Although there are similarities in the production of wine and beer, there are also some differences. The first and most obvious difference is that beer is made from grains, and thus, whiskey is also made from grains. Wine is made from fruits. The most common feature is that either beer or wine requires the introduction of yeast to convert the crushed fruit or convert any available sugars in the grains. Yeast is a single-celled organism found in nature.
Beer fermentation tank
Material: Beer fermentation tanks are made of stainless steel, which is easy to clean, disinfect and maintain. Oak is not used for beer fermentation.
Design: Beer fermenters are designed to manage the fermentation process and control factors such as temperature and pressure. They usually have cooling jackets to regulate the temperature of the fermenting beer.
Fermentation Process: Beer fermentation involves yeast converting maltose into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process of beer is generally faster than that of wine, usually lasting from a few days to a few weeks.
Yeast Management: Different yeast strains are used in brewing to achieve specific beer styles.
Carbonation: Some beer styles must more carbonation after fermentation, either through residual yeast activity or through forced carbonation using carbon dioxide.
Clarification and Filtration: While beer can be clarified and filtered in a separate vessel after fermentation, some breweries use specialized conical tanks to separate solids and sediment from the beer.
Wine fermentation tank
Material: Wine fermentation tanks are usually made of stainless steel or oak, with stainless steel being more common.
Design: The design of the wine tank allows for gentle extraction of flavor, color and tannins from grape skins and other solids.
Fermentation Process: Wine fermentation involves yeast converting glucose into alcohol. The fermentation process of wine is generally slower and takes longer than that of beer, often taking weeks or even months.
Yeast management: During the winemaking process, natural or selected strains of wine yeast are used to ferment grape juice.
Punching and Pumping: During red wine fermentation, cap management techniques are often used to enhance color and flavor extraction, such as punching (pushing the grape solids down into the liquid) or pumping (pumping the liquid into the cap ).
Aging: After fermentation, the wine can be aged in the same tanks or transferred to barrels for further aging.
Fermentation microorganisms are different
Beer fermentation is a key step in the brewing process and involves yeast converting glucose (sugar) in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is critical to the beer’s final flavor and alcohol content. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is the primary yeast used in beer fermentation. Different yeast strains are used to brew various styles of beer.
A variety of yeast strains, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanensis, can be used for wine fermentation. Additionally, some winemakers use natural or wild yeast found on grape skins.
There are other differences between beer and wine production that are more subtle and have more to do with the vintner or winemaker trying to create a finished product with atypical flavor profiles. The classic example is the popular “sour” beer, where the brewer infects the wort with specific organisms to impart extra complexity to the finished product. When it comes to wine, the first thing that comes to mind is “rancio” style wine. This is a technique where winemakers age wine to actually promote oxidation.
The brewing process is different
Making wine
- Picking grapes
- Grapes are pressed into grape juice
- The juice is transferred to the fermentation vessel and combined with yeast for fermentation
- Once fermentation is complete, the wine is stabilized, modified with acids, chemicals, and sweetened to develop the flavor profile desired by the winery.
- Grapes are packaged
Brew beer
- Grow barley and transport it to the malting factory
- Malt sprouts the enzymes needed to convert the starch stored in each wheat grain into sugar. This is the malting process.
- Malt is dried into basic malt or into specialty grains
- The malt is transported to the brewery until used
- Create different malt flavors based on desired beer
- Crush malt and add to hot water to make mash
- Let stand for 30-90 minutes to degrade the starch into simpler sugars, which dissolve in water to produce wort
- The wort is collected in a kettle, and the sugar in the grains in the mash is washed with hot water.
- The wort is boiled in a pot, often with hops or other spices to create a more complex flavor.
- The wort is cooled and transferred to the fermentation vessel
- Yeast consumes simple sugars and produces carbon dioxide and alcohol through fermentation
- After fermentation is completed, the yeast falls out of the solution or is filtered out
- Beer carbonated and packaged
Different temperatures are required
Beer fermentation temperatures vary depending on the style of beer and the strain of yeast used. Generally speaking, beer fermentation usually occurs at lower temperatures than wine, usually around 50-75°F (10-24°C).
Wine fermentation temperatures range from 50-85°F (10-29°C), depending on grape variety and wine style. Certain types of wine, such as red wine, may undergo warmer fermentation to extract color and flavor compounds.
Fermentation tanks are designed
Beer fermenters are usually conical in shape to remove residue and yeast from the bottom of the tank. They may also have a cooling system to control fermentation temperature.
Wine fermenters are usually open-top or closed-top vessels. Open-top tanks are used in red wine production to ease depressing the grape lids, while closed-top tanks are common in white wine and some red wine production. Both types may have temperature control systems.
Despite these differences, beer and wine fermenters both play a key role in the production of their respective beverages, ensuring that sugars are converted into alcohol and the desired flavors and aromas are developed. Stainless steel fermenters are manufactured in many different ways, and you can talk to a Micet manufacturer and get a custom wine or beer fermenter design. Size, shape, valves and fittings can be adjusted to your liking.