What is the difference between a small brewery and a brewery?

1. What is a small brewery?

Small breweries, also known as "craft breweries" or "micro breweries", usually have an annual output of hundreds to thousands of kiloliters, emphasizing hand-made brewing, unique flavors and quality first. Compared with large industrial breweries, they are more creative and flexible, showing stronger personality in beer types, raw material selection and cultural expression.

2. Significant differences in scale and output

1. Large breweries: mainly mass production, efficiency first

Large breweries such as Qingdao, Budweiser, and Snow have highly automated production lines with an annual output of millions of kiloliters, unified product standards, global market coverage, and huge equipment investment.

2. Small breweries: small batches, diversification

Small breweries such as Boxing Cat and Panda Craft Brewing have an annual output of hundreds to thousands of kiloliters. They use flexible brewing systems (beer brewing systems), which can quickly adjust recipes, test new categories, and meet the taste needs of niche markets.

3. Common equipment and classification of small breweries

1. Introduction to core equipment

The brewing equipment of small breweries is exquisite and comprehensive, generally including the following parts:

Mash Tun / Lauter Tun: used to saccharify malt and filter wort.

Fermentation Tank: used in the fermentation process, with high precision of temperature insulation and temperature control.

Beer Brewing Tanks: used for beer aging and storage to ensure flavor development.

Control system (PLC control cabinet): intelligent control of key parameters such as fermentation temperature and pressure.

Cooling system (Glycol Chiller): helps control the temperature of the fermentation process.

In the international market, manufacturers such as Crawford Brewing Equipment provide high-quality equipment customization services, which are favored by North American and European craft breweries. For entrepreneurs who are preparing to build a brewery, looking for microbrewery equipment for sale has become the first step to enter the industry.

2. Classification method

Based on the scale and usage scenarios, small brewing equipment can be divided into the following categories:

The first is home brewing equipment, which is suitable for home enthusiasts. It is characterized by low cost, simple operation, and a capacity of usually less than 20 liters, which is suitable for personal attempts or entry-level brewing.

The second is bar/catering craft brewing equipment, which is mainly used in restaurants, pubs and other places. This type of equipment has a beautiful design and a small footprint, which is suitable for displaying the brewing process on site and enhancing customer experience.

The third category is commercial microbrewery equipment, which is suitable for small independent breweries. They usually have a high degree of automation, with an annual production capacity of between 10 tons and 300 tons, which can meet the stable supply needs of the regional market.

The last is the customized equipment system, which is aimed at users with diverse needs. This type of equipment system can be modularly customized according to the user's site conditions, production capacity requirements and brand positioning, with extremely high flexibility.

4. Microbrewery equipment cost

The investment cost of small brewery equipment varies greatly depending on the production capacity, degree of automation and equipment material:

10HL system (suitable for taverns): about RMB 200,000 to 500,000;

30HL system (suitable for regional microbrewery): about RMB 600,000 to 1.5 million;

50HL and above (quasi-industrial scale): up to more than 2 million.

It should be noted that in addition to the initial equipment purchase, the operating costs also include site, water and electricity, raw materials, personnel and marketing costs.

5. Brewing process and raw material selection

Large brewery: industrial process, efficiency first

Use continuous production, filtration, pasteurization and other methods, emphasizing uniformity and large-scale output.

Small brewery: hand-made brewing, emphasizing flavor

Prefer to use imported malt, hops and special yeast, and boldly try innovative raw materials (such as fruit, vanilla, coffee), without sterilization or filtration, retaining live yeast, presenting a complex taste.

6. Brand culture and market positioning

Small breweries build differentiated brand identity through the stories behind brewing, packaging design, on-site interaction and other means. Large breweries rely on mature channels and advertising advantages to build brand loyalty, and their products are relatively standardized and suitable for mass drinking scenarios.

7. Sales channels and business models

Large breweries: nationwide/global layout, mainly supermarkets

Have a stable distributor network and large-volume shipment capabilities, which can support price wars and high-density exposure.

Small breweries: community-based and localized operations

Often interact with consumers through direct-operated bars, e-commerce platforms, and customized channels, emphasizing experience and user participation.

8. Innovation-driven and industrial trends

Small breweries become innovation pioneers

Continuous innovation in packaging, taste, and marketing methods is an important force in promoting the quality upgrade of the entire industry.

Large breweries begin to acquire or invest in craft beer projects

By establishing high-end sub-brands or direct investment acquisitions, horizontal integration from "industry to art" is achieved.

9. The role of equipment manufacturers: Tonsen company case

In the small beer equipment industry chain, the technical capabilities and product stability of equipment manufacturers are particularly critical. China's Tonsen is one of the well-known suppliers in this field, and its products are exported to many countries and regions around the world.

Tonsen is not only able to customize the microbrewery brewing systems required by small craft breweries, covering a full set of equipment such as saccharification systems, cooling systems, and beer brewing tanks, but also has the ability to manufacture complete sets of equipment for large industrial breweries. The company's equipment has a high level of automation and a scientific process, which is suitable for international mainstream beer styles including IPA, lager, dark beer, and white beer.

It is worth mentioning that Tonsen's engineering team has experience in providing customized equipment for world-renowned beer brands. Its equipment can support the world-class brand-level beer brewing quality standards and meet the diverse needs of customers of different sizes.

10. Conclusion: The future of brewing starts with diversification

Small breweries and large breweries are not binary opposites, but constitute a complete ecosystem that influences and complements each other. From family workshops to industrial giants, behind each scale is a different understanding and practice of "flavor" and "culture".

With the help of mature beer brewing systems, innovative brewing processes and a stable and reliable supply chain system, including the support of equipment manufacturers like Tonsen, small breweries can also go further in today's market and brew their own global flavor.