Comparison
Conical Fermenter vs Unitank
A unitank is a conical that cools itself and holds pressure. The jacket is the real difference, and it comes with a glycol chiller attached.
The short answer
A unitank is a pressure-rated conical with an integrated glycol cooling jacket, so it ferments, carbonates and serves from one vessel without a fermentation chamber. For homebrewers it is justified mainly when your vessel is too tall for any chamber you can fit or you run multiple batches at different temperatures.
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The terms get used loosely, so start with definitions. A conical fermenter is any vessel with a cone-shaped bottom. A unitank is a conical that is additionally pressure-rated and wrapped in a cooling jacket, so one vessel handles fermentation, carbonation and serving -- which is where the “uni” comes from.
Conical against unitank
| Conical | Unitank | |
|---|---|---|
| Cone | Yes | Yes |
| Pressure rated | Depends on model | Yes, always |
| Cooling | External chamber or add-on coil | Integrated glycol jacket |
| Needs a chamber | Usually yes | No |
| Needs a glycol chiller | Only with a coil | Yes |
| Carbonate in the vessel | On rated models | Yes |
| Serve from the vessel | Rarely practical | Yes |
| Typical homebrew capacity | 5-8 gal | Half barrel and up |
| Total system cost | Lower | Much higher |
An orange rule marks the better of the two on that row.
The jacket
Why it is the whole argument
A fermentation chamber cools the air around a vessel and relies on that air to pull heat out of the beer. It works, it is cheap, and it has two limitations: the vessel has to fit inside the box, and the thermal lag between air and beer is substantial during active fermentation.
A glycol jacket cools the vessel wall directly. The consequences are worth understanding because they are not just about efficiency:
- Height stops mattering. This is the big one for homebrewers. The reason stainless conicals and chest freezers do not mix is height, and a jacket removes the constraint completely.
- Faster, tighter control. Heat leaves through the wall rather than across an air gap, so a crash cool takes hours rather than most of a day.
- Multiple vessels, different temperatures. One chiller can feed several jacketed vessels each at its own setpoint. A chamber holds one temperature for everything inside it.
The cost is the chiller. See how glycol chillers work and glycol chiller vs fermentation fridge.
The honest verdict
Most homebrewers do not need a unitank
Unitanks start at capacities designed for half-barrel batches, which is 10 gallons and up. If you brew 5 gallon batches, a unitank is more vessel than you can fill, and a part-full pressurized vessel is not a problem exactly but it is wasteful.
The two situations where a unitank genuinely makes sense for a homebrewer:
- You brew 10 gallon batches and have run out of chamber options. A unitank plus glycol is cleaner than two fermenters in a fridge.
- You run several batches simultaneously at different temperatures. One chiller, several jacketed vessels, each independently controlled. A chamber cannot do this.
Otherwise, a pressure-rated conical with an optional cooling coil delivers most of the unitank experience for substantially less -- best pressure fermenters covers those vessels.
Our verdict
Which one should you buy?
Buy a conical if
Spike Brewing CF5 Conical Fermenter
- You brew 5 to 8 gallon batches
- You have a chamber, or can add a cooling coil
- You want pressure capability without a glycol loop
- Total system cost matters
Buy a unitank if
Ss Brewtech Unitank
- You brew half-barrel batches routinely
- No chamber you can fit will take your vessel
- You run several batches at different temperatures
- You want to ferment, carbonate and serve from one vessel
What we recommend
The products on this page
The unitank
Prosumer tier
Ss Brewtech Unitank
Ss Brewtech
Jacketed and pressure rated, so it ferments, carbonates and serves without a chamber at all. The jacket replaces the fridge, which removes the height problem entirely.
Spec sheet
- Capacity
- Half barrel (0.5 bbl) and larger
- Pressure
- Rated vessel with a pressure relief valve
- Cooling
- Glycol jacket, no chamber needed
- Ports
- Tri-clamp, thermowell, carb stone port
- Process
- Ferment, carbonate and serve from one vessel
- Footprint
- Needs floor space and a glycol loop
What it is not good at
Needs a glycol chiller to function, needs floor space, and is substantially more vessel than a 5 gallon brewer can use.
Who it is for
Half-barrel batches, or any setup where chamber height is the constraint
The conical
Prosumer tier
Spike Brewing CF5 Conical Fermenter
Spike Brewing
A welded, pressure-rated conical with a full cone and tri-clamp ports. Add an optional cooling coil and it does most of what a unitank does for less.
Spec sheet
- Capacity
- 8 gal / 30 L (5 gal batch)
- Material
- Welded 304 stainless, no crevices
- Pressure
- Rated for pressure transfer and spunding
- Ports
- Tri-clamp throughout
- Cone
- Full cone with a dump valve
- Options
- Cooling coil, thermowell, CIP arm
What it is not good at
Without a jacket or coil it needs a chamber, and with a stand it is too tall for most chest freezers.
Who it is for
Five gallon batches where a chamber or a cooling coil is available
The part that makes either work
Prosumer tier
Penguin Chillers Glycol Chiller
Penguin Chillers
A recirculating glycol loop cools the vessel directly rather than cooling the air around it, which is what makes jacket or coil cooling possible.
Spec sheet
- Capacity
- 1/4 HP and larger units sold
- Medium
- Propylene glycol / water mix
- Pump
- Submersible pump in the reservoir
- Control
- Digital setpoint on the chiller
- Vessels served
- Typically 1-2 jacketed or coiled fermenters
- Ambient
- Needs airflow and a warm-air escape path
What it is not good at
A real additional purchase and running cost. Needs airflow and a path for warm air to leave.
Who it is for
Anyone whose fermenter will not fit a chamber
FAQ
Questions brewers actually ask
What is the difference between a conical and a unitank?
A conical is any vessel with a cone-shaped bottom. A unitank is a conical that is also pressure-rated and wrapped in a glycol cooling jacket, so one vessel handles fermentation, carbonation and serving without a separate fermentation chamber. The jacket and the pressure rating are what make it a unitank rather than just a conical.
Do I need a glycol chiller for a unitank?
Yes. The cooling jacket is the defining feature and it needs a recirculating glycol loop to do anything. Without a chiller a unitank is an expensive uncooled conical, so budget for the chiller as part of the purchase rather than as a later addition.
Is a unitank worth it for a homebrewer?
Usually not. Unitanks start at half-barrel capacities designed for 10 gallon batches and up, and they require a glycol chiller plus floor space. The two cases where they genuinely make sense are when no fermentation chamber you can fit will take your vessel, and when you want several batches at different temperatures from one chiller.
Can I add a cooling coil to a regular conical instead?
Yes, and it is the sensible cheaper route to the same benefit. A stainless cooling coil sitting inside the fermenter, fed by a glycol loop, cools the beer directly just as a jacket does, and several conicals offer a coil as a factory option. You get jacket-style control and the removal of the chamber-height problem without buying a unitank.
Read next
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