🍷 Stainless steel tank
A steel tank with a cooling jacket to hold the temperature precisely.
A stainless steel tank is a steel vat for fermenting and storing wine. It has double walls, and cold or warm water is run between them. This is called a cooling jacket. It lets winemakers hold the temperature precisely during fermentation.
Temperature control matters for white and rosé wines: fermented cool, they keep fresh aromas. Stainless steel lets in no air, adds no flavour and is easy to clean. That is why such tanks are used in most modern wineries.
A similar idea exists in dairying: milk is cooled in steel cooling tanks so that it does not spoil. The principle is the same: steel, cleanliness and exact temperature. In winemaking, a steel tank is often compared with a concrete vat or an oak barrel: they have a different character, and steel gives the cleanest taste. The choice depends on the style of the wine.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Stainless steel tank ← packed in ← 🫒 Olive oil ← related ← 🍷 Wine
Links
- Previous step
- 🍷 Fermentation temperature
- What is packed
- 🫒 Olive oil
- Part of
- 🍾 Wine containers, glassware and serving
- Wine and milk
- ⚙️ Bulk milk cooler
Frequently asked questions
Why does the tank have a cooling jacket?
It helps hold the temperature precisely during fermentation.
Why is steel popular in winemaking?
It adds no flavour, lets in no air and is easy to clean.
How is steel different from oak?
Oak adds flavour and lets in a little air, while steel keeps a clean, fruity taste.
What to read next
- ⚙️ Bulk milk cooler — A farm tank that chills milk to +4 °C within 2 hours of milking.
- 🍷 Fermentation temperature — White wines ferment cool and reds warmer, which changes the taste.
- 🫒 Olive oil — Oil pressed from the fruit of the olive tree.
Similar
🍷 Concrete vat · 🍷 Wooden vat · 🍷 Canned wine · 🍷 Demijohn · 🍷 Bag-in-box · 🍷 Wine in carton