YoLong nanobrewery has over time made it possible for everyday folks to start making beer for commercial use. However, as making beer is a sensitive and complex means, care should be taken in each aspect of its creation. One way of doing this is cleaning and sanitizing the nano-brewery equipment. Since many people do not know how to go about this, below is a checklist guideline that will show you how:
A. How To Clean Your Nano Brewery Equipment
As you endeavor to learn how to make beer, one of the relevant rules is that it is continuously repeated is that cleaning and sanitation are necessary. Ideally, cleaning of the nano-brewery equipment includes the removal of visible dirt from pieces of equipment. This includes cleaning the fermenter, hose, siphon, airlock and any measuring apparatus used in the process. Doing so safeguards it from ruining a batch due to bacterial infections caused by dirt.
B. How To Clean Your Nano Brewery Equipment
The most effective means of getting rid of any dirt and grime is giving it a good scrubbing. However, when you are dealing with commercial brewery equipment, this aspect is impractical as it will take hours to clean out the various
When scrubbing, it’s imperative to ensure that you cause no damage to the equipment. One way to do this is by using a sponge or soft cloth to avoid scratching. During cleaning, most household cleaners are given a wide berth as they are unsuitable for human consumption.
C. Chemicals That You Can Use To Clean Your Nano Brewery Equipment
To ensure that the chemical you use is fit for human consumption, you have to be keen on doing research. However, below are the common chemicals you can use.
- Permacarbonates
The percarbonate is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate. The mixture of these two chemicals is highly effective in cleaning as it strips the nano-brewery equipment of the dirt and any grime that might have accumulated. The cleaning is enabled by the activation of oxygen that turns the whole solution alkali. The main benefit with this is that it is fit for human consumption and is environmentally friendly
- Powder brewery wash
It is a fact that the hoses, fermenters, airlocks ad various metal and plastic feature have weird shapes that make scrubbing impossible. As they still need to be washed, then investing in a solution that is stronger and strips stubborn dirt from the Yulong equipment is necessary. The P.B.W. (Powder Brewery Wash) is a stronger solution of the percarbonates that are used in commercial breweries to get access to hard to reach places. Due to the strong nature of the solution, it’s good to note that it can be used as a sanitizer.
- Chlorine
Whether you have used brewery equipment or you are investing in newer equipment, then chlorine is a cleaning detergent you can use. However, as effective as it is, this solution should only be used on metals as it reacts to plastic. After use, make it an aim to rinse your machine heavily to ensure chlorine odor dissipates.
- Dishwashing detergents
Finally, make use of standard dishwashing detergent. Even as Yulong products seem to be large and mainly for commercial use, the use of dishwasher can be used for light cleaning. This includes washing the strainers, collecting funnel and measuring equipment. As expected, pick one that has no perfume to avoid your beer tasting like dishwasher detergent.
D. How To Sanitize Nano Brewery Equipment
Whether you are cleaning homemade beer kits or cleaning equipment for commercial purpose, then sterilization is necessary. Ideally, sterilization is the process of eliminating organisms that affect and can cause batch spoilage. You can do this is by using various sterilization products that include;
- Star San
An effective means of killing microorganisms is by using the star san. As a sterilizer approved as a food grade sanitizer, it is flavorless and odorless. In less than five minutes, the star san eliminates all microorganisms that come in contact with it. The main advantage of using this is it leaves a protective film that keeps the equipment and beer equipment protected further.
- Iodophor
Used in both the food and medical industry to sanitize foods, the Iodophor is an excellent way of sanitizing equipment. The iodophor is a mixture of iodine detergent, sanitizer, and germicide that disinfects an area. In total it takes about 10 minutes to sanitize your equipment keeping you protected
- Chlorine
In the same way that chlorine is a good detergent, it is also an effective sanitizer. As stated earlier, it can only be used sparingly with plastics. Unfortunately, the most significant disadvantage of chlorine is that it breaks down the fermentation process. For this reason, check on excessive use as it can affect the fermentation process.
- Heat
Finally, make use of heat. As one of the most effective means of killing germs, you can choose to sanitize your products by either boiling or using dry heat to sanitize the equipment. Do so for about 15 minutes. When dealing with metal and glass, ensure you stick below the melting point and that you slowly cool the equipment after heating to avoid wrapping and breakage.
Conclusion
Even as YoLong nano-brewery has made it possible to invest in beer making equipment, the creation of quality beer primarily depends on the cleanliness of your equipment. Do not make the mistake of skipping this step or assuming that simply because your previous beer batches turned out well, that you now have the experience to overlook this aspect. When unsure of how to go about cleaning and sanitizing, follow the guideline above to ensure that you keep your nano brewery equipment in top working condition.