If you’ve been brewing for any amount of time, you know how important it is to have an effective alkaline cleaner to get your tanks and lines fresh and ready to brew. Chances are, you’ve used (or even currently use) both powdered alkalines, or liquid solutions. Liquids are any of the myriad of caustics on the market, such as Circulate. Most brewers tend to gravitate towards liquids, but powders have a spot in every brewery. Let’s discuss why!
There is no one size fits all solution when it comes to developing a brewery’s CIP program. Each brewery has their own specialized needs. Having a powdered alkaline on hand, such as TLC, is a great tool to keep in your belt for times when your normal regimen is not doing the job. Many people view powdered alkalines as inferior to liquids. It’s better to think of them as different. Often, when you have a soil that is giving your liquid caustic trouble, throwing a new chemical compound at it is exactly the way to remove it.
Using powdered alkalines periodically also gives you the benefits of one of the unsung heroes of sanitation chemistry: peroxide. When paired with the right detergents and chelating agents, peroxide is almost like magic. To explain in less scientific terms, when peroxide is introduced to your system, the oxygen within the chemical compound begins to “liberate”. The result is that the freed oxygen will quite literally lift soils off the surface of your tanks and lines. When paired with an oxidizing booster, you get extremely effective results. These methods are particularly great for heat exchangers, which are notoriously difficult to CIP.
The last, and simplest reason to consider keeping powders on hand as shipping and handling. Dry goods, such as powdered alkalines, are significantly cheaper and easier to ship than most liquid alkalines. If you have newer brewers doing CIP, powders can be a great option to put in their hands.
There are many options to consider when it comes to your CIP program. Contact us at SISBrew to discuss innovative solutions that will have your brewery running at peak efficiency!