Overview of Large Beer Brewery Equipment

Large beer breweries require extensive equipment and systems to produce beer on a commercial scale. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of the key equipment needed from raw material handling to fermentation, conditioning, and packaging.

We will explore the main types of equipment, their functions, key specifications, installation requirements, suppliers, and pricing. Comparisons between equipment options are provided to help select the optimal setup. Advice on choosing suppliers and factors that affect cost is also included.

This guide is intended for entrepreneurs setting up a large brewery, engineers designing a brewing system, and brewmasters optimizing or expanding existing facilities. Use the table of contents to navigate to the sections most relevant to your needs.

Table 1: Overview of Main Beer Brewery Equipment

Equipment	Function
Milling	Crushing malt into grist
Mashing	Mixing grist with hot water to convert starches to sugars
Lautering	Separating sweet wort from spent grains
Boiling	Sterilizing wort, extracting flavors, coagulating proteins
Whirlpool	Settling trub and hop particles
Wort cooling	Rapidly cooling boiled wort before fermentation
Fermentation	Yeast converting sugars into alcohol and CO2
Maturation	Improving flavor during secondary fermentation
Filtration	Removing haze particles for clear beer
Carbonation	Dissolving CO2 into beer
Packaging	Kegging, bottling, canning final beer
CIP systems	Automated cleaning-in-place
Piping	Transferring liquids between vessels
Cooling systems	Maintaining fermentation temperature

Milling Equipment

The first step in beer production is to crush the malt into a coarse flour called grist. This makes the starch granules more accessible for enzymes during mashing.

Table 2: Malt Milling Equipment Types

Type	Description
Roller mill	Two or more fluted rollers rotating at different speeds to shear malt kernels
Hammer mill	Rotating hammers to impact and pulverize malt
Wet mill	Roller mill with water spray for conditioned milling

Table 3: Malt Mill Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Capacity	1 – 20 tonnes/hr
Roller width	100 – 400 mm
Roller diameter	200 – 300 mm
Roller speed differential	1:1.25 – 1:1.75
Desired grist particle size	0.5 – 2.5 mm

Table 4: Malt Mill Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Mill Model	Price Range
gcd Machinery	DUO Mill	$8,000 – $15,000
Monster Brewing Hardware	MM-2 Two Roller Mill	$1,195 – $1,595
American Beer Equipment	2-roller Malt Mill	$2,100 – $2,800
Pentair Food & Beverage	P1A8 Two-Roll Mill	$14,000 – $18,000

Roller mills offer more accurate grinding with lower risk of over-crushing compared to hammer mills. Wet milling increases yield and prevents dust. Larger mills over 5 tonnes/hour capacity are used in industrial breweries to support high throughput. Smaller 1-3 tonne/hour mills are suitable for craft breweries.

Malt mills represent 3-6% of total equipment costs in a commercial brewery. Buying a sturdy mill with adjustable rollers provides flexibility for different beer recipes. Prioritize ease of cleaning and maintenance when selecting a mill.

Mashing Equipment

Mashing converts malt starches to fermentable sugars by mixing grist and hot water. The mash vessel maintains a stable temperature for enzyme activity.

Table 5: Mashing System Types

Type	Description
Mash tun	Stainless steel insulated tun with false bottom
Mash mixer	Agitator for mixing grist and water
Lauter tun	Combined mash/lauter tun with false bottom and sparging system

Table 6: Mash Tun Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Batch size	5 – 600 hectoliters
Tun height	1.5 – 6 meters
Tun diameter	1 – 8 meters
Material	Stainless steel, copper
Insulation	Foam, cladding, jacketing
False bottom	Slotted/perforated stainless plate
Temperature	45°C – 78°C
Recirculation pumps	1 – 4 units

Table 7: Mashing System Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
JVNW	10HL Mash Tun	$15,000 – $25,000
Ss Brewtech	7bbl Mash Tun	$9,000 – $12,000
Specific Mechanical	600HL Mash Mixer	$150,000 – $220,000
Paul Mueller	10,000L Mashtun	$185,000 – $250,000

The optimal mash tun size balances production volume, number of batches, and beer diversity. Larger units above 100 hectoliters streamline higher volume. Smaller tuns allow more flexibility.

Integrated mash filters or lauter tuns simplify the lautering process. Agitators and pumps should be rated for viscosity of mash. Expect mashing systems to comprise 10-15% of the total brewery capital cost.

Lautering Equipment

Lautering separates the sweet wort from spent grains after mashing. This involves recirculating then draining the wort while retaining the solids.

Table 8: Lautering Equipment

Equipment	Description
Mash filter	Screen and plates for filtration
Grant	Intermediate collection vessel
Rakes	Removal of grain bed clogs
Sparge arms	Water spray for extraction

Table 9: Lautering Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Flow rate	10 – 60 hl/hr
Filter screen	0.5 – 2.5 mm openings
Sparge water temperature	75°C – 78°C
Total sparge time	60 – 180 minutes
Typical extract efficiency	75% – 85%

Table 10: Lautering Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price
Ziemann Holvrieka	Mash filter	$150,000 – $350,000
Specific Mechanical	Grant tanks	$8,000 – $15,000
GEA Group	Wort collection troughs	$4,000 – $10,000
Pentair	Internal rakes	$3,000 – $6,000

Mash filters provide faster runoff rates and greater extract efficiency versus traditional lauter tuns. Complete lautering systems will add 8-15% to the total capital cost.

Maximize yield, runoff rate, and wort clarity by optimizing sparge pH, rake design, flow patterns, and grain bed depth. Gentle grain handling preserves filter screens.

Wort Boiling Equipment

Vigorous wort boiling accomplishes multiple objectives before fermentation:

• Sterilization
• Protein coagulation
• Concentration through evaporation
• Isomerization of hop alpha acids
• Maillard reactions for color and flavor

Table 11: Wort Boiling Equipment

Equipment	Description
Brew kettle	Boils wort with heat and ventilation
Whirlpool tank	Settles trub and hops
Calandria	External heating chamber
Heat exchanger	Rapid wort cooling

Table 12: Brew Kettle Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Volume	10 – 600 hectoliters
Height to diameter ratio	1:1 – 1:2
Heating power	300 – 1500 kW
Boiling temperature	96°C – 102°C
Boil duration	60 – 120 minutes
Evaporation rate	5-10% per hour

Table 13: Wort Boiling Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
JVNW	50 hl Brew Kettle	$120,000 – $180,000
Ss Brewtech	7 bbl Brew Kettle	$18,000 – $24,000
Newlands System	600 hl Kettle	$350,000 – $600,000
Hitech Equipment	Calandria	$60,000 – $120,000

Kettles with calandria heating maintain constant mash temperatures. Larger diameter kettles improve evaporation rates and hop utilization. Boiling equipment represents 15-25% of total capital investment.

Optimize heat flux, material thickness, and boiling vigor based on production targets. Automated wort boiling significantly improves batch consistency.

Whirlpool Equipment

Whirlpool vessels use a centrifugal spin to separate trub particles, coagulated proteins, and hop debris from wort after boiling.

Table 14: Whirlpool Equipment

Type	Description
Whirlpool tank	Cylindrical tank with tangential inlet
Rotor and drive	Rotates wort in whirlpool
Baffles	Stabilize vortex and flow pattern

Table 15: Whirlpool Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Tank diameter	1 – 5 meters
Tank height	1 – 3 meters
Retention time	10 – 30 minutes
Spin speed	1 – 5 RPM
Trub removal	50 – 80%

Table 16: Whirlpool Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
JVNW	7bbl Whirlpool	$12,000 – $18,000
Ss Brewtech	3.5bbl Whirlpool	$4,500 – $6,000
Specific Mechanical	200hl Whirlpool	$45,000 – $80,000
Paul Mueller	Rotor drive	$4,000 – $7,000

Whirlpools deliver a clear, trub-free wort with minimal capital investment. Smaller craft breweries can use a single vessel for boiling and whirlpooling. Optimal design targets trub compaction over shorter durations.

Wort Cooling Equipment

Chilling hot wort rapidly below fermentation temperature is critical to maximize beer quality and production efficiency.

Table 17: Wort Cooling Equipment

Type	Description
Plate heat exchanger	Compact cooling via conductive plates
Shell & tube heat exchanger	Inline cooling through tubing bundle
Wort cooler	Single-pass cooling unit
Glycol chiller	Refrigerant-based cooling system

Table 18: Wort Cooler Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Cooling medium	Glycol, ammonia, Freon
Coolant temperature	-8°C to 2°C
Cooling time	15 – 60 minutes
Heat exchange rate	500 – 5000 kW
Exit wort temperature	12°C – 18°C

Table 19: Wort Cooling Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
JVNW	Plate heat exchanger	$8,000 – $15,000
Blichmann Engineering	Therminator cooler	$3,500 – $4,500
DME Process Systems	Glycol chiller	$20,000 – $60,000
GEA Group	Wort cooler	$100,000 – $250,000

Plate heat exchangers provide rapid single-pass cooling in compact units. Larger breweries use a combination of plate and shell & tube exchangers. Budget 5-15% of capital for wort cooling equipment.

When selecting equipment, balance cooling rate, wort oxidation risk, and maintenance needs based on production scale. Automated sensors help optimize cooling water usage.

Fermentation Equipment

Fermentation tanks allow yeast to convert wort sugars into alcohol, CO2, and flavor compounds. Temperature control, agitation, and yeast handling systems are critical.

Table 20: Fermentation Equipment

Equipment	Description
Fermentation tanks	Stainless steel pressure vessels
Yeast pitching system	Adding yeast to start fermentation
Temperature control	Cooling jackets and chilling units
Agitator/rouser	Keep yeast in suspension
CO2 capture	Collecting CO2 from tanks

Table 21: Fermentation Tank Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Volume	10 – 6000 hectoliters
Height to diameter ratio	2:1 – 3:1
Cooling system	Glycol, ammonia, Freon
Temperature	12°C – 22°C
Pressure rating	1 – 2.5 bar
Cell density	15 – 150 million cells/ml
Yeast pitch rate	0.5 – 2 million cells/ml/Plato

Table 22: Fermentation Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
JVNW	10hl UniTank	$15,000 – $22,000
Ss Brewtech	7bbl Fermenter	$15,000 – $22,000
ABE	600hl Closed Fermenter	$180,000 – $350,000
GEA Group	Yeast pitching system	$35,000 – $100,000

Highly flexible fermentation systems allow multiple beer varieties. Closed, hygienic vessels reduce risk of contamination. Jacketing and cooling represent around 15% of capital costs.

Optimize yeast vitality, fermentation kinetics, and tank utilization through wort aeration, nutrient levels, yeast cropping, and repitch rates.

Maturation Equipment

Maturation or conditioning tanks improve beer flavor clarity through a secondary fermentation and clarifying process.

Table 23: Maturation Equipment

Equipment	Description
UniTanks	Combined fermentation and maturation
Brite tanks	Pressurized vessels for clarifying
Dry hopping system	Hop aroma addition
Filtration	Removing yeast and haze particles

Table 24: Maturation Tank Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Volume	50 – 2000 hectoliters
Temperature	-2°C – 4°C
Pressure	1 – 3 bar
Residence time	7 – 30 days
Yeast settling rate	0.5 – 2 cm/day

Table 25: Maturation Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
JVNW	10hl UniTank	$12,000 – $18,000
Ss Brewtech	7bbl UniTank	$10,000 – $15,000
GEA Group	Horizontal tank	$70,000 – $200,000
Alfa Laval	Centrifugal separator	$35,000 – $150,000

UniTanks streamline operations through single vessel fermentation and maturation. Horizontal tanks optimize clarity and labor. Budget 10-20% of capital for conditioning and clarifying systems.

Balance residence time, temperature ramps, yeast settling, and filtration to achieve desired beer stability, clarity, and quality attributes.

Filtration Equipment

Filtration provides stabilized shelf life by removing yeast, proteins, and tannins. Filters clarify beer for packaging.

Table 26: Beer Filtration Equipment

Type	Description
Plate and frame filter	Filter sheets compressed between plates
Lenticular filter	Stacked disks enclosed in housing
Rotary drum filter	Rotating drum with filtration screen
Centrifugal separator	Spinning conical chamber sedimentation

Table 27: Filtration Specifications

Parameter	Typical Range
Filter size	1 – 500 square meters
Filtration rating	0.5 – 10 microns
Flow rate per filter	5 – 250 hl/hr
Total suspended solids	50 – 500 ppm
Turbidity reduction	70 – 90%

Table 28: Filtration Suppliers and Pricing

Supplier	Equipment	Price Range
GEA Group	Plate filter	$35,000 – $120,000
JVNW	DE Filter	$4,000 – $8,000
Alfa Laval	Centrifuge	$35,000 – $150,000
Pentair	Lenticular filter	$80,000 – $250,000

Combinations of coarse, fine, and sterile filtration provide cost-effective clarification based on product requirements. Sterile filtration enables longer shelf life.

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