Brewhouse Equipment (The “Hot Side”)

The first step in making beer is the brewhouse. We call this the “hot side.” This is where you cook the grain and water. This makes a sweet liquid called wort. The wort is the base of your beer.

You need a brewhouse that is the right size for your brewery. It needs to be easy to use and clean. If it is not, you will work too hard. Your wort might not be good.

A bad brewhouse is a disaster. It can use too much energy. It can be hard to make the same beer every time. This can ruin your reputation. You might lose customers. You might lose your business.

The key is a well-made brewhouse designed for your needs. A good system makes your brew day easy. It helps you make great wort every time. At Micet, our service team has 22 years of design experience. We can help you choose the right brewhouse equipment. We can even design a custom micro brewery system for you.

Here are the main parts of a brewhouse:

Mash/Lauter Tun

• What it does: This tank is like a big tea bag. You mix hot water and crushed grain here. This is called mashing. It makes the water sweet. Then, the tank helps you drain the sweet wort away from the wet grain.
• Things to look for: Look for a tank with good insulation to keep the water hot. A good false bottom helps drain the wort clearly.

Brew Kettle/Whirlpool

• What it does: The wort goes into the brew kettles. Here, you boil it. You add hops for bitterness and smell. After the boil, you spin the wort very fast. This is the whirlpool. It pulls all the solids into the middle, so you can drain the clear wort.
• Things to look for: You can heat the kettle in different ways. Direct fire, steam, or electric are common. An electric beer brewing system is often a good choice for a micro brewery setup.

Hot Liquor Tank (HLT)

• What it does: This is not for alcohol. “Liquor” is the brewing name for water. The HLT is a big tank that heats and holds all the hot water you need for brew day.
• Things to look for: Your HLT should be about two times the size of your brewhouse. This makes sure you have enough hot water.

Pumps, Hoses & Heat Exchanger

• What it does: You need brewery pumps and food-grade brewery hoses and fittings to move hot liquid. The heat exchanger, or plate chillers, is very important. It cools the hot wort down very fast before it goes to the next step.
• Things to look for: Make sure the pumps are strong enough. The heat exchanger must be big enough to cool your wort in about 30 minutes.

A complete turnkey brewery for sale will include all these parts. They will all be made to work together. This is a great option for a new brewery.

Cellar Equipment (The “Cold Side”)

After you make the wort, it goes to the cellar. We call this the “cold side.” This is where the magic happens. Yeast eats the sugar in the wort. It makes alcohol and bubbles. This is called fermentation.

Fermentation needs to be controlled. If it gets too hot or too cold, the yeast will not work right. This can make the beer taste bad.

Bad fermentation can make a beer taste like bananas when it should not. It can taste like butter. Or it can just taste wrong. You can lose a whole batch of beer. That is a lot of lost time and money.

The answer is good cellar equipment. You need tanks that can hold pressure. You need a system to control the temperature. This lets you guide the yeast. It helps you make clean, delicious beer every time. Micet offers a 3-year warranty on our tanks. Our quality inspectors, with 11 years of expertise, check every weld. This gives you peace of mind.

Here are the main parts of the cellar:

Fermentation Vessels (FVs)

• What it does: These are the tanks where the wort becomes beer. Most small breweries use conical fermenters. Their cone shape at the bottom makes it easy to collect yeast for the next beer. You can find many kinds of beer fermenters for sale.
• Things to look for: Look for stainless steel fermenter tanks. They are easy to clean. They should have a cooling jacket. This is like a special coat around the tank. Cold liquid flows through it to control the temperature. They are perfect as a beer fermenter tank or even a cider fermenter.

Brite Tanks (BBTs)

• What it does: After the beer is done fermenting, it goes into a brite tank. This tank is where the beer gets clear and bubbly. You force carbon dioxide (CO2) into the beer here. This is called carbonation. The beer bright tank is often the tank you serve from in a taproom.
  • Things to look for: A bright beer tank must hold pressure well. Look for one with a carbonation stone. This is a special tool that makes very tiny bubbles. This helps the CO2 dissolve into the beer faster.

Glycol Chiller

• What it does: The glycol chillers are the heart of the cold side. This machine chills a special liquid called glycol. The cold glycol is then pumped through the jackets on your tanks. This is how you keep your beer at the perfect temperature.
• Things to look for: Your chiller must be powerful enough for all your tanks. A good company like Pro Refrigeration or G&D Chillers can help you pick the right size. It is better to get a chiller that is a little too big than one that is too small.

Good brewery refrigeration is key. It is as important as the brewhouse.

Cleaning & Sanitation Equipment

There is a rule in brewing. 90% of brewing is cleaning. If your brewery is not clean, you cannot make good beer. Tiny things you cannot see can get in your beer and spoil it.

Cleaning big tanks and hoses is hard work. You must be sure everything is perfectly clean.

If you do not clean well, your beer can get infected. An infection can make the beer taste sour. It can make it smell bad. One infected batch can spread to your other beers. It can ruin your whole brewery. You could have to close down.

You need the right tools for the job. Special cleaning tools make the work easier. They help you do a better job. This keeps your beer safe and tasty. Good brewery sanitation is not an option. It is required.

CIP (Clean-In-Place) System/Pump Cart

• What it does: A CIP system is a small cart with a pump and a tank. You mix hot water and brewery cleaning chemicals, like those from Five Star Chemicals, in the tank. Then the pump sprays the cleaner inside your big tanks and hoses. This cleans them without you having to scrub inside.
• Things to look for: A portable pump cart is great for a nanobrewery system. It should be easy to move around.

Keg Washer

• What it does: If you sell beer in kegs, you will get empty kegs back. You must wash them before you use them again. A keg washers machine cleans and sanitizes kegs for you.
• Things to look for: You can get a manual washer or a semi-automatic one. The right one for you depends on how many kegs you need to wash.

You must also follow brewery safety regulations. Working with hot water and strong chemicals can be dangerous. Good brewery safety training and following OSHA rules are important for you and your workers.

Packaging Equipment (Kegging, Canning, or Bottling)

When your beer is ready, you need a way to sell it. This is packaging. You can put your beer in kegs, cans, or bottles.

How will you get your beer to your customers? Each type of package needs different tools. These tools can be expensive.

If you choose a package that your customers do not want, they will not buy your beer. If your packaging machine does not work well, you can waste beer. You can get air in the beer, which will make it taste old and stale very fast.

Start simple. Most new breweries start with kegs. They sell the beer in their own taproom. As you grow, you can add a beer canning lines or bottling equipment. This lets you sell your beer in stores. A good partner can help you plan for the future. Micet helps breweries grow. We can build a nano brewery equipment for sale system that can grow with you.

Kegging Equipment

• Focus: This is the easiest way to start.
• What you need: You will need kegs. You will need a beer keg filling machine. You will need CO2 tanks to push the beer out of the kegs.

Canning Line

• Focus: Cans are very popular. They are good for selling beer to go.
• What you need: You need a beer can filling machine. Companies like Wild Goose Canning make these. Even a small line can be a big investment.

Bottling Line

• Focus: Bottles are the classic package for beer.
• What you need: You need a beer bottling machine. This machine fills the bottle and puts a cap on top.

Supporting & Utility Equipment

These are the other tools you will need. They support the main brewing process. They are just as important.

It is easy to forget these other items. But you cannot run your brewery without them.

Imagine your brew day. You are ready to start. But you forgot you need a way to crush your grain. Or your water is not right for the beer you want to make. These small things can stop you in your tracks.

Use a full checklist. Think about the whole process. From grain arriving at your door to a customer drinking your beer. This will help you remember everything. A good brewery business plan will include all these items.

Here is a list of other important gear:

• Grain Mill: This crushes your grain before you mash.
• Water Filtration System: Good beer starts with good water. A brewery water filtration system helps you make sure your water is perfect.
• Lab & Quality Control Tools: To make the same beer every time, you must measure things. You need a hydrometer, a pH meter, and a thermometer. Good beer quality control is the mark of a pro.
• Draft System: If you have a taproom, you need a draft beer systems to serve your beer. This includes taps, lines, and a cooler.
• Brewery Software: This helps you track your recipes and brewing process.
• Malt Handling Equipment: This helps you move your grain.

Good planning is key. The Brewers Association is a great resource. They have information to help new breweries. So are schools with brewing programs, like the Siebel Institute of Technology and the UC Davis Brewing Program.

Small Brewery Equipment FAQs

Here are some common questions.

How much does a small brewery system cost?

This is a hard question. It depends on the size. A small nano brewing systems might cost $50,000. A larger microbrewery equipment setup could be $250,000 or more. The table below gives an idea.

Equipment Category	Component Examples	Estimated Cost Range (New)
Brewhouse	Tun, Kettle, HLT, Pump	$45,000 – $100,000+
Cellar	Fermenters, Brite Tanks, Chiller	$40,000 – $90,000
Packaging	Keg Washer, Canner, Kegs	$15,000 – $60,000+
Support	Mill, Cooler, Lab, Hoses	$20,000 – $50,000
Total Cost		$120,000 – $300,000+

This does not include building costs or licenses. Brewery financing can help you get the money you need.

What is the minimum equipment I need to start?

To start very small, you need the basics. You need a kettle to boil in. You need a tun to mash in. You need a fermenter. You need a way to cool the wort. And you need cleaning supplies. This is often called a pilot brewing systems.

Should I buy a turnkey system or individual components?

A turnkey brewery systems is a full package. All the parts are from one place. They are made to work together. This is a great choice for a new brewer. It makes things simple. Buying each piece yourself can sometimes save money. But it is a lot more work. You must be sure all the parts will work together. For most people, a turnkey system is a better, safer choice.

Next Steps

You have the checklist. You have the map. Your dream of opening a brewery is closer than ever.

The problem was knowing where to start. The worry was making a costly mistake. The solution is a clear plan and a trusted partner. This guide gave you the plan. Now, you need the partner.

Micet is here to help. For over 15 years, we have been that partner for brewers all over the world. Our production director has 13 years of experience. Our whole team is focused on quality. We don’t just sell craft brewery equipment. We build relationships. We offer brewery consulting services. We provide brewery installation. We have 12 service centers around the world, from France to Australia, for after-sales support. We can help you with your brewery layout design. We can supply everything from a single stainless steel conical fermenter to a complete, automated beer brewing system.

Your brewery is a big project. But you do not have to do it alone.

Take the next step. Contact us for a custom quote on a full beer brewing system. Let our team of experts help you build the brewery of your dreams.