Ask The Brewmasters

Hello Fellow Brewers,

We have a 304 stainless loop around our brewery to recirculate 80 deg C. After some years, there is now a significant iron rust build up. Can any of the CIP experts recommend the best chemistry for CIP'ing this line?

Thanks in Advance for Your Advice

It sounds to me that your stainless steel has not been regularly passivated and now started rusting as a result once it lost its passive layer. I would recommend running a strong Phosphoric Acid or Citric Acid solution first to remove the rust, followed by a thorough passivation with Nitric Acid. Try to passivate the lines at least annually or more frequently as needed (depends on your water and its constituents).

You can contact me directly for more detailed directions and products.

Cheers,

Hello Fellow Brewers,

We have a 304 stainless loop around our brewery to recirculate 80 deg C. After some years, there is now a significant iron rust build up. Can any of the CIP experts recommend the best chemistry for CIP'ing this line?

Thanks in Advance for Your Advice