Presenter: Dana Johnson, BIRKO Corporation.
Greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., carbon dioxide [CO2]) from the brewery can be decreased by cleaning bright tanks with acid and detergent rather than with caustic. When cleaning bright tanks with acid and detergent only, the bright tank can remain under pressure, and the cleaning can be done (in most cases) with ambient-temperature water. In addition to being a sustainable practice, this method also has the added benefit of greatly reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the subsequent packaged beer, because the tanks do not need to be purged of carbon dioxide, cleaned, cooled and re-carbonated, as they do when cleaning-in-place (CIP) with caustic. In addition, acid recycles well, thereby reducing chemical usage at the same time. By incorporating a detergent blend along with the acid, protein dispersion and beerstone (calcium oxalate) displacement is enhanced as well.
Dana Johnson is the current MBAA District Rocky Mountain Membership chair. After attending college at Mesa College in Grand Junction, CO, he has been with BIRKO Corporation since 1979 and has been calling on the craft brewing industry since 1995. Dana has authored numerous brewing magazine articles on cleaning, sanitizing, and process aids for brewers and is a frequent contributor to the Brewers Association Forum. When not calling on or delivering products to brewers in the Denver area, Dana enjoys making wine and beer at home with his wife Tammy and stepdaughter Leah.
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