Large Scale Beer Brewing Equipment

Overview of large scale beer brewing equipment

Commercial beer production requires large scale beer brewing equipment to produce the high volumes needed for distribution and sales. This guide provides a comprehensive look at the end-to-end systems, machinery, tanks, and components that make up a large scale brewery.

Whether you are looking to start your own brewery business or upgrade your existing operations, understanding the full beer production process is essential to choose the right equipment for your goals. We cover the pros and cons of the various options and provide data-driven comparisons to help you make the optimal investments.

This article outlines the core equipment for each stage – from brewhouse to fermentation, conditioning, filtration, and packaging. Technical specifications, standards, installation factors, and operating procedures are detailed in easy-to-use tables. Supplier options are also provided with indicative pricing.

An overview of the key factors to consider when designing and setting up a large scale brewing system is provided below:

Main Equipment in a large scale beer brewing equipment

Brewhouse

• Brew kettle – Mash tun – Lauter tun – Wort kettle – Whirlpool

Fermentation and Maturation

• Fermentation tanks – Maturation tanks

Filtration and Stabilization

• Filters – Pasteurizers

Carbonation and Bright Beer Tanks

• Brite tanks – Carbonation

Packaging

• Bottling line – Kegging line – Canning line

Ancillary Equipment

• Grain handling – Piping – CO2 systems – Cleaning systems – Cooling systems – Boilers – Compressors – Control systems

Key Considerations for large scale beer brewing equipment

• Production Volume – Higher output requires larger brewing vessels and more fermentation tanks. Scale all sections to match target batch sizes and total annual output.
• Floor Space and Heights – Adequate floor space is needed for brewhouse, fermentation room, storage, packaging halls, and warehousing. Optimal layout improves work flows. Ceiling height is critical.
• Utilities – Water, power, steam, compressed air, and wastewater management systems must be set up to supply the brewery.
• Automation – Reduces labor and improves consistency. Consider level of automation from brewhouse to packaging.
• Quality Control – Inline sensors and lab equipment needed to check gravity, alcohol, CO2, microbiology etc. at each stage.
• Budget – Match equipment capabilities and capacities to production goals and financial resources. Prioritize investments for current needs and future expansion.
• Local Regulations – Adhere to regulations on production processes, emissions, wastewater, etc. Get required permits.

By planning your brewhouse, fermentation, filtration, storage, and packaging sections using this guide, you can design an efficient end-to-end brewing system customized for your specific requirements.

Brewhouse Equipment

The brewhouse is where the magic of beer brewing begins. This section covers the essential vessels and machinery needed to produce wort – the sweet liquid extracted from malt that gets fermented into beer.

Key Functions of the Brewhouse

• Milling – Crushing malt into grist
• Mashing – Mixing grist with hot water for starch conversion
• Lautering – Separating sweet wort from spent grains
• Wort boiling – Sterilizing, extracting flavors, coagulating proteins
• Whirlpooling – Settling trub before fermentation

Malt Handling Equipment

Malt Silos

Malt silos store whole grain. Different silos used for base malts and specialty malts. Volume depends on production and frequency of deliveries.

Malt Mill

• Roller mill crushes malt into grist for mashing
• Two or four roller configurations
• Rollers have fluted or smooth surfaces
• Gap between rollers sets coarseness of crush
• Malt is fed automatically from silos
• Optimize crush for maximum extract but avoid flouring

Grist Case

• Holds freshly milled grist between the mill and mash tun
• Keeps grist contained and allows buffer time for milling and mashing
• Various capacities matched to batch volumes

Screens

• Remove small particulates from grist before mashing
• Prevent lauter tun issues and extraction inefficiencies

Grist Hydrators

• Optional – Mix grist with water before adding to mash tun
• Improves extraction by hydrating husks before mashing

Grist Weighers

• Weigh batches of grist for recipe formulation
• Automated weighing improves consistency and reduces labor

Grist Transport System

• Enclosed screw or pneumatic conveyors
• Quickly transport grist to mash tun

Type	Capacity	Power	Size	Price Range
Malt silo	5 – 500 metric tons	N/A	Match storage needs	$5,000-$500,000
Roller mill	1 – 50 metric tons/hr	15 – 250 kW	Varies	$5,000-$250,000
Grist case	1 – 250 hl	N/A	Varies	$5,000-$100,000
Grist hydrator	1 – 100 metric tons/hr	1 – 250 kW	Varies	$1,000-$100,000
Grist weigher	50 – 5000 kg batches	N/A	Varies	$5,000-$50,000
Grist transport	10 – 200 metric tons/hr	1 – 10 kW	Varies	$5,000-$100,000

Mashing Equipment

Mash Tun

• Mixes grist with hot water in sequence to convert starch into fermentable sugars
• Stirring system for uniform temperature and conversion
• Insulated to maintain desired mash temperature
• Steel or copper construction
• Separates sweet wort from spent grains

Mash Filter

• Alternative to lauter tun
• Faster lautering using pressure and filtration
• More compact design
• Lower extraction efficiency (~2% less)
• Higher capital and operating costs

Mash Pumps

• Recirculate wort through grain bed for clarity and efficiency
• Maintain desired flow rates and temperatures
• Various pump types used – centrifugal, PD, turbine

Heat Exchangers

• Heat water used for mashing and sparging
• Steam-based or electric systems
• Maintain tight temperature control

Mixing Systems

• Mixing rakes, paddles, or jets
• Important for uniform mash conditions
• Reduce dough balls and temperature gradients

Type	Capacity	Power	Size	Price Range
Mash tun	5 – 250 hl/batch	10 – 500 kW	Varies	$50,000-$1,000,000
Mash filter	10 – 250 hl/batch	15 – 250 kW	Smaller	$100,000-$1,500,000
Mash pump	10 – 250 m3/hr	2 – 250 kW	Varies	$1,000-$100,000
Heat exchanger	50 – 5000 kW	Steam or electric	Varies	$10,000-$500,000
Mixing system	Tun dependent	1 – 50 kW	NA	$10,000-$100,000

large scale beer brewing equipment

Lauter Tun

• Traditional tun with false bottom to separate wort
• Rakes for grain bed conditioning
• Spray nozzles for sparging
• Longer lautering time

Mash Filter

• Covered above – faster filtration alternative

Wort Grant

• Collects clear wort from the lauter tun
• Level and flow instruments for automated control
• Pipes transfer wort to kettle

Sparge Arm

• Distributes hot water evenly over grain bed
• Improves extraction efficiency
• Spray nozzles designed to avoid channeling

Wort Pumps

• Transfer wort post-lautering to kettle
• Centrifugal or PD pumps used
• Flow and pressure control instruments

Type	Capacity	Power	Size	Price Range
Lauter tun	Brew length	N/A	Varies	$50,000-$1,000,000
Wort grant	Tun dependent	N/A	NA	$10,000-$50,000
Sparge arm	Varies	N/A	NA	$1,000-$10,000
Wort pump	10 – 250 m3/hr	2 – 250 kW	Varies	$1,000-$100,000

Wort Boiling Equipment

Brew Kettle

• Boils wort to extract flavors, sterilize, and coagulate proteins
• Steam or direct fire heating
• Internal calandria or external boiler
• Various shapes – cylinders, tun shapes, pans
• Agitators for mixing and boiling action

Whirlpool Vessel

• Separates protein trub and hops
• Swirl action for trub cone formation
• Reduces carryover into fermenters
• Can be integrated with brew kettle or separate tank

Wort Aerator

• Aerates cooled wort before yeast pitching
• Needed for healthy fermentation
• Various designs – subsurface mixers, venturi, nozzle-based

Heat Exchangers

• Cool hot wort to fermentation temperature
• Plate heat exchangers or shell and tube
• May be combined with wort aerator

Pumps

• Wort pumps – transfer to whirlpool and heat exchangers
• Various types – centrifugal, PD, lobe

Type	Capacity	Power	Size	Price Range
Brew kettle	5 – 250 hl batches	50 – 5000 kW	Varies	$50,000-$2,000,000
Whirlpool	Matched to kettle	Small	NA	$10,000-$500,000
Wort aerator	1000 – 100000 hl/hr	2 – 250 kW	Varies	$1,000-$100,000
Wort cooler	1000 – 100000 hl/hr	50 – 5000 kW	Varies	$10,000-$1,000,000
Wort pump	10 – 250 m3/hr	2 – 250 kW	Varies	$1,000-$100,000

Brewhouse Control Systems

• Automated recipe management and batch control
• Integrates motors, valves, sensors, flows, levels, and temperatures
• Improves efficiency, consistency, reporting, and compliance
• Options range from basic to advanced functionality

Type	Capabilities	Price Range
Manual	Basic gauges only	N/A
Semi-auto	Basic sequence control	$10,000-$50,000
Automatic	Advanced run screens, data capture	$50,000-$500,000

Fermentation and Maturation Equipment

Fermentation transforms wort into beer over days to weeks through yeast activity. Maturation further conditions and clarifies the beer prior to packaging. The key vessels in this section are:

Fermentation Tanks

Function

• Ferments wort into beer
• Closed, oxygen-free environment for pure yeast activity
• Temperature control for optimal fermentation

Types

• Cylindrical – Most common, lower surface to volume ratio, cone or flat bottom, height can exceed diameter for volume
• Square – More compact footprint, challenging drainage, limited availability
• Open – Older, allows natural yeast capture, risk of contamination, rarely used for large breweries

Construction

• Stainless steel is standard – durable, impermeable, corrosion resistance, hygienic
• Special alloys offer improved corrosion resistance

Sizes

• Scale total tank volume and number of tanks to match batch and annual volumes
• Individual tanks can range from 50 hl to 2500 hl
• Optimal size balances flexibility and economy of scale

Temperature Control

• Jackets for heating/cooling using glycol or other heat transfer fluids
• Adjustable based on yeast strain and beer type
• Tight control improves quality and consistency

Yeast Management

• Bottom cone with valve for yeast slurry removal
• Top manways for dry yeast pitching

Type	Capacity	Height/Diameter	Price Range
Cylindrical	50 – 2500 hl	1:1 – 4:1 H:D	$10,000 – $500,000
Square	50 – 2500 hl	NA	$10,000 – $500,000

Maturation Tanks

Functions

• Ages beer after primary fermentation
• Clarification and flavor development
• Carbonation for cask ale or secondary fermentation

Design and Options

• Similar stainless steel cylindrical tanks with conical bottom
• Jacketed for temperature control
• Mild agitation improves conditioning and clarity
• Unsure conditioning requirements? Install smaller tanks first.

Brites and Unitanks

• Combines fermentation, maturation, and storage
• Reduces transfers and risk of oxygenation
• Higher capital cost but operational advantages
• Best for consistent products

Type	Capacity	Price Range
Maturation only	50 – 2500 hl	$10,000 – $500,000
Brite/unitank	50 – 2500 hl	$15,000 – $750,000

Yeast Management Systems

• Yeast storage tanks – maintains yeast supply
• Pitching and cropping stations – handles transfer to fermenters
• Monitoring – checks viability and purity
• Propagation – grow-up systems for pitching
• Automation reduces open handling.

Filtration and Stabilization Equipment

Various filters and equipment help clarify beer, adjust carbonation, ensure microbial stability, and prepare bright beer for packaging.

Filtration

Types

• Precoat – Kieselguhr and perlite medium
• Plate and frame – series of membrane plates
• Centrifugal – spinning sedimentation
• Crossflow – ceramic membrane filtration

Characteristics

• Remove yeast, haze particles, colloids
• Adjust level of clarification from coarse to sterile
• Balance removal efficiency, throughput rate, maintenance needs

Operation

• Multiple stages from coarse to final clarification
• Pre-filters protect finer membranes
• CIP systems clean between batches

Type	Throughput	Price Range
Precoat	50 – 500 hl/hr	$50,000 – $500,000
Plate and frame	10 – 250 hl/hr	$20,000 – $250,000
Centrifugal	10 – 250 hl/hr	$50,000 – $750,000
Crossflow	10 – 250 hl/hr	$75,000 – $1,000,000

Pasteurization

• Heats beer to sterilize and stabilize
• Typically 60-90°C for 15-60 minutes
• Better flavor stability than filtration alone
• Tunnel or plate-based systems

Carbon Dioxide Removal

• Strips excess CO2 before packaging
• Prevents overcarbonation and foaming
• Degassing columns with vacuum, temperature, pressure control

Carbonation

• Adds CO2 for packaged product
• Brite tank carbonation
• Inline carbonation during filling
• Level depends on product style

Bright Beer Tanks

Conditioned beer is transferred to bright tanks prior to packaging.

• Chilled storage awaiting packaging
• Clarification through settling
• Carbonation to style specification
• Protection from air and contamination

Bright Tank Types

• Cylindrical – Standard for beer storage
• Variable Pressure – Carbonation control capability
• Brites – Combined fermentation and bright functions

Size and Quantity

• Total volume based on production, packaging schedule
• Individual tanks from 50 – 1000 hl
• Multiple tanks for flexibility and cleaning cycles

Features

• ASME pressure rating
• CIP spray balls
• CO2 injection and mixing
• Cooling jackets
• Level sensors

Type	Capacity	Price Range
Cylindrical	50 – 1000 hl	$10,000 – $250,000
Variable pressure	50 – 1000 hl	$15,000 – $500,000
Brite/unitank	50 – 1000 hl	$15,000 – $750,000

Packaging Equipment

Packaging lines fill beer into barrels, kegs, cans, and bottles at high speeds.

Bottling Line

Key Components

• Bottle washer – cleaner and sanitizer
• Filler – automated counterpressure filling valves
• Capper – presses caps onto filled bottles
• Labeller – front, back, neck labels
• Packer – cases filled bottles

Line Speed and Automation

• Up to 120,000 bottles per hour (1500 cases/hr)
• High degree of automation
• Servo motors and variable frequency drives

Inline Quality Control

• Fill level, cap inspection, label inspection
• Rejects bottles with defects
• Reduces waste

Changeover

• Toolless changeover kits enable quick product changeovers
• Reduce downtime between production runs