Square fermenters in an IBC footprint

Most wineries arrive at this design for one of two reasons: the floor plan is fixed and the vessel has to sit on a standard pallet position, or must is moved between tanks and a square body with forklift pockets saves the pump-over crew a shift of work. We build these at 2000 L, 10000 L and 20000 L. Cross-sections are square or rectangular with a flat or lightly sloped bottom. A true cone does not work on a square body, so if you need lees and yeast to slide out untouched, a round conical tank is the honest answer. Square units suit red fermentations that get punched down or pumped over, and short-term storage before barrel.

Material and fabrication

SUS304 handles most red wine work. We move to 316L when the cleaning regime uses chlorinated caustics, when the site is coastal, or when the same tank also sees high-acid juice. Shell thickness follows hydrostatic head: 2 mm on the 2000 L, 3 mm at 10000 L, 4 mm at 20000 L. Corners are rolled where sheet size allows, since a rolled corner holds up better under repeated CIP than a welded miter joint. Interior welds are ground, brushed and passivated; the exterior stays mill finish. EPDM gaskets are standard, silicone or Viton where CIP runs hot. Manway, sample valve, racking port and thermowell go where your drawing puts them.

Cooling and connections

Dimple jackets on two or four walls, piped to a glycol loop through 1.5 in. tri-clamp ports. A 20000 L tank in a warm cellar needs more jacket area than the same volume in a cold room, so tell us the ambient temperature before we size it. Sparge and CIP connections are separate from the racking port — sharing one line is a common shortcut and a common source of contamination.

Questions we get before quoting

Can it take pressure? These are atmospheric tanks. If you need 1–2 bar for carbonation or transfer, say so and we will build to that with a relief valve and a thicker shell.

How do I clean it? Spray ball on a dedicated CIP line, with the manway sized for a person in the 10000 L and up.

Is a square tank cheaper? Per liter, yes, mostly because it packs tighter in a container.

Send us batch size, red or white, tank count, available height and your glycol supply temperature. We will come back with volume, jacket area and port layout that fits the room you actually have.