Some brewers' plan is to start lean and invest in the brewery to make it grow. In this typical case, the challenge is to build a brewery that is sustainable in terms of quality. At the same time, it can grow as the brewery's customer base grows.
 
When budgets are tight, adjustments need to be made to the equipment list. The equipment needs to be:
1. Consistency is key to being able to brew high quality beer.
2. Equipment should be durable, if it's too cheap you will have problems sooner rather than later.
3. The brewery needs to be large enough so that it can do larger volumes in the future.
4. Some parts of the brewery are too big and need to grow to add some modular elements.
5. Work needs to be done on the equipment list to make the best use of the space in the shipping containers.
6. A key component is the glycol system.
 
There are a number of other factors to consider and there are a number of tips to make your initial brewing project 'lean'. As a result, you can have a usable brewery within your budget.
 
Use a Two-Vessel System
A two-vessel brewery means you have a combined wort/oxidation tank, and a combined kettle/whirlpool. Does this affect the efficiency of the whole brewery? Yes, a little... However, in good brewing you can still have an efficient brewhouse.
 
Measuring Volumes
When it comes to measuring the volume of each brewhouse vessel, brewers like to use flow meters. However, flow meters are expensive and reliable, long-lasting flow meters generally come from Europe or Japan. When you want to save money, you need to go old school. The idea is to use a dip stick in both the wort/fermenter and the brew kettle/Whirlpool.
 
Ideally, it is best to have a sight tube on the wort/back tank as well, so that you can check the volume of liquid in the container more easily.
 
Buy Bigger Tanks
You will have some beers that sell better than others. These best-selling beers will need to be brewed more frequently. Ideally, these beers should be brewed in double batches and placed in larger cellars.
 
When buying a cellar tank, you will not pay twice the price for a double-sized container. For example, a 1000 litre tank is not twice the price of a 500 litre container. It takes almost the same amount of time to make both sizes of containers. What you really have to pay for is the extra material.
 
This means that buying larger jars will result in more total jar capacity for less upfront cost. In addition, when you make two batches in one can, you lose less beer.
 
Obviously, you want to make sure that your beer is fresh, so you need some single batch cans for some of the slower selling beers. However, where possible, it is appropriate to buy double, triple, quadruple or larger sized or larger cans. This will result in significant cost savings.
 
Optimising Container Space
When it comes to planning equipment for your brewery, it is worth considering how much space each container takes up. This may mean working on the size configuration of the fermenters in order to squeeze as much equipment as possible into the container. Shipping containers come in 20ft and 40ft.
 
If you are planning a 500 litre brewery, it is possible to fit all the equipment into a 40ft container. If this means, for example, losing a 500-litre tank or replacing a 1,000-litre tank with two 500-litre tanks, then so be it.
 
If there is some extra space in the container, fill it with something else, such as a wine barrel. Make the most of all the space available in the container.
 
Glycol Systems
If you intend to grow the winery over time. Intend to add more cellar tanks. It is best to upsize the glycol system when you initially purchase the equipment.
 
I know this is not in the spirit of this article and we are trying to put together a streamlined system for as little money as possible.
 
However, if there is extra capacity, you can add some extra cellars later and really save your money in the long run. It is something to consider if your budget allows.
 
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]