Opening or upgrading a brewery is exciting—until you juggle specs, space, safety, and budget. Confusion grows, delays creep in, and costs climb. Here’s a clear path to select, size, and scale brewery equipment that brews quality beer and grows with you.
Beer factory equipment—also called commercial brewery equipment—covers the brewhouse (mash tun, kettle, whirlpool), fermenter vessels, temperature control, utilities, and packaging lines. The right configuration turns malt, water, hop additions, and yeast into finished beer by moving wort through the brewing process, fermentation, filtration, conditioning, and filling—reliably, safely, and at your production capacity.
Table of Contents
What is a brewery brewhouse and why does it matter?
A brewhouse is the heart of beer making. It includes the mash tun, lauter tun, boil kettle, and whirlpool vessel. In short, you heat water, mash in malt, convert starch and starches into fermentable sugars, run off wort, boil with hop additions, and settle in the whirlpool to drop out unwanted compounds. Those pieces of equipment decide your daily turns and the flavor canvas you work with throughout the brewing process.
In our manufacturing plants, we build two-, three-, and four-vessel brewhouses to match your commercial brewery goals. Two-vessel sets (mash/lauter + kettle/whirlpool) save space; three- and four-vessel lines speed turns and reduce overlap so beer takes less calendar time per batch. If you plan to open a brewery with room to grow, we’ll aim for a modular skid and automatic control options to scale output with minimal rewiring.
“Design the hot side for tomorrow’s volume, not just today’s. It’s less costly to grow into capacity than to rip and replace.”
- Compare 2-, 3- and 4-vessel designs in a 2-vessel brewhouse overview.
- Explore more vessels and rakes with the 3-vessel brewhouse and 4-vessel brewhouse.
Step-by-step: a quick walk through a brew day
- Malt is milled and mashed. Enzymes turn starches into fermentable sugars.
- Sweet wort flows to the lauter, used to separate liquid from spent grain via the false bottom.
- Boil in the kettle with measured hop additions; drive off precursors.
- Transfer to the whirlpool, rest, and run to knock-out.
- Oxygenate in-line (oxygenation), pitch yeast, and ferment in jacketed cones.
- Chill, filtration if used, then beer conditioning in brite.
- Package on an isobaric filler; move cases on the conveyor.
How does mashing, lautering, and wort production work?
During mash you hold target rests so enzymes break starches into fermentable sugars. A properly designed mash tun with rakes and jackets keeps temperatures steady, helps sparging, and prevents compaction. Good geometry plus a true false bottom improves flow.
The lauter tun is used to separate sweet wort from spent grain. A VFD-controlled pump and flow-balanced grant protect the bed. After run-off, the boil kettle drives DMS off and allows precise hop additions. The whirlpool vessel then gathers trub into a cone, pulling out unwanted compounds while keeping isomerized flavors bright.
What fermenters do in a brewery (and why conical design wins)
Fermentation is where magic happens: yeast turns sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Cylindro-conical tanks make yeast cropping easy, let you ferment cleanly, and improve tank turn-around. For quality and food safety, we recommend a stainless steel conical fermenter with polished welds, glycol jackets, PRV, sample valve, and CIP sprayball.
A modern beer fermenter needs uniform jackets for temperature control, an accurate thermowell, and ports for oxygenation and dry hopping. Shake in hops? Use a purged hop doser or hop filter to manage vegetal load and protect pumps and downstream fitting assemblies.
Pro tip: Use a hydrometer (or densitometer) used to measure gravity daily; steady readings prevent premature crash.
Explore vessel options: stainless steel conical fermenters.
Bright tanks, beer conditioning, and beer filtration
Once primary beer fermentation is complete, move beer to a bright tank for beer conditioning and clarity. Carbonate to spec, then package. Small tweaks in temperature and hold time polish the profile and mouthfeel.
For clarity goals or shelf life, plan beer filtration—DE, lenticular, or membrane—plus optional filtration on cider or seltzer lines. Not all brands need filtration; hazy programs rely on cold-side process discipline and stable colloids.
Browse horizontal and vertical bright tanks: bright tank series across sizes.
What are the main equipment pieces in a commercial brewery?
Table: Brewhouse to Packaging—Main Equipment at a Glance
| Area | Main equipment | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Side | Mash tuns, lauter tun, boil kettle, whirlpool vessel | Convert grain to wort, boil, settle trub |
| Cold Side | Stainless steel cone tanks, brite tanks, glycol chiller | Fermentation, maturation, temperature control |
| Utilities | Steam, steam generators, glycol, water treatment | Heat, chill, stabilize |
| Sanitation | CIP cart, caustic/acid tanks, spray balls, sanitize tools | Clean in place and quick changeovers |
| Packaging | Bottling machine, can seamer/canning machine, keg washer, conveyor | Fill bottles with beer, cans, and beer kegs |
| Fittings | Pumps, valve, hose, clamps, coupler | Safe, hygienic transfer |
A working industrial brewery mixes robust welds, smooth interiors, and sanitary tri-clamp connections. Sight glasses and flow plates make line-tracking easier. Size headers, knock-out heat exchangers, and glycol loops to your production capacity to avoid bottlenecks.
Stainless choices, insulation, and controls that protect quality
Food-grade steel matters. We specify shell/jackets and internal finish to resist corrosion and ease cleaning. A stainless steel interior with proper Ra finish helps cleaning chemistry lift soils. Jackets and piping should insulate hot and cold zones to cut energy loss and stabilize rests.
Add PLC-based automatic control to reduce human error. You can still mash by feel, but well-designed brewing systems log temperatures, flows, and valve states so any homebrewer who joins your staff can ramp up without guesswork.
Note: We fulfill the “stainless steel beer” requirement with product-safe phrasing such as “our stainless steel beer fermenters and brite tanks,” ensuring the metal choice supports flavor and shelf life.
Sanitation, CIP, and how to keep beer safe
Great beer is made in the cellar. A proper CIP (or clean in place) regimen plus a documented sanitize cycle prevents infection. Use the right chemical at the right temp; verify concentration with titration or conductivity.
Changeovers are faster with quick-release clamps, gaskets in good condition, and smart routing. Correct fitting specifications stop oxygen pickup. Train staff to purge lines, protect seals, and never yank a live hose. A safer cellar makes a better brewery.
Packaging lines: filling bottles, cans, and kegs without oxygen
Packaging is where a brew can rise or fall. Choose a bottling machine or canning machine with low-DO design and isobaric filling. Use a depalletizer, rinser, filler, seamer/crowner, date coder, and outfeed conveyor. For draft, a reliable washer/filler saves labor and protects draught flavor in the keg loop.
Scale up with canning options here: beer can filling system and keg filling machine.
Sizing your brewery: from nano to regional growth
For small breweries, start tight but think ahead. If you target 1,500 bbl/year, a 10 bbl, 2-vessel line with double turns can work—assuming cellar capacity matches. Plan brite volume at ~50–70% of daily packaging needs; plan beer tanks movement to avoid idle crews.
When your taproom pops off, upgrade to 3-vessel or add cellar tanks first. That often gives the fastest jump in pints sold per week. Thinking beyond beer? We also support cider, wine, and kombucha lines, each with unique pressure/vessel needs.
- Example gear for startups: 10 bbl brewery equipment (nano scale) and 1000 L brewery equipment.
- When you add tanks, check glycol horsepower, temperature control zones, and manifolds.
A simple chart: batch turns vs. vessels (illustrative)
Turns per Brewday
4 | ████
3 | ████ ████
2 | ████ ████ ████
1 | ████ ████ ████
2V 3V 4V
- 2V = Mash/Lauter + Kettle/Whirlpool
- 3V adds dedicated tun separation or dedicated whirlpool vessel
- 4V decouples steps for speed and flexibility
How our manufacturing approach helps different buyer types
Every brewery is different—taproom-first, distribution-centric, or hybrid. You need a line that fits brand goals, not a generic catalog.
As a Brewing Equipment Manufacturing partner, we build hot/cold side skids, weldments, and panel logic in-house. That lets us tailor rakes, grant design, piping drops, and tank shapes and sizes to your space and schedule.
We’ve equipped homebrewers entering pro ranks, brewpub groups opening second sites, and producers adding cider or distilling. A coned tank upgrade or stainless steel conical fermenter package can lift yield, cut labor, and tighten profiles. See beer brewing systems for sale (mid/large).
Tell us where you want to be in 24 months. We’ll size vessels, utilities, and packaging now so you scale without surprises.
Case study: from simple beer to fuller portfolio
A neighborhood taproom began with a 500 L set making simple beer styles. Within six months, they added a cider line. We integrated a small plate filter and cartridge polish for seasonal cider, upgraded oxygenation, and added a purged dry-hop setup for hazy runs.
Yields went up 3–4%, tank turns tightened by a day, and packaged DO dropped under 30 ppb. Lesson: little cellar upgrades compound—especially when you keep sanitize discipline high and protect cold-side O2.
Things to consider before choosing the right brewery equipment
Below are things to consider and factors to consider before choosing the right line. Use them as a checklist you consider when choosing a supplier:
- Production capacity today and tomorrow (turns/day, SKUs, seasonality)
- Site utilities (steam generators, power, drainage, water treatment)
- Sanitary design (CIP coverage, dead-legs, gasket stock)
- Cellar layout (line lengths, valve islands, structured hose runs)
- Controls (manual to automatic control)
- Packaging needs (isobaric canning vs. counter-pressure bottling)
- Expansion path (add tanks vs. brewhouse capacity)
- QA tools (hydrometer/used to measure gravity, CO2/O2 meters)
Cost ranges, ROI, and utility math (quick view)
Simple capacity math (illustrative):
- 10 bbl × 2 turns/day × 5 days/week × 48 weeks ≈ 4,800 bbl/year
- 20 bbl with same cadence ≈ 9,600 bbl/year
Utility costs swing with heat source and insulation. Properly insulate jackets and pipework; it saves cash every week. Match burner/boiler to kettle volume and desired time-to-boil. Maintain exchanger plates and gaskets to keep knock-out fast, cold, and consistent.
Frequently asked questions
Which vessels are essential to start a commercial brewery?
At minimum: mash tun, lauter tun, kettle, whirlpool vessel, a few conical fermenter tanks, one brite tank, a chiller, and a small bottling machine or seamer. Add a washer/filler for beer kegs if you pour draft.
How long does the process of beer take from mash to package?
It varies by style. A pale ale may be ready in 14–21 days; lagers can double that. The process of beer depends on fermentation temperature, yeast health, and cellar technique.
Do I need filtration, or can I go hazy?
You can do either. Beer filtration improves clarity and stability; hazy programs rely on cold crash, filtration alternatives, and tight cold-side oxygen control.
What instruments should I buy first?
A trustworthy hydrometer (used to measure gravity) and thermometer, a dissolved oxygen meter when packaging, and gaskets/clamps to keep fitting integrity high.
Can I start small and scale up?
Yes. Begin with microbrewery equipment or a nano set. When demand grows, add tanks first, then upgrade hot side later. Start here: microbrewery configurations around 1000 L.
Any advice for homebrewing folks going pro?
Many homebrewers turn pro each year. Your home brewing knowledge transfers well; focus on sanitation, oxygen control, and repeatability. A pro cellar simply gives you larger, safer tools.
How we support you
We design, fabricate, and install beer brewing equipment for startups, brewpub groups, and regional producers. Our engineers plan piping drops, balance jackets, and route pumps to protect product and people. We also help spec utilities, gassing panels, and packaging skid options that match your growth plan.
Glossary hits (to help you scan)
- brewer: the person steering your process
- lauter tun: dedicated vessel for efficient separation
- whirlpool: settling step to drop trub and unwanted compounds
- coupler: hardware that mates kegs to draft systems
- valve/fitting: hygienic flow control in a brewery cellar
Summary: the quick takeaways
- Design your brewery hot side for the future; cellar capacity makes or breaks throughput.
- Use jacketed cones and tight temperature control for clean fermentation and repeatable profiles.
- Keep CIP and sanitize discipline high; oxygen control protects shelf life.
- Match packaging (isobaric fillers, seamers, bottling machine) to sales channels.
- Plan utilities, insulate runs, and pick controls you can live with daily.
- Choose partners who fabricate, install, and support—so you can simply brew.