Searching for Brewery Advice

[thumpc]

Hi, This is my first post here!
I am currently sourcing a new brewery set up, and I have a few questions. Any help would be much appreciated

Our current set up is with electric elements (9HL batch size), and we are starting fresh with a 20HL approx brewhouse.
We can continue with electric elements or aim to have steam.
I personally think steam would be more efficent, and with the benefits of using it as sanitation in some steps, but does any body have any advice/nightmares for sharing with me on this?

Also, we are moving from open FV's to closed conicals, with the intention of carbonation & conditioning in the same vessels. What would the working pressure be in that case? (They would ideally be jacketed and connected to a cooling system)

Also, does anyone have any advice for a dedicated yeast starter culture vessel? Such as; volume, whether it should be jacketed itself, etc.

Many thanks

[gitchegumee]

Electric vs. direct fire vs. steam covered in several threads already. Electric is much more efficient in energy conversion (albeit usually more expensive). Much more difficult to clean and maintain. Steam is preferred by nearly everyone. Personally, I wouldn't consider the steam as sanitation unless you have an installation specifically set up for food grade steam provision. With regard to working pressure in tanks, you will be limited to 1 bar by ASME UV code unless you buy an ASME UV rated pressure vessel (which are much more expensive). And lastly, cooling is mandatory on yeast propagation/storage vessels. Good luck!

[thumpc]

Thanks for the advice!