Oscar Medina (1); (1) Ecolab, Miramar, FL, U.S.A.

Cleaning/Sanitation
Poster

Single-phase acid cleaners have been used for many years with moderate success depending on soil loads and CIP design. A new approach with surface-active technology has been developed for superior results. Cleaning of the fermentation and maturation vessels can also be accomplished by a cleaning process that utilizes an alkaline phase and an acid phase to be able to remove protein (cold trub and yeast), and beerstone (CaC₂O₄). For the alkaline phase to be effective and safe for the operation, the CO₂ must be vented to avoid neutralizing the alkaline solution and creating a vacuum that could implode the tank being cleaned. The removal of the CO₂ takes time that adds to the cleaning program of each tank. One solution to avoid venting the tanks is to clean only with acids, but then the protein removal effectiveness is compromised, as even formulated acid cleaners are not as good as alkaline detergents at removing protein film. This presentation will focus on the implementation of surface-active technology to achieve cleaning of fermenters and maturation tanks under CO₂ atmosphere with a highly effective one-phase acid cleaner. This implementation saves time and water while maintaining the results achieved with traditional programs. The presenter will provide case studies and details along with realized savings from breweries where this technology was tested.

Oscar Medina received a degree as a materials engineer with specialization in ceramic materials from the Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela. After working for three years as an R&D engineer for P&G in Venezuela and Mexico, he began his career with Ecolab in 2000 as a technical support engineer in Ecolab’s Food and Beverage Division in Venezuela, supporting the brewery business and later the beverage business. In 2010 he was promoted to regional technical support for Latin America in the same division and moved to the United States, expanding his brewery and beverage support to cover all of Latin America. In 2013 Oscar was promoted to technical support manager for Latin America and now leads a group of Ecolab’s specialists who support not only the brewery and beverage markets, but also the dairy and protein sectors. Oscar has been a member of the MBAA since 2010.