How to Choose Good Beer Brewing Equipment
The first question when preparing to become a business partner is what kind of beer brewing equipment to buy. Some doubtful partners have more focused questions. In order to eliminate doubts and make appropriate choices, I will provide you with a detailed introduction to beer brewing equipment.
Beer equipment can be roughly divided into the following categories:
Grist Milling System, Brewhouse System, Fermentation System, Control System, CIP System, Yeast Addition System, etc.
For a small brewer bar or small workshop, the crushing system mainly refers to the crusher. The crusher can be divided into a grinding disc, a counter roller, a three-roller, and a four-roller. The roller-type crusher is more convenient to use and has a better crushing effect than the grinding disc. Usually, a small craft bar or workshop will use a pair of roll grinders! (A relatively advanced crushing system also includes automatic weighing, automatic humidification, dust control, etc.)
The Brewhouse system consists of tanks, filter tanks, boil pots, and spiral sedimentation tanks (Some large-scale beer brewing equipments also have temporary storage tanks).
Due to the various uses of a pot, there are many names for saccharification systems such as Two Vessels Brewhouse, Three Vessels Brewhouse, Four Vessels Brewhouse.
Two Vessels Brewhouse
Let’s give a general explanation of what is called a two vessels system (often used in craft bars and small workshops).
A Two Vessels Brewhouse: From the outside, the saccharification system has two tanks with two containers inside. One container is used as a mashing tank and a lauter tank (this tank has only one container, which serves multiple functions), while the other container is only used as a boiling tank and a whirlpool tank.
Three Vessels Brewhouse
A Three Vessels Brewhouse: From the outside, there are three tanks with three containers inside. One container acts as a mash tank / kettle, one container acts as a lauter tun, and one container acts as a whirlpool tank.
Four Vessels Brewhouse
Based on the understanding of the above two names, four tanks and five tanks should be self-explanatory!
Here is a picture of a Four Vessels Brewhouse.
Many friends will ask which kind of beer brewing equipment is better. If we only consider the effectiveness of use, I think it’s best to have only one function per container. Because in different processes, the configuration of some containers will behave differently. For example, in a two-tank system, the saccharification process requires the use of a mixer, but when the container performs the spin-precipitation process, stirring the blades will have an adverse effect on the precipitation.
In general, I suggest that if you’re running a craft bar or a small workshop, a Two Vessels Brewhouse would be the best choice. If it is a large brewery, it is recommended to have a Four Vessels Brewhouse due to the higher quality requirements and the need for relatively stable quality. This configuration can produce more water, and it is best to use a setup with high automation and a relatively high heat recovery rate.
