Are Conical Fermentation Tanks Worth Buying?

Traditionally, the conical fermentation tank is only suitable for professional brewers, and it is rarely used by homebrewers. We mainly introduce the advantages and disadvantages of conical fermentation tanks in commercial brewing to help you determine whether the conical fermentation tanks are worth buying.

What Conditions Need To Be Met When Choosing A Fermentation Vessel?

Three conditions need to be met in selecting a fermentation vessel:

• Stable, cold temperature. The average fermentation temperature of beer ranges from 64 to 72°F (18 to 22°C), while lager beer requires a lower temperature, from 45 to 55°F (7 to 13°C).

• You also need to ensure that the yeast is not disturbed in the fermentation of beer. Yeasts are very moody. They like to be alone at work and don’t want to be disturbed by microorganisms.

• It can remove sediment and dead yeast from the bottom of the tank and can drain the beer intact for bottling or adjustment. This is the biggest use of the conical fermenter.

What Is A Conical Fermenter?

Most professional brewers no longer use open-top and flat-bottom fermentation tanks and instead use closed conical fermentation tanks. The conical fermentor has a conical bottom that allows the yeast to settle and collect. Under normal circumstances, the conical fermentation tank will have two taps, one at the top of the conical and one at the bottom. The top tap can take out clear beer, and the bottom tap can take out everything. The conical fermentation tank allows easy collection of yeast, minimizes contact with bacteria and oxygen, and is easy to see the attraction.

The temperature control in the conical fermenter can be achieved by a coil inside the fermentor or a jacket around the outside. If the fermentation tank needs to be cooled, it will be realized by circulating cold water or ethylene glycol in the jacket. We recommend using a conical fermenter with a jacket on the outside because it is more convenient to use and easy to clean and disinfect.

DEGONG fermentation tank

Advantages Of The Conical Fermentation Tank

• Professional winemakers can control the fermentation process. The stainless steel conical fermentation tank can be installed with many accessories and provide many functions, which is convenient for the winemaker to control the fermentation process. You can add aeration/carbonization, pressure gauge, rotary valve, sampling valve, and other accessories, which provides you with huge control rights and a large number of interchangeable components.

• Yeast can be easily removed, and beer can be conditioned and clarified in a container without worrying about the autolysis of yeast. In large breweries, the bright tank is usually adjusted and the fermenter is released for a new fermentation process.

• Yeast can be easily cut and collected for reuse. The conical fermentation tank makes harvesting yeast as easy as turning a valve. The collected yeast is healthy and vigorous, and these yeasts can be easily separated, cleaned, and stored.

• Adding unitank to the conical fermenter will allow you to ferment under pressure and naturally add carbonation to the beer. Pressure fermentation allows you to ferment at a warmer ambient temperature while inhibiting the formation of esters. This is beneficial for those who do not have a glycol system or a large enough refrigerator. Pressure fermentation also allows you to produce beer in the temperature range of malt liquor.

• The top faucet allows samples to be collected without any yeast, so it is easier to monitor beer gravity.

• Dry hop crumbs can be removed through the cone, making it easier to manage multiple dry hop additives.

• Beer can be removed by pressure or gravity at the top tap, without siphoning equipment.

Disadvantages Of The Conical Fermenter

• Conical fermentation tanks are expensive. Under normal circumstances, the price of stainless steel conical fermentation tanks is higher than that of ordinary fermentation tanks. However, it will provide you with value-for-money benefits.

• Conical fermentation tanks have more components that need to be cleaned and disinfected, so their cleaning process is very complicated. But to be honest, this is not as complicated as it seems at first glance, brewing is always accompanied by extensive cleaning and disinfection. Fortunately, the clean-in-place (CIP) system makes cleaning easier.

• Because the size of the conical fermenter is generally large, most conical fermenters require a very large fermentation chamber or glycol system to maintain the fermentation temperature. This is another very expensive part when starting a brewery. Because cooling solutions may agree to be expensive. But the good news is that most glycol cooling devices can be used to cool multiple fermenters.

Will The Conical Fermenter Make You Have A Better Beer?

Can a conical fermenter help you brew a better beer? I think it depends on what style of beer you are brewing. When brewing exquisite styles such as IPA or NEIPA, the conical fermentation tank will help you a lot. When eliminating oxygen is the number one priority, the conical fermenter can provide you with the absolute maximum control. Conical fermentation tanks will always become more complicated equipment for this job, but in fact, you may not always be able to taste the difference. Just relying on the conical fermentation tank may not directly allow you to brew delicious beer, but it will make it easier for you to make delicious beer.

In general, you need to determine what is worthwhile for you. I can’t say that anyone who buys a conical fermenter will be disappointed in the end, nor can anyone who buys a conical fermenter will succeed. If you plan to be a professional winemaker, you need to have the same level of ability and control as a professional winemaker, and the tools will help you achieve this goal at a higher level. In terms of value, the conical fermentation tank is completely worth buying.