Double wall fermenters

[Roger]

Question: do most distillers use double wall temp controlled fermenters or is it really only necessary to heat and crash chill in a mash tun to a temp to throw yeast, then xfer to single walled fermenters in a temp controlled facility ? Whiskey, brandy, cordials. Cost benefit analysis of 250 gallon double walled fermenters plus chillers, vs single walled with no chilers.

Tks

Roger

[nick jones]

do most distillers use double wall temp controlled fermenters... Cost benefit analysis of 250 gallon double walled fermenters plus chillers, vs single walled with no chilers.

Tks

Roger

Roger,

I believe that the answer to your first question is that, no, most (small) distillers do not use temperature controlled fermenters. I'd say that analyzing the cost vs benefit of temperature control depends on what you're looking for in your final product.

It is without question that superb spirits are produced all around the world without temperature controlled fermentations, and I'd say that these distilleries are in the majority (in terms of number of distilleries, not in terms of production volume, of course).

That being said, at Santa Fe Spirits we do clean fermentations in temperature controlled CCVs, and we wouldn't be able to produce the products that we do if our fermentations weren't both clean and temperature controlled, but the difference (or "benefit" if you will) is not really, really obvious. I believe that we are in the minority, and I don't believe that temperature control directly relates to overall quality, but I have found that certain undesirable (for us, at any rate) congeners can be mitigated in fermentation by precise temperature control, rendering them a non-factor in subsequent distillations. Personally, I wouldn't do it any other way.

But precice temperature control can get very expensive. If you can't think of some really great reason that you should have it, I'd say don't bother; you can always add it later if you'd like. Plus, at 250 gallons, you're right on the bubble of being able to get away with a really nice air conditioner and single walled tanks anyway, depending on your location.

Nick

P.S. If you're thinking of cooling mash or juice without the solids separated out, don't forget that you'll be needing agitators in your temperature controlled fermenters as well. Those motors, along with your chiller, will probably require 3 phase power.

[Roger]

Thanks Nick