How to Choose Brewing Equipment for Your business?

How to choose a suitable brewing equipment

Craft beer, without filtration or high temperature sterilization retains the original nutrients and active yeast components of the original fermentation solution. Its mellow body, strong malt flavor and unique flavor are quite different from the traditional bottled beer. It’s good for people’s health, and also provides strong wheat flavor, excellent taste- Specially in bars and BBQs. More and more consumers prefer this type of beer. Therefore, self-brewing equipment is becoming very popular. Read below how to choose your brewing equipment for your business.

1. Budget for craft beer consumption

Before choosing the equipment for the beer production you should view the stats of this particular beer’s consumption. You want to make sure that the consumption of beer has long seasons. Going with “one season” consumption will make it harder for you to survive financially.

2. Workstation and other limiting conditions

There are many cases where’s the workstation layout isn’t optimal and and restricted by water supply, drainage, electricity, ventilation, etc.. It is advised to provide the site drawings and the surrounding environment to the equipment supplier. If conditions permit, ask the other party’s personnel to visit the site first and provide appropriate solutions according to the site restrictions.

A responsible craft beer equipment manufacturer (like us) will  design the proper layout of your site after you purchase the equipment. The idea is to use the minimum land as possible for further expansion and making sure it’s functional in the highest levels.

3. Work out the variable costs

Cost of raw materials, water, electricity, personnel and other administrative will take their toll if not planned properly. It is the best to make a cost-benefit analysis in advance with the equipment manufacturer according to the local consumption level and equipment location. You can even provide us your business plan  or investment plan and we can help you from our vast experience in the industry.

4. Liquor production calculation

Let’s go over the numbers here- From the initial malt crushing stage, wort and raw liquid are prepared in different tanks. The fermentation process of saccharification, filtration, boiling, swirling and sedimentation takes about 12-20 days. After fermentation, the raw beer pulp is obtained, which can be drunk and sold directly.

If equipped with fine filtration and sterilization equipment, beer can be bottled or canned to preserve longer. Brewing batch also determine the configuration of equipment, because the saccharification system and the capacity of fermentation system can be multiplied. Now try to understand the nitty gritty here- For example, once a day for brewing, saccharification and fermentation capacity are the same- Two times a day for brewing, fermentation is twice the capacity of saccharification; However, the maximum multiple should not be more than three times.. According to the general process, the saccharification time is generally 8-10 hours, and the maximum amount of brewing is 3 batches a day and night, while the maximum amount of brewing is 1-2 batches.

If you don’t understand the calculations here please contact us for help.

5.  Brewing equipment – Sizes

The beer equipment models of small catering places are divided into different types of equipment such as 100 l, 150 l, 200 l, 300 l, 500 l, 1000 l and 2000 l. You can also browse our Probrewer to see the latest Brewing Equipment designs and suggestions; The configuration details are vary with any equipment specifications. The complete set of beer equipment mainly includes crushing system, saccharification system, fermentation system, refrigeration system, cleaning system, control system and other main components as well as many auxiliary components. Again, if you are not sure what’s suit you the best contact us for further consultation.

By the way, according to the operational requirements of beer brewing technology, the volume ratio of saccharification tank and fermentation tank is usually 1:1 or 1:2.

Additional FAQs About Selecting Brewing Equipment

1) What brewhouse configuration suits most startups: 2-vessel or 3-vessel?

  • A 2-vessel (mash/lauter + kettle/whirlpool) balances capex and throughput for taproom-led models. Choose 3-vessel if you plan 2–3 turns/day, high adjunct/wheat recipes, or need faster lautering and better mash flexibility.

2) How should I size hot and cold liquor tanks relative to brewhouse size?

  • Commonly HLT = 1.2–1.5× brewhouse volume per turn; CLT sized for at least a double knockout. Adjust for groundwater temperature and glycol capacity to avoid chilling bottlenecks.

3) What certifications and documentation should brewing equipment include?

  • Look for ASME or CE/PED for pressure-rated tanks, FDA-compliant gaskets, material certs (304/316), pressure relief sizing, P&IDs, FAT/SAT reports, and CIP coverage validation (riboflavin testing).

4) Which utilities are most often underestimated during planning?

  • Boiler horsepower and venting, electrical service (pumps/heaters/VFDs), floor drains and trench slopes, make-up water treatment (softener/RO), glycol tonnage and header insulation, and adequate makeup air/steam hoods.

5) What QA instruments deliver the biggest ROI at launch?

  • Calibrated pH and temperature probes, handheld or inline dissolved oxygen at cold-side transfer/packaging, density/ABV meter, dissolved CO2 meter, and basic yeast lab (microscope + hemocytometer).

2025 Industry Trends Impacting Brewing Equipment Purchases

  • Energy efficiency by design: Wort-to-HLT heat recovery, VFDs on pumps, and higher-spec tank insulation reduce kWh/hL 10–20%.
  • Oxygen control standardization: Closed transfers, CO2-purged lines, and inline DO checks at brite/pack to protect hop aroma and shelf life.
  • Pressure-capable cellars: More 2–3 bar unitanks enabling spunding and CO2 reduction strategies.
  • Smarter controls and data: OPC UA-ready PLCs, cloud logging, and remote alarms streamline QA and maintenance.
  • Faster installs: Skid-mounted hot-side modules with documented FAT/SAT shorten commissioning.

2025 Data Snapshot: Adoption and Performance Benchmarks

Metric202220242025 (proj.)Notes / Sources
New installs with heat recovery (wort-to-HLT)40%48%52–58%OEM briefs; integrator reports
Breweries using inline/handheld DO at cold-side transfer30%38%44–50%Instrument vendor surveys; BA QA talks
Cellars with auto-CIP verification (conductivity/temp/flow)24%33%38–45%IBD/OEM application notes
Average water use ratio at efficient sites (hL water/hL beer)5.45.14.8–5.0BA benchmarking; audits
Typical lead time for brewhouse skids (weeks)12–1810–169–14Supplier reports

Sources:

Latest Research Cases

Case Study 1: Utilities Right-Sizing Cuts Operating Costs (2025)
Background: A new brewpub underestimated glycol load and boiler HP, causing slow knockouts and energy waste.
Solution: Upsized CLT and glycol chiller, added wort-to-HLT heat recovery, insulated headers, and installed VFDs with recipe-linked pump profiles.
Results: Knockout time reduced by ~20 minutes/turn; brewhouse energy intensity down 15–20%; water use ratio improved from 5.6 to ~5.0 hL/hL. Sources: Commissioning reports; energy audit.

Case Study 2: CIP Validation Improves Consistency Post-Launch (2024)
Background: Intermittent micro fails in brite tanks following rapid growth.
Solution: Implemented standardized CIP with conductivity/temperature verification, quarterly riboflavin coverage tests, gasket replacement schedule, and documented passivation (ASTM A967).
Results: Micro counts stabilized below action limits; chemical use dropped ~12%; fewer quality holds and faster tank turns. Sources: QA logs; OEM cleaning guidance.

Expert Opinions

  • Dr. Katherine C. Smart, Professor of Brewing Science; Former Global VP R&D, AB InBev
    Viewpoint: “Validated cleaning and maintained passivation are non-negotiable—specify verification data, not just ‘CIP capable’ claims.”
  • John Mallett, Brewing Operations Expert; Author of “Malt: A Practical Guide”
    Viewpoint: “Invest first in measurement—temperature, pH, flow, and DO—then in automation. Measurement discipline is the foundation of repeatability.”
  • Bart Watson, Chief Economist, Brewers Association
    Viewpoint: “Operational efficiency—utilities and QA—helps small breweries protect margins and compete in crowded local markets.”
    Source: Brewers Association analyses and talks

Citations:

Practical Tools and Resources

Note: When sourcing Brewing Equipment, request P&IDs, utility load lists, HLT/CLT sizing rationale, false-bottom geometry, lauter DP/torque specs, heat-recovery options, auto-CIP validation criteria, surface finish (e.g., Ra ≤ 0.8 μm internal), material certs (304/316), PRV sizing, and FAT/SAT scope. Align cellar capacity and packaging throughput with target turns/day to prevent downstream bottlenecks.

Last updated: 2025-09-02
Changelog: Added 5 FAQs, 2025 benchmark table, two recent case studies, expert viewpoints, and practical tools/resources focused on selecting brewing equipment.
Next review date & triggers: 2026-01-15 or earlier if BA/IBD publish updated QA/CIP guidance, OEM lead times/specs shift >20%, or energy/water benchmark data materially changes.

Share this entry

Interested in learning more about Brewing Systems including additional details and pricing information? Please use the form below to contact us!

YOLONG BREWERY EQUIPMENT FAQS

Read more