{"id":2322,"date":"2019-09-26T16:07:15","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T16:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2025-03-24T14:46:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T14:46:13","slug":"stainless-steel-tanks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/stainless-steel-tanks\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting up your stainless steel tank"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once the home winemaker has mastered the art of getting just the right amount of wine into dozens of different sized carboys, they may be wondering if there is an easier way to ferment and bulk age their wine. Enter the stainless steel tank!<\/h3>\n

While getting a stainless tank may seem like a big next step, it’s likely one of the best decisions you will make, assuming production levels are high enough. If you’re a home winemaker who has a couple carboys sitting in the cellar, your goal probably isn’t a larger tank. But if you’re making anything more than that, it may just make your life that much easier (and fun!)<\/p>\n

A variety of sizes<\/h4>\n

Stainless steel tanks come in many sizes, from 100 liters (26 gallons) to 10,000 liters or more! Unless you’re looking to start their own large scale commercial winery, you’ll likely start your search in the 100L+ range.<\/p>\n

Variable capacity or fixed volume<\/h4>\n

Part of the beauty of stainless tanks is that unlike carboys<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, demijohns<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, and barrels<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, they are oftentimes variable capacity. What does this mean? It means you don’t have to worry about constantly topping up, blending other wines into your batch to allow it to reach the neck of the vessel, the threat of oxidation, or employing inert gas to keep the head space at the top of the vessel blanketed. Some winemakers prefer fixed capacity tanks, but again, the downside is that you really need to stay on top of keeping them full the entire time you’re bulk aging.<\/p>\n

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Time to set up your stainless steel tank<\/h2>\n

Setting up your tank is very simple to do. The basic setup will include a stand, valves, tasting valve, and maybe a thermometer and a thermowell.\u00a0The tank may come with a stand or leveling feet which elevate it from the ground. Even the most simplistic, small tank may come with these, though some will only be basic enough that they get placed directly onto the floor or a pallet. The smallest tanks will not have a manway, since you can easily reach in from the top for cleaning or extracting the juice or must post fermentation. Some will have a valve on the bottom and some will not.<\/p>\n

\nA thermometer gets inserted into the thermowell for constant temperature readings<\/p>\n

What else might I need to set up on my tank?<\/h4>\n