Unitank and Brite Tank, Which To Choose?
- Jan 06, 2022
- 150
- tiantai
Unitanks
Description
To decide which to choose between unitanks and brite tanks, it’s necessary to understand factors that make each one distinct. The primary difference between them is the shape. The main body of the unitanks is a cylinder, but the bottom drops into a cone shape. Unitanks work well for both fermentation and aging since their shape creates a space for the yeast to accumulate at the bottom, making it easy to filter out later.
Benefits of Unitanks
Simplicity
Being able to combine the fermenting and aging step streamlines the brewing process by removing a step. Because of this, breweries can buy less equipment, which saves money and space in a brewhouse. Along with this, it saves workers time and labor. Workers do not have to take the time to move the beer from one point to the other and are able to dispense the beer directly from the unitank.
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Lower Risk of Contamination
Every time beer is taken out of a tank, it is exposed to the open air leading to dissolved oxygen. This can be especially problematic if you plan on packaging and distributing your beer outside of a taproom. Along with this, beer may also be exposed to other contaminants like microorganisms. While these organisms are not typically lethal, they can lead to some awful-tasting beer, which is the last thing you want. Using a unitank lessens this contamination risk.
Brite Tanks
Description
Brite tanks also have a cylindrical center, but they have a flat bottom. Technically, fermenting in a brite tank is possible, but its shape would make filtering out the yeast problematic. Because of this, they’re typically only used for aging and maturation, as well as a place to hold beer until it is packaged or served.
Benefits of Brite Tanks
Larger Quantity of Beer Production
Some facilities brew so much beer the process of brewing and packaging are two separate operations. In these instances, fermenting beer and serving it would need to be done in two separate areas of the brewhouse, making unitanks impractical. By moving the beer out of the fermenter and into a brite tank, it makes packing easier and frees up the fermenter for another batch, allowing a brewhouse to make larger quantities of beer.
Improved Clarity
Brite beer tanks are called “brite” because of the clarity of the beer they produce. When beer goes from a fermenter to a brite tank, the yeast is filtered out first. This extra layer of filtration before undergoing further maturation and carbonation produces a clearer beer, which some brewhouses prefer.
Choosing Between the Tanks
When To Choose a Unitank
Unitanks are the perfect choice for microbreweries or brewpubs. For these facilities, space is often limited, the brewery isn’t producing as many barrels of beer, and the emphasis is less on packaging and more on serving brews directly. Unitanks work well in these contexts because they save space and labor without muddling the productivity of a separate packaging team.
When To Choose a Brite Beer Tank
Brite tanks are better for larger-scale productions, especially productions that rely on packaging and shipping much of their product. Brite tanks allow you to leave more fermenters open at a time. And because brite tanks can carry more liquid in them at a time, they lend themselves to larger beer outputs. Generally, if you’ve gone over the edge and are brewing more barrels than a microbrewery, it may be a good idea to look at a brite tank.
Description
To decide which to choose between unitanks and brite tanks, it’s necessary to understand factors that make each one distinct. The primary difference between them is the shape. The main body of the unitanks is a cylinder, but the bottom drops into a cone shape. Unitanks work well for both fermentation and aging since their shape creates a space for the yeast to accumulate at the bottom, making it easy to filter out later.
Benefits of Unitanks
Simplicity
Being able to combine the fermenting and aging step streamlines the brewing process by removing a step. Because of this, breweries can buy less equipment, which saves money and space in a brewhouse. Along with this, it saves workers time and labor. Workers do not have to take the time to move the beer from one point to the other and are able to dispense the beer directly from the unitank.
Lower Risk of Contamination
Every time beer is taken out of a tank, it is exposed to the open air leading to dissolved oxygen. This can be especially problematic if you plan on packaging and distributing your beer outside of a taproom. Along with this, beer may also be exposed to other contaminants like microorganisms. While these organisms are not typically lethal, they can lead to some awful-tasting beer, which is the last thing you want. Using a unitank lessens this contamination risk.
Brite Tanks
Description
Brite tanks also have a cylindrical center, but they have a flat bottom. Technically, fermenting in a brite tank is possible, but its shape would make filtering out the yeast problematic. Because of this, they’re typically only used for aging and maturation, as well as a place to hold beer until it is packaged or served.
Benefits of Brite Tanks
Larger Quantity of Beer Production
Some facilities brew so much beer the process of brewing and packaging are two separate operations. In these instances, fermenting beer and serving it would need to be done in two separate areas of the brewhouse, making unitanks impractical. By moving the beer out of the fermenter and into a brite tank, it makes packing easier and frees up the fermenter for another batch, allowing a brewhouse to make larger quantities of beer.
Improved Clarity
Brite beer tanks are called “brite” because of the clarity of the beer they produce. When beer goes from a fermenter to a brite tank, the yeast is filtered out first. This extra layer of filtration before undergoing further maturation and carbonation produces a clearer beer, which some brewhouses prefer.
Choosing Between the Tanks
When To Choose a Unitank
Unitanks are the perfect choice for microbreweries or brewpubs. For these facilities, space is often limited, the brewery isn’t producing as many barrels of beer, and the emphasis is less on packaging and more on serving brews directly. Unitanks work well in these contexts because they save space and labor without muddling the productivity of a separate packaging team.
When To Choose a Brite Beer Tank
Brite tanks are better for larger-scale productions, especially productions that rely on packaging and shipping much of their product. Brite tanks allow you to leave more fermenters open at a time. And because brite tanks can carry more liquid in them at a time, they lend themselves to larger beer outputs. Generally, if you’ve gone over the edge and are brewing more barrels than a microbrewery, it may be a good idea to look at a brite tank.
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