Here at Latimer Ales we have available the Kombucha FV 1000L, a specialised version of our temperature-controlled fermentation tank made using 304-grade stainless steel. This fermenter was initially designed for use in a Kombucha brewery, where the main purpose is heating instead of cooling.

A regular beer yeast reacts with sugar to create alcohol, and from this, heat is given off which can may spoil a beer if the level reaches above about 30°C. Conversely, a Kombucha yeast, which is also known as a Scoobie, doesn’t give off heat like this and instead needs a temperature of 30°C to ferment correctly; as a result, if conditions are cool it may be too difficult for the fermentation process to fully complete.

The system we developed passes warm water through the stainless immersion panel in the fermenter, which is ideal in gradually increasing the temperature of fermentation. Ensuring that a gentle heat is delivered is important in making sure that the yeast cells aren’t killed; this would likely happen if a heat source, similar to one which used in our boilers and hot liquor tanks, was used.

As this system is fully automatic and self-contained, no external input will be needed. As well as Kombucha or Kefir brewers, this system has also been effectively used other industries where a gentle heat delivery is ideal.