Six models of dedicated glycol chiller — 2,750 BTU to 12,900 BTU — sized for everything from a single jacketed Unitank to a 10 BBL production fermentation hall. Same architecture across the line: sealed refrigeration compressor, copper-tube evaporator, food-safe propylene glycol loop, and Chiller Watch remote monitoring built into the BEF-04, -05 and -075 (an add-on for the BEF-100 and -150). Picked correctly, one of these holds your lager at 33°F through a 6-week cold conditioning without breathing hard.
The MCED line is purpose-built for brewing. That means the compressor is sized for sustained pull-down (not a 5-minute commercial freezer duty cycle), the reservoir is set up for food-safe propylene glycol, and the pump ports scale from a single homebrew fermenter all the way to a 10-loop production cellar when paired with the BFT-67 buffer tank.
The same class of sealed, oil-charged compressor that runs commercial display fridges and walk-ins — quiet, refrigeration-grade, spec'd for sustained pull-down. Sized with headroom above advertised load so it isn't running flat-out during a lager crash.
Refrigerant chills the inside of a copper coil; the coil sits inside a reservoir of food-safe propylene glycol. Big thermal mass means short compressor cycles — the reservoir absorbs demand spikes when two fermenters call for cold at the same time, so the compressor isn't chasing the load in real time.
Integrated on BEF-05 and BEF-075, add-on for BEF-100 and BEF-150. WiFi-connected — check system temperature, glycol pressure, and status from your phone, with alerts if the loop goes out of range. The on-unit thermostat handles the reservoir set point separately (digital on every model).
Every MCED chiller ships with 3/8" barb supply and return ports — universal, non-proprietary, adapts to anything. For our jacketed Unitanks, the Temperature Control Kit steps 3/8" barb up to tri-clamp, and our 5' TC line set completes the loop to the fermenter jacket. Drop-in for every Bräu Supply Unitank; adapts to any commercial fermenter with a standard glycol jacket.
A glycol chiller is just a cold reservoir with a pump. It doesn't care whose name is on the fermenter jacket — if you've got 1/2" NPT ports and a solenoid valve, you've got cold beer. Common pairings on the Bräu Supply side:
Pick by the BTU/hr load your fermentation hall actually pulls — not by ambition. Undersize and you'll grind the compressor through lager crashes; oversize by more than a notch and you'll short-cycle the loop. Most homebrewers want a BEF-02. Most pilot operations want a -05 or -075. Production runs -100 or -150.
The benchtop chiller — sized for one jacketed homebrew Unitank. Digital thermostat on the unit; pair with our temp control kit for control at the fermenter.
Three chillers with Chiller Watch remote monitoring built in — see system temperature, glycol pressure, and status from your phone. The BEF-04 suits 1 BBL setups, the BEF-05 (most-selected) a 3–5 BBL pilot, and the BEF-075 stretches to 5–7 BBL with up to 4 circulation pumps.
Commercial-duty chillers for 5–15 BBL fermentation halls. 220V single phase, 17-gal reservoir standard, Chiller Watch remote monitoring available as an add-on. Routinely paired with our BFT-67 buffer tank for breweries running five or more fermenters in parallel — the BFT-67 scales the loop to 10 pumps and 67 gallons of thermal mass.
MCED builds every unit in Montreal from North American–sourced parts: sealed compressor, copper coils, standard solenoids and controls. When something wears out it gets repaired, not replaced. MCED services its own chillers, and the parts come from Montreal, not overseas. The chiller you buy in 2026 is the one you’re still running in 2036.
A fermentation cold-crash is a 24-hour event, not a five-minute spike. MCED compressors are spec'd with headroom above advertised load — the unit lives with margin instead of running flat-out and burning bearings.
Every reservoir is set up for food-grade propylene glycol — never the ethylene glycol you'd put in a car. A leak in the jacket loop won't contaminate a batch. Pre-mixed glycol available at checkout for first fill.
WiFi remote monitoring — system temperature, glycol pressure, status, alerts — visible from your phone. Integrated on the BEF-04, BEF-05 and BEF-075; available as an add-on for the BEF-100 and BEF-150. On-unit thermostat handles the reservoir set point separately.
Chiller ports are plain 3/8" barb — the universal glycol fitting. Our Temperature Control Kit adapts 3/8" barb → tri-clamp, and the matching 5' TC line set closes the loop to a Bräu Supply jacketed Unitank. Plug-and-play from box to fermenter.
The reservoir buffers the chiller against demand spikes. On the 17-gal models (BEF-04 up) you can spec up to 4 circulation pumps standard, 6 custom — one per fermenter loop. Add the BFT-67 buffer tank for production halls: 67 gallons of thermal mass, up to 10 pumps.
Every chiller we stock, with MCED’s published BTU ratings. Not sure which one? Use the sizing calculator below the table.
| Model | Cooling | Fits | Controller | Power | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEF-02 Compact · homebrew · single pump | 2,750 BTU/hr |
One fermenter · single pump | Digital thermostat · add a temp control kit for the fermenter |
120V · 15A | $1,449 USD | Shop → |
| BEF-04 High Capacity · entry | 3,481 BTU/hr |
Up to 4 pumps · up to 150 ft of line | Chiller Watch integrated |
120V · 20A circuit | $2,585 USD | Shop → |
| BEF-05 Nano · pilot ★ Most-selected | 4,440 BTU/hr |
3–5 BBL · up to 4 pumps | Chiller Watch integrated |
120V · 20A circuit | $2,935 USD | Shop → |
| BEF-075 Micro · high capacity 120V | 6,180 BTU/hr |
5–7 BBL · up to 4 pumps | Chiller Watch integrated |
120V · 25A circuit | $3,235 USD | Shop → |
| BEF-100 Production · 220V single phase | 8,179 BTU/hr |
7–10 BBL hall · up to 4 pumps | Chiller Watch compatible (add-on) |
220V · 20A circuit | $5,035 USD | Shop → |
| BEF-150 Production · 220V flagship | 12,900 BTU/hr |
10–15 BBL hall · up to 4 pumps | Chiller Watch compatible (add-on) |
220V · 25A circuit | $5,185 USD | Shop → |
| BEF-300 Industrial · 3.25 HP | 28,500 BTU/hr |
Production cellars · straight line or on a BFT-67 | Chiller Watch built in |
220V · hardwired · 50A max fuse | Quote | Quote → |
| BEF-500 Industrial · 5 HP | 46,000 BTU/hr |
Larger cellars · straight line or on a BFT-67 | Chiller Watch built in |
220V · hardwired · 70A max fuse | Quote | Quote → |
| BEF-800 / BEF-1000 Two units on one BFT-67 | 74,500–92,000 BTU/hr |
BEF-300 + BEF-500, or two BEF-500s | Chiller Watch built in |
220V · two hardwired circuits | Quote | Quote → |
| BFT-67 Glycol buffer tank add-on | 67 gal thermal mass |
Pairs with BEF-04 and up · up to 10 pumps, 2 chillers | Passive reservoir |
120V pumps · 6.5A each | From $3,067 USD | Add → |
Need help sizing? Talk to an engineer — send us your fermenter list and your ambient temps, we'll send back a sized quote within a business day. No commitment.
List your tanks and what they'll be doing on your busiest day. We add up the heat each one puts out and pick the smallest chiller that handles it.
Each tank on its own pump gets its own temperature. Send us your tank list and we'll confirm the setup.
This follows MCED's sizing method. Fermenting tanks: 280 BTU per degree Plato per barrel, at 15°P, released over 70 hours. Cold crash: gallons × 8.33 lb × a 41°F drop ÷ 24 hours. Brite tanks: a 35°F drop over 48 hours. The loads are added together and increased by 15%. Chiller ratings are MCED’s figures at 90°F ambient (80°F for the BEF-075). Each chiller has to be rated for the whole load; the cold stored in its bath, or in a BFT-67, only covers short peaks such as a knockout. The fermenting figure is MCED’s average over the whole fermentation; at high kräusen the load can run two to three times higher for a day. Uninsulated tanks or a warm room add 25–40%, so if you are close to a chiller’s limit, choose the next size up. Each tank that needs its own temperature needs its own glycol pump, so the calculator also checks how many pumps each chiller takes: one on the BEF-02, up to four on the BEF-04 and every larger model, and up to ten with a BFT-67 buffer tank, which pairs with the BEF-04 and larger. The BEF-02 cools a single tank.
Two-stage knockout: city water takes the wort most of the way down, and glycol in the second plate stage takes it to pitch temperature. The glycol stage removes batch gallons × 8.33 lb × (temperature after city water − pitch temperature). That heat is added to the daily load spread over 24 hours, and the plate chiller counts as one more pump. We also check the knockout itself: the chiller’s output during the knockout plus the cold stored in its bath (4.5 gal on the BEF-02, 17 gal on the BEF-04 and larger, 67 gal with a BFT-67) has to cover it while the glycol, starting at 28°F, stays at least 10°F below your pitch temperature.
Outgrowing your chiller is a real outcome — fermentation halls scale faster than chillers. Plan for the next size up by leaving headroom on plumbing and reservoir, and the upgrade path is bolt-in.
Compact chiller for one jacketed homebrew Unitank. Digital thermostat on the unit; add our temp control kit for control at the fermenter.
From $1,449 USD
Most-selected pilot chiller. Chiller Watch remote monitoring integrated, 4,440 BTU, 17-gal reservoir — fits a 3–5 BBL pilot with multiple parallel fermenters.
From $2,935 USD
Commercial 220V chillers for 5–15 BBL halls. Pair with the BFT-67 buffer tank to run up to 12 pump loops on one system.
From $5,035 USD
Already running a BEF-05 or -075? Add a BFT-67 buffer tank to run up to 10 pumps with about 4× the thermal mass. It rides out crash and knockout peaks; if your everyday load outgrows the chiller, step up a size.
Real reviews from real brewers — pulled live from Judge.me.
Use the sizing calculator above: list your tanks and what each one is doing on your busiest day, and it picks the smallest chiller that handles the load, using MCED’s own sizing method. As a guide, the BEF-02 runs one fermenter on its single pump, the BEF-05 takes up to four pumps for a 3–5 BBL pilot system, the BEF-075 for 5–7 BBL, and the BEF-100 and BEF-150 for 7–15 BBL halls. Send us your tank list and we’ll confirm.
A refrigeration compressor chills a reservoir of food-grade propylene glycol mixed with water. A pump sends the cold glycol through the jacket of each fermenter, and a temperature controller on each tank switches its pump (or a solenoid valve) on and off to hold the beer at its set temperature. The glycol flows back to the reservoir and is chilled again.
Yes. The BEF-02 compact chiller plugs into a standard 120V outlet and cools one jacketed fermenter, cold crash and lagering included. For two to four fermenters, the BEF-04 runs up to four pumps, one per tank. Add a temperature control kit to each fermenter to set its temperature.
Most breweries run the glycol at about 28°F (−2°C). That is cold enough to crash beer to 32–34°F (0–1°C) without freezing beer on the jacket wall. Mix food-grade propylene glycol with water at the ratio in the chiller’s manual so the bath can’t freeze.
Propylene glycol is the food-grade glycol approved for indirect food contact. Ethylene glycol (automotive antifreeze) is toxic. A leak in the jacket loop on propylene means you toss the batch out of an abundance of caution; a leak with ethylene means you've contaminated the brewery. Every MCED chiller reservoir is rated for propylene only — we sell pre-mixed glycol at checkout for first fill.
WiFi remote monitoring — see system temperature, glycol pressure, and status from your phone, plus fault alerts if the loop goes out of range. Integrated on the BEF-04, BEF-05 and BEF-075; available as an add-on for the BEF-100 and BEF-150. On-unit temperature set-point is handled by a separate thermostat (digital on every model). It's a monitoring layer, not a replacement for the fermenter-side temp controller.
Not for homebrew or single-fermenter pilot ops — the chiller's internal reservoir is enough. For production halls running five or more fermenters in parallel, a BFT-67 buffer tank adds 67 gallons of thermal mass and rides out crash and knockout peaks. Most often paired with the -075, -100, and -150.
Sealed refrigeration compressors are quiet — comparable to a household refrigerator at idle, roughly 52–58 dB at 3 ft. Loud enough that you don't want one inside a tap room while pours are happening, but quiet enough for a basement brewery, a back-of-house storage room, or an outdoor enclosure.
No. Every US order ships fully duty-paid. We clear it and prepay the duties, tariffs and brokerage before it ships, and the courier delivers it like a domestic parcel. The price you see is the price you pay.
Our guarantee: if you're ever charged import duties or fees on a Bräu Supply order, send us the receipt and we refund them, no questions.
Alaska, Hawaii and international orders are quoted before you buy — contact us.
1-year full warranty on the compressor, controller, pump, and refrigeration loop. Lifetime parts & refrigeration support — every component is individually replaceable, and we walk owners through field repairs over video. The architecture is designed to be serviced, not replaced.
Yes — every MCED chiller has 3/8" barb supply and return ports, the universal glycol fitting. For our jacketed Unitanks, the Temperature Control Kit adapts 3/8" barb → tri-clamp and the 5' TC line set completes the loop. For a fermenter you already own, connect 3/8" ID silicone or braided line to the chiller and terminate however your jacket is set up. Add a temperature controller + solenoid valve at the fermenter end and you've got closed-loop temp control. Most retrofit setups are running the same week the chiller arrives.
Penguin sells lower-priced chillers with pumps and tank controllers bought separately; every MCED chiller has a pump in the bath and, from the BEF-04 up, a 17 gallon glycol bath. G&D builds large commercial chillers from 1.5 HP, sold by quote. See MCED vs Penguin Chillers and MCED vs G&D Chillers.
Pick the BTU that matches your fermentation load — the architecture, the plumbing, and the controller stay constant when you grow.
