Glycol chiller sizing calculator
A quick estimate of the glycol load for jacketed fermentation tanks (beer, cider, kombucha, wine, and other fermented beverages): heat from active fermentation plus crash cooling, with a safety margin on top. Use it to put a realistic number in front of chiller suppliers.
Fermentation
Most of the heat comes off in the first few days.
Crash cooling
Covers peak fermentation rate, glycol line and tank heat gain, and future growth.
Estimated chiller size
0.7 tons
7,836 BTU/hr with margin
Fermentation load
2,322
BTU/hr, all fermenting tanks
Crash cooling load
3,706
BTU/hr, all crashing tanks
This is a starting number for a request for quote, not a final sizing. It leaves out wort knockout cooling, brite-tank holding loads, and uninsulated tanks or long glycol runs. Fermentation heat uses about 250 BTU per pound of extract fermented, spread evenly over the active days. A chiller supplier should confirm the size against your cellar layout and ambient conditions.
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Carry this load into a spec sheet — tank count, batch size, and glycol temperature — and send it to chiller suppliers. Your company name stays private until you choose to connect.
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