Ben Franklin once wrote, “Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy.” However, the process of brewing and fermenting beer has changed by a considerable degree since Benjamin Franklin’s time. Many of these changes are due to the different type of tank used to brew beer.
Early Methods of Brewing Beer
Historically, beer was brewed and fermented in different vessels. Typically, beer was fermented in wooden vessels—whether they were open or closed depended upon the type of beer being brewed. While this was useful way to ferment and store beer, it was not without its challenges. One particularly horrific incident was recorded in London in 1814, where several vats of beer burst, exploding a wall and washing away two houses. Nine people would ultimately die from what was dubbed the “London Beer Flood.”
Brewing Beer Cylindroconical Tanks
The vats for fermenting beer incurred many changes over the years, such as utilizing cylindroconical tanks. Featuring cone-shaped bottoms, cylindroconical tanks offer easy yeast removal during repatching, which is the method of removing yeast from one batch of beer and reusing it for another batch.
Another key benefit of the cylindroconical tank is that it can be used throughout the brewing process. This saves both time and space during the brewing process, as well as maintaining a consistent quality due to it not needing to be transferred to multiple containers.
Benefits of Brewing Beer in Stainless Steel Tanks
Another advancement in brewery science was the incorporation of stainless steel into cylindroconical tanks. While patents for cylindroconical tanks date back to the early 1900s, it wasn’t until stainless steel fabrication increased that they gained widespread popularity. Years of improvements were necessary to standardize the cone angle of cylindroconical tanks to seventy degrees.
Increased Capacity
The use of stainless steel cylindroconical tanks meant that tanks could be individually and affordably insulated. This drastically improved the amount of tanks a brewery could house, as it would no longer need separate locations to ferment the beer.
Temperature Control
During fermentation, the temperature can rapidly rise. Controlling the temperature is the key to creating the flavor profile brewers are seeking. Modern stainless steel tank design incorporates cooling technology into the tank design to help.
CO2 Collection
Stainless steel cylindroconical tanks also assist with the collection of carbon dioxide during the primary fermentation process, making it easier to reuse and recycle the gas.
Cleaning
Stainless steel reacts with very few chemicals, allowing for a variety of cleaning solutions to be used on them. Their polyethylene tank counterparts feature far more specific cleaning processes. Additionally, stainless steel tanks can be utilized during all stages of the brewing process.
Brewing your batch in a tank? Ensure you’re still hitting those perfect flavor notes with Infusion Spiral’s tank spirals.