how to choose the Best Brewery Equipment

Brewing beer requires a range of specialized equipment to produce consistent, high-quality beer batches. Selecting the right brewery equipment is crucial for both homebrewers and commercial breweries to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and create signature brews.

This comprehensive guide explores the essential brewing equipment needed at various production scales. It provides an overview of the different types of brewing equipment available, their key features and considerations for choosing the best system for your needs.

Overview of Brewery Equipment

Brewing beer is a complex process that requires carefully controlling different parameters at each stage – from milling and mashing to lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, and packaging. The main equipment used can be broadly categorized into:

Brewing Equipment Category	Function	Key Equipment
Milling	Crushing malt to expose starches	Malt mill
Mashing	Mixing crushed malt with hot water to convert starches to sugar	Mash tun
Lautering	Separating sweet wort from spent grains	Lauter tun, grant
Boiling	Boiling wort with hops for flavor, aroma, preservation	Brew kettle
Whirlpool	Separating trub and hops from wort	Whirlpool
Fermenting	Yeast fermentation to produce alcohol and flavors	Fermenter, temperature control
Conditioning	Allowing beer to mature and clarify	Brite tank, filter
Packaging	Filling beer into kegs, cans, bottles	Filler, seamer, labeller

While basic homebrewing requires just a few vessels for mashing, boiling, and fermenting, commercial breweries utilize specialized equipment for each stage in the process. Larger production volumes also demand equipment that can handle heavy loads and automation.

Let’s look at the key equipment in detail:

Malt Handling and Milling

The first step is to take malt grains and crush them into grist to expose the starch reserves needed for mashing.

Equipment	Details
Malt mill	Two or three roller mill crushes malt kernels between grooved rollers into a coarse grist suitable for mashing. Allows adjusting the gap between rollers to control grind size. Can be manual or motorized.
Malt silo	Stores dry malt to be automatically fed into the milling system. Keeps malt in cool, dry conditions to prevent spoilage.
Malt conveyor	Transports malt to the mill and grist to the mash tun. Can be bucket elevators, screw augers, or belt conveyors.
dust collection	Collects fine particulates from the mill to improve air quality and prevent explosions. Usually bag house filters or cyclone separators.

Key factors for malt milling equipment:

• Grind size – Aim for 0.2 – 1 mm coarse crush. Too fine increases astringency, too coarse gives poor extraction.
• Milling rate – Match capacity to batch size. Fast, continuous milling is better.
• Malt handling – Gentle malt movement prevents damage to husks.
• Automated operation – Integrated from malt silos through milling reduces labor.

Mashing Equipment

Mashing converts malt starches to fermentable sugars by mixing with hot water. The main vessel is the:

Equipment	Details
Mash tun	Insulated stainless steel vessel where grist is hydrated at specific temperatures to facilitate starch conversion. Helical coils or direct steam injection heats mash. Mixing done via paddles or pumped recirculation.
Lauter tun	Similar to mash tun but with false slotted bottom to separate sweet wort from spent grains.

Design factors for mash tuns:

• Volume – Size batches according to production goals. Factor in headspace.
• Insulation – Maintain mash temperature throughout to ensure full conversion.
• Mixing – Prevent dough balls and ensure homogenous mash for efficiency.
• Heating – Achieve rapid heating for mash steps and boiling. Direct steam best for energy efficiency.
• Recirculation – Clearer wort and better extraction with pumped recirculation.
• Automation – Programmable process control for mash schedules.

Lautering Equipment

Lautering separates the sugary wort by filtering out spent grains. Equipment includes:

Equipment	Details
Lauter tun	Mashing and lautering can be done in one vessel with false bottom and sparge arms.
Grant	Collects clear wort from the lauter tun. Allows racking off trub.
Wort pump	Pumps wort to kettle or heats exchanger if needed. Centrifugal or PD pumps.
Sparge arms	Showers water evenly across the grain bed to extract more sugars.

Design considerations for lautering:

• Fast runoffs – Slotted false-bottom with adequate surface area and smooth transitions.
• Complete extraction – Good sparging essential to reach high efficiency.
• Clear wort – Grant for settling out trub, whirlpool for hop removal.
• Automated process – Programmable to control sparge cycles and volumes.

Wort Boiling

Vigorous boiling of wort is critical to extract hop flavors, denature proteins, and sanitize the wort.

Equipment	Details
Brew kettle	Boils wort with hops. Direct fire or steam heated. Minimum 15% headspace.
Whirlpool	Swirl tank separates hops and coagulated proteins after boiling.
Heat exchanger	Quickly cools boiled wort using chilled water or glycol. Plate or shell and tube types.

Kettle design factors:

• Volume – Size for full batch boil volume plus headspace.
• Direct fire vs steam – Natural gas burners better for kettle caramelization. Steam saves energy.
• Automatic controls – Precise temperature and boil levels.
• Whirlpool – Essential to remove trub pre-fermentation.
• Heat exchanger – Quick cooling vital to preserve hop flavors.

Fermentation and Maturation

Fermenting and conditioning beer requires temperature-controlled vessels. Equipment includes:

Equipment	Details
Fermenter	Cylindroconical or open top stainless tank where yeast ferments cooled wort into beer.
Temperature control	Jackets for glycol or water cooling. Heat exchangers to maintain fermentation temperature.
Brite tank	Pressurized vessel for clarifying, carbonating, and storing beer before packaging.

Key fermenter features:

• Volume – Scale to batch and production size. Factor multiple units.
• Geometry – Conical better for yeast capture. Cylindrical easier to clean.
• Cooling – Ensure precise temperature control for clean fermentation.
• Yeast handling – Smooth interior and cone angle for drainage.
• Cleaning – Easily cleaned and sanitized to prevent contamination.
• Monitoring – Sample valves and sensors to track fermentation progress.

Packaging Equipment

Packaging equipment fills beer into kegs, cans, bottles, or other packages. Main types are:

Equipment	Details
Filler	Fills package with beer. In-line fillers for continuous operation. Isobaric counter-pressure fillers.
Seamer	Seals lids on cans and bottles. Automated for speed and precision.
Labeller	Automated application of labels during filling. Self-adhesive or glue labels.
Keg washer	Cleaning and sanitizing kegs before reuse. CIP sprayballs.
Conveyors	Transport empty packages to fillers and full packages to palletizing.

Packaging line design considerations:

• Speed – Output to match production volumes. Up to 1800 bpm fillers.
• Automation – Integrated cleaning, filling, seaming speeds up the process.
• Changeover – Flexible equipment config for multiple package formats.
• Size – Accommodate all package sizes – bottles, cans, kegs.
• Quality – Gentle package handling to prevent foaming and oxidation.
• Safety – Enclosed line safeguards employees. CIP systems minimize risks.

Choosing the Best Brewery Equipment

With a wide range of brewing equipment available, selecting the right systems requires balancing key factors:

Factor	Considerations
Production goals	Match equipment capacity and batch sizes to annual and peak output targets. Factor growth.
Budget	Budget not only initial cost but operating expenses like energy and maintenance over lifetime.
Process automation	Level of manual operation vs automated controls and monitoring.
Available space	Floorspace needed for equipment footprint and clearances. Height constraints.
Service and support	Installation services. Local availability of parts and technical support.
Quality and consistency	Tight process control for reproducible beer characteristics.
Flexibility	Ability to adjust recipes and brew different beer styles. Quick packaging changeovers.

Besides core equipment, auxiliary systems like cleaning, cooling, power, water, compressed air, and safety systems are also vital.

While going from small to large scale equipment, critical transitions are:

• 10 bbl brewhouse for a microbrewery selling locally
• 30 bbl system capable of canning and bottling for expanded regional distribution
• 60-100 bbl equipment for major packaging lines and nationwide reach

Brewery Equipment Suppliers

Reputable brewery equipment manufacturers offer fully engineered brewhouse solutions tailored to your needs. Here are leading global suppliers across budget levels:

Supplier	Country	Cost Level	Strengths
Rolec Prozess und Brautechnik	Germany	$$$	German engineered, high end
JVNW	USA	$$	Quality american stainless systems
Meura	Belgium	$$$	Top notch mash filters
Premier Stainless Systems	USA	$$	Custom fabrication, value
Specific Mechanical Systems	Canada	$$	Specialize in craft brewhouses
Pentair	USA	$$	Affordable packaged solutions
Stout Tanks	USA	$-$$	Wide range of fermenters
KEG	USA	$$	Quality fermenters, brite tanks
Newlands Systems	Canada	$-$$	Budget friendly systems

• Rolec and Meura offer sophisticated fully automated brewhouses but at premium pricing.
• JVNW provides high quality american made systems with great service. Widely used by craft breweries.
• KEG and Stout provide high quality temperature controlled fermentation tanks across a range of budgets.
• Newlands and Premier Stainless allow getting into commercial brewing without breaking the bank.

How to Choose the Right Brewery Equipment Supplier

Selecting the ideal brewing system supplier goes beyond comparing specs and pricing. Here is a guide on vendor evaluation criteria:

Criteria	Key Questions
Offerings	Do they provide brewhouse as well as fermentation and packaging equipment? What systems can they integrate?
Customization	Can they customize systems based on your production goals and facility constraints?
Quality	What materials and fabrication standards do they follow? How precise are their systems?
Performance	How efficient and reliable are their systems? Do they help optimize processes?
Service	Do they handle equipment installation and provide training? How responsive is technical support?
Experience	How long have they been providing brewery equipment? Examples of systems installed for your required capacity?
Business stability	Are they financially sound? Will they be around for long term support?
Reputation	What do other brewers say about their equipment and service quality?
Local presence	Do they have a sales and service team within your area for assistance?
Pricing	Are their systems competitively and fairly priced? How reasonable are maintenance costs?

It is advisable to visit facilites using the supplier’s equipment to view them firsthand and discuss satisfaction directly with those brewers. Take up references provided to make an informed decision backed by peers’ experiences.

Key Specifications for Brewery Equipment

Brewing equipment has various technical parameters and features that influence quality, efficiency, and capability. Here are the key specifications to look for when selecting equipment:

Equipment	Key Specifications
Malt mill	Rollers: 2 or 3; Roller diameter; Roller width; Roller material and groove pattern; Roller gap adjustment: Manual or automatic; Milling rate: kg/hr; Motor power
Mash tun	Total volume; Batch size; Tun material: Stainless steel grade; Insulation type and thickness; Heating: Direct steam or coils; Mixing: Paddles or pumped recirculation; Controls: Manual or automatic; Materials for valves and fittings
Lauter tun	Total volume; Height to diameter ratio; False bottom design – slotted or perforated; False bottom area; Number of collection channels; Sparge arms; Wort collection rate
Brew kettle	Total volume; Height to diameter ratio; Heating: Direct fire or steam; Material thickness and grade; Automatic controls; Whirlpool design; Heat exchanger specs – plates or tubes
Fermenter	Total volume; Height to diameter ratio; Number of CIP sprayballs; Cooling jacket design; Pressure rating; Number of sample valves; Temperature and density sensors; Materials of valves, fittings, seals
Brite tank	Volume; Pressure rating; Cooling system; Carbonation; Number of ports; Filters; CO2 purge system
Packaging	throughput per minute; Changeover time; Filler design; Package size flexibility; Pasteurization or sterilization system if included; Safety features; Labeler model; Conveyor length and speed

Compare equipment based on key performance criteria and choose the system that best fits your brewing requirements. Test out the equipment beforehand if possible to validate actual performance.

Installation and Facility Requirements

Proper installation and integrating brewing equipment into the facility is critical for smooth operations. Here are the key considerations:

Factor	Details Checklist
Space planning	– Sufficient room for all equipment items<br>- Adequate clearance zones for operation and maintenance access<br>- Headspace for lifting vessels<br>- Linear equipment layout for efficient flow
Equipment foundations	– Concrete pedestal pads or elevated platforms<br>- Vibration isolation<br>- Anchoring and bracing systems<br>- Coordinate with supplier on requirements
Utilities	– Sufficient electrical supply and circuits<br>- Amperage load calculations for all motors<br>- Steam boiler requirements if needed<br>- Water connections – volume and quality<br>- CO2 distribution – bulk tank location and distribution lines
Integrations	– Grist handling systems<br>- Piping between brewhouse vessels and fermentation room<br>- CIP system tie-ins<br>- Cooling water, glycol, and refrigeration lines<br>- Any automation system programming and sensors

Create equipment layout drawings and piping schematics. Coordinate with architects, contractors and equipment vendors. Get supplier approval before installing systems.

Commissioning and Training

Before starting commercial operations, new equipment needs commissioning:

Task	Details Checklist
Delivery inspection	Check for any damage or missing parts Ensure design matches specifications Review documentation provided – manuals, schematics
Installation signoff	Verify correct positioning and clearances Check alignments, fasteners, fittings Sign off on completed installation
Utilities check	Establish electrical, water, pneumatic and any other connections Calibrate sensors, test valves
Initial startup	First use with just water, check for leaks Confirm pumps are primed, measure flow rates Step through typical batch process and validate sequencing
Control tuning	Run multiple batches while tuning process control parameters Tweak automation settings and alarm thresholds as needed
Test batches	Run trials with grain and assess product quality Make adjustments to equipment or procedures
Operator training	Review equipment manuals and safety procedures Hands on process training during test batches Assess skills and address knowledge gaps

Schedule equipment supplier’s technicians on site for installation supervision, commissioning and operator training. Continue support until achieving production targets.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Routine maintenance keeps brewery equipment trouble-free for continuous production. Standard procedures include:

Maintenance Task	Typical Frequency
Inspections	Daily: Check for any wear, leaks, unusual noises, errors
Lubrication	Weekly: Grease bearings and moving parts
Fasteners	Monthly: Check and tighten any loose hinges, flanges, frames
Gasket checks	Monthly: Replace worn valve and hatch gaskets
Calibration	Monthly: Check sensor accuracy and recalibrate
Replacement	Annual: Replace gaskets, seals, filters, worn parts
Major overhaul	2-4 years: Major reconditioning of vessels

Daily and weekly cleaning of equipment is also essential:

• CIP sprayballs to clean vessels and lines
• Disassemble valves and fittings for manual scrubbing
• Rinse out hoses and pumps thoroughly
• Check tanks are fully drained
• Verify cleaning efficacy through ATP testing

Document all maintenance and cleaning procedures followed. Schedule annual service contracts with equipment suppliers.

Choosing Between New vs Used Equipment

When starting a brewery, a key decision is whether to invest in brand new equipment or purchase used systems. Here is a comparison:

Factor	New Equipment	Used Equipment
Cost	Expensive, major investment. But get full lifetime usage	Significant cost savings around 50%. But may have shorter remaining life
Performance	Latest technology for efficiency and quality. Reliable	May not match new equipment performance and can have wear issues
Maintenance	Under warranty period. Minimal maintenance needs initially	More maintenance and repairs possible. Check condition thoroughly.
Design	Can customize and tailor to your needs and space	May need modifications to suit brewery. Limited on design choices.
Availability	May require ordering systems well in advance	Can source from breweries upgrading equipment or going out of business
Support	Vendor training and service contracts included	May lack technical support from vendor or previous owner
Resale value	Can recover much of investment when selling later	Depreciates faster than new equipment would

Evaluate cost versus benefit tradeoffs smartly based on long term business goals. New turnkey systems reduce startup effort but used equipment can