What is the Purpose of a Fermentation Tank?

Alcohol fermentation is the chemical conversion of sugars in a liquid to alcohol and carbon dioxide. After fermentation in a Fermentation Tank, the product is known as beer and can be served as an alcoholic beverage. The process of creating alcoholic beverages like wine and spirits is called distillation. 

The fermentation vessels or tanks are the ones storing a beer’s wort. Even the simplest home-based brewery has them, and they are used as containers. Some may prefer an ABS fermenter that converts the sugar into alcohol through yeast. The tanks may also convert biomass and turn it into biogas. 

One of the critical factors that make them effective is the amount of oxygen that goes in. If it’s an anaerobic condition or oxygen is absent, the yeast may convert larger quantities of sugar into alcohol. This is why a lot of people may utilize fermentation in closed spaces.

Types of Fermentation Tanks

These vessels come in all shapes and sizes, with different purposes. Some are used to produce lager or ale, while others are used to ferment vegetables or fruits. Additional types that you may want to know about may include:

• Large-scale commercial units: These tanks can hold up to 25,000 liters of beer or wine. Breweries or wineries often use them to produce large quantities of craft beers or whiskey.
• Small-scale units: These can hold up to 5,000 liters of beer or wine. Microbreweries or wineries often use them to produce small product batches. 

The tanks come in many shapes and sizes. They can be made from any sturdy material, like steel or plastic. They often have a large volume and are easy to move around. The numbers you need will generally depend on the output you want to produce.

If you don’t have the correct numbers, you may find that a large brewhouse capacity will not work well. Most craft beers may take around four weeks before they can mature, so you need to buy a suitable one to keep up with your daily operations and output. Others have more than eight, while residential homes may only need two at most. See more about fermentation on this site here.

About the Copper Tanks and a Fermentation Tank

Many breweries find that the copper tanks are valuable materials in many breweries. However, many are selecting stainless steel as an alternative to copper nowadays. Metals like copper make excellent leak-proof seals, and they can easily connect to other vessels. You can also find them to have excellent thermal conductivity, and they were a common choice in the age of direct heating.

The yeast needed a small part of the barrels for their nutrients. Wort is a weak acid, and it can dissolve small copper amounts to keep the fungi healthy. The primary role of the metal was to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide, which is a gas that smells of rotten eggs.

Of course, there’s a reason why manufacturers are not using copper today. The metal has its shortcomings, including being relatively soft and ductile. Overall, it can’t keep up with the structural strength that steel offers.

Humans may need trace amounts of copper which are about 1 mg per day, to keep the cell functioning usually. However, in recent years, the toxicity of copper has caught the attention of many health organizations and government agencies. The EPA has limited the copper content of water sources to 1.3mg/L because they found out that the higher amounts can be harmful to yeast and humans.

You need reliable tanks that will enable the combination of cooled wort to yeast. Since the fungi are responsible for converting the sugars into carbon dioxide, carbonation, and alcohol, it’s essential to store them in an anaerobic environment to keep them alive. The temperature in many fermentation vessels is maintained, and they can be colder for lagers.

The homebrewers prefer plastic buckets, Kilner jars, and demi-johns for their small operations. However, it’s different when you want to check the more prominent breweries and see the classic ones with cone-shaped bottoms and cylinder shapes. It’s worth noting that the purpose of the cone at the bottom is to remove the yeast.

Different Types to Know About

Fermentation tanks come in various shapes and sizes and can be found in breweries, wineries, and other food-producing businesses. Each type used will depend on what kind of process is being performed. 

The most common type of fermentation tank is the barrel. Barrels are made of various kinds of wood, such as oak or maple, and are typically 30 to 50 gallons in size. Fermentation tanks using this type of configuration are often used to produce beer and wine. However, there is the stainless steel that you may see in other wineries.

When purchasing a fermentation tank, it is crucial to consider the cost involved in both the initial purchase and future maintenance. It is also important to consider the size of the vessel needed and the type of process that will be performed.

Fermentation tanks are essential for any brewery or winery. They allow for controlled fermentation, which leads to consistent and high-quality beer or wine. There are a variety of different types of tanks available, so be sure to choose the right one for your needs.