Craft Brewing Professionals know that maximizing productivity is critical in any brewing operation, no matter the size, to ensure that time and resources are utilized efficiently.  Effective cleaning and sanitizing are arguably the brewer’s most important tasks, helping ensure consistency and quality from brew to brew. Clean-In-Place (CIP) wash procedures for vessels on the cellar-side of the brewery commonly employ a hot-water sanitizing step as part of the CIP process to eliminate or reduce chemical use.  This method is often perceived as a way to reduce operational costs while protecting the beer quality. However, it is important to assess the total impact on operational costs by understanding the value of time and energy savings associated with the hot-water sanitizing step.

 

Consider what goes into hot water sanitization

A hot-water sanitizing step can impede a brewery’s ability to speed up the cleaning process and vessel turnover. Hot-water sanitizing requires a minimum of 30 continuous seconds of contact time at 180°F for all surfaces within the vessel. To meet these time and temperature parameters it may require a brewery to run a hot-water sanitizing step for up to 60 minutes.  This does not include the additional 20 to 30-minute cool-down rinse to return the vessel to a ready-to-use state. 

 

The energy costs associated with heating and maintaining the water at 180°F for the 45 – 60 min window can be significant, even with a recirculating CIP system. If the CIP system is a single pass, that energy spend increases as the process is constantly heating “fresh” water to the required 180°F for sanitizing, only to dump it to drain after one pass through the system.  

 

 

Benefits of Cold Sanitation

By employing a cold-sanitizing process, a brewery can significantly reduce the amount of energy and time associated with their CIP while also eliminating their cool-down rinse step.   In the cold sanitizing process, cold (temperate) water is circulated through the CIP circuit with the addition of an EPA-approved (Environmental Protection Agency) sanitizer. Peracid sanitizers (e.g. peroxyacetic acid [PAA], peroxyoctanoic acid [POOA], etc.) offer benefits in the brewing operation that make them a great choice for use in a cold-sanitizing process, including:  

 

• Energy reduction – Sanitize using cold (temperate) water compared to hot water
• Faster CIP – Minimal or no heat time required prior to the sanitize step. 
• No-rinse / cool-down step – No need to wait until equipment cools prior to use.  By eliminating a post-rinse step you can reduce the potential risk of a contaminated water source following the sanitize step.
• Improved Product Quality – EPA-approved sanitizers are effective at controlling microorganisms that could impact the final product while not posing a risk to the beer flavor profile.  Always refer to the products use directions.
• Mineral solubility – Low-pH mixed peracids can reduce scale build-up post-sanitizing and lead to less frequent acid washes.  These can also help address common pH-sensitive brewery soils such as beer-stone (Calcium Oxalate).

The cold-sanitizing CIP process is used widely in breweries today to minimize the time and energy used in their CIP, providing monetary benefits to a brewery’s operation while implementing sustainable solutions.  Consider the use of a mixed-peracid in your brewery operations in order to help you reduce your overall water and energy consumption as well as save time and money in your CIP process.  

Ask your Country Malt Group account representative about Ecolab’s Oxonia Active, now available through CMG!  Oxonia Active is an EPA-registered, OMRI certified peroxyacetic acid antimicrobial agent for use in a number of brewery sanitizing applications.  

  *Biocide and food and beverage applications are regulated at the state and local levels. It is a violation of federal law to apply biocides outside of the stipulations stated on the USEPA Pesticide Label.

 

Author Bio

Matt Bilski, RD&E Program Lead – Ecolab

Matt Bilski is a Program Leader for Ecolab’s Research, Development & Engineering team.  His responsibilities include the development and commercialization of innovative cleaning, sanitizing and lubrication products for the dairy, beverage, and brewery segments in North America.  He has worked directly in breweries, helping customers improve their cleaning and sanitation processes since 2014.  He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and his master’s degree in management of technology from the University of Minnesota.

 

About Ecolab 

Ecolab specialists can help streamline your brewery, enhancing product quality and productivity while helping your brewery achieve their sustainability goals. Ecolab is a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and the resources vital to life. Building on a century of innovation, we deliver comprehensive science-based solutions, data-driven insights and world-class service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies for brewers around the world.