Commercial brewing: Why are these practices wrong? Or are they?

[Finlandbrews]

I started to help a brewery with packaging and I noticed these things for which I believe they might do wrong but I would like your opinion:

1) use of the same braided vynil tubing for flowing pbw at 70 Celsius for cip of fermenting tank, then rinsing with starsan and then beer transfer into that same tubing. What do you think of this?
2) they have vessels with a wooden cover which I notice is plated wood and is left on top while boiling and word cooling and gets very humid and maybe will mold...
3) draining of water after cip is very slow and a 2 feet layer of pbw water is stuck and draining slowly.
4) 30 minutes cip cycle at 70 Celsius water too hot? Too long?

 

[kh54s10]

1) I don't see anything wrong with this.
2) I don't see a problem if there is no mold.
3) I don't know what this means.
4) If any thing not hot enough. 30 minutes should be enough. Checking for debris would tell.

My opinions.

 

[triletter]

1) not an issue
2) when cover is exposed to the temperatures of boiling water/steam, it is effectively sanitized.
3) can you provide more info
4) directions for PBW say warm to hot; 70*C is.

 

[Finlandbrews]

Can't the steam penetrate the wood and with heavy concentration start to fall back in the kettle/wort? For 3) the conical is filled with water in the bottom during CIP which I understand water should not accumulate there for efficient cleaning. For 1) I always thought breweries are rinsing the cleaning cycle before starsan, isn't that needed?

 

[myelo]

How does their beer taste?

 

[soccerdad]

Plated wood? You mean the wood cover is metal plared?

 

[oylerck]

What kind of wood is it? Some are more susceptible to mold than not. Some kitchens use boos blocks for cutting and they are Food safe. Of course if and when they mold they must be discarded.

Is the wood treated in anyway? Could be. Beeswax or carnauba wax is an option. Mineral oil is another option. The wood isn't warping at these extreme variations so I am assuming it's been treated somehow.

 

[oylerck]

What kind of wood is it? Some are more susceptible to mold than not. Some kitchens use boos blocks for cutting and they are Food safe. Of course if and when they mold they must be discarded.

Is the wood treated in anyway? Could be. Beeswax or carnauba wax is an option. Mineral oil is another option. The wood isn't warping at these extreme variations so I am assuming it's been treated somehow.

Actually, I was considering the old monasteries and am wondering if maybe they did the same thing. If they covered anything at all that is, the Belgian monks ended up with some funky yeast somehow...

 

[Finlandbrews]

How does their beer taste?

Not great but drinkable with medium-light flaws and average level for national standards. They do sours which I find they do better but otherwise light plastic, astringency, herbal phenolic are common in their blonde, apa and ipa.

 

[kh54s10]

Can't the steam penetrate the wood and with heavy concentration start to fall back in the kettle/wort? For 3) the conical is filled with water in the bottom during CIP which I understand water should not accumulate there for efficient cleaning. For 1) I always thought breweries are rinsing the cleaning cycle before starsan, isn't that needed?

Maybe the steam can penetrate the wood but I still see no big problem. I put wood in some of my beers on purpose...

3) as long as it gets clean...
1) I am sure they are rinsing before sanitizing. Your original 1) talked about using the same hose which is not a problem if it is cleaned and sanitized.

 

[kh54s10]

Not great but drinkable with medium-light flaws and average level for national standards. They do sours which I find they do better but otherwise light plastic, astringency, herbal phenolic are common in their blonde, apa and ipa.

I think if their beers don't taste great it is more the recipe or how they brew it rather than the things that you have listed.

 

[SanPancho]

Hose is fine if rinsed well
Wood cover is fine in terms of sanitatio, but not great idea - volatiles will boil off but condense and fall back into kettle. Especially noticeable in lighter styles
While cip is running 2feet of water at bottom isnt great, but if tank gets clean then not a big deal. Might be a waste of pbw. As long as tank is rinsed well and no solids or scum remains then its fine.
15 min at high temp (150f) is usually enough. Can go with lower temp but then you run cycle longer. Try 15min cycle and fully drain, then inspect.

 

[Finlandbrews]

Maybe the steam can penetrate the wood but I still see no big problem. I put wood in some of my beers on purpose...

3) as long as it gets clean...
1) I am sure they are rinsing before sanitizing. Your original 1) talked about using the same hose which is not a problem if it is cleaned and sanitized.

They rinse with sanitizer.

 

[SanPancho]

ah, sorry. yes, you should rinse with water, then sanitize. typical steps are rinse, clean CIP, rinse, acid CIP, rinse, sanitize. star san can be used to combine the acid/sanitize steps, but you still rinse the cleaner out.

there is a method where you acid wash, then hit with non-caustic cleaner but thats a whole other process.