EnglishViews: 19 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-05-23 Origin: Site
A "nano brewery" refers to a small brewery with an annual output of about 100-500 bbls, usually operated by 1-3 people, and mainly sold to the local market. It is between home brewing and commercial micro breweries, which can ensure the possibility of commercial operation while maintaining the quality and personality of hand-made brewing.
Malt Mill
The first step in beer brewing is to crush the malt. Nanobrewery usually uses a double-roller or triple-roller crusher, which can evenly crush the malt without damaging the malt husk, which is conducive to filtering out clear wort in the subsequent saccharification process. Choosing equipment with adjustable gap can flexibly adapt to different types of malt.
Mash Tun
A mash tun is a device that mixes crushed malt with hot water and heats it at a controlled temperature to activate enzymes that convert starch into sugars. For nanobreweries, the mash tun is usually a small stainless steel container with a stirring device and temperature sensor, and the capacity is usually between 100 liters and 500 liters. Some systems combine the mash tun with the boil kettle to save cost and space.
Lauter Tun
After mashing, the wort needs to be filtered from the malt residue, which is done in the lauter tun. The lauter tun is equipped with a filter plate or a live bottom structure to ensure smooth separation of the wort and retain clear wort. Some nano brewery systems will design the mash tun and lauter tun as one unit to improve space utilization.
Boiling tank and whirlpool
After the wort is filtered, it is transported to the boiling tank for high-temperature boiling, and hops are added to give it aroma and bitterness. After boiling, the wort enters the whirlpool tank, where centrifugal force is used to separate sediments and impurities. Modern nano equipment usually uses a "saccharification + filtration + boiling + whirlpool" four-in-one equipment, which is very suitable for start-up breweries.
Fermentation tanks
The fermentation tank is where yeast works its magic. After the wort is cooled, it is pumped into the fermentation tank and fermented with yeast to convert it into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Nano breweries usually use stainless steel conical bottom tanks, which have good cleanability and sealing properties.
Cooling system
After saccharification and boiling, the wort needs to be quickly cooled to the fermentation temperature to avoid bacterial infection and protect yeast activity. The commonly used cooling method is a plate heat exchanger, which uses cold water to counterflow the wort for rapid cooling.
CIP system
The CIP system is used to clean brewhouse tanks, fermentation tanks, pipelines and other equipment without dead ends. The standard configuration includes acid tanks, alkali tanks, hot water tanks and circulation pumps. Some equipment is also equipped with spray balls and recovery systems.
Control system
The control system is the key to improving operational efficiency and brewing consistency. For the nano-level brewing system, it is recommended to configure a PLC controller and a touch screen (HMI) to achieve automated control of temperature, time, stirring, cooling and other links.
Filling system
Filling is the last step in beer brewing, which directly affects consumers' first impression. Nano-level filling systems are mostly semi-automatic structures, including filling machines, capping machines and inkjet equipment, which are compatible with glass bottles or cans.
Local craft beer lovers: pursue flavor, are willing to pay for good wine, and focus on social experience;
Young catering groups: love fresh personality, suitable for food pairing;
Cultural tourism consumer groups: short-distance tourists, interested in "local characteristics" and "cultural stories";
Office white-collar workers/new middle class: have a drink after get off work, give gifts during festivals, and focus on quality;
Family gatherings/barbecue scenes: pay more attention to the cost-effectiveness of large barrels, as well as the taste and drinkability of the wine.
What type of beer do you plan to brew? Pursue extreme flavor or go for the masses?
Classic mainstream (IPA, lager, wheat beer, etc.): easy to use, with a wide audience and low risk;
Special flavors (sour beer, barrel-aged beer, mixed beer, etc.): suitable for building brand personality and forming word-of-mouth;
Local culture (using local fruits, tea, Chinese medicinal materials, etc.): highlighting "regional IP" and enhancing communication power.
Site selection is a key factor in determining whether the approval can be successfully passed and ensuring the smooth progress of the brewing process. Nano breweries do not have high site requirements, usually 30-100 square meters can be started. However, the following conditions must be met: good ventilation, water supply and drainage, sufficient power access, sewage discharge capacity, and reasonable site layout, which can be divided into brewing area, fermentation area, packaging area, raw material area, etc.
The core equipment of nanobrewing must take into account flexibility, stability and scalability. The basic configuration includes brewhouse tanks, filter tanks, fermentation tanks, cooling systems, filling equipment, cleaning systems (CIP), etc. It is recommended to use equipment with a capacity range of 100L~500L, which is suitable for initial small-batch trial production and rapid iteration.
The core of high-quality beer lies in the combination of raw materials and recipes. Raw materials include malt, hops, yeast, water, etc. You can choose a domestic guaranteed raw material supplier, or try imported brand malt and hops to create a high-end positioning.
