Is Five Star's BLC the same as PBW dissolved? Or are they different products?

I want to clean my beer lines but I don't have BLC. I have PBW. Can I use PBW?

Five Star refers to them as being the same thing:
http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/breweries/craft-brewers/line-cleaning/

+1

I just was about to post the same link

Nateo said:

Five Star refers to them as being the same thing:
http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/breweries/craft-brewers/line-cleaning/

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Wow, that's confusing. Each of the 5 different cleaners listed seems to achieve a different cleaning objective than the other 4.

ocluke said:

Wow, that's confusing. Each of the 5 different cleaners listed seems to achieve a different cleaning objective than the other 4.

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What part is confusing?

Beverage Line Cleaner / PBW: A Non-caustic, environmentally and user-friendly alternative Line Cleaner.

Nateo said:

What part is confusing?

Beverage Line Cleaner / PBW: A Non-caustic, environmentally and user-friendly alternative Line Cleaner.

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I read past the first cleaner and read the other 4 cleaners listed -- all were described as having separate, distinct functions for cleaning brewing lines. This would suggest that additional cleaners might be necessary for properly cleaning lines.

Also, this thread seems to indicate that BLC and PBW are not at all the same thing. Although there might be confusion over Beverage Line Cleaner and Beer Line Cleaner.

The 5 Star chemist assured me that BLC and PBW are in fact the same thing only packaged for jurisdictional reasons to satiate regional Health Department requirements of product labeling for application. We further discussed "other" similar products and it was said that they are all basically the same active ingredients at different ratios/dilutions depending on application.

GilaMinumBeer said:

The 5 Star chemist assured me that BLC and PBW are in fact the same thing only packaged for jurisdictional reasons to satiate regional Health Department requirements of product labeling for application. We further discussed "other" similar products and it was said that they are all basically the same active ingredients at different ratios/dilutions depending on application.

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Read this response I just posted on the other thread. I'm pretty sure Five Star Chemicals doesn't make a product called BLC. BLC is a product by National Chemicals, Inc., while Beverage Line Cleaner/PBW is a product by Five Star Chemicals. Post #3 of the thread I linked to above has links to the material safety data sheets for each product.

I've used pbw to clean the lines without issue. What makes you think it won't work? Or is it that you think it would be bad for the line?

Lost said:

I've used pbw to clean the lines without issue. What makes you think it won't work? Or is it that you think it would be bad for the line?

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Who is this written to?
I didn't mean to suggest there was anything bad about using PBW for cleaning beverage lines, or even that it was an inferior product to an alternative. The only point was to share the information that I found: PBW is not the same product as Beer Line Cleaner (BLC). They seem to be quite different.

ocluke said:

Who is this written to?
I didn't mean to suggest there was anything bad about using PBW for cleaning beverage lines, or even that it was an inferior product to an alternative. The only point was to share the information that I found: PBW is not the same product as Beer Line Cleaner (BLC). They seem to be quite different.

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I intended that for the OP. I don't disagree with anything you said.

I was just wondering if there was any reason he had to think it wouldn't work.

ocluke said:

Read this response I just posted on the other thread. I'm pretty sure Five Star Chemicals doesn't make a product called BLC. BLC is a product by National Chemicals, Inc., while Beverage Line Cleaner/PBW is a product by Five Star Chemicals. Post #3 of the thread I linked to above has links to the material safety data sheets for each product.

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Yes. The National Chemicals BLC is a different compound/solution. But, there WAS a time when 5 Star marketed their line cleaner as BLC too. I suspect there has been some legality between the names.

However, their line cleaner product was also a liquid product packaged for markets needing certain labels.

The conversation with the chemist was begun by asking the efficacy of using their Liquid Line Cleaner as Opposed to their BLC product. And I was advised that the BLC product was simple a liquid version of PBW.

So, your argument to my post is out of context because the OP asked "Is Five Star's BLC the same as PBW dissolved? Or are they different products?"

Note that the OP asked about two 5 Star products and the question was not "Is National Chemicals BLC the same as 5 Star's PBW". as I see it, there was never a question about similarities or dissimilarities between two separate companies products. If that was the OP's question then it was written wrong.

B.L.C= potassium hydroxide

Brewerforlife said:

B.L.C= potassium hydroxide

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Isn't that lye or potash? I have some sodium hydroxide around (similar properties to potash), it's nasty stuff. Used in soap making and also as the quintessential drain opener.

I'd rather use PBW, seems safer. But maybe I'm missing something...

Lost said:

Isn't that lye or potash? I have some sodium hydroxide around (similar properties to potash), it's nasty stuff. Used in soap making and also as the quintessential drain opener...

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Yes. Similar to NaOH and interchangeable mostly.

Also used for alkaline batteries.

Lost said:

I've used pbw to clean the lines without issue. What makes you think it won't work? Or is it that you think it would be bad for the line?

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It's not that I think PBW won't work but I was thinking maybe BLC is easier to use or cleans beer lines better or maybe even rinses out more thoroughly. Since originally posting this, I have successfully used PBW.

But, there WAS a time when 5 Star marketed their line cleaner as BLC too. I suspect there has been some legality between the names.

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The conversation with the chemist was begun by asking the efficacy of using their Liquid Line Cleaner as Opposed to their BLC product. And I was advised that the BLC product was simple a liquid version of PBW.

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Five Star's Liquid Line Cleaner (LCC #1) is not the same product as their Beverage Line Cleaner (PBW). They are different products. The former is a caustic product, the latter is a non-caustic and environmentally friendly product.

So, your argument to my post is out of context because the OP asked "Is Five Star's BLC the same as PBW dissolved? Or are they different products?"

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The OP will have to address whether or not it was assumed that BLC, a commonly used homebrewer line cleaner, is a Five Star Chemicals product. My post was just trying to help clarify if there was any confusion over two common products on the market. I was confused, and I thought others out there might be also. I've never seen a liquid version of PBW branded as Beverage Line Cleaner. It's possible that such a product exists in bulk quantities for commercial breweries, but I haven't seen such a product for homebrewers.

Note that the OP asked about two 5 Star products and the question was not "Is National Chemicals BLC the same as 5 Star's PBW".

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If the question was written this way there would have been no need for my post.

as I see it, there was never a question about similarities or dissimilarities between two separate companies products.

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I was confused and just thought that someone else on here might be also.

After doing a little research I now realize BLC and PBW are made by two different companies.

ocluke said:

Five Star's Liquid Line Cleaner (LCC #1) is not the same product as their Beverage Line Cleaner (PBW). They are different products. The former is a caustic product, the latter is a non-caustic and environmentally friendly product.

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Do you not comprehend that 5 Star has historically marketed their Beverage Line Cleaner as BLC?

No one said anything about Liquid Line Cleaner.

Thus BLC is a loose throwback to a renamed lineup of products. It also happens to be a currently marketed product by another product manufacturer.