What is a brewhouse?
A brewhouse contains all of the components (frequently referred to as vessels) necessary for the brewing process. Depending on the production needs, physical size and scale of the operation, brewhouses are fully customizable for each buyer. Prospective buyers range from beer enthusiasts looking to buy a home brewing system to brewpubs and full-scale breweries interested in investing in a turnkey brewing system. That said, we recommend working with suppliers to create a personalized brewhouse solution based on your specific wants and needs.
What are the different sizes of brewing systems, and what are their annual production capacities?
Depending on the scale of production, brewhouses are built on a case-by-case basis to produce a specific amount of beer. Smaller home systems appeal to those looking to produce smaller quantities of beer. Nano and craft systems are smaller commercial operations, while brewpubs (restaurants/pubs that brew and sell their own beer) produce thousands of barrels per year. Full production facilities are designed to produce mass quantities of beer for large-scale distribution.
The size of your brewhouse should be based upon your production capacity as well as the size of your facility. The typical units of measurement in terms of both brewhouse systems and annual beer production include:
Beer Barrel – BBL, Gallon – GAL, and Hectoliter – HL.
1 BBL = 31 GAL, and 1 HL = 0.85 BBL
Assuming a maximum annual production capacity with constant 2-week production cycles, a small-scale, home brewing system would size from .5 – 5 BBL, yielding less than 500 barrels per year. A nano/craft brewery or brewpub system would range anywhere between 5 – 15 BBL, which produces between 500 – 3,000 barrels per calendar year. On a macro scale, a full production brewery system would be 15 BBL or greater, with the ability to produce upwards of 3,000 barrels per year.
For example, in ascending sizes of production, and assuming a maximum annual production capacity with 2-week production cycles:
- A 3.5 BBL / 4 HL system can yield 500 barrels / 600 hectoliters of beer annually
- A 7 BBL / 8 HL system can yield 1,000 barrels / 1,200 hectoliters of beer annually
- A 15 BBL / 17.5 HL system can yield 3,000 barrels / 3,500 hectoliters of beer annually
Suppliers will ask what the size of your facility is, which will help determine how your customized brewhouse will be designed and installed for maximum efficiency and output.
Brewhouses are typically measured by the number of vessels. For example, a 2-Vessel brewhouse may have a Mash/Lauter Tun/Hot Liquor Tank combination vessel paired with a Boil Kettle/Whirlpool combination vessel. On the more advanced end of the spectrum, a 5-Vessel brewhouse would have a designated Mash Mixer, Lauter Tun, Holding Kettle, Boil Kettle and a Whirlpool. These designated vessels would serve a particular purpose, allowing you to brew greater quantities of beer simultaneously. Again, the setup that you ultimately choose depends on your brewing needs, the space that you have to work with, as well as your budget. Below are different configurations of brewhouses depending on the number of vessels:
- 2-Vessel Brewhouses
- Mash/Lauter Tun/Hot Liquor Tank Combination vessel + Brew Kettle/Whirlpool
- Mash/Lauter Tun + Brew Kettle/Whirlpool
- 3-Vessel Brewhouses
- Mash/Lauter Tun/Hot Liquor Tank Combination vessel + Brew Kettle + Whirlpool
- Mash/Lauter Tun + Brew Kettle + Whirlpool
- Mash Mixer + Lauter Tun + Brew Kettle/Whirlpool
- 4-Vessel Brewhouses
- Mash Mixer + Lauter Tun + Brew Kettle + Whirlpool
- 5-Vessel Brewhouses
- Mash Mixer + Lauter Tun + Holding Kettle + Brew Kettle + Whirlpool
What is the general timeline for buying brewery equipment?
As each brewhouse is custom built, it can take several months to curate all of the various components involved, based on a few considerations. Generally speaking, the larger and more complex a brewhouse is, the longer it takes to produce, deliver and install. If the brewing equipment is produced in China or Europe, shipping times will be longer than if they are produced domestically or in Canada. Used and floor model equipment can be ready to ship quicker than new parts that would need to be designed and built. Suppliers are able to provide a general estimate of when your customized brewhouse can be installed and ready to use.
How much do brewhouses cost to build?
There are a variety of factors that contribute to the overall pricing of a brewhouse. These factors include whether the components are built by a domestic or foreign manufacturer, purchased new or used, the scale of the brewhouse, as well as delivery and installation of the entire system. For example, a used 3.5 BBL system may cost $30,000, whereas a new 3.5 BBL system may cost $200,000. Pricewise, the least expensive brewhouses are typically manufactured in China, while pricier ones are designed and built in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Depending on the scale of production, suppliers will be able to provide you with quotes for your brewing needs.
What components / vessels are in a brewhouse?
Hot Liquor Tanks
The hot liquor tank (HLT), also referred to as a hot liquor tun, is a tank/vessel that heats the strike and sparge water to a desired temperature. The HLT is essentially a hot water heater The size of the HLT is proportional to the size of your brew. For example, for a 5 gallon batch, you would ideally use a 10 gallon HLT (15 gallon HLT for a 10G batch). Large-scale operations use an industrial-sized HLT to heat large amounts of water. Hot Liquor Tanks are typically crafted of stainless steel, and depending on size, can range anywhere from 10 to 1000 gallons. Some breweries may use Hot Liquor Tank / Mash Lauter Tank combination vessel, while others may invest in two designated vessels to expedite the process.
Mash Tuns / Lauter Tuns
The Mash Tun/Lauter Tun is a vessel used to mash the grist and hot water to create the wort (unfermented beer). The mash tun is a vessel in which mashing takes place and where wort (unfermented beer) is separated from the grains. Most home brewers use a 10 or 15 gallon mash lauter tun to heat their sparge water. Depending on the scale of production, brewpubs and breweries may use a mash lauter tun that holds 100 gallons or more. The majority of mash and lauter tun vessels are constructed of stainless steel.
Brew Kettles and Whirlpools
Brew kettles, also known as boilers, boil kettles or coppers (if constructed of copper), are vessels where the mash is boiled to a specific gravity and hops and other flavorings are added. The boiling process allows for various chemical reactions to take place, including sterilization of the wort, releasing hop flavors, concentration of the wort, releasing bitterness and aroma compounds through isomerization, as well as stopping the enzymatic processes. For smaller operations, homebrewers will frequently improvise by boiling the mash in the mashing vessel. However, more sophisticated brewpubs and breweries designate brew kettles for the boiling process, in addition to whirlpools which allow the wort to settle.
Brew kettles are typically manufactured using stainless steel or copper, depending on the make and manufacturer. Consistent with the entire brewing process, cleanliness and sanitation are essential, thus making stainless steel and copper easier materials to clean. Prices for brew kettle can range drastically depending on their size, manufacturer (US-made versus German or Chinese), as well as quantity. Some brew kettles are sold as sets, providing multiple boilers for simultaneous brews. Brew kettles are sized anywhere from 50L to 1000L (or greater), and are typically measured by the BBL production capacity, ranging from 1-5 BBL to more than 50 BBL.
Depending on your projected production capacity, as well as which heating process you plan on using (electric versus steam, direct versus indirect fire), you should speak with the supplier to determine what type and size of brew kettle would work best for your brewhouse.
Whirlpools allow the boiled wort, all soluble proteins (trub), and vegetable matter from the hops to settle and collect in the center of the kettle. By collecting in the center of the whirlpool, it is is easier to remove the undesirable trub from the wort. The clear wort is then pumped through the heat exchanger and into the fermenter. Many brew kettles are designed to function as a whirlpool after the boiling process has occurred, and the wort may settle in the same vessel.
Heat Exchangers
Heat exchangers, also referred to as wort chillers, are mechanisms that allow you to cool your wort from boiling to yeast-pitching temperature in a timely manner. Immersion chillers, plate and counterflow wort chillers will exchange, or reduce, the heat to help improve overall beer clarity and reduce the chances of off-flavors and contamination. In order to pitch the yeast and begin the fermentation process, the wort must first be cooled to a suitable temperature for fermentation.
Modern breweries typically utilize a plate heat exchanger, which contains ridged plates that form two separate paths. One path is for the wort, while the other path is for the cooling medium, typically water. Plate heat exchangers are typically made of stainless steel and are brazed with copper. Depending on the brew capacity, you will need an appropriately sized plate heat exchanger to properly cool your wort when transferring to the fermenter.
Fermentation / Aging Vessels
Fermentation tanks, also referred to as fermenters, are aging vessels where yeast is pitched into the wort and effectively turns into beer. The wort is pumped into this vessel through a heat exchanger and then added to the previously pitched yeast where it can begin fermenting. Some breweries have designated aging vessels where the beer is transferred for the aging process.
Depending on your brewing production, you may need anywhere from one to 20 fermentation tanks. In general, the more fermentation tanks available, the more beer that can be simultaneously brewed, fermented and aged. Similar to other vessels, fermentation tanks are usually constructed of stainless steel, and sizes range anywhere from 20 to 6,000 BBL. Depending on your floor layout and your production output, tanks may be open or closed, horizontal with manholes, or vertical with conical bottoms (pictured below). Unitank fermenters may be used for both fermenting and lagering. Most commer craft breweries today use cylindroconical fermentation tanks, which are engineered with a conical bottom and a cylindrical top.
Other brewhouse parts and components to consider buying:
Malt Mill/Hopper
A malt mill, also referred to as a barley crusher, allows you to crush barley, or “mill the grain.” Cracking the grain is necessary for the starch conversion process as well as activating enzymes. Using a set of rollers, barley enters the malt mill and is crushed to the desired coarseness, creating the grist. Some malt mills are hand operated, while others are motorized.
A hopper can be attached above the malt mill to house and feed the grain. Hoppers are measured by the amount of grain (in pounds) that it can hold. The grist is then combined with liquor (brewing vernacular for hot water) in the lauter tun to create the mash.
Diverter Panels and Transfer Pumps
Diverter panels are used to transfer the wort flow from the mash / lauter tun to the brew kettle, and then into the fermenters. Transfer Pumps are used to pump beer from the fermenter to the serving/bright beer vessels. Additionally, you would use transfer pumps to pump cleaning solution through your system for sanitation purposes.
Filter (DE or Plate & Frame)
Filters, strainers and funnels are used to filter the leftover yeast and sediment from the beer before being transferred to the serving/bright beer vessel. While not all beer needs to be filtered, it does provide for a clearer product, as well as extend the beer’s shelf life.
Oxygenation/Aeration Systems
Oxygenation and aeration systems are used to infuse oxygen and conduct the anaerobic breathing process of yeast, facilitating the fermentation process.
What are the different types of heating methods?
A major consideration for your brewhouse will be the heating method that you choose. Most breweries typically use either electric or gas solutions to heat the vessels. Electric is a more efficient and price-effective solution in the long run, but does require a higher initial investment.
If opting for gas, propane is more expensive due to fuel cost, whereas natural gas would be cheaper (assuming current prices). Depending on your needs and budget, suppliers will be able to help you choose an ideal heating solution.
Gas
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Electric
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Serving Vessel
The beer is transferred to an aging vessel where the brew is carbonated and settles. From here, the beer may finally be kegged, bottled, refrigerated and served. Cheers.