Can 304 stainless steel tanks used for water storage be used for wine storage?

Question

Can 304 stainless steel tanks used for water storage be used for wine storage?

Answer 1

I went to a winery in NH once and they had stainless steel tanks but I think it was for fermenting the wine.  When it was finished it went into bottles.  Not sure if it was 304 or not.  Stainless is the metal of choice in the food industry, be it beverage, manufacturing, large kitchens, etc

Answer 2

The short answer is MAYBE -

Types 304 and 316 are widely used in the wine industry, providing corrosion resistance to the various alkalis, acids, sterilants, and fermentation by-products.   For wine, Type 304 is satisfactory for crushers, conveyors, presses, filters and other assorted components.  Type 316 is specified for applications using special cleaning compounds and for the production of wine vinegars in which the non-moly grades (eg. 304) are subject to attack by acetic acid.

Depending on the exact nature of your process/chemicals/fermentation process - 304 may not be adequate, whereas 316 may be more appropriate.  So be careful; you may want to spend some time performing some corrosion testing.