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In brewing, equipment maintenance is based on a simple chemistry rule: each type of dirt has its sworn enemy.
The residues left behind during beer production are not all of the same nature. While the use of an alkaline product is essential for heavy cleaning of organic matter, the action of an acid product is crucial for treating mineral deposits and passivating stainless steel.
To effectively remove biofilm or destroy beerstone embedded on your equipment, you must learn to alternate intelligently the pH of your cleaning solutions.
1. Alkaline cleaners: The kings of organic cleaning
Alkaline products (high pH, above 7) are the core of your daily cleaning routine. Their main mission is to attack anything of living or organic origin:
- What they remove: Stuck malt proteins (such as the krausen ring in the fermenter), fats, very sticky hop resin residues, starchy materials (starch), and bacterial biofilms.
- How they work: The alkaline base literally digests, loosens, and suspends impurities so they can be rinsed away. It’s the ultra‑powerful equivalent of dish soap, but adapted to the specific constraints of beer.
- Key examples: PBW (Powder Brewery Wash), Chemipro Wash, or enzymatic cleaners like Enzybrew (which use enzymes to break down proteins at a moderately alkaline pH).
2. Acid cleaners: Specialists in minerals and passivation
Acidic products (low pH, below 7) are used in a second step or during specific cycles. They are ineffective on proteins and fats, but essential for treating mineral deposits:
- What they remove: “Beerstone” or “milkstone” (calcium oxalate), a whitish, rough deposit that builds up on heating elements and tank walls due to heat. They also remove limescale from tap water.
- Their secret role (Passivation): On stainless‑steel equipment (automated kettles, stainless fermenters), periodic washing with nitric or phosphoric acid recreates the protective chromium oxide layer on stainless steel (passivation). This protects your equipment from rust and long‑term corrosion.
- Key examples: Phosphoric‑acid‑based rinse/sanitizing solutions (such as Chemipro San or Star San) or white vinegar for light domestic use.
3. Summary table: Which product for which type of dirt?
To ensure you never make a mistake during your cleaning day, here is the summary table of chemical targets:
| Product type | Nature of targets (What it cleans) | Examples of brewery dirt |
|---|---|---|
| ALKALINE cleaner (high pH) | Organic dirt (Proteins, sugars, fats) | Hop residues, stuck yeast, krausen crust, biofilm. |
| ACID cleaner (low pH) | Mineral dirt (Beerstone, limescale, metals) | Beerstone (oxalate), limescale on heating elements, white film. |
4. The ideal cycle: How to alternate both throughout the year
Should you use both types of products for every brew? Not necessarily. Here is the strategy used by professional breweries — and perfectly applicable at home:
- Every brew (Daily routine): Use only an alkaline cleaner to wash your kettles and fermenters after use to remove stuck residues. Rinse thoroughly. Before the next brew, apply a acid no‑rinse sanitizer (which combines flash acid action with bacterial destruction).
- Every 4 to 5 brews (Deep treatment): This is the shock treatment. After your usual alkaline cleaning, run a hot acid cycle in your stainless‑steel tanks. This will dissolve invisible beerstone beginning to form and restore a shiny, passivated stainless‑steel surface.
Rolling Beers Team Tips
Major safety warning: NEVER mix an alkaline product and an acid product in the same bucket or tank hoping to save time! Chemically, the two products will neutralize each other, making the cleaning completely ineffective. Worse, depending on product concentration (especially if using caustic soda and pure acid), the mixture can cause a violent exothermic reaction, dangerous splashes, or toxic gas release. Clean with alkaline first, rinse with pure water, then switch to acid!