What you wanna know about craft beer brewhouses
- Nov 19, 2021
- 107
- tiantai
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.
First: 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
Second. 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.
Vicky Shao
Sales manager
Tiantai Beer Equipment
[email protected]
First: 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
Second. 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.
Vicky Shao
Sales manager
Tiantai Beer Equipment
[email protected]
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