Inductor tanks serve the application industry by mixing chemicals in the product tank to create a uniformly mixed product; however, micro-breweries have tapped into application products to assist with beer fermentation.

Ben Nowotarski from the Basket Case Brewery, located in Jasper, Ind., worked with SpraySmarter.com’s Ryan Olsen to convert the inductor tanks to conditioning tanks. While the company has only worked with the conditioning tanks since this past November, it has had great success working with the 60 gallon tanks.

During the fermentation stage of the beer making process, it is important to store the beer in an air tight container that will allow the fermentation process to take place without outside contaminates.

“After we add yeast, the sugars break down and it gives off carbon dioxide,” Nowotarski said. “The tanks allow the carbon dioxide to escape without letting oxygen in to contaminate the beer.”

Since inductor tanks are not designed to be air tight, some alterations are necessary to change them into conditioning tanks that work for breweries. “We have to make the tanks air tight,” Nowotarski said. “So we take off the lids, caulk them and screw them back down.”

The tanks used for breweries are the open flow inductor tanks with drain out capability. They are fitted with external male threads to prevent beer contamination during fermentation. The conditioning tanks can also be fitted with a bleeder valve to help maintain a consistent amount of air pressure during the fermentation process.

SpraySmarter.com offers Ace Roto-Mold inductor tanks ranging in size from 15 gallon to 85 gallon tanks. While the Basket Case Brewery uses 60 gallon tanks, the most popular option for home brewers are the 15 gallon tanks.

Ace Roto-Mold inductor tanks are manufactured from medium-density polyethylene with U.V. inhibitors to protect against sunlight chemical reactions which makes them a great option for brewery uses.

For more information about converting an inductor tank into a fermentation tank, check out this how-to guide .