Published
Project Location:South Korea
Customer: NERD
Industry: Traditional Korean Rice Wine Production
Final Product:Makgeolli
Equipment Supplied: Two 1000L Mixing Tanks and Eight 1000L Rice Wine Fermentation Tanks
Main Application: Primary fermentation, rice-wine dilution, blending, temperature control, sampling and sanitary cleaning
NERD is a Korean rice-wine producer specializing in makgeolli, a traditional fermented beverage made from rice, water and fermentation cultures.
According to the customer’s project information, NERD’s makgeolli was selected as a designated beverage for the 2025 APEC CEO Summit in South Korea. This project therefore required equipment that could support both traditional fermentation characteristics and more controlled commercial production.
To support its makgeolli production process, NERD selected ZR Brew to provide a customized stainless steel processing system consisting of:
The fermentation tanks support the primary open fermentation stage, while the mixing tanks are used during the water-dilution and final blending stage before packaging.
Rather than applying a standard beer-fermentation configuration, ZR Brew developed the vessel arrangement around the specific process requirements of Korean rice wine.
The customer’s production process follows these principal stages:
1. Rice soaking
2. Rice steaming
3. Spreading and cooling the cooked rice to approximately 24–26°C
4. Transferring the rice into the fermentation tank
5. Adding fermentation starter and water
6. Mixing the ingredients inside the vessel
7. Open primary fermentation at a controlled temperature for approximately five to seven days
8. Coarse filtration to separate the rice solids
9. Water dilution and product blending
10. Filling and packaging
Each stage influences the flavor, acidity, body, fermentation activity and final consistency of the makgeolli.
The equipment therefore needed to support more than simple liquid storage. It had to accommodate rice mash, fermentation cultures, suspended solids, temperature-sensitive biological activity and the final dilution process.
Unlike a conventional pressurized beer fermenter, the customer required atmospheric open fermentation tanks.
The open fermentation environment allows limited oxygen exposure during the early fermentation process. This supports the natural development of lactic acid bacteria, which contribute to the gentle acidity and characteristic sweet-and-sour balance associated with makgeolli.
The vessel therefore had to support open fermentation without being designed around carbonation pressure or fully sealed beer-fermentation conditions.
Rice wine mash contains cooked rice, water and fermentation cultures. Without sufficient movement, solids may settle or become unevenly distributed.
The customer therefore required a mixing function that could:
Makgeolli fermentation generates heat and is sensitive to changes in temperature.
Uneven temperature distribution inside the fermentation tank can cause different areas of the mash to ferment at different rates. The customer therefore required a cooling structure capable of supporting consistent heat exchange across the vessel.
The production team needed to check the mash during fermentation while minimizing disturbance to the vessel environment.
Opening or manually removing large quantities of mash could introduce unnecessary interference. A dedicated sampling point was therefore required for faster and more controlled sample collection.
Rice mash can leave starch, solids and fermentation residue on the internal surfaces of the tank.
The customer needed an internal cleaning system that could improve water coverage, reduce manual access and prepare the vessels more efficiently for the next production cycle.
ZR Brew supplied a vessel system tailored to the customer’s makgeolli production workflow.
| Equipment | Quantity | Capacity | Main Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless Steel Mixing Tank | 2 Units | 1000L Each | Water Dilution, Product Adjustment, and Final Blending |
| Rice Wine Fermentation Tank | 8 Units | 1000L Each | Open Primary Fermentation of the Rice Mash |
The use of multiple 1000L fermenters gives the customer separate vessels for organizing different fermentation batches.
The two dedicated mixing tanks allow the dilution and blending stage to be handled independently from active fermentation. This separation helps create a clearer production flow and avoids using fermentation vessels for every downstream processing step.
The two 1000L mixing tanks are used primarily after coarse filtration, when the fermented rice wine is diluted with water and adjusted before filling.
A dedicated stainless steel mixing tank supports the controlled combination of filtered rice wine and added water. The agitator helps distribute the liquid throughout the tank and reduces the risk of uneven product concentration.
Separating dilution and blending from primary fermentation allows each vessel to perform a clearly defined process function.
The fermentation tanks provide the biological environment required for rice-wine production, while the mixing tanks provide the mechanical blending required before packaging.
The eight 1000L fermentation tanks form the core of the makgeolli production system.
Each rice wine fermentation tank is designed around the customer’s atmospheric fermentation process rather than a high-pressure beer-fermentation process.
The tanks support fermentation under atmospheric, open-vessel conditions.
This configuration permits limited oxygen exposure, helping create conditions in which naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria can develop alongside the main fermentation activity.
The resulting natural lactic-acid formation contributes to the balanced acidity associated with traditional makgeolli.
The purpose of the open design is not uncontrolled exposure. It is to provide a process-appropriate fermentation environment for this specific rice-wine application.
A mixing motor supports uniform movement of the rice mash inside the fermenter.
The agitator helps combine:
More uniform mixing supports better ingredient distribution and reduces localized differences inside the vessel.
The agitator is also useful when water and process ingredients are first added to the tank, helping the production team establish a more consistent starting mixture.
Each fermentation vessel is equipped with an ice-water jacket to support controlled heat exchange.
The jacket helps remove fermentation heat and maintain a more stable environment throughout the vessel.
Its main functions include:
The jacket does not replace process management. Cooling performance still depends on the available chilled-water system, inlet temperature, flow rate, ambient conditions and fermentation load.
However, the jacket provides the vessel-side structure required for temperature regulation.
A PT100 temperature sensor is used to measure the temperature of the rice mash.
PT100 sensors are suitable for process applications requiring stable and accurate temperature monitoring. In this project, temperature information helps the operator evaluate fermentation conditions and manage the cooling-water supply.
The sensor supports:
Because makgeolli fermentation is biologically active, reliable temperature measurement is important for production control.
A dedicated sampling valve allows the operator to remove a small quantity of mash or liquid during fermentation.
Compared with opening the tank or manually removing a large sample, the valve provides a faster and more controlled sampling method.
It helps the production team check:
Only a small quantity needs to be removed, helping reduce broad disturbance to the mash and maintain a more stable fermentation environment.
A cleaning ball is installed inside the tank to distribute cleaning liquid across the internal surfaces.
After fermentation, starch, rice solids and fermentation residues may remain on the tank wall, cooling area, internal fittings and lower sections.
The cleaning ball supports:
The final cleaning result still depends on cleaning pressure, flow rate, chemical concentration, temperature, cleaning time and the customer’s sanitation procedure.
The insulation layer helps reduce heat transfer between the rice mash and the surrounding environment.
It supports the fermentation process by:
The insulation, cooling jacket and PT100 sensor work together as a coordinated temperature-management system.
The sensor provides temperature information, the cooling jacket enables heat removal, and the insulation helps preserve the controlled environment.
Rice is soaked and then steamed. After steaming, it is spread out and cooled to approximately 24–26°C.
Cooling before transfer is important because excessively hot rice could negatively affect the fermentation cultures.
The cooled rice is transferred into a 1000L fermenter.
Fermentation starter and water are added, and the integrated agitator helps distribute the ingredients throughout the vessel.
This creates a more uniform rice mash before the main fermentation stage begins.
The mash undergoes open fermentation for approximately five to seven days under temperature-controlled conditions.
During this stage:
After primary fermentation, the rice wine passes through a coarse filtration stage.
This separates larger rice solids from the fermented liquid.
The filtered rice wine is transferred to one of the two 1000L mixing tanks.
Water is added according to the customer’s product formulation. The mixing system distributes the added water throughout the batch, supporting a consistent final blend.
This is the principal application of the stainless steel mixing tank within the project.
After the product has been adjusted and mixed, it is transferred to the filling stage.
The case scope provided covers the mixing and fermentation vessels. Specific filling-machine parameters were not included in the project information and are therefore not described here.
Using dedicated fermenters and separate mixing tanks creates a clearer process division.
The eight fermentation tanks are designed to provide:
The two mixing tanks are designed to provide:
This arrangement prevents the production team from relying on the same vessel for every process stage.
While one batch is being diluted or prepared for packaging, other batches can remain in fermentation. This supports a more organized workflow without requiring the biological fermentation stage and final blending stage to occupy the same equipment.
The completed system gives NERD a vessel configuration developed around the actual makgeolli process rather than a standard beer-production layout.
The atmospheric open fermenters support the limited aerobic conditions required by the customer’s traditional rice-wine process.
The cooling jackets, insulation layers and PT100 sensors provide the equipment foundation needed to monitor and manage fermentation temperature.
The mixing motors help distribute rice, water and fermentation starter during tank preparation and support uniform blending during later processing.
Eight separate fermenters allow different batches to be managed independently according to their individual fermentation progress.
Two stainless steel mixing tanks provide a separate processing area for water addition and final product adjustment.
The sampling valves allow small quantities to be removed without extensively disturbing the rice mash.
Internal cleaning balls help distribute cleaning liquid inside the vessels and reduce the amount of manual internal cleaning required.
No numerical production increase, labor reduction, cleaning-time reduction or product-yield improvement was disclosed for this project. The benefits described above represent the intended functional value of the selected equipment configuration rather than independently measured performance results.
This project required more than standard stainless steel tanks.
ZR Brew needed to understand the customer’s complete rice-wine process, including:
Based on these requirements, ZR Brew configured the project with dedicated fermentation and mixing equipment rather than applying a generic brewing-tank package.
The project reflects ZR Brew’s capability to support not only beer production, but also rice wine, fermented beverages, kombucha, cider, wine and other customized biological fermentation applications.
| Project Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Customer | NERD |
| Country | South Korea |
| Final Product | Makgeolli Rice Wine |
| Mixing Equipment | Two 1000L Stainless Steel Mixing Tanks |
| Fermentation Equipment | Eight 1000L Rice Wine Fermentation Tanks |
| Fermentation Method | Atmospheric Open Fermentation |
| Primary Fermentation Time | Approximately 5–7 Days |
| Rice Cooling Temperature | Approximately 24–26°C Before Tank Transfer |
| Temperature Control | Ice-Water Jacket, Insulation, and PT100 Sensor |
| Mixing Function | Motor-Driven Agitation |
| Sampling | Dedicated Sampling Valve |
| Internal Cleaning | Cleaning Ball |
| Mixing-Tank Application | Water Dilution and Final Product Blending |
Rice wine production requires equipment designed around the characteristics of the raw material, fermentation cultures and final beverage.
A standard beer fermenter may not automatically meet the requirements of an open makgeolli process. Vessel pressure, opening structure, agitation, cooling, sampling, cleaning and downstream blending must all be considered according to the actual production method.
ZR Brew provides customized:
Each system can be planned according to the customer’s batch capacity, production process, available utilities, temperature requirements, facility layout and future expansion plan.
Planning a makgeolli, rice wine or fermented beverage production line?
Send ZR Brew your required batch capacity, raw materials, fermentation process, temperature range, vessel quantity, mixing requirements and facility layout. Our project team will help develop a customized fermentation and blending configuration for your production process.
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