Bikers and hikers strolling down the SMART pathway that runs behind Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma this summer are noticing an unusual sight: Two 15,500-gallon stainless steel fermentation tanks that have crumpled like empty beer cans.
The story behind those mishaps — and the company’s response to them — can serve as a parable for the challenges facing the brewing industry and the resilience required to meet them, according to Lagunitas staff.
The two 500-barrel fermentation tanks imploded for the same reason. Although they’re designed to handle the internal pressures created during brewing, the tanks were emptied without adequate venting. That created a vacuum that caused them to collapse inward under the force of atmospheric pressure…