Milling comes first. A 100 kg\/hour throughput matches the 100L batch size. A roller mill keeps the malt husk mostly intact while crushing the inside (the endosperm). That helps enzymes work during mashing and makes lautering easier. On a nano brewery, getting the roller gap right matters a lot \u2014 set it too tight and the grain bed blocks flow; set it too loose and you lose efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mash\/Lauter Tun Combo (100L)<\/strong> Kettle\/Whirlpool Combo (100L)<\/strong> Hot Water Tank (100L)<\/strong> Fermentation Tanks (100L \u00d7 2 units)<\/strong> Glycol Cooling Tank (300L)<\/strong> Automatic Control System<\/strong> Stainless Steel Beer Kegs (5L \u00d7 10 units)<\/strong> Space Planning<\/strong> Water, Power, and Drainage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Licensing and Regulations<\/strong> Cleaning and Sanitation<\/strong> Capacity vs. Market Demand<\/strong> Here’s a standard single\u2011batch brew day on a 100L nano brewery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1: Prepare the Grain<\/strong> Step 2: Mash<\/strong> Step 3: Lauter<\/strong> Step 4: Boil and Add Hops<\/strong> Step 5: Cool and Aerate<\/strong> Step 6: Ferment<\/strong> Step 7: Carbonate and Package<\/strong> Low starting cost<\/strong> Cheap recipe trials<\/strong> Freshness you can’t beat<\/strong> Great for learning and experimenting<\/strong> The marketing power of an on\u2011site brewery<\/strong> Here’s a field\u2011proven setup for a 100L nano brewery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operational tips for this setup:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A nano brewery isn’t just a shrunken industrial brewery. It’s a different way of brewing \u2014 one that packs the whole process (from milling to carbonation) into a tiny footprint. Every step stays visible and controllable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For aspiring craft beer entrepreneurs, restaurant owners, and homebrewers ready to go pro, a 100L nano system offers the ideal starting point: manageable risk, full process control, and a clear path to profitability. As craft beer markets keep fragmenting and localizing, nano breweries will only become more important \u2014 as platforms for personal, local, and genuinely fresh beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This combined unit saves floor space by putting mashing and lautering into one tank. Mashing follows a programmed temperature climb \u2014 typically starting with a 45\u00b0C protein rest and moving up to 72\u00b0C for saccharification. Hot water comes from the hot liquor tank. A false bottom at the base of the lauter tun, along with vorlauf (recirculating the wort), clears up the wort before you collect it. What really matters here is the false bottom’s hole pattern and uniformity \u2014 those decide the flow rate and your efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The boil does four things: sterilizes the wort, isomerizes hop bitterness, forces proteins to coagulate, and controls evaporation. On a 100L system, evaporation usually runs 8\u201312%. The built-in whirlpool spins the liquid, sending trub and hop debris into a tight cone at the center of the kettle floor. That leaves clear wort around the pickup point. A good whirlpool needs 15\u201320 minutes of settling and a steady inlet speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hot water tank feeds the mash and supplies cleaning water. Its size matches the mash tun, so one heat cycle supports an entire batch. The tank has heating elements and temperature sensors linked to the control system. This tank is what lets you hold precise mash temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two tanks let you overlap batches. While one batch ferments actively, the other can cold-condition or mature. Conical bottoms make it easy to harvest yeast and dump sediment. Cooling jackets and temperature ports let you ferment different beer styles \u2014 ales, lagers, saisons \u2014 at their ideal temperatures. With two tanks and weekly brewing, you can expect roughly 4,000\u20135,000 liters per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This tank runs the show for temperature control. A refrigeration unit chills a glycol solution and stores it in the 300L tank. From there, pumps send it to the fermentation jackets and heat exchangers. Compared to direct expansion or plain water cooling, a glycol loop gives you stable temperatures, fast response, and the ability to cool several tanks at once. 300 liters of buffer capacity handles two fermenters and one mash tun at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The control system typically includes a PLC, temperature sensors, level sensors, motorized valves, and an HMI (touchscreen). It manages mash temperature ramps, boil intensity, fermentation profiles, and CIP cleaning cycles. The right amount of automation frees you from standing over the system and helps keep batches consistent. For a startup, aim for at least automatic temperature control with alarms \u2014 you can leave valves on manual as a backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Small packaging matters for a nano brewery. 5L kegs work for one person, small gatherings, or a single table at a restaurant. They’re also easy for customers to take home. Ten kegs cover about half of one batch. The rest you can bottle or serve through a draft system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"2bbl](\"https:\/\/metobrew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2bbl-brewery1.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. What to Think About Before Building a Nano Brewery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A nano brewery needs roughly 20\u201350 square meters of floor space. But how you lay it out matters more than the total area. You need dedicated zones for grain storage (dry, dark, no pests), the brewhouse (with ventilation for steam), fermentation (temperature-controlled), packaging, cleaning, and finished beer storage. Keep the fermentation area away from the brewhouse so heat doesn’t interfere. And leave room to expand later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Legally, a nano brewery counts as a food production facility \u2014 just like a giant brewery. You’ll need a food production license or a small\u2011scale brewing license (rules vary by region). You may also need alcohol sales permits, tax registration, and environmental or drainage permits. Talk to local regulators and industry groups before you spend money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nano equipment is small with short pipe runs, so you can take things apart and clean by hand. But you still need a standard procedure (SOP). A hot caustic recirculation followed by a cold water rinse works well. The glycol loop, fermenters, and brewhouse each need their own schedule. A sanitation failure hits a nano brewery harder than a big one \u2014 one ruined batch could be more than 25% of your monthly output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 100L batch comes out to about 200 bottles (500ml each). If you brew twice a week, that’s roughly 20,000 liters a year. That size can comfortably supply all the draft beer for a medium restaurant, serve as the house beer for a neighborhood taproom, or supply 3\u20135 retail accounts with kegs or bottles. Run a realistic sales forecast before you build. Don’t end up with too much capacity or constant shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. The Brewing Process on a 100L Nano System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Weigh out the malt \u2014 typically 15\u201325 kg, depending on your target gravity. Run it through the roller mill. The husk should crack but not shred, and the endosperm should crush well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add the milled grain to the mash tun and mix in hot water from the hot liquor tank. Shoot for a liquor\u2011to\u2011grist ratio of about 3:1 to 4:1. Follow your recipe’s temperature ramp \u2014 for example: 45\u00b0C for 15 minutes (protein rest), 62\u00b0C for 40 minutes (\u03b2\u2011amylase), 72\u00b0C for 20 minutes (\u03b1\u2011amylase), and 78\u00b0C for 10 minutes (mash\u2011out). Stir continuously or let it sit still, depending on your system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open the bottom valve of the lauter tun and recirculate the wort until it runs clear. Then sparge with 78\u00b0C hot water in batches. Collect all the wort. Aim for about 110\u2013120 liters total to account for what boils off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transfer the wort to the boil kettle. Boil for 60\u201390 minutes. Add bittering hops, flavor hops, and aroma hops at the times your recipe calls for. When the boil ends, do a whirlpool and let it settle for 15\u201320 minutes. Then pump the hot wort to the fermentation tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Run the hot wort through a plate heat exchanger to bring it down to fermentation temperature (18\u201322\u00b0C for ales, 8\u201312\u00b0C for lagers). While the fermenter fills, inject sterile air or oxygen to hit 8\u201312 mg\/L dissolved oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitch your yeast and hold a steady fermentation temperature using the glycol system. Primary fermentation takes 3\u20137 days. When the apparent gravity hits your target, move to conditioning \u2014 dry hopping, secondary fermentation, whatever your recipe needs. Total fermentation time depends on the style: 10\u201314 days for ales, 3\u20136 weeks for lagers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After fermentation, drop the temperature to 0\u20132\u00b0C. Carbonate either naturally (spunding) or by forcing CO\u2082 in \u2014 shoot for 2.2\u20132.6 volumes. Then package into 5L kegs or bottles. Keep everything sanitary during packaging to avoid oxidation and contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n5. Why Go With a Nano Brewery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A full 100L system (including auxiliary gear) typically runs between USD 15,000 and 30,000. That’s about one\u2011third to one\u2011fifth the price of a 500L micro brewery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Small batches let you iterate recipes fast without wasting money. A bad hop addition or a fermentation temperature spike won’t cost you much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From grain to glass can be as short as two weeks. Your customers get genuinely fresh beer \u2014 that’s your real edge over mass\u2011produced, packaged industrial beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A nano system works perfectly for brewing courses, process experiments, yeast trials, and sensory training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put your brewing equipment where customers can see it \u2014 behind glass or completely open. When people see shiny kettles and active fermenters, they want to buy. It sells itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"2bbl](\"https:\/\/metobrew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2bbl-brewery3.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n6. Example: Complete 100L Nano Brewery Equipment List<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Conclus\u00e3o<\/h2>\n\n\n\n