Traditionally, in both wine and beer production, oak casks were used for storage and maturation. In more recent times, stainless steel has become the preferred option. It’s easy to see why. Stainless steel is hard-wearing, easy to sterilise, and doesn’t taint the product.
However, more and more small breweries and wineries are starting to recognise the benefits of polyethylene tanks and the advantages that they offer. One big incentive for craft beer and wine producers is the lower cost of polyethylene tanks compared to stainless steel. For those producers looking to upscale their business cost -effectively, it’s an ideal solution.
Modern craft breweries have tended towards using stainless steel for all stages of the brewing process, from storing the raw materials, to fermentation, to the wastewater treatment. While polyethylene tanks are unsuitable for the pressurised production stages, they are ideal for use before and after.
There are four compelling reasons:
Polyethylene tanks are ideal for all stages of the wine production, from transporting the grapes, through to storing the wine during the fermentation process. They offer the same benefits for wineries as for craft breweries and, unlike low-grade plastic tanks, they are more effective at preventing oxygen exposure, protecting the wine from spoiling.
Cone bottomed polyethylene fermentation tanks are perfect for cider mills. These allow sediment to collect more easily and with the addition of a racking port, the cider can be carefully siphoned off into a secondary tank for further fermentation or storage.
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