — a step some suppliers skip, and the first place pitting shows up. Interior surfaces get either a 2B mill finish or a 0.4 µm Ra mirror polish where yeast contact and cleaning matter. The lid carries an inflatable food-grade EPDM or silicone gasket, sized to seal against a polished rim rather than a raw edge.
Where These Tanks Fit
Boutique wineries, cideries, meaderies and distilleries fermenting wash all run them. They also work for cold settling, blending and short-term storage. Because the geometry is often wider and shorter than a comparable conical, they pass through standard cellar doors and fit under low ceilings in leased buildings.
| Capacity range | 500 L – 10,000 L |
| Body / lid material | 304 or 316L stainless |
| Sheet thickness | 2 mm (≤2,000 L), 3 mm (above) |
| Interior finish | 2B mill or 0.4 µm Ra polish |
| Lid gasket | Inflatable EPDM or silicone |
| Optional cooling jacket | Dimple jacket, 2-inch NPT glycol ports |
| Fittings | Rotary spray ball, 1.5-inch drain, sample valve |
Common Questions
Can the lid hold pressure? No. A floating lid seals the wine surface, not the vessel. If you need 1.5 bar for carbonation, order a rated conical with a safety valve.
Do I need a cooling jacket? Only if you control fermentation temperature. Reds at peak can climb 8–10°F above ambient, and a side-wall dimple jacket on glycol holds them where you want them.
How is cleaning handled? We fit a spray ball in the top manway plus a low drain and sample valve. Size the CIP pump so the ball gets full 360° coverage at 20–30 psi.
Tell us your batch size, wine type, number of tanks and available space. We can recommend the tank volume, lid diameter and cooling area for your cellar.
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