Starting a brewery is an exciting venture for any passionate brewer. Whether you’re scaling up from home brewing or launching a craft brand to meet market demand, understanding the brewery equipment you need is the foundation of a successful brewing operation.
From grain to glass, beer production is a process rooted in chemistry, timing, and precision. Each stage requires specialized tools to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency. But with the wide array of options available on the market, identifying the right beer brewing equipment—and understanding its role—can be overwhelming.
In this blog, we’ll break down the essential equipment needed for setting up a brewery, from the brewhouse to packaging. Whether you're planning a small craft brewery or a larger-scale operation, this guide will help you understand the components you'll need, how they work together, and what to consider when selecting them.
At the heart of any brewery is the brewhouse—the set of vessels where the brewing process begins. The brewhouse typically includes:
This is where milled grains (malt) are mixed with hot water in a process called mashing. The goal is to extract sugars, which will later be fermented into alcohol. A mash tun with good temperature control ensures optimal enzyme activity and consistent sugar extraction.
In many systems, the mash tun also functions as a lauter tun. If separated, the lauter tun is where the mash is filtered, separating the sweet liquid (wort) from the grain husks. Efficient lautering is key to maximizing yield.
The wort is transferred to the kettle, where it’s boiled and hops are added. The boil sterilizes the wort and extracts flavors and bitterness from the hops. A well-designed kettle should have consistent heating, a proper steam venting system, and easy cleaning access.
After boiling, the wort is moved into a whirlpool tank, which helps settle solids (trub) and clarifies the liquid before it’s cooled and sent to fermentation. Some systems combine this with the kettle to save space.
Brewhouse systems range in size and complexity—from compact 2-barrel (BBL) setups for nano-breweries to automated 30+ BBL systems for production-scale operations.
Once the wort is cooled, it needs to be fermented. This is where yeast is added to convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Also called fermentation tanks or FV (Fermentation Vessels), these come in various shapes and sizes, usually made of stainless steel. Key features include:
Temperature control jackets
Pressure relief valves
CIP (Clean-in-Place) systems
Sampling valves
Conical fermenters are particularly popular because they allow easy removal of sediment and yeast, making them ideal for multi-batch usage.
Unitanks are fermenters that double as bright tanks. They allow brewers to ferment, carbonate, and serve from a single vessel. While more expensive, they can save space and streamline production.
After fermentation, the beer is transferred to a brite tank. Here, it matures, clarifies, and is carbonated to final serving levels. This is the last step before packaging. Brite tanks should be insulated and pressurized, allowing both carbonation and cold conditioning.
Temperature control is critical throughout the brewing process, particularly during fermentation. A glycol chiller system circulates cooled glycol through jackets on fermenters and brite tanks, maintaining precise temperatures.
A good glycol system includes:
Glycol reservoir
Chiller unit
Pumps and plumbing for each tank
Without reliable cooling, fermentation can become inconsistent, potentially ruining entire batches.
Hygiene is non-negotiable in brewing. A CIP system allows tanks and lines to be cleaned without disassembly. It usually consists of a mobile cart with:
Hot water and chemical tanks
Pumps
Spray balls and connectors
A robust CIP process minimizes contamination risk and maximizes equipment lifespan.
Before mashing, malted grains need to be crushed. A grain mill ensures consistent crush size, which is essential for good mash efficiency. Poor milling can lead to low sugar extraction or stuck lauterings.
Hot Liquor Tank (HLT): Stores hot water used for mashing and sparging.
Cold Liquor Tank (CLT): Stores chilled water used in the heat exchanger for rapid wort cooling post-boil.
Together, they help manage water temperature needs during the brewing process efficiently.
After boiling, the wort must be rapidly cooled before yeast is added. A plate heat exchanger uses cold water or glycol to bring wort to fermentation temperature quickly—preventing contamination and preserving flavor.
Fluid transfer is a constant in brewing. You’ll need sanitary pumps and food-grade valves to move beer from one vessel to another efficiently and safely. Choosing the right fittings (tri-clamp, butterfly, ball valves) is key to ensuring easy cleaning and maintenance.
Modern breweries use control panels to monitor and adjust temperatures, flow rates, and timing. Automation can range from simple temperature controllers to fully integrated PLC systems, especially in larger setups. Smart control systems increase consistency and reduce labor costs.
Depending on how you plan to sell your beer, you’ll need equipment for kegging, bottling, or canning:
Kegging systems with keg washers and fillers
Bottle filling lines with labelers and cappers
Can seamers for more modern, mobile-friendly packaging
Each method has unique requirements for sanitation, pressure management, and packaging speed.
Quality control is essential. Consider investing in basic lab tools such as:
Hydrometers or refractometers
pH meters
Oxygen testers
Microbiology tools for contamination detection
Larger breweries may also invest in spectrophotometers or CO2 testers for advanced analysis.
Lastly, a brewery needs plenty of supporting gear:
Brewing hoses and clamps
Yeast propagation tanks
Forklifts and pallet jacks for material handling
Storage bins for grain and hops
Spent grain disposal solutions
Your equipment needs will largely depend on your production goals, available space, and budget. Start small with expansion in mind. Many breweries begin with 3–5 BBL systems and gradually scale to 10 BBL or beyond. Choosing modular or scalable equipment gives you flexibility to grow as demand increases.
It’s also crucial to plan for utilities—water supply, drainage, steam, power, and ventilation—before finalizing your equipment list. Equipment layout and process flow should prioritize safety, efficiency, and ease of cleaning.
Setting up a brewery involves more than just buying tanks and brewing beer. It’s about building a system that supports quality, consistency, and growth. By understanding the role each piece of brewery equipment plays—from mashing to packaging—you’ll be better prepared to invest wisely and avoid costly mistakes.
If you’re currently planning or expanding a brewing facility, it helps to consult with professionals who understand both the technical and operational aspects of brewing. One such resource is CBET, a company that specializes in brewery system design and custom beer brewing equipment manufacturing. With years of experience and a wide product range, they’ve helped breweries of all sizes bring their vision to life.
For more information on equipment options or support with your brewery project, feel free to explore their website. Whether you're starting fresh or scaling up, having the right partner can make all the difference.
