Description
A variable capacity tank exists to solve one problem: you need to ferment, age, or hold red wine across a range of batch volumes without leaving the wine exposed to oxygen. The floating lid rests on the wine surface, rises and falls with the level, and its gasket seals against the wall. For short and medium-term storage, that removes the need for a gas blanket and removes the need to own five fixed-volume tanks.
Where this tank makes sense
Custom crush facilities, small-lot wineries running trial blends, tasting-room production, and cellars that take fruit from several growers at different volumes. A 1,000 L tank with a floating lid holds 400 L or 950 L with the same seal quality. The trade-off is real: lids are lifted and cleaned by hand, and the lid gasket is a wear item, not a lifetime component.
Build details that decide service life
SUS304 is standard for wine. 316L gets specified when fruit comes from coastal vineyards, when the same tank handles high-acid must, or when the cellar uses chlorinated wash water. Interior welds are butt-welded, ground flush, pickled, and passivated — pitting starts at unpassivated weld heat tint, not in the parent metal. Interior finish is 2B or mirror polish, depending on whether the tank is cleaned by hand or by spray ball.
The lid is 1.5–2 mm sheet, dished or flat, with an inflatable food-grade EPDM tube gasket. Silicone is available for cellars that steam-sanitize. Standard ports: lid manway, vent or airlock, sampling valve, racking port with adjustable arm, bottom drain, and a level tube. Fittings run 1.5 in or 2 in tri-clamp, with DIN and SMS available for European bottling lines.
Typical specifications
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| Nominal volume | 300 L – 10,000 L |
| Material | SUS304 / 316L, 2–3 mm shell |
| Interior finish | 2B standard; Ra ≤ 0.8 µm on request |
| Lid gasket | Inflatable EPDM or silicone tube |
| Ports | Racking, drain, sample, vent, level tube |
| Options | Cooling jacket, insulation, casters, clamp fittings |
Questions that come up before quoting
Can it ferment, or is it storage only? Both, but during active fermentation leave 20–25 percent headspace and vent through the lid port. The lid rides the surface; it is not a pressure vessel.
How often is the gasket replaced? Two to three years in normal use. Store lids dry and off the tank between seasons — a folded gasket becomes a leaking gasket.
Jacketed or unjacketed? If you need temperature control through fermentation, jacket the lower third. Storage-only tanks usually go unjacketed in a temperature-controlled cellar.
Tell us your batch size, wine type, number of tanks and available floor space. We can recommend tank volume, lid size and port layout for your cellar.
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