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How to choose brewing equipment

How to choose brewing equipment?

You have acquired a production space, and you are finally ready to invest in a brewing system. But, one question remains: “How to choose brewing equipment?”
Depending on the required output and the type of beer brewed, craft breweries have different sizes of brewing systems and brewery tanks. The following guide will help you choose the appropriate brewery equipment for your brewery to suit your required annual output.
How to choose brewing equipment?
Containers Needed for Brewing

Containers Needed for Brewing

In commercial brewing, several different types of large vessels made of stainless steel are required. First, the water is heated in a special container called Hot Liquor Tank (“liquor” is referring to the technical term for any liquid used in a process of some kind, not the liquid that gets you drunk). The hot water is then transferred to a container called Mash/Lauter Tun (different names for different brewhouse combinations), where it is soaked with ground grains to extract the delicious sugar and flavor.
After a while, the carbohydrate-rich water is transferred to the Boil Kettle next to the mash tun. There is a heating source in the Boil Kettle to heat the wort to boiling temperature. You can add hops and other special ingredients during the boiling process, the amount and type of addition depend on the brewing recipe. After heating, the wort will be transferred to the Whirlpool tank, forcing the wort to form a vortex, separating the wort from the larger particles (such as hops) in the solution.
Mash/Lauter Tun, Boil Kettle, and Whirlpool tank are usually next to each other. There is a platform and stairs between them. These equipment are collectively called brewhouse equipment. Brewers can intuitively check the brewing process and add other ingredients through the operation panel of brewhouse equipment. According to different product and brewing batch requirements, brewhouse will have a variety of combinations.
Subsequently, the wort is transferred to the fermentation vessel (fermentation tank). You need to add yeast to the fermenter to convert the sugar in the malt into alcohol. Depending on the brewing process, the fermentation time will be different. The fermentation process can last from days to weeks.
Immediately afterward, the fermentation process stops, and the beer will be transferred to the bright tank. In the bright tank, the beer will be cooled and the remaining particles in the beer will sink to the bottom of the tank. The bright tank helps beer to complete further clarification, of course, you can also complete carbonation in the bright tank. Finally, the clarified beer will be filled with a beer filling machine, which is convenient for consumers to buy and drink.
Size Considerations

Size Considerations

Most start-up microbreweries set brewhouse equipment to 10-30 barrels (1 barrel = 31.5 gallons = 2 big kegs = 240 pints of beer). The number and size of fermentation tanks and bright tanks are selected according to the daily output.
For new breweries whose sales and growth are uncertain, choosing a suitable brewery size is a very good idea. Choosing large brewhouse equipment at the beginning puts pressure on initial funding and makes a batch of poor quality beer a costly mistake. Choosing small brewhouse equipment at the beginning may not meet the needs of consumers.
Consider the space available in the brewery. If there is not much space to add more fermentation tanks and bright tanks in the future, it is very unwise to start with a large-scale brewing system. The height of the ceiling is also important because the height of the fermentation tank and the bright tank is very large. Although the height can be adjusted by adjusting the diagonal angle, the ceiling height is still very demanding.
You can consider starting with a smaller nano-brewery, and then buying fermentation tanks and bright tanks that are twice the size of the brewhouse. This is a great idea. Micet Craft can also provide you with the best nano brewery equipment.
Finding The Right Brewhouse

Finding The Right Brewhouse

When choosing a size for your brewhouse, there’s one key equation to keep in mind:
Annual Production = (Brewhouse Size) x (# of Weekly Brews) x (Weeks Brewed Per Year)
Or:
Brewhouse Size = Annual Production / (# of Weekly Brews x Weeks Brewed Per Year)
For example, a brewery hopes to brew 3,000 bbl per year and plans on brewing five times per week throughout the year. Using the equation:
3,000 bbl =Brewhouse Size x 5 Weekly Brews x 52 Weeks
3,000 bbl / (5 Weekly Brews x 52 Weeks) = Brewhouse Size
3,000 bbl / 260 = 11.54 bbl (rounded up to 12 bbl)
Number of Fermentation Vessels

Number of Fermentation Vessels

A general rule of thumb is to buy the number of fermenters and brite tanks needed to take you through the first 2-3 years of production. You can calculate the approximate largest annual capacity of a fermenter using these metrics:
Daily fermenting volume available = # vessels * volume of the vessel
Turns per year = # of brew days per year/days to ferment average beer
Annual capacity = fermenting volume * turns per year
A way to simplify this is to assume 80% ale production (shorter fermentation time), 20% lager production (longer fermentation time), and 50 weeks of the brewing (assumes some vacation and/or maintenance time):
Annual capacity = fermenting volume * 42
This also assumes that you have enough brite tanks to rotate beers this quickly.
If you plan to have a lot of different beers on tap at any given time, consider starting with the same ratio of bright to fermentation vessels.

Brewhouse Heat Source

There are three heat sources for the hot liquor tank and brew kettle:

Direct Fire

There are three heat sources for the hot liquor tank and brew kettle:
  • Pros: least expensive; the best option for small systems
  • Cons: a concentrated area of heat that can scorch the wort; inefficient energy use (heat lost to the surrounding air); not for use on systems larger than 10 barrels

Indirect Fire

A relatively new method where flame heats the air in a separate burner box that is then circulated throughout a jacket around the tank.
  • Pros: priced like direct fire; no scorching
  • Cons: not as efficient as electric or steam; not for use on systems larger than 10 barrels

Electric Fire

Large heating elements are placed inside the kettle just like a residential electric water heater.
  • Pros: Less expensive than steam; very efficient energy use
  • Cons: electricity sometimes more expensive than gas; needs 3-phase heavy power; not for use on systems larger than 10 barrels

Steam Fire

This is the industry standard for brewing systems sized 15 barrels and up. A separate boiler heats water with a gas flame to create steam that is circulated through an insulated steel jacket around the kettle.
  • Pros: fairly efficient; heats quickly
  • Cons: most expensive; requires separate costly boiler; boiler maintenance
You need to combine local costs, requirements, and the size of the brewhouse to choose the heating method. Under normal circumstances, brewhouses larger than 10BBL will choose steam heating, but some countries have high requirements for steam boilers, and they may choose other heating methods.
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Choosing a brewery equipment manufacturer

Choosing a brewery equipment manufacturer

Many brewery equipment manufacturers do not make their own containers. They may import from manufacturers in China or other countries. Although this can help customers reduce costs, there is a huge gap in design, manufacturing materials, and manufacturing processes. Also, you need to verify whether the foreign-made equipment meets the voltage of your country/region, whether it has English design drawings, etc.
For brewery equipment manufacturers, it is very important to check their references. You can ask them for a list of their customers, and contact them personally to ask:
  • What was ordered?
  • Quality of equipment received?
  • Any delays?
  • Issues encountered and how supplier responded?
  • Whether they would order from the supplier again?
  • If they recommend this supplier?
Micet Craft is one of the most professional brewery equipment manufacturers in China. We choose high-quality food-grade 304/316 stainless steel containers. We will choose the appropriate sheet thickness according to different container scales. We can provide you with the incoming inspection report of the raw materials. Also, we will provide customers with turnkey solutions and provide services such as 3D plant drawings and drawings. You can check our service items through our service page. Micet Craft is very much looking forward to reaching cooperating with you!
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Get a turnkey solution for brewery equipment
If you plan to open or expand the brewery, you can contact Micet Craft directly. Our engineers will design and manufacture brewery equipment according to your brewing process. Of course, we will also provide you with a complete turnkey solution. Also, if you plan to expand the brewery, we will provide you with customized solutions.

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