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  • 1.  Brewery hoses leaking caustic

    Posted 08-19-2022 09:29

    Hello,

    We've been having a problem with our brewery hoses leaking caustic from the outside of the hose.... We have had this happen with a couple different hoses over the last year. It seems like caustic is penetrating the inside of the hose somewhere and leaking out. We don't notice anything until the hoses are hung up over night to dry. The next morning we see caustic on the outside...







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    Zachary Gordon
    Old Thunder Brewing
    Pittsburgh PA
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  • 2.  RE: Brewery hoses leaking caustic

    Posted 08-19-2022 14:11
    Hi Zachary

    There are some hose vendors on here that may be able to narrow it down better, but here is my guess.

    Over time hoses can rupture internally on the first inner layer and then travel in between layers until it finds a weak spot.  If there is not a true weak spot, it will start to bulge until it bursts.  The internal location of the failure could be at a completely different part of the hose where the liquid escapes from.  In your instance there may have been an internal rupture and it found a weak spot in a shallow puncture and never got to the bulge state.  Those can happen from the manufacturer in processing from gripper teeth or just from normal brewery wear and tear.  

    You may be able to observe the internal condition of the hose by purchasing a cheap scope camera.  I'd be curious as to the age of the hoses, how heavily they were used, chemicals, and temperature they normally see.  All of those can sometimes play a big role. Our knock out hoses typically reached end of life much quicker than others. Regardless, I would recommend taking these hoses out of service and replacing them.  If caustic is coming out, then beer is also likely coming out as well and could be molding up as well

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    Louwrens Wildschut
    Pilot Brewery Lead
    Bell's Brewery Inc
    Galesburg MI
    (269) 250-8146
    lwildschut@bellsbeer.com
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Brewery hoses leaking caustic

    Posted 08-22-2022 18:46
    Dear Zachary:

    I am curious how old the hoses are and what grade they are or material they are made of. In rare cases I have seen that certain ingredients in caustic products cause the hoses to prematurely degrade and the elastomer becomes bridle and the hose starts to leak. Keep in mind that hoses are wear and tear parts and need to replaced periodically. Misuse, damage from oxidation (e.g. PAA, etc.) and other factors like extreme heat can cause the hose to fail prematurely. Could sharp objects puncture the hose from the outside?

    Cheers,

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    Dirk Loeffler
    Loeffler Hygiene & Safety Solutions
    (404) 229-7583
    loeffler.dirk@loefflerhygiene.com
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Brewery hoses leaking caustic

    Posted 08-23-2022 14:21

    It could be that your hoses are actually okay.  Maybe some caustic that pooled on the floor soaked into the outer layer of the hose, and then oozed back out overnight when you hung it up?

     

    Cullen Dwyer

    Q/A Manager

    P: 978.874.9965 X1160


    Wachusett Brewing Company, Inc.
    175 State Road E.
    Westminster, MA  01473

    www.wachusettbrewingcompany.com

     




    Original Message


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