Everything You Need To Know About Securing Tanks For A Modest Commercial Brewery
ShareDo you have a knack for brewing beer? Have you exhausted the capacity of your store-bought home brewery kit and are ready to take your lager skills to the next level? If so, read on to learn everything you need to know about securing tanks for a modest commercial brewery.
The Perfect Material
Aluminum may look like stainless steel, but it's a very different material when it comes to the beer-brewing process. Aluminum oxidizes, so you have to be extremely careful with which cleaning products you use on it. If you happen to use an oxygen-based or caustic cleaner on an aluminum tank, you'll compromise the surface of it. And once the surface of the tank is compromised, the tank begins to rust and becomes difficult, if not impossible to keep sanitized.
Furthermore, some scientists believe that aluminum exposure may play a factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Many European and mid-century U.S. brew tanks are crafted from aluminum. To prevent long-term corrosion issues and the added health risk of aluminum tanks, have a metal fabricator specially build your units using 304 or 316-series stainless steel.
Type 304 stainless steel has an 8 percent nickel content, making it durable and corrosion-resistant. Type 316 steel costs a bit more, but it has a 10 percent nickel content, along with a 2 percent molybdenum, which helps resist against chemical reactions.
The Oh-So-Important Finish
When having your tanks crafted, make sure that your metal fabricator is familiar with the regulations regarding sanitary stainless steel. Some states have minimum requirements on the level of finish that must be used when it comes to metal containers that consumables will be stored in.
Rough finishes leave little nooks and crannies where bacteria can linger and multiply. Even if your state does not have regulations, it's best to opt for the highest-end finish you can afford. A 4A finish requires the stainless steel to be blasted with a 180-grit abrasive, making it as smooth as can be, easy to clean, and easy to sanitize. If having your tanks treated with a 4A finish is out of your price range, a 4 finish is still considered food-safe, with the stainless steel being smoothed with a 150-grit abrasive.
The Size Of Production And The Shape Of Your Tank
Pre-constructed tanks that are capable of producing 60 barrels of beer per day require your facility to have ceilings that are at least 16 feet tall. If you already have your facility, though, and its ceilings aren't this tall, pre-constructed tanks aren't going to fit in it.
Fortunately, metal fabricators can produce sanitary stainless steel tanks in whatever dimensions work best for you. When ordering your tanks, go armed with the dimensions of the place in which they'll be stored and explain to your fabricator the need for shorter, squatter brew tanks. Keep in mind that you'll need to adjust your brewing temperatures to account for the pressure differences in custom-made brew tanks.
Local Beer Needs Local Metal Fabrication
If you're thinking about purchasing tanks from overseas, take a lesson from Canada's Johnson Street Bridge project and think again. A China-based fabrication company won the bid for this project, and the bridge's progression is currently on hold while officials try to decide whether to fix fabrication violations, or wait for an entire new batch of steel to be shipped from China.
Metal fabrication is an intricate process, and you'll want to have close contact with the people who build your brew tanks. Stick with local metal fabricators who guarantee their work and are willing to service your tanks for repair after you've purchased them.
Beer is only as good as the tanks it's produced and stored in. If brewing is your labor of love, make the best beer you can by having a local metal fabricator craft your tanks from high-grade stainless steel with a top-quality finish. If you want to get in touch with a metal fabrication company, then you can click for more information.