Setting up a small brewery requires careful selection of the right brewing equipment to meet your production goals and budget. The core brewing equipment of a small 5-10 barrel brewery includes brewing kettles, mash tun, lauter tun, fermentation tanks, whirlpool tun and other supporting infrastructure.
 
Small Brewery Brewing Equipment Buying Guide covers key considerations when choosing the system that best suits your needs:
Pricing varies based on capacity, materials, automation features and additional equipment. Economies of scale apply – larger systems with more than 15 barrels have lower cost per barrel.
 
Installation, operation and maintenance
Work with equipment supplier to plan installation based on brewery layout and utilities. Comprehensive training of winemakers and cellar workers in operating procedures. Arrange regular maintenance inspections of valves, instruments and motors.
 
Choose a reliable supplier
Choose an established small brewery brewing equipment company that has expertise in small brewery design and a track record of successful projects. Prioritize suppliers who offer customization, support, and are close to your brewery to minimize logistics costs.
 
Pros and Cons of Different Small Brewery Brewing Equipment
Manual brewing equipment
Manual brewing systems require more physical labor but have lower upfront costs.
Advantage:
Lower capital investment
Simpler design and operation
Easy to control the process manually
Shortcoming:
Labour-intensive, repetitive work
Risk of human error
Deep cleaning
 
Semi-automated brewery
Semi-automated systems automate some processes, such as boiling and cooling, while retaining manual control of mashing and fermentation.
Advantage:
Moderate upfront costs
Automate tedious tasks
Flexibility of control
Shortcoming:
Components are still labor intensive
Complexity of system integration
Train employees on manual and automated operations
 
Fully automatic brewery
The fully automated system controls nearly every aspect of brewing via a programmable logic controller.
Advantage:
High consistency and repeatability
Increase efficiency
Less labor required
Shortcoming:
High upfront capital costs
Complex programming and control
Less direct control over the process
 
Still have a problem on choosing the brewery equipment? We can help with your final decision. If you are looking for a turnkey solution for craft beer brewing system, please contact us. We are looking forward to working with you. Send an email now: [email protected]