OFV | Open fermentation vats | Open beer fermentors
OPEN FERMENTATION VATS
The Czech traditional brewery cellar technology is based on historically proven method of slow fermentation of wort in open fermentation vats and the maturation of beer in closed lager tanks at moderate pressures. In this manner, in Central Europe, beer has been manufactured for at least 150 years.
Although in the past fifty years the traditional method of slow fermentation of on-bottom fermented beer was replaced by the modern concept of a brewery cellar, the production of beer in closed cylindrically-conical tanks, lately there is again a shift to a proven classic. Old fermentation method, the primary beer fermentation in the open vats, is often used mainly in small craft breweries.
The concept of a brewery cellar with cylindrically-conical fermentors instead of fermentation in open vats has distinct advantages that make it particularly preferred for large breweries, in contrast the classical concept has several essential characteristics, that make it particularly popular for microbreweries and restaurant microbreweries. Among the main ones it´s lower cost, simple operation, and the possibility of convenient collection of so-called “quilt” . This is a foam with dead yeast floated on surface of wort which leaves an unpleasant sour in the beer – bitter tinge.
But for small breweries there is one advantage of the technology of open fermentation, for the big breweries completely irrelevant. And that is the opportunity to show intermediate product of the beer production in different phases for visitors. Who ever visited as a tourist a craft brewery, in his mind remains the memory of a bathtub full of young beer, which is covered by a layer of foam of interesting structure and colors. Looking at beer at the stage of primary fermentation is simply fascinating, and that is the most important for marketing. The operator of a small brewery can boast with craft beer production before the guests. The view of the hall full of stainless steel closed tanks definitely cannot replace that enjoyment.
The disadvantage of primary fermentation in open fermentation vats is the inappropriateness of this technology for production of top-fermented beers, as active fermenting yeasts are through foam easily contaminated by undesirable organismsfrom the surroundings. This technology can be bypassed only by very sterile environment in which on-top fermented beer is fermented separately from tanks with a on-bottom fermented beer.other beers.
We produce and deliver with our breweries open fermentation vats cooled by glycol or ice water. The coolant circulates in the double jacket of the insulated fermentation vessels. Optionally we can supply the fermentation vats fitted with a hinged lid, which increases the resistance of fermented beer against its contamination.
Scheme of the craft brewery equipped with open fermentors
We produce open fermentation vats in several standard product lines
Our wide range of produced open fermentation vats allows you to select the optimum tank dimensions according to layout space.
We also produce the open fermentation vats in other than the standard sizes . We can customize almost any tanks spatial dispositions to your needs.
