Brewery Vessels-Beer Serving Tanks

Beer serving tanks, also known as bright beer tanks or brite tanks, are an essential part of the brewery equipment used to store and serve finished beer. These vessels play a crucial role in the final stages of the brewing process, ensuring that beer is clarified, carbonated, and ready for serving to customers. Here's an overview of brewery vessels - beer serving tanks:

1.Purpose:

Beer serving tanks are used to store the beer after fermentation and conditioning phases.

They allow the beer to clarify further, as any remaining yeast and sediments settle to the bottom.

These tanks also provide an opportunity for carbonation, where carbon dioxide (CO2) is added to achieve the desired level of fizziness in the beer.

After carbonation, the beer is ready for direct dispensing to consumers through taps or for packaging into bottles, cans, or kegs.

2.Types of Beer serving tanks

We often look at the two main options open to most breweries:

Jacketed serving tanks(bright beer tanks or brite beer tanks)

Single wall beer serving tanks in a cold room

a. Jacketed beer serving tanks(bright beer tanks or brite beer tanks)

Jacketed beer serving tanks are double-walled, with a cooling jacket between the shells. Jacketed serving tanks have an inner tank where the beer is stored and an outer jacket that surrounds the tank. The cooling jacket is connected to a glycol cooling system, which circulates cold glycol to regulate the temperature inside the tank.

Jacketed beer serving tanks are valuable assets in a brewery, enabling precise temperature control and maintaining the beer's quality until it reaches the consumer. The use of these tanks ensures that the beer served is fresh, clear, and delicious, meeting the high standards expected in the craft brewing industry.

b. Single wall beer serving tanks in a cold room

Single wall beer serving tanks are another type of vessel used in breweries to store and serve finished beer. Unlike jacketed serving tanks that have an outer cooling jacket for temperature control, single wall tanks do not have this feature. Instead, they rely on other methods to regulate the beer's temperature during storage.

Single wall tanks rely on alternative methods for temperature control, such as using a separate glycol chiller or refrigeration unit. single wall beer serving tanks are a viable option for breweries that have a separate cooling system available to regulate the beer's temperature during storage.

3.Maintenance and Cleaning:

Regular maintenance and cleaning are crucial to ensure the beer's quality and to prevent contamination.

Proper sanitation procedures are followed between each batch to avoid off-flavors or spoilage.

Cleaning in place (CIP) systems are commonly used to clean and sanitize the tanks effectively.

4.Brewery Serving Tanks – Conclusions

If you’ve a larger system with taproom and also do some form of distribution too. Then jacketed serving tanks could be the best option. They can be brite tanks and maturation vessels too. It could mean, you move beer around less.

If Breweries with a limited budget or smaller-scale operations might find single wall tanks a suitable option if they already have a cooling system in place.

Beer serving tanks are a critical component of the brewery process, helping to maintain the beer's quality and consistency as it makes its way from the fermentation tanks to the consumer's glass. Proper care, maintenance, and sanitation are essential to uphold the high standards expected in the craft brewing industry.