Chinese Beer Brewing Equipment

Beer brewing in China has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with the country now ranking as the largest beer producer in the world. As a result, Chinese manufacturers have become major global suppliers of beer brewing equipment to meet rising domestic and international demand.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the main types of Chinese beer brewing equipment available, their key features and specifications, typical pricing, top suppliers, installation and maintenance considerations, and recommendations for how to select the right systems and manufacturers for your needs.

Overview of Chinese Beer Brewing Equipment

China produces a full range of commercial beer brewing equipment to support craft breweries, microbreweries, pub breweries, and large industrial-scale brewery operations.

The main types of Chinese beer brewing equipment include:

• Brewing Systems: 2-vessel, 3-vessel, 4-vessel, and 5-vessel systems with brewhouse, fermentation, conditioning, filtration, and packaging functionality.
• Brewhouses: Mashing tuns, lauter tuns, brew kettles, whirlpools, wort chillers.
• Fermentation Systems: Cylindroconical fermenters, yeast propagators, fermentation tanks.
• Beer Dispense Systems: Serving tanks, bright beer tanks, kegging lines, cleansing systems.
• Automation & Controls: PLC systems, sensors, valves, process control panels, batch controllers.
• Beer Filtration Systems: Plate filters, centrifuges, membrane filtration like lenticular and cartridge filters.
• CIP Systems: Clean-in-place units, sanitation chemicals and detergents, sterilization equipment.
• Grain Handling: Mills, wet mills, grain elevators, silos, conveyors, augers, agitators.
• Utilities: Boilers, chillers, cooling towers, air compressors, CO2 recovery.

Chinese breweries leverage extensive local manufacturing capabilities to produce good quality brewing equipment at relatively low cost compared to Western counterparts. Buyers can source all equipment in China, except for highly specialized imported instrumentation.

Key Characteristics of Chinese Beer Brewing Equipment

General:

• Cost-competitive pricing with good value
• Focus on high production volumes
• Simply designed, easy to operate and maintain
• Rugged steel construction for durability
• Lack refined features of European/U.S. models
• Complies with ASME, GB, ISO, DIN, 3A standards

Automation & Control:

• Emphasis on manual operation vs automated
• Basic PLC control systems and sensors
• Gradually improving HMI interfaces
• Integration and programming support may be weak

Fermentation & Maturation:

• Basic stainless steel vessel construction
• Lack advanced jacketing and cooling features
• Achieve desired beer quality and consistency

Filtration:

• Plate and frame filters widely used
• Limited adoption of membrane filtration
• Centrifuges handle higher throughputs

Hygiene & CIP:

• Meet sanitary requirements
• Manual cleaning still common
• Automated CIP becoming more popular

Beer Production Volumes Supported

Chinese brewing equipment can support a wide range of production volumes:

• 1,000 L/day to 20,000 L/day for craft breweries
• 3,000 L/day to 100,000 L/day for microbreweries
• 20,000 L/day up to 500,000 L/day for industrial-scale breweries

Larger brew houses over 100,000 L/day may use multiple parallel brewhouse sets. Expansion potential should be assessed when choosing system capacity and layout.

Types of Chinese Beer Brewing Equipment

Here we explore the main equipment types and options for each phase of the commercial beer brewing process available from Chinese manufacturers:

Milling Equipment

Equipment	Details
Roller mill	Two or four roller configurations, fast grinding of malt
Wet mill	Conditioning with water while grinding, adjustable roller gap
Hammer mill	Impact grinding, ideal for mash filtration and lautering
Gear motor	Drive unit for power transmission to mills

Mills efficiently crush malt grains to create grist and make starches accessible for enzyme conversion into fermentable sugars. Roller mills with two or four rollers are commonly used. Wet mills allow conditioning of grains with water during the milling process. Hammer mills provide impact grinding and are well suited for handling very wet, sticky mashes. Robust gear motor drives provide the mechanical power for the milling operation.

Mashing Equipment

Equipment	Details
Mash tun	Stainless steel vessel for mash mixing and conversion
Mash filter	Filtering mash and separating sweet wort
Lauter tun	Traditional separation of wort through grain bed
Mixer	Mixing of mash ingredients evenly
Rakes	Stirring of mash to prevent settling

Mashing converts milled grain starches to fermentable sugars via enzymatic reactions. A mash tun or converter is used to mix the milled grain with heated water and perform the mash process. Agitators and rakes keep the mash homogeneous during conversion. For lautering, a lauter tun or mash filter separates the liquid sweet wort from the grain residues.

Wort Boiling Equipment

Equipment	Details
Brew kettle	Boiling wort and facilitating reactions
Whirlpool	Separating trub and hop debris
Wort cooler	Rapid cooling prior to fermentation
Steam generator	Producing steam for kettles

The wort boiling stage is critical for sterilization, hop isomerization, protein coagulation, color and flavor development. A brew kettle boils the wort. Whirlpools use centrifugal forces to separate trub particles. Wort coolers quickly chill the hot wort after boiling to prepare it for fermentation. Steam generators provide the heating medium for kettles.

Fermentation Systems

Equipment	Details
Conical fermenter	Primary fermentation vessel
Fermentation tank	Simple steel or enamel-lined tanks
Yeast propagator	Pure yeast culture cultivation
Temperature control	Monitoring and cooling fermentation

Fermenters come in conical and cylindrical tank styles to allow primary fermentation of cooled wort with yeast. Conical fermenters simplify yeast settling and removal. Propagators grow pure yeast cultures for pitching into worts. Precise temperature control is critical during fermentation to ensure beer quality and consistency.

Maturation Systems

Equipment	Details
Serving tank	Beer clarification and carbonation
Storage tank	Bulk beer holding tank
Brite beer tank	Bright beer conditioning and storage
Keg washer	Cleaning and sanitizing kegs

After primary fermentation, beer undergoes maturation, clarification and carbonation. Serving tanks clarify and carbonate beer ready for consumption. Storage tanks hold bulk unfinished beer. Brite beer tanks condition and store filtered bright beer ready for packaging. Keg washers clean and sanitize kegs prior to filling.

Filtration Equipment

Equipment	Details
Plate filter	Removing haze particles from beer
Centrifuge	Forcing precipitation of solids
Lenticular filter	Pre-stabilization prior to packaging
Membrane filter	Final precision filtration

Beer filtration polishes flavor and extends shelf life by removing haze particles, yeast and bacteria. Plate filters offer economical coarse filtration. Centrifuges provide efficient solid-liquid separation. Lenticular filters give pre-stabilization prior to packaging. Membrane cartridge filters allow precise final filtration.

Dispense Equipment

Equipment	Details
Glycol chiller	Cooling beer to serving temperature
Draft tower	Dispensing draught beer
Tapping assembly	Portable bar tapper
Keg coupler	Connecting beer keg to tap

Dispense systems chill, store and serve draught beer. Glycol chillers cool beer to optimal serving temperature. Draft towers mount taps and faucets at bars. Tapping assemblies allow quick keg connections. Keg couplers hook kegs up to dispense taps.

Cleaning and CIP Systems

Equipment	Details
Spray balls	Internal tank cleaning
Sanitary pumps	Recirculating cleaning solutions
CIP stations	Centralized automated CIP
Detergents	Caustic, acid and sanitizer chemicals
Sterilizers	Steam, ozone or peracetic acid

Cleaning and sanitation are critical for brewery hygiene. Spray balls distribute cleaning solutions inside vessels. Pumps recirculate liquids. CIP stations automate multi-step cleaning sequences for efficient cleaning in place with minimal disassembly. Detergents include caustics for removal of organics and acids for inorganic scale. Sterilizers like steam, ozone or peracetic acid provide final disinfection.

Process Control and Automation

Equipment	Details
Sensors	Temperature, flow, pressure and level
Actuators	Valves, motors and pumps
PLC	Programmable logic controller
HMI	Human-machine interface touch panels
Batch recipe	Pre-programmed brewing sequences

Automation provides process control and consistency. Sensors measure process parameters, while actuators control pumps, valves and motors. PLCs execute brewing programs and sequences. HMIs allow monitoring and manual overrides. Recipe-based programming automates repetitious batch brewing tasks. Data logging and traceability become possible.

Grain Handling and Storage

Equipment	Details
Conveyor	Moving malt and grain
Elevator	Vertical lifting of grain
Auger	Loading and unloading grain
Silo	Storing large grain quantities
Weigh scale	Accurate grain measurement

Efficient grain handling and storage is needed. Conveyors horizontally transport grain. Elevators lift it vertically. Augers load and unload. Silos store tons of grain. Weighing scales precisely measure amounts for recipes. Dust control and safety features are essential.

Utilities and Ancillary Systems

Equipment	Details
Glycol chiller	Cooling for fermentation and dispense
Ice water system	Brewing liquor cooling
Compressed air	Aeration, pneumatic actuators
Steam system	Boiler, pipes, valves, and condensate returns
Wastewater	Drainage, treatment, recycling
CO2 recovery	Capturing fermenter off-gas CO2

Utility systems support brewery operations. Glycol chillers provide cooling. Ice water systems chill liquor. Compressed air powers pneumatics and aerates wort. Boilers generate steam for heating. Wastewater systems handle effluent. CO2 recovery captures fermenter off gases.

Applications and Uses of Chinese Brewing Equipment

Chinese beer equipment serves varied brewery applications:

New microbreweries and craft breweries

• Complete turnkey solutions
• Flexibility for small batch production
• Lower capital investment than Western equipment

Expanding production at existing breweries

• Incremental capacity increase
• Parallel expansion for peak seasons
• Upgrade old equipment with modern gear

Industrial mega-breweries

• High volume continuous production
• Reduce operating expenses
• Advanced automation and process control

Restaurant breweries and brewpubs

• Compact systems for limited space
• Produce fresh in-house craft beer
• Lower start-up costs than full microbrewery

Pilot brewing systems

• Small R&D or trial batches
• Test new recipes and ingredients
• Optimize processes before full production

Laboratory brewing equipment

• Miniature systems
• Evaluate quality attributes
• Analyze bitterness, color, fermentation

Contract brewing facilities

• Flexible equipment for third-party production
• Fast project execution times by suppliers
• Low-cost expansion via modular upgrades

Mobile containerized breweries

• Turnkey prefabricated container solutions
• Quick installation and relocation
• Remote brewing capabilities

Key Specifications and Design Parameters

Technical criteria drive proper equipment sizing, selection and performance:

Size and Dimensions

• Batch size, mash volume, fermenter working volume
• Footprint, height, floor space allocation
• Service access requirements, overhead clearance
• Expandability for increased future capacity

Materials and Fabrication

• Food-grade stainless steel construction
• Smooth interior surface finish
• Welded and polished seams
• Easy to inspect, clean, and maintain

Pressure Rating

• Withstand kettles steaming, CIP pressures
• ASME pressure vessel design codes
• Higher rating boosts durability

Process Connections

• Tri-clamp, thread, or flange types
• Standard ports for service utilities, sensors, valves
• Easy disassembly for maintenance and cleaning

Agitators and Drives

• Gear, chain, or belt drive systems
• Impeller shaft seals and bearings
• Adjustable speed motor controllers

Instrumentation and Controls

• Gauges, sensors, transmitters, indicators
• Actuators like valves and motors
• Analog, digital, bus communication protocols
• Degree of automation desired

Electricals and Utilities

• Power supply, motors, heaters, lighting
• Air, water, steam, CO2, glycol, drainage
• Local regulation and code compliance

Compliance with Standards

• ASME, TEMA, 3A, ISO, BIS, CE marked
• Safety features per occupational codes
• Insulation, noise reduction, energy efficiency

Suppliers of Chinese Beer Brewing Equipment

China has numerous equipment manufacturers offering beer brewing solutions:

Key Chinese Brewing Equipment Companies

Supplier	Location
Ziemann Holvrieka	Changzhou
Lehui	Shandong
GEA Group	Shanghai
DME Brewing Solutions	Shanghai
Shanghai Hengcheng Beverage	Shanghai
CFSCC	Shandong
JVNW	Jiangsu
Suntory Genvision	Jiangsu
Zhengzhou Lejin	Henan
China Beer Tech	Jiangsu

These companies offer a broad range of brewhouses, fermentation, filtration, control systems and ancillary equipment. Most will provide customized, turnkey solutions for projects of any scale.

Leading multinational firms like GEA and Ziemann Holvrieka also have significant Chinese manufacturing and engineering capabilities. Joint ventures with European partners are common.

DME Brewing Solutions and Suntory Genvision focus on craft brewery systems. JVNW excels at industrial-scale mega breweries. Lehui, CFCCC and Zhengzhou Lejin cover all segments. Shanghai Hengcheng and China Beer Tech are up-and-coming suppliers.

Overseas Offices

Many vendors operate overseas offices for international projects:

• GEA – Germany, Denmark
• Ziemann – Germany
• DME – South Africa, USA
• Lehui – UK, Australia, USA
• CFCCC – Belgium, USA
• JVNW – USA

These export offices provide project management, technical support, and localized warehousing and spare parts to global customers.

Factory Audits

Serious buyers should conduct factory audits of Chinese suppliers before purchase. This verifies their capabilities first-hand. Language barriers can be overcome using professional interpreters. Reputable vendors welcome such site visits.

Pricing for Chinese Brewing Equipment

Chinese equipment offers significant cost savings compared to European or American-made equivalents:

Equipment	China Price Range
2-vessel brewhouse	$150,000 – $500,000
5-vessel brewhouse	$500,000 – $2,000,000
Conical fermenter	$10,000 – $100,000
Bright beer tank	$20,000 – $150,000
Beer filler	$10,000 – $50,000
Plate filter	$10,000 – $50,000
Turnkey 5,000 bbl/yr brewery	$2 – $5 million
Turnkey 100,000 bbl/yr brewery	$15 – $30 million

Exact equipment pricing depends on:

• Materials of construction
• Degree of automation
• Production capacity
• Customization of design
• RMB/USD exchange rate fluctuation

Sourcing all equipment from a single-vendor allows package discounts compared to piecing together components individually.

Installing and Operating Chinese Brewing Equipment

Installation Considerations

Proper equipment installation is crucial for reliable operation:

• Civil and structural requirements
• Service connections for utilities
• Integration of instrumentation and controls
• Commissioning, testing, and calibration
• Local codes and inspection approvals

Vendors supply installation manuals, but may offer limited on-site support, especially overseas. Hiring a local contractor with brewery expertise is recommended for assembly, debugging, and commissioning if the brewer lacks sufficient technical skills.

Operating Parameters

Key operating parameters for Chinese brewing equipment include:

Brewhouse

• Mash temp: 45-65°C
• Kettle boil: 95-105°C
• Wort production: 1-20 brews/day
• Steam pressure: 0.6-1 MPa