Industries: Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries — Wine, Spirits & Beer Production Refrigeration

Cold Temp Solutions installs, maintains, and services refrigeration systems for California wineries, craft distilleries, and breweries of all scales — from small estate producers and taprooms to large-volume production facilities — across Napa, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Alameda, Mendocino, Lake, Lodi, the Sierra Foothills, and the broader Bay Area. Beverage production refrigeration demands precise, reliable temperature control at every stage of fermentation, distillation, conditioning, and storage — and Cold Temp Solutions designs, installs, and services the full refrigeration infrastructure that keeps production running year-round.

Winery Refrigeration

Winery refrigeration applications serviced by Cold Temp Solutions include glycol chiller systems for fermentation tank jacket cooling, barrel room and cave refrigeration maintaining 55°F to 60°F year-round storage conditions, white and rosé wine cold stabilization systems operating at 25°F to 28°F for tartrate precipitation, must chilling systems for white and aromatic grape varieties requiring pre-fermentation cold soaking between 40°F and 50°F, and tasting room and production facility HVAC systems. Fermentation temperature control is among the most critical variables in wine quality — red wine fermentations are typically managed between 75°F and 85°F to extract color and phenolics while preserving aromatic complexity, while white wine fermentations at 50°F to 65°F preserve volatile esters and fruit character — and Cold Temp Solutions designs glycol chiller capacity and tank jacket surface area to deliver the pull-down rates and temperature precision that winemakers require at each stage of production.

Winery glycol chiller systems are sized and designed by Cold Temp Solutions based on peak simultaneous fermentation load — calculated from the total volume of active fermentation tanks, the target fermentation temperature, incoming must temperature at crush, and the heat of fermentation generated by yeast metabolic activity, typically estimated at 100 to 120 BTU per pound of sugar fermented. Glycol systems installed by Cold Temp Solutions use food-grade propylene glycol secondary loop fluid circulated at concentrations calibrated to the lowest expected ambient temperature at the winery site, with chiller setpoints typically between 26°F and 30°F to deliver tank jacket supply temperatures adequate for rapid fermentation pull-down during peak harvest demand. System components include scroll or screw compressor chillers sized for peak harvest loads, glycol storage buffer tanks that reduce compressor cycling and extend equipment life, variable-speed circulation pumps, stainless steel or insulated glycol distribution headers, and Danfoss or Emerson controls with zone valving for individual tank temperature management. Cold Temp Solutions provides harvest-season emergency refrigeration service with 24/7 technician availability throughout the California harvest window — typically August through November — because a glycol chiller failure during active fermentation can result in runaway fermentation temperatures that permanently compromise wine quality and represent a total loss of the affected vintage lots.

Cold Temp Solutions designs and installs refrigeration systems for wine caves and underground barrel storage facilities, which present unique mechanical challenges due to the high sensible-to-latent heat ratio required to maintain 55°F to 60°F at 70% to 80% relative humidity without over-drying the cave environment — conditions that preserve barrel moisture loss rates within acceptable limits and prevent premature evaporation of wine through barrel staves. Cave refrigeration systems installed by Cold Temp Solutions use low-velocity, high-humidity evaporator coils operating at minimum temperature differentials — typically 8°F to 12°F TD — to maintain humidity while delivering sensible cooling, combined with glycol-based or direct expansion (DX) refrigeration circuits sized for the cave’s heat gain from surrounding rock mass, drainage water infiltration, lighting loads, and personnel activity.

Distillery Refrigeration

Craft distilleries and spirits producers present refrigeration requirements across multiple stages of production — from fermentation cooling through distillation support, spirit aging, and finished product cold storage — and Cold Temp Solutions designs and services the refrigeration systems that support each stage. Distillery fermentation cooling applications include glycol jacket systems for wash fermenters and pot still feedstock tanks, where temperature control between 60°F and 75°F directly affects yeast health, fermentation efficiency, and congener profile in the finished spirit. Glycol chiller systems for distilleries are sized based on fermenter volume, pitching rate, ambient heat gain, and the specific gravity and fermentation kinetics of grain, fruit, or sugar wash mashes.

Distillation support refrigeration includes condenser cooling water systems and wort chilling for grain-to-glass operations, where consistent coolant supply temperature is required to maintain distillate quality and throughput. Spirit aging facilities — barrel warehouses and rickhouses — require temperature and humidity management to control evaporation loss, barrel breathing cycles, and the seasonal temperature swings that drive spirit extraction from wood. Cold Temp Solutions installs and services split-system and glycol-based refrigeration for distillery barrel storage where climate control is required, as well as finished product cold rooms for bottling line staging and temperature-sensitive spirit storage. Distillery refrigeration services are available throughout Northern California, with 24/7 emergency response at (925) 374-4014.

Brewery Refrigeration

Breweries operate some of the most refrigeration-intensive production environments in the food and beverage industry — with cold requirements spanning fermentation temperature control, bright beer tank conditioning, cold room storage, glycol chiller systems for jacketed vessels, walk-in cooler and cooler door systems, and draft beer line cooling. Cold Temp Solutions installs and services brewery refrigeration across all of these applications for craft breweries, regional production breweries, and brewpub operations throughout the Bay Area and Northern California.

Brewery glycol chiller systems are the backbone of fermentation temperature control, circulating propylene glycol at setpoints typically between 26°F and 32°F to supply fermenter jackets and bright tanks at the temperatures required for each ale or lager profile. Ale fermentations are typically held between 60°F and 72°F depending on yeast strain and style, while lager fermentations require extended cold conditioning at 32°F to 38°F — and Cold Temp Solutions sizes glycol systems for peak simultaneous fermentation load, accounting for the heat of fermentation, vessel volume, and the brewery’s production schedule. Glycol system components installed by Cold Temp Solutions include scroll compressor chillers or remote condensing units, glycol buffer tanks for load leveling, variable-speed pumps, insulated glycol supply and return headers with zone valving, and Danfoss or Emerson controls for individual vessel temperature management.

Brewery cold room and walk-in cooler systems installed by Cold Temp Solutions include packaged refrigeration systems and split systems for serving tank cold rooms, bright beer storage, kegging areas, hop storage, raw ingredient cold rooms, and finished product coolers. Draft beer glycol trunk line systems — where chilled glycol is circulated through insulated trunk lines to maintain beer temperature between keg and tap — are installed and serviced by Cold Temp Solutions for taproom buildouts and draft system expansions. Cold Temp Solutions also provides 24/7 emergency refrigeration response for breweries, where a glycol chiller failure during active fermentation or a cold room failure during peak service can result in product loss, missed production targets, and direct revenue impact.

For breweries and distilleries seeking to reduce energy costs or qualify for utility incentive programs, Cold Temp Solutions performs refrigeration energy audits evaluating glycol chiller efficiency, compressor sequencing, VFD opportunities on circulation pumps and condenser fans, and cold room envelope performance. Preventive maintenance programs are structured around each facility’s production calendar to minimize disruption, with scheduled heavy maintenance during planned production downtime and 24/7 emergency response available year-round.

Cold Temp Solutions — Winery, Distillery & Brewery Refrigeration System Types

Glycol Chiller Systems — Fermenter and bright tank jacket cooling; harvest and batch load sizing, buffer tanks, zone valving Barrel Room & Cave Refrigeration — 55°F–60°F at 70%–80% RH; high-humidity evaporator coil systems for wine and spirits barrel storage Cold Stabilization Systems — 25°F–28°F refrigerated tank systems for tartrate precipitation in white and rosé wines Must Chilling & Cold Soak — Pre-fermentation cooling of white and aromatic varieties at 40°F–50°F Distillery Condenser Cooling — Coolant supply systems for still condensers and wort chilling Brewery Walk-In Coolers & Cold Rooms — Packaged and split refrigeration for serving tanks, bright beer, hop storage, and finished product Draft Beer Glycol Trunk Lines — Chilled glycol circulation systems for taproom draft systems Finished Product & Ingredient Cold Storage — Temperature-controlled storage for bottling staging and raw ingredient cold rooms Tasting Room, Taproom & Production HVAC — Commercial HVAC service for hospitality and production spaces

Cold Temp Solutions beverage production refrigeration scope:

✔ Glycol chiller sizing based on peak simultaneous fermentation load and batch volume
✔ Food-grade propylene glycol system installation with stainless distribution headers
✔ Fermenter, bright tank, and conditioning vessel jacket supply and return piping with zone valve controls
✔ Barrel room and wine cave refrigeration — high-humidity evaporator coil selection for wine and spirits storage
✔ Cold stabilization and must chilling system installation and service
✔ Distillery condenser cooling and wort chilling system installation
✔ Brewery walk-in cooler, cold room, and draft beer glycol trunk line systems
✔ Danfoss or Emerson supervisory controls with individual vessel temperature management
✔ Harvest-season and peak production 24/7 emergency service
✔ PG&E FRIP and Deemed Incentive rebate evaluation for qualifying upgrades
✔ Preventive maintenance scheduled around production calendar — minimal disruption

Winery, distillery, and brewery refrigeration services are available throughout Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Contra Costa, Alameda, Lodi, El Dorado, Amador, and the greater Bay Area. Contact Cold Temp Solutions at inquiry@coldtemps.com or (925) 374-4014 to schedule a refrigeration assessment or discuss a new system installation.