If you want to start your brewing journey, choosing the right brewing system is a key step. Micro brewing equipment provides flexible and efficient solutions for home brewers, small pubs, and start-up breweries. This article will take you to a deeper understanding of micro brewing equipment and help you start from scratch and build your brewing process.
What is micro brewery equipment?
Micro brewery equipment refers to a set of equipment used for the small-scale brewing of beverages such as beer, wine, kombucha, or spirits. It is suitable for small commercial breweries, catering brewing, home brewing, or experimental research and development purposes.
Advantages of micro brewery equipment:
- Small size and small footprint
- Flexible production, suitable for 10L~1000L scale
- Simple structure, but complete functions
- Easy to operate, suitable for personal use or small team collaboration
- Suitable for brewing beer, whiskey, wine, kombucha and other alcoholic beverages
Main components of micro brewery equipment
Mashing System
Mashing is the first step in the brewing process, and its main function is to convert starch in grains into fermentable sugars.
The brewhouse system usually consists of a mash pot, a filter tank, a boiling pot, and a rotary settling tank. Some micro-brewing systems integrate mash and filtration functions in the same container to save space. The equipment is mainly made of stainless steel to ensure corrosion resistance and easy cleaning. Some high-end equipment is also equipped with a stirring motor and automatic heating function to improve operating efficiency and mash stability.
Fermentation System
Mainly includes a stainless steel fermentation tank, cooling jacket, exhaust valve, and temperature control system. The fermentation tank generally ranges from 50L to 1000L in capacity and is equipped with a sealing cover, anti-pollution device, and necessary temperature monitoring device. Some models support upper and lower cone bottom design, which is conducive to yeast precipitation and recovery and suitable for repeated use.
Cooling System
The cooling system is usually equipped with a plate heat exchanger and a chiller, and can also be used with an ice water tank. Its function is to quickly cool the wort to 20-25℃ after mashing so that yeast can be inoculated and fermentation can be started. The system needs to be linked with the temperature control panel to ensure cooling efficiency and temperature stability.
Automation & Control Panel
In order to improve the consistency and safety of brewing, most micro-equipment is equipped with an intelligent control system.
The control panel can be divided into three types: manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic. For start-up wineries or laboratories, it is recommended to choose a control module with data acquisition and early warning functions.
CIP System
The CIP system is an important equipment to ensure sanitary conditions and brewing quality. The system effectively removes residual malt, yeast, tartar, and other dirt through the circulation of high-temperature hot water, alkali solution, and acid solution. The micro CIP system is usually composed of a cleaning ball, a water pump, a cleaning tank, and a control valve. It is easy to operate and has high cleaning efficiency.
Optional Accessories
- Air compressor: used for stirring, exhaust, or pneumatic valve control
- Filtration equipment: suitable for clarification and filtration of craft beer
- Filling device: such as a desktop bottling machine, suitable for small batch bottle sales
- CO₂ control system: used to adjust the carbon dioxide content and improve the taste
Types of micro brewery equipment
Home micro brewery equipment
Home micro brewery equipment is a small brewery system designed for home brewery enthusiasts. It is compact and easy to operate, suitable for personal or small-scale brewing. Micro equipment not only saves space and cost but also supports flexible adjustment of process parameters to meet the brewing needs of different tastes and styles. Suitable for beer lovers, beginners, and home brewers.
Advantages: small footprint, cheap price, easy operation
Commercial micro brewery equipment
Commercial micro brewery equipment can meet diverse brewing needs. Compared with traditional large-scale equipment, micro-brewery equipment is smaller in size, has lower investment costs, is easy to operate, and is easy to automate and intelligently control. Suitable for small pubs, craft beer bars, restaurants, and hotels.
Advantages: Complete system, standardized process, support for mass production
Mobile micro brewery system
The mobile micro brewery system is a compact brewing equipment with a portable and flexible design, which is convenient for quick use in different venues. It supports small batches and diversified production of beer or other fermented beverages. The mobile micro-brewery system is particularly suitable for start-up breweries, event sites, catering bars, and R&D experiments.
Advantages: Flexible deployment, suitable for exhibitions, mobile food trucks
Common 100L – 1 000L micro brewing equipment parameter configuration
Equipment capacity | Recommended application scenarios | Brewing Pot Configuration | Fermentation tank quantity | Heating method | Area (approx.) |
100L | Family, small dining bar | Single pot (saccharification + boiling) | 2–3 | Electric heating/steam heating | 4–6㎡ |
200L | Entrepreneurial Pub | Two vessels (saccharification + boiling separation) | 3–4 | Electricity/Steam/Direct Fire | 6–8㎡ |
300L | Catering and small winery | Two or three device systems | 4–6 | Steam based | 8–10㎡ |
500L | Small craft brewery | Three-device system | 6–8 | Steam Heating | 12–15㎡ |
1000L | Main configuration of craft brewery | Three-device system | 8–12 | Steam Heating | 20–30㎡ |
How to choose micro brewery equipment
Clear production requirements
When choosing micro brewery equipment, you first need to clarify your production goals. Different usage requirements determine the capacity of the equipment. If it is home brewing or interest-based experimentation, it is recommended to choose small equipment with a capacity of 20 to 50 liters. This type of equipment is small in size and affordable, suitable for daily operations and small-batch brewing. If you plan to sell beer commercially or open a bar or craft restaurant for self-supply and sales, you should choose a medium-sized system of about 300 to 1,000 liters. This type of equipment can support a larger production capacity, facilitate stable batch production, and make it easier to control the stability of beer quality.
Consider the installation space
Before purchasing micro brewery equipment, you must consider whether your installation space is suitable. Although the equipment is small in size, it still includes multiple parts such as brewing pots, fermentation tanks, coolers, etc., and sufficient operating area and channels need to be reserved when placing them. Too small a space is not only inconvenient to use, but may also affect safety and efficiency.
Degree of automation of the control system
- Manual control system: suitable for those with a limited budget or hands-on preference. Although the cost is low, the operation requirements are high, and parameters such as temperature control and time need to be controlled by experience.
- Semi-automatic control system: It is the mainstream choice in the current micro-commercial market. Key processes can be set through touch screens or buttons, taking into account both efficiency and cost.
- Fully automatic control system: It is suitable for commercial customers who pursue high consistency, stability, and production efficiency. It can automatically control the entire process of mashing, boiling, fermentation, etc.
Choice of heating method
Different heating methods are suitable for different usage scenarios and energy cost structures, mainly in the following three categories:
- Electric heating: suitable for home use or areas with stable electricity, easy installation, and high safety, but high power consumption.
- Steam heating: usually used in commercial breweries, fast heating, and high efficiency, suitable for scenarios requiring frequent and large-scale brewing.
- Gas heating: low operating cost and rapid heating, but there are additional requirements such as gas pipeline layout and safety testing.
After-sales service capability
Good after-sales service quality can provide professional technical support and a more complete service guarantee. It is recommended to give priority to manufacturers with good reputations and real customer cases.
At the same time, it is also important to understand the content of after-sales service, including whether installation guidance, operation training, fast response maintenance service, and spare parts supply capabilities are provided. Especially for users who are in contact with brewing equipment for the first time, whether the manufacturer can provide continuous support in equipment commissioning and later use will directly affect the smooth progress of production.
FAQ
What is the capacity range of micro brewery equipment?
The capacity of micro brewery equipment usually ranges from 50L to 1000L. Common configurations include 50L, 100L, 200L, 300L, 500L, and 1000L, etc., which are suitable for scenarios such as experiments, catering, craft beer bars, or nano breweries. If a larger capacity is required, it can be customized according to customer needs.
What are the main materials of micro brewery equipment?
The main body of our brewery equipment is made of food-grade stainless steel 304, and some parts with higher corrosion resistance requirements can use stainless steel 316L.
Is micro brewery equipment difficult to use?
It is not difficult, especially since modern equipment has realized convenient operations such as automatic temperature control and digital control. Although it is not necessary to be proficient in brewing, it is recommended that users understand the basic fermentation principles and operating procedures, which can significantly improve the brewing quality.
What certifications do the material and hygiene standards of the equipment meet?
The equipment is made of food-grade 304 or 316L stainless steel, in compliance with international certification standards such as CE, ISO, and SGS. The welding and polishing processes have reached the hygienic level for beverage production.