The Tiantai 1000L brewery equipment is specially designed for craft breweries, brewpubs, and startup breweries looking for professional performance with flexible production capacity. The complete micro brewery equipment includes a 1000L brewhouse, Boil Kettle, mash tun, fermenter vessel, 1000L beer fermenter, glycol cooling system, CIP cleaning system, and PLC control system, making sour beer production efficient and repeatable.
Sour beer has become one of the fastest-growing categories in the craft beer industry. Unlike traditional beer styles, sour beer develops its unique tart and refreshing character through controlled bacterial fermentation and extended aging. Producing consistent, high-quality sour beer requires not only the right brewing recipe but also reliable and sanitary brewing equipment.
Below are the basic brewing steps for producing sour beer using Tiantai brewing equipment.
Step 1: Prepare the Mash in the Tiantai 1000L Brewhouse
The brewing process begins in the 1000L brewhouse.
For this sour beer recipe, whole grains are commonly used, including:
Wheat malt
Pilsner malt
Fill the Boil Kettle with brewing water and heat it to approximately 170°F (77°C). Transfer the hot water into the mash tun, then slowly add the crushed malt while continuously stirring to prevent clumping.
Once all grains are mixed thoroughly, the mash temperature should stabilize between 150°F and 154°F (65–68°C). Hold this temperature for approximately 60 minutes. During this period, natural enzymes convert starches into fermentable sugars that will later feed both the brewing yeast and souring bacteria.
Tiantai’s insulated Brew House Equipment provides excellent temperature stability, ensuring efficient starch conversion and consistent wort quality.
Step 2: Prepare Sparge Water
While mashing is underway, prepare the sparge water.
Sparging rinses the remaining sugars from the grain bed after mashing. Hot water is sprayed evenly over the grains while sweet wort is collected below.
Proper sparging increases brewhouse efficiency while minimizing tannin extraction from the grain husks.
The Tiantai 1000L brewery equipment is equipped with an efficient lautering system featuring precision false bottoms and adjustable wort collection, helping breweries maximize extract yield and improve production efficiency.
Step 3: Boil the Wort in the Tiantai Boil Kettle
After collecting sufficient wort, transfer it into the Boil Kettle.
Boiling serves several important purposes:
Sterilizes the wort
Stops enzyme activity
Evaporates undesirable volatile compounds
Extracts hop bitterness and aroma
Concentrates the wort
Maintain a vigorous boil for approximately 60 minutes.
After boiling, cool the wort rapidly through the Tiantai plate heat exchanger before transferring it into the fermenter vessel.
For kettle souring, many brewers cool the wort to approximately 95°F (35°C) before introducing Lactobacillus.
Rapid cooling minimizes contamination risks and preserves wort quality.
Step 4: Add Lactobacillus to Create Sourness
The signature tart flavor of sour beer comes primarily from Lactobacillus.
Unlike brewer’s yeast, Lactobacillus converts sugars into lactic acid, creating the refreshing acidity that defines sour beer.
Some brewers also use Pediococcus, another beneficial bacteria that develops deeper acidity during extended aging.
Once the wort reaches approximately 95°F (35°C), pitch the Lactobacillus culture into the fermenter vessel.
Maintain the temperature between 85°F and 95°F (29–35°C) for approximately 12–18 hours.
The Tiantai temperature control system maintains accurate fermentation temperatures, providing ideal conditions for bacterial activity and consistent sourness.
The brewer should monitor pH throughout this process until the desired acidity is reached.
Step 5: Pitch Brewer’s Yeast into the Fermenter Vessel
Once the desired acidity has developed, cool the wort to the appropriate fermentation temperature.
Transfer brewing yeast into the fermenter vessel using the Tiantai sanitary yeast feeder to reduce contamination risk.
Seal the fermenter and begin primary fermentation.
Primary fermentation generally lasts 10 to 14 days, depending on the yeast strain and recipe.
During this stage, yeast converts fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide while producing the beer’s fruity and aromatic characteristics.
The Tiantai 1000L beer fermenter features:
Fully welded sanitary construction
Glycol cooling jacket
Pressure control
Шар для распыления CIP
Пробоотборный клапан
Вращающийся стеллажный кронштейн
Digital temperature monitoring
These features help breweries produce stable, high-quality fermentation results batch after batch.
Step 6: Add Brettanomyces for Complexity
Many traditional sour beer styles benefit from the addition of Brettanomyces, often referred to simply as Brett.
Unlike standard brewing yeast, Brett slowly produces complex flavors that may include:
Earthy notes
Funky aromas
Tropical fruit
Leather
Mild farmhouse characteristics
After primary fermentation, Brett can be added directly into the 1000L beer fermenter.
At this stage, oxygen exposure should be minimized as much as possible to prevent oxidation and preserve flavor stability.
The sealed Tiantai fermenter vessel provides excellent oxygen protection throughout the aging process.
Step 7: Long-Term Fermentation and Aging
The final stage is patience.
Allow the beer to mature inside the 1000L beer fermenter or transfer it into a brite tank for conditioning.
Depending on the desired beer style, aging may last anywhere from 3 to 6 months, or even longer.
During aging:
Brettanomyces continues fermentation
Flavor complexity increases
Acidity becomes smoother
Aromas develop gradually
The beer reaches balance
The Tiantai brewery control system allows brewers to monitor fermentation conditions throughout the maturation period while maintaining stable temperatures and sanitary production environments.
Why Choose Tiantai 1000L Brewery Equipment?
Whether you are launching a new craft brewery or expanding an existing production line, the Tiantai 1000L brewery equipment provides a complete brewing solution.
Main Advantages
Professional 1000L brewhouse design
Efficient mash tun and Boil Kettle configuration
High-performance plate heat exchanger
Sanitary fermenter vessel
Jacketed 1000L beer fermenter
Автоматический контроль температуры
Energy-saving design
Easy CIP cleaning
Food-grade stainless steel construction
Customized turnkey brewery solutions
Tiantai has over 24 years of experience manufacturing brewery equipment and has successfully completed thousands of brewery projects worldwide. From pilot brewing systems to industrial breweries, Tiantai provides complete brewing solutions tailored to every customer’s production goals.
Start Brewing Better Sour Beer with Tiantai
Producing exceptional sour beer requires precise process control, reliable fermentation equipment, and sanitary brewing conditions. The Tiantai 1000L micro brewery equipment offers everything needed to produce consistent, high-quality sour beers with professional efficiency.
Whether you plan to brew Berliner Weisse, Gose, Lambic-inspired ales, or modern fruit sours, Tiantai’s 1000L brewhouse, Boil Kettle, mash tun, fermenter vessel, and 1000L beer fermenter provide the ideal foundation for your craft brewery.
If you are planning to build a new brewery or upgrade your current brewing system, Tiantai can provide customized brewery design, equipment manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and technical support worldwide.
Свяжитесь с нами
Tiantai Beer Equipment Co., Ltd.
Электронная почта: [email protected]
Контакт: Эмили Гонг
