How to prevent the formation of beer stones?

 How to prevent the formation of beer stones?

To prevent the formation of beer stones, first, need to use hot water to rinse the beer and yeast. Then use 1-2 ounces of phosphoric acid/nitric acid mixture per gallon. This mixture will remain in the device for approximately 30 minutes. In the third step, add a non-corrosive alkaline cleaner for another 30 minutes. Finally, use the ambient water temperature to rinse the equipment until the pH balance is neutral to complete the cleaning process. Normally, light deposits can be cleaned in a few minutes, but large deposits may take an hour or scrub vigorously in the jar with your hands. Some cans with heavy dirt accumulation can be soaked in the cans for several hours to make the beer fall off, and they can be removed by manual cleaning.

What are the commonly used cleaners for brewery equipment?

Commonly used brewery equipment cleaners include bleaching agents, caustic alkali, etc., depending on the brewing equipment of different materials, there are different choices.

bleach

Although bleach (potassium hypochlorite) is a trusted disinfection backup for home brewers who use plastic and glass fermentation tanks. However, it is a poor choice for stainless steel brewing equipment. The stainless steel brewing equipment is exposed to the bleach solution for a long time, especially the heated bleach solution, which will cause pits on the surface of the container.

Caustic

Caustic alkali (sodium hydroxide) is an alkaline cleaner commonly used in commercial brewery cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems and is very effective in removing organic matter on stainless steel surfaces. However, caustic is a poor choice for household use. Sodium hydroxide comes in liquid and dry forms, both of which can cause severe skin burns, so sodium hydroxide is very dangerous. It is very difficult to store and use caustic properly in a home brewing environment.

There is another disadvantage of using caustic. Although caustic is effective for dissolving organic carbon-based compounds, it increases calcium-based deposits on stainless steel. In addition, caustic solutions must be used with care. Because of high concentration and prolonged contact, caustic alkali will damage the surface of stainless steel.

acid

Some acids can be used for various stainless steel cleaning tasks. For example, phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid are very effective in removing beer stone. They are generally used to neutralize the effects of corrosive cleaning solutions. Another advantage of using acid to clean stainless steel fermentation equipment is that the pH value of any residue on the surface of the container can be closer to the pH value of the incoming beer, thereby reducing the impact on the beer and the yeast in it. Food-grade acids are usually provided in liquid form and should be stored and used with care. Too high concentration and too long contact time will also damage the surface finish of stainless steel.

Iodophor

Recently, the use of iodophor for disinfection is very popular among homebrewers, which is a very good solution. Iodophor is mainly composed of iodine, phosphoric acid, and alcohol. Some iodophors do not contain phosphoric acid and are mainly used for cleaning acid-sensitive materials. Dilute the iodophor concentration to 12.5ppm, and the contact time is 2 minutes, which is enough to meet the needs of most home brewing. Iodophor can also disinfect more items by immersing and circulating the solution. Because sunlight will decompose iodophors and greatly reduce their effectiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to store the iodophor solution in a dark place.

These chemicals are available from various industrial and agricultural suppliers. When purchasing any of these chemicals (or similar chemicals), please request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). OSHA requires the supplier to provide you with MSDS, but you usually still need to request it from the supplier. When you get the MSDS, please read it and make sure you understand it. Because most compounds, if handled improperly or abused, can be harmful to you and the environment.

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