FV:BBT ratio for 10bbl Brewery

[BuiltToLast]

First off, all of my experience has been with smaller English breweries, so i'm trying to wrap my head around how to set up a 'modern' FV and BBT plan. We're be starting out as a 10bbl brewery, with a tasting room that's supplied by kegs, so we don't currently need serving tanks. I'll be doing most, if not all of the brewing, so double brews are unfeasible/impractical at this time.

My initial plan was to use 4 10bbl FVs and 4 10bbl BBTs. I was thinking we would keep the beer in the FV for 7-10 days then rack it over to a BBT and package off that after another 7 to 10 days. By my logic, we'd safely be able to brew at least 12 batches per month with this set up. Does anyone see any issues with this method?

Secondly, I've been wondering why we couldn't just use all conicals (uni's?) and just make sure they're fabricated with a port for a Co2 stone. At the brewery I'm currently at, we use a conical as a conditioning/holding tank, and it seems to work just as well as the dish bottom BBT/CTs. This would give us a little extra leeway when it comes to juggling brew schedules and tank space.

It seems like a lot of the breweries around here have started with less then that, but it seems like it would be worth installing it all at once so you can focus on production after you open (and all the other logistical issues), rather then having to deal with bringing in and installing more tanks once you require more then what 2 FVs and 1 or 2 BBTs can produce.

Any help or insight into this matter would be much appreciated. Thanks!!

[beermkr]

I was at a brewery where we had the same sort of setup. Smaller but pretty much the same. 5 BBL system with 5 FV's and 5 BT's. Tap room fed by kegs.

I figured out that the holdup point was the fermenters so I picked up 3 1 x 1.5 reducers from mcmaster car and dropped them into the drains of three of the BT's. Made a super inexpensive stand pipe and instant conditioning tanks.

New process. Ferment to completion (4 days), transfer to conditioning tank with biofine on the way. Hold untill needed. Filter to BT, carb and keg.

Allowed me to free up a fermenter in 4 days this way. Typically the CT's were emptied within 3-4 days so the next fermenter could be rolled into it.

[BuiltToLast]

I was at a brewery where we had the same sort of setup. Smaller but pretty much the same. 5 BBL system with 5 FV's and 5 BT's. Tap room fed by kegs.

I figured out that the holdup point was the fermenters so I picked up 3 1 x 1.5 reducers from mcmaster car and dropped them into the drains of three of the BT's. Made a super inexpensive stand pipe and instant conditioning tanks.

New process. Ferment to completion (4 days), transfer to conditioning tank with biofine on the way. Hold untill needed. Filter to BT, carb and keg.

Allowed me to free up a fermenter in 4 days this way. Typically the CT's were emptied within 3-4 days so the next fermenter could be rolled into it.

Are your BBTs conicals or the standard dish type?

[beermkr]

They were dish types.